Review – The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman and Eddie Campbell (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Fiction
Length: 80 pages
Publisher: William Morrow; Ill edition
Release Date: June 17, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0062282149
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Gift
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is one of the few Neil Gaiman books I haven’t read. It was a decent book, I liked the story but didn’t enjoy the illustration all that much.

This is a short story/graphic novel that take place on Isle of Skye in Scotland. In the story a dwarf visits a man who is supposed to know the location of a cave that holds all the gold a man can dream of…for a price. So starts a journey deep into greed and darkness.

This book is a bit of an oddity. It was apparently based on a live reading Gaiman did of this story while Campbell did live artwork. It’s part short story and part graphic novel. It is definitely intended for adults/older young adults. There is a cabin that the two characters stop at where the man obviously abuses his wife (emotionally/physically/sexually).

It’s a very good short story and I really enjoyed that part of the book. The story is full of the deep and dark irony that I have come to associate with many of Gaiman’s books. The story has a bit of a folklore feel to it as well as telling a moral of sorts.

I did not like the illustration. The bigger pictures are done in a very unfinished waterpaint looking style that I didn’t really enjoy. The graphic novel panels look like someone gave a child a marker and told them to make loose sketches of people. I am not familiar with Campbell’s art style, so I am guessing this is just his typical style. However, it wasn’t for me.

Overall a very well done short story that is done in a unique way. However I did not enjoy the illustration style. Also this may kind of look like a picture book, but I would recommend for older young adults and adults. A must have for any Neil Gaiman fanatic, but not my favorite.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge