January 5 - "The Wedding Present"

“The Wedding Present”
by Neil Gaiman
Smoke and Mirrors (1998)

* * * * (Great) Supernatural

A newlywed couple finds a mysterious note among their wedding gifts that beautifully details their wedding day. Packed away and rediscovered years later, the note now tells a different tale.

For a story hidden in the introduction to the collection, Gaiman kicks things off with a real corker of a tale. It’s not a new idea – never claims to be - with its obvious literary reference blatantly acknowledged midway through the unraveling of the story. It’s simply a splinter of the original. And sometimes, as is the case here, as is the case of suspense done well, an old idea – twisted – serves to propel the story through expectation. You already know how the story is going to end, but you simply can’t forego that familiar ending. It’s like visiting old friends, sharing the same tired stories, but still reveling in the company.