The End! Vol. X: The Wake main discussion thread

MarianCall

Welcome to the last book discussion thread!

No need to worry so much about spoilers anymore, but kindly don't spoil other books.

Hooray hooray we made it!

MarianCall

I wanted to point out a line from the short introduction by Mikal Gilmore, if you're reading the trade. He brings up the plot of "The Sound of Her Wings":

"...she gives her brother a hard lesson: they are both lords, she reminds him - she, the lord of death; he, of dreams -- and what they do isn't always easy. But if they do t do it, the world - or at least life and its meanings - fall into futility."

Somehow I was wanting to know the consequences of the Endless failing or stepping down. And this feels right to me -- those activities still happen, people still sleep and wake and live, but those experiences mean less without the Endless. Life is no longer valuable without Death to make it short and precious. Safety means nothing without Destruction. Waking means nothing without Dream.

There is something that ties in with the advent of modernity and post-modernity about Destruction's departure, then. Disasters and accidents and wars still occur, they just become meaningless, impossible to parse, more confusing than before.

jonsager

I will say that I loved the art on this volume. Very detailed and expressive.

MarianCall

This volume really helped me to put Volume IX in perspective.  The analysis and the reappearance of all the characters from all throughout the series -- it helps the events in The Kindly Ones to make sense.  And it gives us a sense of the epic we have traveled since book one -- all the reappearances and reminders of the people we have met from the start until now.

I'm so glad Gaiman gives us a chance to say goodbye, and to reflect on what we have read.  He could have ended it with action, instead he ends it with reflection and space to feel the ending of the story.

When Morpheus is on the boat, sailing out, is that small Asian child he floats past the reincarnation of Nada, do you think?

And does anyone know when the last three stories (Shakespeare, the desert and the kitten, and Hob) were published in relation to the rest?  It was a little funny ending with them.  But I can get behind it.  I think I would have had Hob go last instead of Will.  But that's just me.

Svithrir

The small observations take form first.

The wake and ceremony are almost like "Where's Waldo." After the funeral, there's an encounter between Calliope and Richard Madoc in the background, and John Dee is lurking in shadow.

When the family receives the news, Destiny is reflected in Despair's mirror.

I like that Despair's eulogy is wrapped up in the narration… "And in that moment each of them [and us, for we were there, too] knew despair."

What's going through Lucifer's head when Matthew is delivering his eulogy? "What's in my heart? A lot of sorrow. A little regret. And the memory of the coolest, strangest, most infuriating boss… friend… boss… I ever had."

Marian, I'm sure you're absolutely right about Nada. Thank you for that observation. Looking back, she's also in Ch2-pg5-pn1, in the background as Calliope begins her recollection.


I like ending with "The Tempest." (I told you that play would come up again. ) The play is somewhat meta-textual about stagecraft, as the story alludes, so I'm glad we got to end by sharing one last drink backstage with Gaiman and Morpheus before going home. This has been, after all, a story about Morpheus, despite his insistence that "I have no story of my own. Nor shall I ever." As reserved and mysterious as Morpheus has been for this whole time, it's fitting that we only get a glimpse of what he thinks of himself at the very end.

MarianCall

Notice the flowers changing for all the different family members? I liked that touch.

AK_Becky

I really enjoyed the soft reflection ending, as opposed to a sudden action ending. It gives us time to mourn the end of the series, I think, just as much as anyone in the book needs to mourn the end of Morpheus. And I actually really loved ending with Will Shakespeare, and hearing Dream talk about how he can never leave his island, and Shakespeare just being so damn happy to be finished, because he is so tired. Definitely a lot of parallels there. I really do think Morpheus's responsibilities were wearing on him, at least in that incarnation, and his inability to change ENOUGH (because clearly, he changed some) were I think, in the end, the reason he gave in to death rather than fighting as much as he could have. 

I also loved the artwork in this volume, I think more so than any other book in the series. There were stories here and there where I appreciated the art work, and World's End had some good ones as well, but I feel like the art here REALLY fits the story, and didn't necessarily feel that way about all the previous books.

Also, on a personal note, the chapter with the wake and the service was a little too realistic, and I had to take a break (part of why it's taken me so long to finish, I think). Nothing like some good Gaiman to bring back vivid memories of past funerals, some of which are more like kind-of-bandaged wounds, rather than old healed scars. I guess that's how you know it's a good book though, when you can't help but put yourself there and actually feel what's happening, and wow, sometimes that can be tough.  

nerd

This is one of my favorite volumes in the series, if not my favorite. I think because it's about new beginnings. Although, it's a little disturbing that it isn't Morpheus who has a second chance, but ex-Daniel. I'm not sure what that means about redemption, absolution, forgiveness...