The Sandman Vol 7: Brief Lives

The Sandman Vol 7: Brief Lives (1994) Neil Gaiman

In Brief Lives Delirium decides that she wants to search for her brother Destruction, who abandoned his job 300 years earlier. She goes first to Desire and Despair, both of whom tell her to abandon her idea of finding Destruction. After all, he had reasons why he left, and if he wanted to be found then he would have returned to them on his own.

But Delirium insists that she wants to find them, and goes next to Dream who, dwelling on his recently ended relationship decided that change will do him good, and agrees to join Delirium on her quest, unaware of where this decision will lead, and of the consequences it will have.

Earlier stories introduced us to Hob Gadling and Mad Hettie, who have decided they don’t want to die. Here we learn that there are others who have decided the same–some who have lived for thousands of years.

This book also introduces one of my favorite minor characters in Sandman–Barnabas.

This is a very important book in the story arc. It’s not necessarily one of my favorite books, but you have to read Brief Lives to understand what happens later.
Rating: 7/10

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