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The Sandman
The Sandman, Vol. 7: Brief Lives
THE SANDMAN is the most acclaimed and award-winning comics series of the 1990s for good reason: a smart and deeply brooding epic, elegantly penned by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by a rotating cast of comics' most sought-after artists, it is a rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama, and legend are seamlessly interwoven. The saga of THE SANDMAN encompasses a series of tales unique in graphic literature and is a story you will never forget.
In BRIEF LIVES, Delirium, youngest of the extended family known as The Endless, prevails upon her brother Dream to help find their missing sibling, Destruction. Their subsequent odyssey through the waking world, and their final confrontations with Destruction--as well as the resolution of Dream's painful relationship with his son, Orpheus--will change the Endless forever.
BRIEF LIVES is the seventh volume of eleven in THE SANDMAN LIBRARY. These books can be read in order or as individual volumes.
Description from back cover
In BRIEF LIVES, Delirium, youngest of the extended family known as The Endless, prevails upon her brother Dream to help find their missing sibling, Destruction. Their subsequent odyssey through the waking world, and their final confrontations with Destruction--as well as the resolution of Dream's painful relationship with his son, Orpheus--will change the Endless forever.
BRIEF LIVES is the seventh volume of eleven in THE SANDMAN LIBRARY. These books can be read in order or as individual volumes.
Description from back cover
256 pages, Paperback
First published March 25, 1993
492 people are currently reading
22635 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,085 reviews
March 19, 2023
This is is the volume that seems to signal a real change in the character of Morpheus.
There's a journey here. Metaphorical and real.
And it's not a journey that he wants to go on.
He agrees to help his sister search for their missing brother, Destruction.
Partially because he just got dumped by a girl and partially because Death shames him into helping his little sister. Destruction is the cool brother, the one that everyone likes, and several hundred years ago he decided to call it quits and live life on his own terms.
Delerium is...
Well, she's awful in a it's-not-her-fault kind of way. Streams of nonsense peppered with a few nuggets of profound sanity are all that you get out of her during the whole thing.
She seems to want to find her older brother because he was always good to her, and maybe even because he made her feel a bit more grounded?
The whole story is about the way individuals change and grow and morph into new things. And also what those types of changes would look like for those who are seemingly immortal.
There are some fun road trip moments here, but mostly it's about Dream beginning to question his place in the world, and maybe becoming a tad more human.
Of course, the main takeaway of this volume is that everyone gets a lifetime.
No more. No less.
There's a journey here. Metaphorical and real.
And it's not a journey that he wants to go on.
He agrees to help his sister search for their missing brother, Destruction.
Partially because he just got dumped by a girl and partially because Death shames him into helping his little sister. Destruction is the cool brother, the one that everyone likes, and several hundred years ago he decided to call it quits and live life on his own terms.
Delerium is...
Well, she's awful in a it's-not-her-fault kind of way. Streams of nonsense peppered with a few nuggets of profound sanity are all that you get out of her during the whole thing.
She seems to want to find her older brother because he was always good to her, and maybe even because he made her feel a bit more grounded?
The whole story is about the way individuals change and grow and morph into new things. And also what those types of changes would look like for those who are seemingly immortal.
There are some fun road trip moments here, but mostly it's about Dream beginning to question his place in the world, and maybe becoming a tad more human.
Of course, the main takeaway of this volume is that everyone gets a lifetime.
No more. No less.
June 7, 2015
A mad journey about change.
Creative Team:
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Illustrators: Jill Thompson & Vince Locke
Covers: Dave McKean
Letterer: Todd Klein
COINS, BUTTERFLIES, PONdS, QUESTS & FAMILIES
In the review about the sixth volume, Fables & Reflections, I recommended that it was better to read the introduction after reading the TPB, and surprising enough in this seventh volume, Brief Lives, they just decided to putt he introduction at the end of the TPB. Curiouser and curiouser. Oh, and read it, not only it’s by Peter Straub, but it’s helpful to recollect your own thoughts after the reading of the story.
She was a remarkable woman.
All women are remarkable.
This volume has one long storyline, so, readers who are looking for long storylines will be delighted, I comment it since I noticed how odd some fans of The Sandman aren’t particularly thrilled about the volumes with collections of short stories.
I enjoy the collections of short stories, but also I can appreciate a long storyline.
It’s nothing to do with me any longer. It’s theirs.
They can make their own destruction.
Quite early in the run of The Sandman it was commented that one of the Endless, Destruction, left his realm and nobody has known about him since then. Three hundred years later, Delirium, another of the Endless, is missing him and she wants to look for him.
The Endless famly isn’t a tight one, it seems, since Delirium has troubles to find a partner in her quest. Desire says no. Even Despair (who was quite attached to Destruction) says no. So, in order of younger to older, Delirium goes to the next member of the family...
...Dream.
And it isn’t an easy task, since Dream isn’t in good mood. He was in love (mentioned in the previous volume, but there and here, is a mystery the identity of the woman), but she left him.
It’s amusing that the sisters sentimentally closer to Destruction, are Despair and Delirium. Amusing and kinda obvious.
But while you will get to know about the whereabouts of Destruction, a mystery mentioned since the beginning of the second volume, The Doll’s House, but as you may guess, the Endless family has many mysteries, and you will be introduced (but not fully disclosured) about a couple of new mysteries.
Delirium wasn’t Delirium since the beginning of her existence, she was something different before and maybe she hasn’t stopped about changing. And an Endless can be destroyed and its realm falling under the responsibility of another member of the Endless.
I thought we were friends.
Friends, my sister? I thought we were famliy.
Families are complicated. Families are full of characters. There is the dreamer, the crazy one, maybe some Goth fan, perhaps an addicted to sex, by some chance one desperate case, surely a quite one and of course that member of the family that nobody has heard since a while.
The Endless isn’t different than any other family, with the only difference that they existed since the creation and each of them are responsable of realms with power over mortals. But a family at the end.
The Endless isn’t a close family because hey! Destruction disappeared for 300 years and everybody else was okay with that (sure, he announced that he was gonna dissapear, but hey, 300 years and nobody having to try to know if he’s okay?) and Dream was trapped against his will for 72 years and none member of his family tried to look after him.
So, quests for a family member is something hard to sale between the Endless, maybe due his recent imprisonment and lefting him to his chance, provoked to Dream to be the one helping Delirium, but it’s not like he was that excited about the idea.
You will learn that there aren’t one-sided coins.
And the Endless are like the oldest coins ever.
Life is about change. But everybody is affraid of changing. Even the people who think that they aren’t affraid of changing, that they do different things all the time, well, it’s very likely that they are affraid of changing and stop doing different things all the time. Everything is about the angle of you are looking at it.
But definitely, changes are what enriches our lives.
It's wonderful to realize that not matter how extensive is human language, there are still some plausible situations that we don't a word to describe them. Priceless.
Also, you will learn that when some Babylonian god isn’t so popular anymore, instead of just retiring to the oblivion, he can look for something else to do besides well, being a god, he only needs to find the right new market to attend to.
Maybe even you can learn that while many of us are mortals, some of us have a little longer lifespan, but at the end, well, there is indeed an end.
And not matter how long those lives may be, all of us will think that they were...
...just too brief.
Creative Team:
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Illustrators: Jill Thompson & Vince Locke
Covers: Dave McKean
Letterer: Todd Klein
COINS, BUTTERFLIES, PONdS, QUESTS & FAMILIES
In the review about the sixth volume, Fables & Reflections, I recommended that it was better to read the introduction after reading the TPB, and surprising enough in this seventh volume, Brief Lives, they just decided to putt he introduction at the end of the TPB. Curiouser and curiouser. Oh, and read it, not only it’s by Peter Straub, but it’s helpful to recollect your own thoughts after the reading of the story.
She was a remarkable woman.
All women are remarkable.
This volume has one long storyline, so, readers who are looking for long storylines will be delighted, I comment it since I noticed how odd some fans of The Sandman aren’t particularly thrilled about the volumes with collections of short stories.
I enjoy the collections of short stories, but also I can appreciate a long storyline.
It’s nothing to do with me any longer. It’s theirs.
They can make their own destruction.
Quite early in the run of The Sandman it was commented that one of the Endless, Destruction, left his realm and nobody has known about him since then. Three hundred years later, Delirium, another of the Endless, is missing him and she wants to look for him.
The Endless famly isn’t a tight one, it seems, since Delirium has troubles to find a partner in her quest. Desire says no. Even Despair (who was quite attached to Destruction) says no. So, in order of younger to older, Delirium goes to the next member of the family...
...Dream.
And it isn’t an easy task, since Dream isn’t in good mood. He was in love (mentioned in the previous volume, but there and here, is a mystery the identity of the woman), but she left him.
It’s amusing that the sisters sentimentally closer to Destruction, are Despair and Delirium. Amusing and kinda obvious.
But while you will get to know about the whereabouts of Destruction, a mystery mentioned since the beginning of the second volume, The Doll’s House, but as you may guess, the Endless family has many mysteries, and you will be introduced (but not fully disclosured) about a couple of new mysteries.
Delirium wasn’t Delirium since the beginning of her existence, she was something different before and maybe she hasn’t stopped about changing. And an Endless can be destroyed and its realm falling under the responsibility of another member of the Endless.
I thought we were friends.
Friends, my sister? I thought we were famliy.
Families are complicated. Families are full of characters. There is the dreamer, the crazy one, maybe some Goth fan, perhaps an addicted to sex, by some chance one desperate case, surely a quite one and of course that member of the family that nobody has heard since a while.
The Endless isn’t different than any other family, with the only difference that they existed since the creation and each of them are responsable of realms with power over mortals. But a family at the end.
The Endless isn’t a close family because hey! Destruction disappeared for 300 years and everybody else was okay with that (sure, he announced that he was gonna dissapear, but hey, 300 years and nobody having to try to know if he’s okay?) and Dream was trapped against his will for 72 years and none member of his family tried to look after him.
So, quests for a family member is something hard to sale between the Endless, maybe due his recent imprisonment and lefting him to his chance, provoked to Dream to be the one helping Delirium, but it’s not like he was that excited about the idea.
You will learn that there aren’t one-sided coins.
And the Endless are like the oldest coins ever.
Life is about change. But everybody is affraid of changing. Even the people who think that they aren’t affraid of changing, that they do different things all the time, well, it’s very likely that they are affraid of changing and stop doing different things all the time. Everything is about the angle of you are looking at it.
But definitely, changes are what enriches our lives.
It's wonderful to realize that not matter how extensive is human language, there are still some plausible situations that we don't a word to describe them. Priceless.
Also, you will learn that when some Babylonian god isn’t so popular anymore, instead of just retiring to the oblivion, he can look for something else to do besides well, being a god, he only needs to find the right new market to attend to.
Maybe even you can learn that while many of us are mortals, some of us have a little longer lifespan, but at the end, well, there is indeed an end.
And not matter how long those lives may be, all of us will think that they were...
...just too brief.
April 19, 2020
"Destiny is blind"
None of us know our path in life. We never know where we may end up despite how much we try to forge a direction for ourselves. We try to give ourselves purpose and meaning but, in all honesty, we truly could end up anywhere and doing anything.
Life is an endless possibility. And destiny, destiny is blind.
Dreams are made real if only we believe in them. Reading this makes me want to stop, to stop under the starry night sky and imagine the possibilities of life and the universe. The concepts this series grapples with are hugely conceptual and imaginative. I am in awe as I read because I’ve never seen anything on such a large scale dealt with in a comic book. The idea that such beings, beings that are themselves concepts formed into caricatures called the Endless, reside behind everything that has ever been is simply phenomenal.
As I read this volume, I started to see early echoes of Gaiman’s American Gods. There are hints to where his thoughts are going and what he would one day eventually write. I’m not a massive fan of that book because I don’t think the delivery of it matched the scope of the storytelling, though here it works perfectly.
And for me this has been the strongest volume in a while. I feel like the series has finally found some momentum and is finally heading somewhere big and beautiful.
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None of us know our path in life. We never know where we may end up despite how much we try to forge a direction for ourselves. We try to give ourselves purpose and meaning but, in all honesty, we truly could end up anywhere and doing anything.
Life is an endless possibility. And destiny, destiny is blind.
Dreams are made real if only we believe in them. Reading this makes me want to stop, to stop under the starry night sky and imagine the possibilities of life and the universe. The concepts this series grapples with are hugely conceptual and imaginative. I am in awe as I read because I’ve never seen anything on such a large scale dealt with in a comic book. The idea that such beings, beings that are themselves concepts formed into caricatures called the Endless, reside behind everything that has ever been is simply phenomenal.
As I read this volume, I started to see early echoes of Gaiman’s American Gods. There are hints to where his thoughts are going and what he would one day eventually write. I’m not a massive fan of that book because I don’t think the delivery of it matched the scope of the storytelling, though here it works perfectly.
And for me this has been the strongest volume in a while. I feel like the series has finally found some momentum and is finally heading somewhere big and beautiful.
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July 6, 2020
Re-read 7/5/20:
I really feel for Destruction. And no, it's not just the times we live in. I feel for him in a very deep way.
After all, there are two sides to every coin. :)
Original Review:
What is really a road trip is really a helluvalot more than just a roadtrip when Dream and Delirium search for their long lost brother of change, Destruction.
Nothing is quite as funny and quirky in these Graphic Novels like Delirium, and nobody is quite as quietly disturbing, deep down. How does one need to so completely retreat from Delight by willingly throwing oneself into deepest madness? *shiver*
I really loved this volume. Things change.
The other most memorable and thought-provoking stories are those of Ishtar and Bast and Orpheus, but honestly, I can't bring myself to pick which I liked the most. They all resonate deeply. :)
This is the Sandman I remember decades later, and it holds up as endlessly now as it did the first time I read it. :)
I really feel for Destruction. And no, it's not just the times we live in. I feel for him in a very deep way.
After all, there are two sides to every coin. :)
Original Review:
What is really a road trip is really a helluvalot more than just a roadtrip when Dream and Delirium search for their long lost brother of change, Destruction.
Nothing is quite as funny and quirky in these Graphic Novels like Delirium, and nobody is quite as quietly disturbing, deep down. How does one need to so completely retreat from Delight by willingly throwing oneself into deepest madness? *shiver*
I really loved this volume. Things change.
The other most memorable and thought-provoking stories are those of Ishtar and Bast and Orpheus, but honestly, I can't bring myself to pick which I liked the most. They all resonate deeply. :)
This is the Sandman I remember decades later, and it holds up as endlessly now as it did the first time I read it. :)
June 15, 2019
This volume is one tale, one quest. Delirium (one of the less frequently seen of the Endless Family) misses her brother Destruction intensely and is determined to find him. Desire and Despair refuse to join her, but she does persuade Dream. Their quest takes them from a travel office in Dublin, Ireland to a strip club called Suffragette City, from the Palace of Bast, Queen and Goddess of Cats to the Temple of Orpheus (where the head of the bard still lives), and finally toward the island retreat of the abdicated Lord of Destruction himself. Early in their journey—as Dream himself notices—the bodies begin to pile up. Could it be that there is someone (or something) that is trying to keep them from seeing their brother again?
I liked a lot of things about this story—Pharamond, god turned travel agent, and Isis’ dance at Suffragette City are two which come immediately to mind—but the most delightful thing about Brief Lives was the character of Delirium (formerly known “as Delight”. For someone whose conversation is full of , and whose appearance changes markedly from panel to panel, she is a thoroughly consistent and charming character, vulnerable, affectionate toward family and filled with a childish delight for experience and adventure. The conclusion of the tale, involving a reunion with Destruction and the fulfillment of a promise Dream once made to Orpheus, is both poignant and satisfying.
There is also a good essay by Peter Straub, sensibly placed at the end in order to avoid spoilers.
May 31, 2024
Dream is moping in the wake of his latest break-up, but is willing to temporarily put things aside to accompany his sister in searching for their lost brother Destruction. While our sulky protagonist is convinced that Delirium would soon lose interest in her quest, the increasing number of tragic accidents they encounter on the way, makes him suspicious.
After my numerous grumblings about Dream taking the backseat in the last few volumes, I was delighted to have him center stage once again. Having a family member in tow and more backstory, was just the icing on the cake. Yes, I could now see the merit of Orpheus' story taking up so much space in the previous volume. Not that it makes it any less boring...
There's a whole lot of character development to be had, and not just for Dream, who's once again confronted with how much of an arsehole he is. His siblings Delirium and Destruction, and to a lesser degree Despair, also get some rather interesting portrayals. The job responsibility motive is revisited again, this time from a more taboo point of view.
The art style is consistently improving, getting more and more appealing and detailed. I especially enjoyed discovering the various eternal siblings' realms, and finding meaning in their choice of decoration.
Score: 4.4/5 stars
For all my raving about the content, characterization and art, I found the actual reading process a bit tedious. There's a whole lot of world building and self-reflection squeezed into this volume, which at times made things seem a bit overwhelming and had me pause for quite a while after each chapter. Though perhaps that's not such a bad thing...
Like most fantasy lovers, I've also tuned in to watch the recent Netflix adaptation. While I was basking in my withdrawal symptoms, I realized that I didn't in fact need to succumb to them, seeing as I own all volumes of the comic books, and could thus make progress at my own pace. And boy did I love this one! Bring in the next installment!
=============
Review of volume 1: Preludes & Nocturnes
Review of volume 2: The Doll's House
Review of volume 3: Dream Country
Review of volume 4: Season of Mists
Review of volume 5: A Game of You
Review of volume 6: Fables & Reflections
Review of volume 8: World's End
After my numerous grumblings about Dream taking the backseat in the last few volumes, I was delighted to have him center stage once again. Having a family member in tow and more backstory, was just the icing on the cake. Yes, I could now see the merit of Orpheus' story taking up so much space in the previous volume. Not that it makes it any less boring...
There's a whole lot of character development to be had, and not just for Dream, who's once again confronted with how much of an arsehole he is. His siblings Delirium and Destruction, and to a lesser degree Despair, also get some rather interesting portrayals. The job responsibility motive is revisited again, this time from a more taboo point of view.
The art style is consistently improving, getting more and more appealing and detailed. I especially enjoyed discovering the various eternal siblings' realms, and finding meaning in their choice of decoration.
Score: 4.4/5 stars
For all my raving about the content, characterization and art, I found the actual reading process a bit tedious. There's a whole lot of world building and self-reflection squeezed into this volume, which at times made things seem a bit overwhelming and had me pause for quite a while after each chapter. Though perhaps that's not such a bad thing...
Like most fantasy lovers, I've also tuned in to watch the recent Netflix adaptation. While I was basking in my withdrawal symptoms, I realized that I didn't in fact need to succumb to them, seeing as I own all volumes of the comic books, and could thus make progress at my own pace. And boy did I love this one! Bring in the next installment!
=============
Review of volume 1: Preludes & Nocturnes
Review of volume 2: The Doll's House
Review of volume 3: Dream Country
Review of volume 4: Season of Mists
Review of volume 5: A Game of You
Review of volume 6: Fables & Reflections
Review of volume 8: World's End
September 30, 2013
Fasten you seatbelts, folks! It's going to be a bumpy ride!
Watch out! Delirium is behind the wheel and she's looking for Destruction!
She misses her brother, the one that got away: Donde esta mi hermano? She stares at the world with two mismatched eyes: one emerald green, the other pale blue through which silver flecks flicker and swim like a shoal of tiny fish. . The Endless are a family, but what's a good word for 'disfunctional'? Is Delirium the only one who really cares? Who's going to help her when she feels like someplace where nobody goes anymore?
The number you dialed does not answer
Dream is almost catatonic, as another of his love interests leaves him stranded in the rain. It's raining in my hometown right now as I write my review, cold and relentless autumn drizzle that echoes the general tone of this volume. Despair is busy looking out from behind every mirror in the world and apathy hangs like damp mist in the chill air . Desire flatly refuses to get involved in the quest to fill the empty chair at the family table, but she's the devious one, and could be plotting in secret against Dream . And Destiny as always walks the twisted paths of his labyrinth, holding his padlocked book of revelations close to his chest and speaking in riddles. Death is a little more helpful, bu who is really eager to meet her?
The collection is titled Brief Lives, but what is 'brief' is all in the eye of the beholder. Delirium as the youngest and most volatile Endless deals in ephemera, from party-coloured leaping frogs to chocolate lovers losing themselves in a melting frenzy of lust, spending the last of their brief borrowed lives in a spasm of raspberry cream and fear. . Mortals are insignificant cinders, even the lucky ones who managed somehow to cheat time and history and fate :
You lived what anybody gets, Bernie. You got a lifetime. No more. No less.
The Gods themselves fade away and learn to adapt, to live without the daily devotion of their former faithful. Pharamond, Ishtar - can you recognize them walking among us, dreaming of past glories, of absolute powers and unquestioned faith? Older than the gods are the Endless, witnesses of the birth of the universe, relentless and unmovable for all eternity. Or are they? the endless are merely patterns, the endless are ideas, the endless are wave functions, the endless are repeating motifs, the endless are echoes of darkness.
To gaze upon a cockatrice is permanent and never nice.
For it can never be denied, life isn't pleasant, petrified.
What's the name of the word for permanence?
For unquestioning respect and eternal devotion all one needs is a dog. Meet Barnabas, one of the best new additions to the series, a born art critic with an acid tongue. Other guest stars flash on and off the screen, trying to escape the attention of the higher powers: the Lapps believe that it is unwise in any way to attract the attention of the dancing northern lights, or they will carry you off into the sky, to be one with them forever. A shaman looks upon a different landscape from us commoners, his wisdom comes from the subconscious, from deep and dark and mysterious places.
To bite your own shadow is neither easy nor painless.
My review is broken and directionless and obscure, but so is the journey the Endless take. Remember, Delirium is driving. The quest is also dangerous. After all, Destruction doesn't want to be found, and he has taken precautions against intruders. Deadly precautions. Pain and sadness are constant companions on the route, despite the occasional flash of humour from Barnabas or the raven. Premonitions of doom pile up on Dream's shoulders, but he can neither abandon the quest, nor change the path laid down in Destiny's book. So how did Destruction manage to escape?
Gaiman's poetry flies on broken wings in and out of the story:
Unripe mind apples tumble screaming through the sky, and the stars gasp in brief flashes of pain and time.
The artwork is often raw and jagged, but Jill Thomson always manages to capture the emotional frame of the characters. The writing is superb, carrying the story forward to an elegant and disturbing finish line.
“What's the name of the word for the precise moment when you realize that you've actually forgotten how it felt to make love to somebody you really liked a long time ago?”
Did I manage to muddle the waters enough? Don't give up, it will be all made clear by the end of the story arc. Don't read on if you are afraid of spoilers:
The management cannot be held responsible for anything lost or found within the Library of Dreams.
Because there's no such thing as a one sided coin. Because there are two sides to every sky.
Worlds don't last. and stars and galaxies are transient, fleeting things that twinkle like fireflies and vanish into cold and dust. Not knowing everything is all that makes it okay, sometimes.
... but Death disagrees with Destruction and as usual brings closure to all debate: “She said we all not only could know everything. We do. We just tell ourselves we don't to make it all bearable.”
Kundera talked about the unbearable lightness of being. Gaiman sees hope in the everlasting changing nature of existence where even the Endless are revealed as dialectic principles, two sided coins:
Death defines Life, Dream defines Reality ( One cannot begin a new dream without abandoning the last ), Despair defines Hope, Destiny defines Freedom, Desire defines Hatred, Delirium was once Delight, and Destruction - he is now concerned with Creation - he paints, he sculpts, he writes poetry, he cooks. Nothing new can exist without destroying the old.
There is comfort of a sort to be found in the darkest moments, knowing the world will go on, with or without you. Old debts are paid , new friends are found , and Morpheus journey continues with book 8. I guess I sound like a broken record, exclaiming after each new volume : 'This is the best one yet!', but that's the way I felt so far, and you'll probably hear it again in a week or so.
January 2, 2021
Dream finally gets to star in his own story. There's are so many great things about this volume. Delirium and Dream's road trip. Destruction and Barnabus. I love their friendship. We get to visit all of the Endless one by one. Even though Death only makes a cameo, she gets the best line, one that still sticks with me almost 30 years later:
“You lived what anybody gets, Bernie. You got a lifetime. No more. No less”-Death
“You lived what anybody gets, Bernie. You got a lifetime. No more. No less”-Death
May 31, 2021
Another great and solid volume in the The Sandman collection!
Brief Lives is a tale of Dream and Delirium setting out to find their brother, Destruction.
The Endless, which consist of Destiny, Dream, Delirium, Desire, Death, Destruction and Despair are more powerful then Gods. They still have family issues, misunderstandings and seem to get into each others way.
Destruction has been gone for many years now and Delirium wants to find him. Talk him into coming back to the family and finds a way to talk Dream into going on the mission with her.
Her conversations and interactions are so strange and confusing, but this makes sense because she's Delirium.
This volume shows how Morpheus is changing in subtle ways. He's regarding and changing decisions that he has made in the past. He's also interacting differently with his dysfunctional family, The Endless.
Looking forward to continuing this series!
It's been entertaining and great throughout each volume so far. It's very unique and different, just like Neil Gaiman's brain! :D
Brief Lives is a tale of Dream and Delirium setting out to find their brother, Destruction.
The Endless, which consist of Destiny, Dream, Delirium, Desire, Death, Destruction and Despair are more powerful then Gods. They still have family issues, misunderstandings and seem to get into each others way.
Destruction has been gone for many years now and Delirium wants to find him. Talk him into coming back to the family and finds a way to talk Dream into going on the mission with her.
Her conversations and interactions are so strange and confusing, but this makes sense because she's Delirium.
This volume shows how Morpheus is changing in subtle ways. He's regarding and changing decisions that he has made in the past. He's also interacting differently with his dysfunctional family, The Endless.
Looking forward to continuing this series!
It's been entertaining and great throughout each volume so far. It's very unique and different, just like Neil Gaiman's brain! :D
October 8, 2018
Does Dream and his sister Delirium hitting the road and wandering the earth in search of truth (and fun) and their brother Destruction make for the weirdest road trip ever? Well, no—that would, in fact, be the Gibson family trek to Disneyworld in 1987 (don’t ask). But, it’s certainly up there, and certainly good (if thought-provoking) fun. This Gaiman kid is going places, I tell ya.
Onto Vol. 8…
Onto Vol. 8…
September 27, 2021
4. 1/2
If you also weren't a fan of volume 6, please don't take a break like I did. Try reading 4 chapters of this volume and unless you aren't liking this serial as a whole, then you definitely won't regret it. The Sandman, Vol. 7: Brief Lives has a very high rating for a reason.
I randomly decided to pick up this volume last week. I have stopped reading this comic series a couple of years ago. You see, volume 6 was a real struggle to read. Luckily, a few years later, I was running behind on my yearly challenge. So I thought why not continue the Sandman?
I read 2 chapters last Monday and I simply couldn't continue reading. They were so boring and made 0 sense, one of the reasons why I didn't like the previous volume was that the stories weren't related. BUT I decided to be strong and just finish this damn volume regardless at 1 am yesterday. Without noticing, I found myself so engrossed in this volume and I couldn't stop reading. Then, my friend sends me a link to the Netflix teaser, which was ironically released yesterday, and after fangirling and LOOK THIS IS TYWIN LANNISTER. Dance playing the bad guy again! It got really late so I finished Brief Lives today and it was freakin awesome.
I highly enjoyed this volume mainly because of one character: Destruction. And well, Dream but that goes without saying. We learn more about this mysterious brother and discover more about the Endless's relationships. Their interactions continue to be one of the things I like the most about the Sandman.
Now, I'm looking forward to reading the next installment and I really hope it's going to be good. I still don't like the art whatsoever, and reading this comic isn't very fun because I have to zoom it all the time but the story became good again, fortunately. I’ve had lots of ups and downs with this serial. I’m curious how it’ll end especially after watching that teaser.
If you also weren't a fan of volume 6, please don't take a break like I did. Try reading 4 chapters of this volume and unless you aren't liking this serial as a whole, then you definitely won't regret it. The Sandman, Vol. 7: Brief Lives has a very high rating for a reason.
I randomly decided to pick up this volume last week. I have stopped reading this comic series a couple of years ago. You see, volume 6 was a real struggle to read. Luckily, a few years later, I was running behind on my yearly challenge. So I thought why not continue the Sandman?
I read 2 chapters last Monday and I simply couldn't continue reading. They were so boring and made 0 sense, one of the reasons why I didn't like the previous volume was that the stories weren't related. BUT I decided to be strong and just finish this damn volume regardless at 1 am yesterday. Without noticing, I found myself so engrossed in this volume and I couldn't stop reading. Then, my friend sends me a link to the Netflix teaser, which was ironically released yesterday, and after fangirling and LOOK THIS IS TYWIN LANNISTER. Dance playing the bad guy again! It got really late so I finished Brief Lives today and it was freakin awesome.
I highly enjoyed this volume mainly because of one character: Destruction. And well, Dream but that goes without saying. We learn more about this mysterious brother and discover more about the Endless's relationships. Their interactions continue to be one of the things I like the most about the Sandman.
Now, I'm looking forward to reading the next installment and I really hope it's going to be good. I still don't like the art whatsoever, and reading this comic isn't very fun because I have to zoom it all the time but the story became good again, fortunately. I’ve had lots of ups and downs with this serial. I’m curious how it’ll end especially after watching that teaser.
October 11, 2020
I’ll let others wax poetic over it but suffice it to say this is another fantastic volume of The Sandman, with all the strengths and weaknesses of the previous tomes. Great stuff.
November 6, 2020
“You lived what anybody gets, Bernie. You got a lifetime. No more. No less”--Death
This is a wonderful volume in the series, movingly told by Gaiman and wonderfully illustrated by Jill Thompson and with consistently amazing covers by Dave McKean (every issue, volume after volume) about a road trip/quest take by Morpheus/Dream and his sister Delirium (who used to be called Delight in happier times) because Delirium wants to find their brother Destruction. Dream has broken up with a lover and hopes to see her on their world travels. Despair and Desire refuse to join them, but that’s okay, because the relationship that we get to see is so great, maybe only exceeded by Dream’s relationship with his sister Death.
The thrust of this volume is about family and sibling dynamics as we for the first time in a volume meet all the Endless family, but it is also about “brief lives” and mortality and the limitations The Endless face in their encounters with humans. The inevitability of change. There are tensions within and between the sibs; for instance, why is Death typically more emotionally positive than Dream? Why is Delirium no longer Delight-ed? Destruction, we learn, cares very much for Creation, and so on.
There are highlights: The meeting with Destruction. The character of Delirium. One interlude takes place in a strip club called Suffragette City, with Isis dancing. The conclusion of the Orpheus arc happens in this issue and is pretty powerful. I just think it’s brilliant, but you have to read the whole thing, you can’t just pick this one up to get the grand scope and at the same time close intimacy of this volume.
This is a wonderful volume in the series, movingly told by Gaiman and wonderfully illustrated by Jill Thompson and with consistently amazing covers by Dave McKean (every issue, volume after volume) about a road trip/quest take by Morpheus/Dream and his sister Delirium (who used to be called Delight in happier times) because Delirium wants to find their brother Destruction. Dream has broken up with a lover and hopes to see her on their world travels. Despair and Desire refuse to join them, but that’s okay, because the relationship that we get to see is so great, maybe only exceeded by Dream’s relationship with his sister Death.
The thrust of this volume is about family and sibling dynamics as we for the first time in a volume meet all the Endless family, but it is also about “brief lives” and mortality and the limitations The Endless face in their encounters with humans. The inevitability of change. There are tensions within and between the sibs; for instance, why is Death typically more emotionally positive than Dream? Why is Delirium no longer Delight-ed? Destruction, we learn, cares very much for Creation, and so on.
There are highlights: The meeting with Destruction. The character of Delirium. One interlude takes place in a strip club called Suffragette City, with Isis dancing. The conclusion of the Orpheus arc happens in this issue and is pretty powerful. I just think it’s brilliant, but you have to read the whole thing, you can’t just pick this one up to get the grand scope and at the same time close intimacy of this volume.
September 1, 2019
Quite possibly my favourite so far. Absolutely loved this one! Full review to come.
June 14, 2022
Reason. It is no more reliable a tool than instinct, myth or dream. But it has the potential to be far more dangerous…
A delirious quest.
An inevitable cessation.
A constant change.
A delirious quest.
An inevitable cessation.
A constant change.
July 5, 2020
In this 7th, wonderful volume, Dream and Delirium go on a road trip of sorts. As the readers know by now, there has been at least one more sibling to The Elders, who gave up his responsibilities some hundreds of years ago. Here, we find out it was Destruction.
Apparently, he was especially close with Delight/Delirium and, perhaps surprisingly - but then again, not really - Despair. Interestingly enough, there have been implications about Despair that have me fascinated.
Anyway, they go on a quest to find their hidden brother and thus encounter a number of other old beings. Not exactly immortal and not all of them gods (anymore), but definitely special creatures.
The center of the tale, however, is family. Not just the lost brother but also Dream's son.
And duty. The duty of a friend, the duty of family, the duty of a lover, the duty of servants, the duty to one's occupation. It's amazing to see that Gaiman and his co-workers paid as much attention to detail to the central characters in the story as to the small ones (you know, the side and background characters).
I liked the theme of loyalty and I especially liked that we got a deeper glimpse at Dream and his siblings, their past and, thus, also their future.
My favourite aspect of this volume, though, was Barnabas! :D
My highlight (apart from the aforementioned companion) was Dream and Delirium speaking to Destruction about existence - showcasing Gaiman's mastery with words as it was deep and powerful and true and yet also whimsical.
What had me laughing out loud was Destruction's description of Dream's son, which was a description of Dream himself (one I wholeheartedly agree with): "A romantic fool. Self-pitying. But with a certain amount of personal charm." BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
Interestingly, there was some downright gorgeous artwork in some of the panels that stood in stark contrast with the rest. Can't exactly say why the artist chose to do that because it didn't always fit with the tale or character at that moment, but I did appreciate it nonetheless. The rest was as bonkers as ever but since we were travelling with Delirium it fit better than ever.
Maybe not my favourite volume but close.
Apparently, he was especially close with Delight/Delirium and, perhaps surprisingly - but then again, not really - Despair. Interestingly enough, there have been implications about Despair that have me fascinated.
Anyway, they go on a quest to find their hidden brother and thus encounter a number of other old beings. Not exactly immortal and not all of them gods (anymore), but definitely special creatures.
The center of the tale, however, is family. Not just the lost brother but also Dream's son.
And duty. The duty of a friend, the duty of family, the duty of a lover, the duty of servants, the duty to one's occupation. It's amazing to see that Gaiman and his co-workers paid as much attention to detail to the central characters in the story as to the small ones (you know, the side and background characters).
I liked the theme of loyalty and I especially liked that we got a deeper glimpse at Dream and his siblings, their past and, thus, also their future.
My favourite aspect of this volume, though, was Barnabas! :D
My highlight (apart from the aforementioned companion) was Dream and Delirium speaking to Destruction about existence - showcasing Gaiman's mastery with words as it was deep and powerful and true and yet also whimsical.
What had me laughing out loud was Destruction's description of Dream's son, which was a description of Dream himself (one I wholeheartedly agree with): "A romantic fool. Self-pitying. But with a certain amount of personal charm." BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
Interestingly, there was some downright gorgeous artwork in some of the panels that stood in stark contrast with the rest. Can't exactly say why the artist chose to do that because it didn't always fit with the tale or character at that moment, but I did appreciate it nonetheless. The rest was as bonkers as ever but since we were travelling with Delirium it fit better than ever.
Maybe not my favourite volume but close.
March 31, 2016
Brief Lives was personally perfect in every way. It was the volume of The Sandman that solidified my love for the entire series. Not only was it a sublime story about brevity and forgiveness; it was an affirmation of what the Endless was supposed to stand for (and all seven of them too, because we finally get to meet the prodigal sibling who abandoned the responsibilities of his realm). Jill Thompson is the collaborative artist for this volume, and hers are my most favorite depictions of the Endless, their realms and the overall tone and atmosphere of Gaiman's settings.
The thematic resonance of this volume was all about mortality and endings, and how each Endless functions in their duties, knowing that even they could only do so much for the lives of the creatures they govern and have the power to influence--even destroy. There are quite a number of secondary characters whose appearances in the subplots and major arc are highly suggestive of the titular significance itself. Gaiman highlights the tragedy of choices unmade, and the wasteful quality of a human life when a person does not own up to it and deal with its milestones and corresponding consequences.
This was the first ever volume where we get to see all the seven Endless and the meaningful interactions between and among them are certainly insightful of the complex dynamics and roles of each one. Dream and Delirium (my favorite) are the central characters that readers are following over the course of the major arc, and theirs has a more disapproving-father and awkward-daughter aspect than simple sibling dynamic. While dealing with a recent break-up with an unnamed paramour, Dream travels to human world with Delirium, in hopes that he will glimpsed said former lover. Meanwhile, Delirium seeks out their long-lost brother, Destruction.
The subplots that surround this quest are where the other Endless took part; the painful dichotomy of Desire and Despair was given more substance in this volume alongside Dream and Delirium's inability to completely make sense of each other. Dream will always see Del as the youngest and most unruly and unpredictable of his siblings, and would rather not have anything to do with her. Delirium, however, was inexplicably both immature and wise, alternating between seeking the approval of her elder siblings, and questioning their fixed perceptions about things, and none is more rigid and overbearing of his stifling beliefs than the Dream Lord. This created an immediate rift between him and Delirium, but it also helped both of them to exert more effort in trying to understand each other's point of view.
The appearances of Destruction in Despair, Delirium and Dream's collective reminiscence paint the kind of Endless creature he was; this was a personification not just of chaos but of creation. In fact, the only reason he was able to bear through the first centuries of his role as a destroyer was because he knew that with endings, come beginnings, and Destruction is a self-proclaimed lover of all living things . There are separate panels that showed the readers just how likable he is; his warmth and pleasantness seem to contrast how we would picture someone who destroys worlds. This was an appealing revelation then; the presence of Destruction and his awareness of his duality clearly illustrate that his other siblings have that duality as well.
Delirium was once Delight, a personification of joy and innocence but it was a mystery why she has changed, and perhaps too much optimism and light have rendered her insane and unstable, therefore shifting to Delirium. Desire and Despair are the obvious representation of dual forces that complement each other--and yet they were separate entities. Perhaps it's because they are too much of individual extremes to ever compose a one whole existence.
Destiny appeared in the later pages. Ever the walking-spoiler-alert, he reveals the pathways that Dream must take because it was an obligation he must fulfill, much to the Lord Shaper's utmost despair. No other pair of siblings feel as duty-bound as Destiny and Dream after all. The confrontation between Destruction and Dream only helped seal this deal. The climactic event that follows was one of the most bittersweet conclusions in the series. It was the most suitable and harrowing way for everything in Brief Lives to come full-circle.
And what of Death herself? One can say that she was the encompassing presence that we feel in Brief Lives. She is the mother of endings, and the one who transcends her role because she understands the the meaning of life since she represents its counterpart.
RECOMMENDED: 10/10
* A brilliant and beautifully-illustrated volume, it allows readers to appreciate the Endless and their relationships with mortals, as well as the breadth and enduring quality of life and living itself, no matter how brief they are..
The thematic resonance of this volume was all about mortality and endings, and how each Endless functions in their duties, knowing that even they could only do so much for the lives of the creatures they govern and have the power to influence--even destroy. There are quite a number of secondary characters whose appearances in the subplots and major arc are highly suggestive of the titular significance itself. Gaiman highlights the tragedy of choices unmade, and the wasteful quality of a human life when a person does not own up to it and deal with its milestones and corresponding consequences.
This was the first ever volume where we get to see all the seven Endless and the meaningful interactions between and among them are certainly insightful of the complex dynamics and roles of each one. Dream and Delirium (my favorite) are the central characters that readers are following over the course of the major arc, and theirs has a more disapproving-father and awkward-daughter aspect than simple sibling dynamic. While dealing with a recent break-up with an unnamed paramour, Dream travels to human world with Delirium, in hopes that he will glimpsed said former lover. Meanwhile, Delirium seeks out their long-lost brother, Destruction.
The subplots that surround this quest are where the other Endless took part; the painful dichotomy of Desire and Despair was given more substance in this volume alongside Dream and Delirium's inability to completely make sense of each other. Dream will always see Del as the youngest and most unruly and unpredictable of his siblings, and would rather not have anything to do with her. Delirium, however, was inexplicably both immature and wise, alternating between seeking the approval of her elder siblings, and questioning their fixed perceptions about things, and none is more rigid and overbearing of his stifling beliefs than the Dream Lord. This created an immediate rift between him and Delirium, but it also helped both of them to exert more effort in trying to understand each other's point of view.
The appearances of Destruction in Despair, Delirium and Dream's collective reminiscence paint the kind of Endless creature he was; this was a personification not just of chaos but of creation. In fact, the only reason he was able to bear through the first centuries of his role as a destroyer was because he knew that with endings, come beginnings, and Destruction is a self-proclaimed lover of all living things . There are separate panels that showed the readers just how likable he is; his warmth and pleasantness seem to contrast how we would picture someone who destroys worlds. This was an appealing revelation then; the presence of Destruction and his awareness of his duality clearly illustrate that his other siblings have that duality as well.
Delirium was once Delight, a personification of joy and innocence but it was a mystery why she has changed, and perhaps too much optimism and light have rendered her insane and unstable, therefore shifting to Delirium. Desire and Despair are the obvious representation of dual forces that complement each other--and yet they were separate entities. Perhaps it's because they are too much of individual extremes to ever compose a one whole existence.
Destiny appeared in the later pages. Ever the walking-spoiler-alert, he reveals the pathways that Dream must take because it was an obligation he must fulfill, much to the Lord Shaper's utmost despair. No other pair of siblings feel as duty-bound as Destiny and Dream after all. The confrontation between Destruction and Dream only helped seal this deal. The climactic event that follows was one of the most bittersweet conclusions in the series. It was the most suitable and harrowing way for everything in Brief Lives to come full-circle.
And what of Death herself? One can say that she was the encompassing presence that we feel in Brief Lives. She is the mother of endings, and the one who transcends her role because she understands the the meaning of life since she represents its counterpart.
RECOMMENDED: 10/10
* A brilliant and beautifully-illustrated volume, it allows readers to appreciate the Endless and their relationships with mortals, as well as the breadth and enduring quality of life and living itself, no matter how brief they are..
February 6, 2022
Este es uno de los volúmenes que más me ha gustado hasta ahora, por varios motivos. El primero es que finalmente aparece el Eterno perdido, Destrucción. La serie nos viene insinuando la existencia de Destrucción desde el segundo volumen, pero este recién aparece en este séptimo volumen. Al conocerlo, es fácil ver cómo la partida de Destrucción desestabilizó a los Eternos: afable, bonachón, y cariñoso, claramente ejercía de mediador entre los hermanos. El otro motivo por el cual me gustó tanto este volumen es por el protagonismo de Delirio. Hasta ahora, sabemos que cada Eterno tiene una "función" de la cual se deriva su nombre: Sueño, Muerte, Destino, Deseo... pero eso no afecta necesariamente su personalidad. Muerte está lejos de ser ese personaje encapuchado, formal y solemne, que tanto asociamos con ella. Delirio, en cambio, es la única de los Eternos que parece padecer de aquello que ejerce. Además, es la típica hermana menor tratada en el mejor de los casos como una simpática molestia, y en el peor, como una estúpida. Todos los Eternos inspiran miedo (Muerte) o respeto (Sueño) pero Delirio es la única que inspira condescendencia y desprecio, hasta de los sirvientes de sus hermanos. Me pregunto adónde se moverá la serie adelante.
October 24, 2020
Delirium, Dream's sister, decides she wants to find her brother who has left his duties and is gone. So she goes around asking her family and eventually lands on Dream, who surprisingly agrees mostly because he's heartbroken his love left him.
So together they begin to travel the world trying to find their brother. Going from strip bars, to meeting other gods, to taking a chance against the odds and losing, to crazy driving adventures, and eventually landing on Dream visiting his son and asking him for help. This crazy, zanny, heartbreaking adventure ends in such a way I was expecting yet oddly hit me hard.
This is easily my favorite volume. It's packed with plenty of emotional scenes, scenes you can think on for awhile, and some comedy bits that help keep it going. The relationship between Dream and Delirium is near perfect and I couldn't have loved it more. The other family members who pop in all do their duties and when you meet their brother Destruction you really feel a sense that this guy has been through some shit and just wants to live his life, and we can all understand that.
This is a deep volume, heavy, took me a few days to read, but I was adsorbed into this world every time I picked it up. The ending with Dream and his son is just...powerful. I loved everything about this volume.
A 5 out of 5.
So together they begin to travel the world trying to find their brother. Going from strip bars, to meeting other gods, to taking a chance against the odds and losing, to crazy driving adventures, and eventually landing on Dream visiting his son and asking him for help. This crazy, zanny, heartbreaking adventure ends in such a way I was expecting yet oddly hit me hard.
This is easily my favorite volume. It's packed with plenty of emotional scenes, scenes you can think on for awhile, and some comedy bits that help keep it going. The relationship between Dream and Delirium is near perfect and I couldn't have loved it more. The other family members who pop in all do their duties and when you meet their brother Destruction you really feel a sense that this guy has been through some shit and just wants to live his life, and we can all understand that.
This is a deep volume, heavy, took me a few days to read, but I was adsorbed into this world every time I picked it up. The ending with Dream and his son is just...powerful. I loved everything about this volume.
A 5 out of 5.
April 27, 2021
Sonsuzların en küçüğü Hezeyan, 300 yıldır kayıp olan abisi Yıkım'ı özler ve onu aramak için çıkacağı yolculukta Rüya kendisine eşlik eder. Kısa Hayatlar galiba Sonsuzların en çok yer aldığı Sandman cildi; bir yol, arayış hikayesi. Ve tüm kitap odak noktasında değişimin olduğu tek bir anlatıdan oluşsa da içindeki ufak yan hikayeler yine oldukça büyüleyici. Bence Gaiman'ın kaleminin de en güçlü olduğu ciltlerden biri bu. Çok fazla diyebileceğim bir şey yok. Sandman gördüğüm en muazzam hikayeler arasında ve okuduğum her yeni cildinde bu fikrim pekişiyor.
June 28, 2025
So, this volume is a single story, opening with Delirium aching for seeing her brother Destruction again, and starts to ask her other endless siblings for their help to retrieve the missing prodigal brother...
I don't know what exactly is hooking me to this story, for sure it's not the art as it varies from book to book with the change of artists, like this one is much better than book 6... maybe it's the unexpected tale itself, as in you don't know what will the next chapter bring or what would be the next volume about? The volumes draw selectively on the same roost of main characters in every book with the addition of new ones that are singular for each volume, so when I start each volume it is really a new story in continuation of the overarching story, and you don't know where its heading, just relax and enjoy the ride...
MiM
I don't know what exactly is hooking me to this story, for sure it's not the art as it varies from book to book with the change of artists, like this one is much better than book 6... maybe it's the unexpected tale itself, as in you don't know what will the next chapter bring or what would be the next volume about? The volumes draw selectively on the same roost of main characters in every book with the addition of new ones that are singular for each volume, so when I start each volume it is really a new story in continuation of the overarching story, and you don't know where its heading, just relax and enjoy the ride...
MiM
July 23, 2021
Se non è letteratura questa, allora nient’altro lo è.
April 11, 2019
Κάπως πιο μελαγχολικός αυτός ο τόμος με μια κάπως πιο θλιμμένη ατμόσφαιρα.......μου άρεσε πολύ!.
-And what of your realm
-I'm surre it's still there, in it's fashion. People and things are still created; still exist; are still destroyed. They tear down and they build. Things still change. The only difference is that no one running it any more. It's nothing to do with me any longer. It's theirs. They can make their own destruction.
-My brother? How could you leave?
-How or why?
-It makes no difference.
-Because there's no such thing as a one-sided coin. Because there are two sides to every sky.
I like the stars. It's the illusion of permanence, I think. I mean, they're always flaring up and caving in and going out. But from here, I can pretend...I can pretend that things last. I can pretend that lives last longer than moments. Gods come, and gods go. Mortals flicker and flash and fade. Worlds don't last; and stars and galaxies are transient, fleeting things that twinkle like fireflies and vanish into cold and dust. But I can pretend.
And she looked at me. You know her look. And she sighed. Then she told me everyone can know everything Destiny knows. And more than that. She said we all not only could know everything. We do. We just tell ourselves we don't to make it all bearable.
-Um. What’s the name of the word for things not being the same always. You know. I’m sure there is one. Isn’t there? There must be a word for it… the thing that lets you know time is happening. Is there a word?
- Change.
- …I was afraid of that.
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-And what of your realm
-I'm surre it's still there, in it's fashion. People and things are still created; still exist; are still destroyed. They tear down and they build. Things still change. The only difference is that no one running it any more. It's nothing to do with me any longer. It's theirs. They can make their own destruction.
-My brother? How could you leave?
-How or why?
-It makes no difference.
-Because there's no such thing as a one-sided coin. Because there are two sides to every sky.
I like the stars. It's the illusion of permanence, I think. I mean, they're always flaring up and caving in and going out. But from here, I can pretend...I can pretend that things last. I can pretend that lives last longer than moments. Gods come, and gods go. Mortals flicker and flash and fade. Worlds don't last; and stars and galaxies are transient, fleeting things that twinkle like fireflies and vanish into cold and dust. But I can pretend.
And she looked at me. You know her look. And she sighed. Then she told me everyone can know everything Destiny knows. And more than that. She said we all not only could know everything. We do. We just tell ourselves we don't to make it all bearable.
-Um. What’s the name of the word for things not being the same always. You know. I’m sure there is one. Isn’t there? There must be a word for it… the thing that lets you know time is happening. Is there a word?
- Change.
- …I was afraid of that.
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February 16, 2023
Definitely Delirium is my favorite endless
August 30, 2022
This series just keeps getting better and better. It feels even more immersive now that they released the first season of the TV series on Netflix so when I read I imagine those characters and it makes it even more wonderful!
I'm so happy we get to know the other Endless more, especially in this book. Can't wait to see what adventures they get themselves into.
I'm so happy we get to know the other Endless more, especially in this book. Can't wait to see what adventures they get themselves into.
April 7, 2021
“Sister? Where should we start?"
"Here?"
"Very good. We are here. Where should we travel to now?"
"...somewhere that's not here?"
"That was the idea. Yes.”
I've been looking forward to this volume for a while. I knew there was something that focused on Delirium and Dream --- however I hadn't expected to love every moment of it so much. There are magazines that often publish photos of celebrities buying groceries, as if it's somehow exciting that a sitcom actress requires food, but reading this kind of made me get the appeal. I didn't expect to find it so enjoyable to see Delirium and Dream doing these ordinary things. They went on a plane. They head off on a funny and tragic road trip. They stay in a motel -- and I loved watching them doing these mundane things just because it was them. Because I know who they are and what they are capable of, so there is this unexpected joy to seeing them drive a car or sit in a rowboat. Also Dream's expression, (or lack of one) for most of the hijinks was so funny. He's a character I love deeply, but he's not typically the one you look to for a comedic moment!
The simple version of the plot of this one is that Delirium wants to find Destruction. Neither Desire or Despair will help her, but Dream agrees. Their relationship is fragile, often awkward and I found the sweeter moments between them rather touching. Sometimes Dream is harsher on his sister than I would like him to be, but have sympathy for him too. She is wonderful and damaged (I think?) and exhausting. She's also a really good driver!
“I like airplanes. I like anywhere that isn't a proper place. I like in betweens.”
The conversation between Dream and Destruction was such a great exchange of ideas, a clash of very different viewpoints. I think I would be more likely to share Dream's take on duty and the responsibilities of being of the Endless, but I appreciated his brother's side. Destruction said some excellent things too, though the second one is him quoting Death:
“I like the stars. It's the illusion of permanence, I think. I mean, they're always flaring up and caving in and going out. But from here, I can pretend...I can pretend that things last. I can pretend that lives last longer than moments. Gods come, and gods go. Mortals flicker and flash and fade. Worlds don't last; and stars and galaxies are transient, fleeting things that twinkle like fireflies and vanish into cold and dust. But I can pretend...”
“Then she told me everyone can know everything Destiny knows. And more than that. She said we all not only could know everything. We do. We just tell ourselves we don't to make it all bearable.”
I think though that the most poignant line comes directly from Death:
“You lived what anybody gets, Bernie. You got a lifetime. No more. No less.”
After the evening spent with Destruction, we get a beautiful but heartbreaking conclusion to the story of Orpheus. There have been moments when I have felt deep sympathy for Dream, but this surpassed them all. It was terrible, even though it felt like the right thing. And then we have the rather chilling confession from Desire that what has happened makes them scared. And Despair agrees.
There are other intriguing details that were introduced too.
“Do you know why I stopped being Delight, my brother? I do. There are things not in your book. There are paths outside this garden.”
I learned more about Delirium just as I had hoped, but when she said this I knew that it's just scratched the surface.
And the discussion about Despair means I am desperate to know more. I'm not sure I entirely understood it, but what was implied was fascinating.
"Here?"
"Very good. We are here. Where should we travel to now?"
"...somewhere that's not here?"
"That was the idea. Yes.”
I've been looking forward to this volume for a while. I knew there was something that focused on Delirium and Dream --- however I hadn't expected to love every moment of it so much. There are magazines that often publish photos of celebrities buying groceries, as if it's somehow exciting that a sitcom actress requires food, but reading this kind of made me get the appeal. I didn't expect to find it so enjoyable to see Delirium and Dream doing these ordinary things. They went on a plane. They head off on a funny and tragic road trip. They stay in a motel -- and I loved watching them doing these mundane things just because it was them. Because I know who they are and what they are capable of, so there is this unexpected joy to seeing them drive a car or sit in a rowboat. Also Dream's expression, (or lack of one) for most of the hijinks was so funny. He's a character I love deeply, but he's not typically the one you look to for a comedic moment!
The simple version of the plot of this one is that Delirium wants to find Destruction. Neither Desire or Despair will help her, but Dream agrees. Their relationship is fragile, often awkward and I found the sweeter moments between them rather touching. Sometimes Dream is harsher on his sister than I would like him to be, but have sympathy for him too. She is wonderful and damaged (I think?) and exhausting. She's also a really good driver!
“I like airplanes. I like anywhere that isn't a proper place. I like in betweens.”
The conversation between Dream and Destruction was such a great exchange of ideas, a clash of very different viewpoints. I think I would be more likely to share Dream's take on duty and the responsibilities of being of the Endless, but I appreciated his brother's side. Destruction said some excellent things too, though the second one is him quoting Death:
“I like the stars. It's the illusion of permanence, I think. I mean, they're always flaring up and caving in and going out. But from here, I can pretend...I can pretend that things last. I can pretend that lives last longer than moments. Gods come, and gods go. Mortals flicker and flash and fade. Worlds don't last; and stars and galaxies are transient, fleeting things that twinkle like fireflies and vanish into cold and dust. But I can pretend...”
“Then she told me everyone can know everything Destiny knows. And more than that. She said we all not only could know everything. We do. We just tell ourselves we don't to make it all bearable.”
I think though that the most poignant line comes directly from Death:
“You lived what anybody gets, Bernie. You got a lifetime. No more. No less.”
After the evening spent with Destruction, we get a beautiful but heartbreaking conclusion to the story of Orpheus. There have been moments when I have felt deep sympathy for Dream, but this surpassed them all. It was terrible, even though it felt like the right thing. And then we have the rather chilling confession from Desire that what has happened makes them scared. And Despair agrees.
There are other intriguing details that were introduced too.
“Do you know why I stopped being Delight, my brother? I do. There are things not in your book. There are paths outside this garden.”
I learned more about Delirium just as I had hoped, but when she said this I knew that it's just scratched the surface.
And the discussion about Despair means I am desperate to know more. I'm not sure I entirely understood it, but what was implied was fascinating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2020
This one was a little bit of a let down after how much I enjoyed Vol. 6, to be honest. Although, it's probably a good idea to take this review with a little grain of salt, because I didn't have the best experience with the actual physical reading of it.
After my library's copy was lost (and the library closed), and going to a bookstore and mooching off one of their copies stopped being an option, I ended up buying a copy from the Apple store because I had a gift card. This means I had to read it on Apple Books, which isn't a bad platform if you're just reading a regular old e-book, but the formatting is very hard to deal with for comics. It might not have been that bad if I had an iPad, but I don't, and even though I was reading on an iPhone 8 plus, I still had trouble reading the words and seeing the art. It was irritating the whole way through to have to zoom in and move the pages manually with my fingers, as opposed to the way comics are formatted on Kindle, where each panel is zoomable, and when you flick your finger to go to the next page, it goes to the next panel. I've read Sandman on my iPhone's Kindle app before and it was totally fine (though obviously I still prefer the physical copy). I'm positive this affected how much I enjoyed the comic.
This one features Dream teaming up with his sister Delirium, who is determined to find their brother, who has been deliberately missing from their lives for the past 300 years. A little of Delirium goes a long way, so that was problem number one. Problem number two was that it was depressing watching bad things happen to everyone who they meet on their quest because . The ending of the story was really poignant, though, and everyone else seems to have loved this one, so that's why I'm saying I really think the way I read this ruined it for me. I need to read it again in hard copy.
I did like the idea of old gods remaining in the world, living out normal, faded lives. It was sad, but interesting. I also liked all the flashbacks into Dream's former life, and I liked Despair for the first time in this one. We also learn that the Endless may be endless, but that doesn't mean they remain the same throughout their lives, which is what Destruction's actions are all about.
Maybe someone can help me out, because I've been reading these books months apart, who was the woman who left Morpheus at the beginning of this? I couldn't remember any woman he'd had a recent relationship with.
[3.5 stars]
After my library's copy was lost (and the library closed), and going to a bookstore and mooching off one of their copies stopped being an option, I ended up buying a copy from the Apple store because I had a gift card. This means I had to read it on Apple Books, which isn't a bad platform if you're just reading a regular old e-book, but the formatting is very hard to deal with for comics. It might not have been that bad if I had an iPad, but I don't, and even though I was reading on an iPhone 8 plus, I still had trouble reading the words and seeing the art. It was irritating the whole way through to have to zoom in and move the pages manually with my fingers, as opposed to the way comics are formatted on Kindle, where each panel is zoomable, and when you flick your finger to go to the next page, it goes to the next panel. I've read Sandman on my iPhone's Kindle app before and it was totally fine (though obviously I still prefer the physical copy). I'm positive this affected how much I enjoyed the comic.
This one features Dream teaming up with his sister Delirium, who is determined to find their brother, who has been deliberately missing from their lives for the past 300 years. A little of Delirium goes a long way, so that was problem number one. Problem number two was that it was depressing watching bad things happen to everyone who they meet on their quest because . The ending of the story was really poignant, though, and everyone else seems to have loved this one, so that's why I'm saying I really think the way I read this ruined it for me. I need to read it again in hard copy.
I did like the idea of old gods remaining in the world, living out normal, faded lives. It was sad, but interesting. I also liked all the flashbacks into Dream's former life, and I liked Despair for the first time in this one. We also learn that the Endless may be endless, but that doesn't mean they remain the same throughout their lives, which is what Destruction's actions are all about.
Maybe someone can help me out, because I've been reading these books months apart, who was the woman who left Morpheus at the beginning of this? I couldn't remember any woman he'd had a recent relationship with.
[3.5 stars]
June 6, 2016
This entry in the series was different from the others in that the entire volume was the continuation of one story-the search for the missing member of the Endless-Destruction.
We also get to see the final story of Orpheus, Dream's (Morpheus') son. It was a very sad note to end on, or was it? I felt a little bit of hopefulness that perhaps Orpheus was finally reunited with Eurydice after years of suffering.
This volume also had a nice afterword from Peter Straub that I enjoyed.
I thought this was yet another excellent entry in the series and I'm excited to move on to the next!
We also get to see the final story of Orpheus, Dream's (Morpheus') son. It was a very sad note to end on, or was it? I felt a little bit of hopefulness that perhaps Orpheus was finally reunited with Eurydice after years of suffering.
This volume also had a nice afterword from Peter Straub that I enjoyed.
I thought this was yet another excellent entry in the series and I'm excited to move on to the next!
June 1, 2021
Un volume emozionante, l'attesa ricerca del settimo Eterno finalmente viene intrapresa e sarà diversa da come ci si poteva immaginare.
Delirio e Sogno partono per questa Cerca, contro il parere di Desiderio e Disperazione... la ricerca di Distruzione, sparito da trecento anni dopo aver deciso di abbandonare il suo compito.
Ne scopriremo le motivazioni, ne scopriremo il fato. Ma soprattutto assisteremo al viaggio di Sogno e Delirio nel mondo della veglia, arriveremo a conoscere meglio la sorella folle di Sogno e poco a poco Sogno stesso continuerà la propria evoluzione.
Incontreremo divinità e creature quasi immortali, ritroveremo personaggi già conosciuti in passato.
Chi chiederemo quali potrebbero essere le parole che Delirio ricerca, e ci stupiremo per la sua mente, per i suoi colori, per la sua psichedelia.
Rimarremo a bocca aperta davanti all'immensità di ciò che si scoprirà sull'universo e sull'esistenza degli Eterni.
Perché ogni moneta ha due facce, e ciò che questo significa è esemplificato perfettamente da Delizia/Delirio, che infatti è l'unica a comprenderne realmente il significato dato che lo vive.
E alla luce di questo acquista senso la vita che conduce Distruzione.
Ma pure il giorno di vita mortale che Morte si concede, o il rapporto di Desiderio con Sogno.
E Sogno? Sogno ormai sta cambiando, questo viaggio ha reso ancora più evidente e marcata la sua evoluzione. A cosa porterà, e cosa comporterà per lui, per il Sogno, per la Veglia e per gli Eterni?
Un ottimo volume!
Delirio e Sogno partono per questa Cerca, contro il parere di Desiderio e Disperazione... la ricerca di Distruzione, sparito da trecento anni dopo aver deciso di abbandonare il suo compito.
Ne scopriremo le motivazioni, ne scopriremo il fato. Ma soprattutto assisteremo al viaggio di Sogno e Delirio nel mondo della veglia, arriveremo a conoscere meglio la sorella folle di Sogno e poco a poco Sogno stesso continuerà la propria evoluzione.
Incontreremo divinità e creature quasi immortali, ritroveremo personaggi già conosciuti in passato.
Chi chiederemo quali potrebbero essere le parole che Delirio ricerca, e ci stupiremo per la sua mente, per i suoi colori, per la sua psichedelia.
Rimarremo a bocca aperta davanti all'immensità di ciò che si scoprirà sull'universo e sull'esistenza degli Eterni.
Perché ogni moneta ha due facce, e ciò che questo significa è esemplificato perfettamente da Delizia/Delirio, che infatti è l'unica a comprenderne realmente il significato dato che lo vive.
E alla luce di questo acquista senso la vita che conduce Distruzione.
Ma pure il giorno di vita mortale che Morte si concede, o il rapporto di Desiderio con Sogno.
E Sogno? Sogno ormai sta cambiando, questo viaggio ha reso ancora più evidente e marcata la sua evoluzione. A cosa porterà, e cosa comporterà per lui, per il Sogno, per la Veglia e per gli Eterni?
Un ottimo volume!
July 18, 2012
Coming off the least interesting volume in the series (The Sandman Vol. 6 Fables and Reflections), Brief Lives was a welcome high point. Delerium wants to look for Destruction, who left the Endless family and disappeared 300 years prior. Dream is the only sibling who agrees to accompany her; he doesn't want to find Destruction, but he does want to take his mind off a love affair that just ended.
Delerium was what made Brief Lives. She is absolutely charming and hilarious, and the interactions between her and Dream are just perfection. I loved how the issue titles reflected her spacey, meandering style of speaking. I loved the conversations that she and Dream and Destruction had. I don't normally give out 5 stars to just anything, but this volume had me giddy. I thought The Sandman Vol. 5 A Game of You was deep, thought-provoking, charming storytelling, but Brief Lives just leaves it in the dust.
Delerium was what made Brief Lives. She is absolutely charming and hilarious, and the interactions between her and Dream are just perfection. I loved how the issue titles reflected her spacey, meandering style of speaking. I loved the conversations that she and Dream and Destruction had. I don't normally give out 5 stars to just anything, but this volume had me giddy. I thought The Sandman Vol. 5 A Game of You was deep, thought-provoking, charming storytelling, but Brief Lives just leaves it in the dust.
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