Vol. 3: Dream Country, The Sandman

Four short standalone fantasies make up this collection from Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. "Calliope" finds a washed up writer taking his muse captive with dire results all around. "A Dream of a Thousand Cats" is a delightful fable about the nature of reality, and an assured favorite of cat lovers. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is not so much a re-interpretation of Shakespeare's classic comedy as a command performance for a wholly unexpected audience. The final vignette seems inspired by a classic Harlan Ellison story that deals with the downside of being indestructible. Fans of Metamorpho the Element Man may remember the Element Girl, but even if not, this story shows us a seldom-discussed aspect of the super-hero life in a very moving way. A wondrous mix of horror, humor, and fantasy. Kelley's quirkier, line-intensive art may be more appropriate to the title, but I generally preferred the bolder art of Vess. But either way, the inclusion of the script for "Calliope" as a separate entry in the book is tantamount to an admission that Gaiman's storytelling transcends the graphic medium altogether.

By this point in Sandman, Neil Gaiman had hit his stride as a writer and was doing some high quality stories, including, notably for this volume, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", the first comic to win the World Fantasy Award.
As a run-down, "Calliope" delves into Dream's past and present, allowing him to encounter a former lover, the muse Calliope, who like him is being imprisoned by a greedy mortal. This issue more than the others offers some insight into future Sandman stories, as Calliope and Dream's coupling led to the birth of Orpheus.
"Facade" may have been the weakest entry, though any chance to see Death shine and offer advise is generally worth the price of admission as Gaiman uses the opportunity to dig up a long-forgotten minor superheroine and her horrifying loneliness.
"Night of a Thousand Cats" is a charming little tale, not unlike a lot of Gaiman's single issue stories, like those seen in the "Fables and Reflections" volume of this series.
And finally, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a real charmer, where Gaiman works historical figures in with mythological ones. Anyone familiar with either the play or English folklore will probably get a stupendous kick out of this. And even if you aren't, there's enough charm in the tale, and the full ramifications of Shakespeare's deal with Dream become apparent.
The only real complaint I had about this one was that it was too short. For the price I paid, and given the length of other volumes, I think I was expected more than four stories.

This collection remains tremendous and striking, powerful and poignant. The Midsummer Night's Dream deserves all of the praises and honors it has received. It is a document of the mystical and metaphysical origins of Shakespeare's most confounding plays. Genius in its execution and art, it is a remarkable spectacle in color, sight, sound, fury, and magic. In this collection, Gaiman does it again.

Final note, without rehashing all of the praises I gave the series in my other reviews so far, but the script for the comic at the end was something that I was wondering about for so long. This extended directors cut of Calliope was phenomenal, and the fact that Gaiman allows us to pull back the curtain and peek back stage was just a treat. It was a treat as a geek, as a writer, and as an artist. Truly amazing stuff in these volumes.

Taking a break after the sweeping grandeur of The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House, Gaiman creates what is essentially a short story collection, allowing him to play with different ideas and themes within the boundaries of his intricate mythology. As with any short story collection, some of the four stand out more than others, but it's rare to find a collection where none of the pieces truly misfire. From the dreams of cats to a performance of Midsummer Night's Dream with a very unusual audience, from a superhero ruminating on the unforeseen horrors of immortality to an author in desperate need of a muse, Gaiman lets Morpheus lurk in the background of these stories (or, in one case, remain entirely absent), creating wholly new worlds and plots to dwell in. The results are fascinating, with Gaiman's usual mix of dark humor and true pathos, and even result in profound discussions about the nature of dreams, reality, and death itself. There's no doubt that they get dismissed as minor pieces in the overall story, but in some ways, they're most revealing of Gaiman's strengths as a writer.

The earliest two Sandman collections are good but the third, Dream Country, is great. The book features four single-issue stories in which the saga's title character, the mystical king of dreams, moves to the background (he is not even in one tale). His preeminence will not be missed, however because one cannot read stories this smart, imaginative, creepy and all around superb and feel that anything is lacking.
The first story is "Calliope," in which a one-hit novelist enslaves an actual muse and becomes as productive and popular as Stephen King. The author is not a cruel person, but he cannot set her free if he wants his flow of ideas to continue. Gaiman provides a thoroughly creepy dissertation on the madness of writers and Kelly Jones' darkly astounding drawings of attics, faces and shadows perfectly complements the tale.
The second is "Dream of a Thousand Cats," in which a feline prophetess shares her vision of a cat-ruled world; one that is open to her brethren if they only believe. Gaiman creates a religious outlook perfect for these slinky, self-satisfied animals and, just as in "Calliope," Jones' art is a major asset. Personality and mystique are translated wonderfully in his cat eyes and cat body language. This is Dream Country's best story and one of the best issues of a comic book series I have ever read.
The third, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," famously won the World Fantasy Award for best short story, the first and only time a comic book has done so. In that tale, Shakespeare and his troupe perform the title play in front of the fairy creatures it is based upon. It is a wonderful parody/tribute to the renowned playwright.
The fourth, "Facade," is one of two times the use of a superhero in a Sandman story works (The other is the story acrh The Kindly Ones, which practically stars Lyta Hall, formerly The Fury). The hero is Element Girl, a sidekick to Metamorpho who vanished in the late 1960s without much notice. "Facade" tells of how her super-powers turned on her, how she became a tormented agoraphobe and how she finally found release.
Dream Country is Sandman at its best; an intelligent and unique series that not only represents comic books at their best, but speculative fiction in general. I cannot recommend this volume more highly.

Neil Gaiman, Sandman: Dream Country (DC Comics, 1991)

Steve Erickson, in his prologue to this third installment in the Sandman series, says he really revs things up in book four. I'd have to disagree; having read both (in fact, I finished the fourth book in the series the night before writing this review), it seems to me that Dream Country is, by a hair, the better of the two books.

Dream Country takes us away from the main storyline of the Sandman tales a bit and gives us four stories that tangentially touch on Morpheus himself (plus a script for the first of them, which is a great behind-the-scenes look at how one of these things gets made). "Calliope" starts things off on a rather ugly note, the story of a one-hit novelist who's desperate for another book. Through an acquaintance, he comes into possession of the muse Calliope. "A Dream of a Thousand Cats" is the second, and the name pretty much tells you all you need to know. "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which won the World Fantasy Award (giving, according to Harlan Ellison in the introduction to volume 4, a number of fantasy and sci-fi writers something approaching apoplexy), tells the story of how the Kingdom of Faerie is invited to a performance of a new William Shakespeare play; "Facades," in which the Dream king doesn't even make an appearance, is about what happens to superheroes once they retire.

What Gaiman has created here is more than just a graphic novel (actually, collection of graphic short stories). These contain some of Gaiman's finest work in any genre; it's easily the equivalent of American Gods or Coraline. If you're a Gaiman fan and have not yet been exposed to the Sandman books, even if you don't plan to read the rest of the series, read this. **** ½

Let me just say that I have kids. They do things that kids are wont to do; make noise, make messes and generally prevent me from reading, my favorite pleasure. So I made a compromise; I wanted to read, but I couldn't get into a book, then I decided to get back into comics. Needless to say, I am a long time comic reader. Superhero stuff mainly. Characters from the DC universe (Batman is my favorite) and Kurt Busiek's Astro City were pretty much it for me.

But I got restless. I needed a change. Not that I've quit reading about superheroes, but I needed to broaden my outlook.

I've long known about Gaiman's classic Sandman series, but at the time, it just didn't seem interesting to me. But I asked a young woman who worked in a comic book store about it. She praised it and recommended the series. Since I didn't know anything about Morpheus or any of his siblings in the endless, she suggested starting off with Dream Country, in what is the third volume of the series.

To veteran Sandman readers, it's a brief collection of four short stories and the shortest book of the lot. But for the novice, it's a superb introduction to Neil Gaiman's brilliant storytelling and a nice way to ease into his fantastic world. I read the collection in a day. I then got the rest of the series. If you like good stories well told, superb characters you want to feel for and a taste for the different, look no further.

I would recommend Sandman to even the most jaded reader. I'd be genuinely shocked of they weren't won over.

A collection of four unrelated stories, dream country was just neil taking a break from the big involving storylines and telling a few simple tales. The first story is amusing, and the idea of looking into where writers get their ideas was cool. It ended up a little too much like an episode of twilight zone, but neil seems to like the horror stuff. Dream of a Thousand Cats was...it was unique. I'm not really sure what the point of this story was, so I'll reserve comment. Like a previous reviewer said "the thing about the cats....whatever." The third story "A midsummer night's dream" was the one that everyone seemed to like so much. I thought it was alright,but once you get past the fantastic premise of shakespeares actors performing in front of the faeries and creatures they are portraying, the story doesn't offer much after that, although it was still beautifully written. The final story "facade" about a suicidal ex superheroine. hmm...once again, not sure what the point of this was, but beautfully written, and the ending seemed kinda absurd. Actually, my favorite part of the whole book was the script that neil added for the first story. Being an aspiring comic writer, I found it interesting to see how neil writes his comics. all in all, i suppose its worth the money. but if you are reading the sandman books sequentially, and think that you need to pick up this third volume, don't worry. the short stories contained in here are pretty irrelevant to the rest of the series.

This collection contains two of Gaiman's best short stories. "Dream of a Thousand Cats," with its gorgeous artwork by Kelley Jones and Malcolm Jones III, is one of the great ironic cat stories. And "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which actually won a World Fantasy Award. The Award committee was so chagrined by the notion of a comic book winning the prize that they changed the rules to prevent such an abomination from ever happening again. Ah, what fools these mortals be. The collection also includes, as a bonus, a copy of Gaiman's script for another story, "Calliope," in which the magician shows us how the illusion is created. In one of his panel descriptions we see the key to his method: "NOW I WANT TO GET ACROSS THE RAPE, AND THE HORROR AND THE DOMINANCE, FAIRLY SUBTLY, DOING ALL THE WORK IN THE READER'S HEAD." Yes, indeed. That's where Gaiman always does his best work. In the reader's head

I've gotta admit I didnt think I would like this series, but WOW! I was pleasantly surprised by the first volume and absolutely blown away by the second. Although this is my least favorite volume so far that isnt to say it's not amazing. The main reason it is not as good is because it isnt a part of the over all story arc. It is just a collection of four short stories. But what stories they are. Leave it to Gaimen to actually make me feel for a cat! You should know that this book is not half as epic as the first two but it takes a more laid back, sedate approach. And also this volume is very short and is a quick read. If you arnt totally interested in collecting every Sandman volume this is probably a good one to miss. (You can read it online @ comicoo.com) I recommend getting the first two Sandman's and depending on how much you enjoyed them decide weather or not to purchase this.

There are four stories in this collection: Calliope, A Dream of a Thousand Cats, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Façade. I totally `get' A Midsummer Night's Dream - it is amazing. The way Neil Gaiman has combined fact and fantasy into his world is amazing and original. William Shakespeare's son really died at around the age depicted in the story. I can see why it won all the awards. The story about the cats is also fascinating. However, it was beaten as my favourite by some stories in Vol 6 of the Sandman Series, especially "The Hunt". The other stories were so-so in my view. I am not one for disturbing dreams, or for reading about them. This was a treat overall, though.

Just four tales in this book but they are some of the finest in the series. The Muse Calliope is held captive by a blocked writer, A cat tries to convince others that the world can be changed if they all have the same dream, Shakespeare fulfills one condition of the deal he made with Dream, and a minor DC heroine looks for release from her nightmare existence. Dream plays a minor but pivotal role in these tales; tales designed to show that the importance of dreams is really the key to the series, not Dream as a character. Of particular beauty is Charles Vess's art on "A Midsummer Night's Dream" where he is equally adept at showing Richard Burbage's players as he is at showing the denizens of Faerie. Of particular interest is Gaiman's script for "Calliope" which shows the detail with which these stories are planned.

Gaiman is an original in every sense of the word. The first couple of volumes I read in the "Sandman" series didn't impress me all that much, I have to admit. At least, not uniformly. But the average quality in this one is very high indeed. The four stories all share the theme of dreams, from a novelist enslaving Calliope the muse to provide ideas for his books, to a cat's revelation of what the real world used to be like, to a piece about a woman who only wants to die but can't (the only "comic book" story you'll find here, and the least successful, in my opinion), and the award-winning story of the first performance by Will Shakespeare's company of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" -- for an audience from Faerie (and that one alone is worth the price of the book).

Yeah, I know it's not the first volume in the series. But I don't think Neil Gaiman really hit his stride until Dream Country. As this collection is a bunch of stand alone short stories, I think it makes an excellent book get people hooked on the Sandman.
There's Calliope, a one-hit novelist's muse really is one of the muses. He rapes and abuses his muse -- bad news when her ex comes to the rescue. Creepy, creepy story. Best of all, the collection includes the script to this story.
A Dream of A Thousand Cats... A charming tale that shows what cats dream of, and why those dreams will never be reality.
A Midsummer Night's Dream .. The real Oberon, Titania and Puck (and other fairies) attend the first performance of Shakespeare's classic play. Simply magical with superb art by Charles Vess.
Facades ... The life of a has-been superheroine. It takes a silly and forgotten character and makes her painfully human.
All of these stories are must-reads -- each told with different styles. What a wonderful way to sample what comics can be.

This book is not the best in the Sandman series, but that's because the benchmark was set so high with Brief Lives and Season of Mists. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was great, but I think other stories deserved the WFA more than it did. I would probably have enjoyed these stories much more if I bought them in the monthly format instead of the bound version, but Gaiman's structural play within "graphic novels" is unparallelled. These stories were meant to be read separately, and not bound in a single edition, or else integrated into a single plot. Compared to Brief Lives, they're just little bits of ideas, and not full ideas.
Summary? Calliope - 8
Dream of a Thousand Cats - 8
Midsummer Night's Dream - 10
Facade - 7
Altogether, that makes about an 8.

Dream Country is a little collection of short stories that do not revolve around The Sandman, but usually do involve him. At the least, they are unified by taking place in the same universe, and bound by the same uber-mythology.

As such, they are marvelous short stories, each a treat. The only issue I take here is with the artwork for Calliope, which I found severely wanting. After reading the comics, I read through the script of Calliope included at the end, and my conspiracy theorist side suggests that maybe it was included to *show* the reader how much Gaiman intended versus how little was communicated through the drawings.... Though, probably not.

Still, these are extrodinary myth stories playing with some familiar characters. Another excellent entry in a top-notch series.

It's all I want in a comic. There is a loose connection from the un-named master of dreams, through a cat, a minor goddess, an elfin king, and an angst-ridden female Metamorpho. (That's a 60s comic character, one I had to look up.)
Gaiman's stories are always good, and these are no exception. Vess' art is uniquely well-suited to the Midsummer Night's Dream - maybe not to the play, but certainly to the audience. His slender lines can be as fragile as hair or sharp as a razor's edge, all within one panel. The other artists, also good, follow their own visions in telling Gaiman's stories.
It's a comic. I can't take it too seriously, even though I've been reading Vess since Star*Reach. It's good, though, and I'll be coming back for more - lots more.

This installment didn't really feature Morpheus as much as the previous two did. But, the stories were quite good and the illustrations excellent. My favorite comic was "Calliope," a story about a muse held captive by a writer so that he can be successful. It was an interesting concept, and I enjoyed it. I didn't care much for the Shakespeare story. The one about the cats was pretty cool though.

I just want to offset these other reviews a little and point something out about them: Even though they all say that it's the worst of the series, or at any rate, not the best, and they use some pretty disappointed language to speak of it, the lowest anyone gave it was three out of five stars. That's still pretty high, and I don't think that all the reviews remembered to point out that even a low-quality Sandman collection is still an amazing work of fiction. Put simply, the Sandman is one of the most amazing stories I've ever read. I would argue that someone who wants to read the entire Sandman story should read the collections of shorts in addition to the stories which directly serve the greater plot. Dream Country and Fables and Reflections help create atmosphere, and they reveal things about Dream's past and personality. Also, it must be noted that "The Kindly Ones," in wrapping up the story line, uses at least one element from every single one of the eight collections before it, including this one-- Puck's in it, remember? So this does serve the greater plot. I thought that "Midsummer Night's Dream" was a brilliant story, and I say poo to all the reviewers who weren't as impressed by it. The idea is brilliant, the writing is fantastic, that final scene is incredible... and the story contains arguably the best quote in the entire Sandman series: "Something need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow truths that will endure long after mere fact is but dust and ashes, and forgot." Dream Country is worth buying for that story alone, and the others are also strong, particularly "Dream of a Thousand Cats." It's worth buying so that you understand Puck's involvement in "The Kindly Ones." Plus, wouldn't you want to own the whole collection?

This book goes beyond art. It goes beyond mere imitation of life. It has a life all its own. The stories contained within this graphic novel will make you think. If you're satisfied with life and don't want your happy little world order upset, don't read this. This book is for the dreamer in all of us, the part of us that longs for the fantastic. My favorite Sandman issue, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," is contained within these pages. Shakespeare performing his play for the actual denizens of Fairie - what could be better? Gaiman's Puck is unbelievable, a creature of horror and humor. The creatures of fairie are vibrant, real people, despite their fantastic nature. Gaiman, however, does not leave the humans dully on the sidelines. Oh no, we also have a story of Shakespeare's son and his view of his famous father. This story is not about any one thing. It's about dreams and relationships, the nature of truth and the passing away of an older age. But this story is not all seriousness; it also has some wonderfully funny moments, such as a mortal actor's reaction to an audience straight out Fairie. This is the comic story that was so good it won a World Fantasy Award. This is the story that scared the comittee so much that they changed the rules so a comic could never win again. It is that good.
This was also my introduction to the art of Charles Vess, one of the best artists living, in my estimation. He is the consummate fairy tale artist. His delicate, elfin faces and wonderful depictions of facial expressions bring the world of Fairie to life, along with the mortal players in this drama. He handles both the uproarious humor and the sensitive moments of Gaiman's script superbly.
And that's only one of the four stories contained in this graphic novel. Read it. It'll open your heart and touch something deep inside your soul. You'll never be the same.

Fans of the Sandman series will know and love this book already for the brilliant artwork and the masterful story telling that is the hallmark of the series. It's a slight departure from the main story arc, but it accentuates it, rather than distracts from it. I love it because it contains the story about Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and presents it in the strange and wonderful way that's both an homage and a fresh perspective. It'll be a great addition to any collection.

While all the little stories contained in this volume are interesting, (some more than others) the episodic nature that deviates from the previous linearity of what the first two volumes established, leaves a lot to be desired. Still worth reading, though; the Shakespeare story is particularly enjoyable.

Pretty awesome art. The stories were good each in their own way. But since i read book 1 and 2, i expected 3 to follow, and it didn't. The stories didn't connect to book 1 and 2 so i was thrown off. I like the look of DREAM in book 1 and 2 more. But i like the variety of stories in this book.
I thought the script at the end of the book was a nice touch.
Overall, good, short read with great art.

At first, I didn't know what Gaiman was trying to do in the this collection. It seemed so different from the previous two works. However, after reading his thoughts at the end of the collection, I had a greater appreciation and enjoyed the fact that he had focused on these smaller stories. These stories are haunting and made me anticipate the rest of the series.

These covers contain four comic novels, which, officially, have nothing to do with each other. They may have one thing in common, however; the effect on the venturing reader. If you are in happy terms with your life, do not touch this book! If you are in love with life, do.

Why am i writing this? because i need money. Why? To buy Sandmans. And don`t you dare laugh!

This was the first Sandman i ever read. Lucky for me, it was in the library, and costed only the effort of carrying it home. I lay down on the bed and flipped through my treasure, in awe of the artwork. Idly i wondered if there was a law against taking copies of comic pages and hanging them on your wall. Then i went back to the first page, and started reading. It was an hour later that i finally tore my eyes from the last page. The feeling of air against my arms and the pull of gravity at my aching neck felt very, very queer. I had lifted my head, but it took some time before i understood i was seeing my own reflection in the mirror on the far wall. And i - just - stared

This is another effective volume from Gaiman, but it isn't my favorite. 'Dream Country' presents four unrelated stories in which the Sandman is a unique character. This demonstrates the versatility of Gaiman's character, but the stories themselves vary in interest. In short, I liked this work, but not as much as volumes one and two.

This was a disappointment from Neil Gaiman, but a very good read considering the competition. The highly-acclaimed "A Midsummer Night's Dream" failed to hold my attention to an extent that the Cereal Convention did in The Doll's House. It was a good story, but by no means exceptional. No, instead I preferred "A Dream Of A Thousand Cats". I thought that was very inventive. I bought this because I am collecting the entire series anyway, but if you're only interested in reading the Sandman story, you can give this a miss as there is absolutely nothing essential to the main plot in this entire book. The last 'chapter'[the raw script] angered me immensely. This was Neil's attempt at a gimmick. He must have just thought of anything that could occupy a few more pages to grant the book it's RRP without being called a rip-off. All in all, a good read, but disappointing considering the other Sandman books [contrary to popular opinion, Preludes and Nocturnes is actually one of the best].

A few stand alone stories are in this volume. William Shakespeare produces the first play that Morpheus has requested, and puts on a live performance in the wild for Titania and Auberon.

A man literally gets his muse from another writer, we see the Dream of Cats, and the final fate of an Element Woman who has had enough.

Of all the Gaiman graphic novels this one is my favorite. One needn't be a SANDMAN fan to enjoy these four fantasy tales from "Calliope" to "A Midummer Night's Dream". They are well illustrated and very well written. Oddly enough, Gaiman's enormous success has resulted in a fairly mean spirited backlash... Know this: Neil Gaiman is popular because his work is very, very good and he deserves his praise and success. "The Dream of a Thousand Cats" is an especially charming conceit about a world ruled by the furry critters and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a clever mesh of SANDMAN and SHAKESPEARE that makes me wonder if SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE didn't take a page out of this book. Highly recommended. Read and you will enjoy.

When one walks into a movie theater, they expect to see a movie. When one walks into a pizzeria, they expect to be served pizza. When one plays paintball, you should expect to be hit by at least one paintball. So, one could draw the conclusion that when one reads any of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, you should expect to be pulled into a bizarre world where your heroine (or dark figure leading the show) happens to be the actual Sandman ... right? Apparently, the answer is closer towards the "no" theory than one could expect. I understand the concept of building a stage and allowing readers to see the entire universe, and not just one small figure, but that isn't why I purchased this series. I purchased it for the sole reason that I enjoyed the first two in this collective series. I find the character of the Sandman to be one of the greatest literary figures in graphic novels today. His words will entice, his patience will amaze, and his strength will force you to think of Superman as the weakest man alive. The Sandman is intelligence, boldness, and heroics all boiled together into one shaded character. He is the epitome of "cool", if one were to phrase it that way. Yet, why would anyone who loves this series think that without the main character, the central focus of the show, would a series be able to survive? If I had started with this collection, I don't believe I would have gone any further.

I know, I seem to be an odd voice in this collection that seems to have garnered award after award for possibly the dullest story ever dreamed by Gaiman. For those fan boys out there that are drooling over the ingenuity of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", I would say - not rudely - but get over it. Sure, there were moments of fun and inspiration, but for the most part this story seemed to go on longer than needed and gave this avid Sandman reader a chance to catch up on some well deserved rest. I had seen Gaiman twist the story of Shakespeare earlier in one of the early collections (I think it was when the Sandman was talking with his "friend", Hob Gadling), but I didn't think he would dedicate half a collection to the birth of an idea. Again, I am not knocking the creativity of the piece, because I saw the premise well, it just felt overly-dramatic coupled with an overall sense of "blah". It was too much for this reader to enjoy. I wanted the fantastical coupled with sinister, and before you say it, this just didn't have it. Sure, there were creatures, but they did not come anywhere close to what I witnessed in the first two collections. I just missed the tone that Gaiman had captured with his creation in the first two collections; obviously this was a completely different step.

How did I enjoy the other stories? I thought that "A Dream of A Thousand Cats" was decent, but again lacking that panache that lingered from the first two books. "Facades" was utterly fun, but diabolically confusing. Who remembers Element Girl? To me, it just seemed too outdated for the rest of the series. My personal favorite was "Calliope", a truly frightening tale of imagination that reminded me of why I am such a big Gaiman fan. It was dark and spooky all at the same time. It was the epitome of what the Sandman represents, then we are left with nothing more a ramshackle of other stories that don't fit the bill. They were a hit or miss with me, as I have read, it seems to be the case with other Gaiman fans. I wanted, and desperately needed, more Sandman. I wanted my character back. I wanted something to breathe life back into this short collection. For those of you wondering where most of the pages remain, there is a huge development of the "Calliope" story at the end which nearly takes up 20 pages. This was a waste of time and space. Obviously, this was the weakest link pertaining to the series.

Overall, I cannot suggest this book to friends or family. If one asks which collection they should start learning about our heroine, the Sandman, in Gaiman's eyes, I would tell them to stay clear of this collection. Dream Country may be giving us a hit of what is to come, but for me it felt tired, bored, and over inflated. While "Calliope" will pull you in, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" will confuse you to the point of insanity, or at least give you a good nights rest. Dream Country was weak, and it is obvious with the fact that there was what I like to call "filler" at the end of the collection. If one doesn't have anything worth saying, don't waste my time. This collection will anger any fans of the series that loved the first two. Read through this one quickly, and get to the next. I promise ... it will only get better from here.

Grade: ** out of *****

A decent addition to the Sandman books - but they were very much a series of apparently unrelated short stories touching upon the tales of Morpheus without furthering the juicy storyline developed in Volumes 1 & 2 and then later picked up again in Volume 4. Interesting but ultimately unthrilling.

It is really disappointing and surprising that these graphic novels are not allowed to be on the larger Android tablets or iPads. Last time I checked my Acer a500 had a larger display and higher resolution than the Fire yet I am not allowed to buy these items? When will the larger tablet version of Kindle reader be produced so that I can buy content like this for my tablet?

I had all these in books, they were destroyed, now I'd like to get them again to read them but it seems I am forced to go with the printed versions because the store didn't think far enough outside the box. There are hundreds of dollars of graphic novels that I'd like to replace but I doubt I'll buy all the printed versions again and it seems for the time being I am locked out of the electronic versions.

This graphic novel is the worst of Gaiman's i've read so far. However, it's still better than almost anything NOT by him. The other story compilation, Fables and Reflections, is much better overall, though this is STILL a must have. Read it after the first two, because you need it.
The two features that fully redeem this novel are Midsummer Night's Dream, which is THE best issue of the Sandman i've read yet(there's a reason it got the World Fantasy Award), and the script. The script is of Calliope, which is basic Gaiman fare without any of the extra spark his works usually possess, though it's still a great story. The great thing about it is that the reader has the privilege of seeing inside Neil's head. A reviewer below me already used the best quote from it, and it summarizes everything that the Sandman is about. Just remember: it's all in your head, and you wouldn't have it any other way.