Neverwhere: A Novel

by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author!)

published	September 1st 2003 by Harper Perennial
first published	1997
binding	Paperback
isbn	0060557818 (isbn13: 9780060557812)
pages	400
description	Neverwhere's protagonist, Richard Mayhew, learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished. He ceases to exist in the ordinary world of L...more [close] Neverwhere's protagonist, Richard Mayhew, learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished. He ceases to exist in the ordinary world of London Above, and joins a quest through the dark and dangerous London Below, a shadow city of lost and forgotten people, places, and times. His companions are Door, who is trying to find out who hired the assassins who murdered her family and why; the Marquis of Carabas, a trickster who trades services for very big favors; and Hunter, a mysterious lady who guards bodies and hunts only the biggest game. London Below is a wonderfully realized shadow world, and the story plunges through it like an express passing local stations, with plenty of action and a satisfying conclusion. The story is reminiscent of Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but Neil Gaiman's humor is much darker and his images sometimes truly horrific. Puns and allusions to everything from Paradise Lost to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz abound, but you can enjoy the book without getting all of them. Gaiman is definitely not just for graphic-novel fans anymore. --Nona Vero [close]
date added	12-20-06 edit book

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Pootie rated it:

06/20/07

Read in May, 2007

recommends it for: londonists and fans of vampires or sci-fi

I've meant to serialise this review across my worlds but I've just never got round to it. All I can really say is that for one who doesn't read much of science-fiction or vampires, despite my fading Buffy obsession, this is a brilliant read.

The person who turned me on to this wasn't too keen on his following book, American Gods. There's yet another, Fragile Things, that's just now out in paperback. I've picked that one up but nothing in it caught me as much as this one.

Neverwhere has al...more

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Shannon rated it:

(review of isbn 0380789019)

03/29/08

bookshelves: 2008, urban-fantasy

Read in March, 2008

Richard Mayhew is an ordinary young man working in London, with a fiancee, Jessica, a small flat and a life more-or-less figured out. By Jessica. He's not a particularly brave man, or imaginative, and Jessica has his life all sorted for him.

Everything in his life is turned upside-down - quite literally - when he stumbles across an injured girl on the footpath who asks for his help. Despite Jessica's insistence that he leave her there for someone else to take care of, he carries her back to ...more Richard Mayhew is an ordinary young man working in London, with a fiancee, Jessica, a small flat and a life more-or-less figured out. By Jessica. He's not a particularly brave man, or imaginative, and Jessica has his life all sorted for him.

Everything in his life is turned upside-down - quite literally - when he stumbles across an injured girl on the footpath who asks for his help. Despite Jessica's insistence that he leave her there for someone else to take care of, he carries her back to his flat and at her behest, goes in search of someone called the Marquis de Carabas.

By involving himself in her life, her world, he becomes invisible in his own. After the girl, Door, has gone back to London Below, Richard finds that no one can see him or hear him, that they've removed his desk at work and are renting out his apartment while he's in the bath. Jessica can't remember his name. The only thing left for him to do is seek out Door in London Below and somehow get his life back.

The world of London Below is vivid, labrynthine, confusing, other-worldly, bizarre and smelly. The sewers, the Underground (the Tube) and a vast plane of tunnels, caverns and bunkers form curious homes for curious creatures, most of which Richard has trouble believing are real. To say he's a bit slow would be an understatement.

He gets caught up in her mission to find out why her family was murdered and who wants her dead. Door has a unique talent - she can open any door, can create doors where they weren't before, and someone wants this skill badly enough to send two violent things after her, called Mister Croup and Mister Vandemar. She enlists the aid of a bodyguard, the famous Hunter, and goes on a quest to find the Angel Islington.

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I can't quite decide if I liked this book, really liked it, or thought it was just ok. It is fast-paced and peopled with numerous eccentric characters, and I did enjoy the book. It won't be a favourite of mine, though. I think, at the end of the day, I really need to know the characters in a book, and feel for them. I grew to like Door, and even Richard (who was never as whiny as Arthur Dent but was pretty annoying at times). de Carabas was a treat, and I loved the Tardis-like quality of the Earl's home on the subway carriage, where the outside is defined and confined but the inside is larger than it should be, things like that. I love the concept of creating doors where there aren't any, and the flat-out bizarreness and unpredictablility of London Below.

The book itself is a bit predictable at times, but not enough to spoil it. One thing that distracted me was that I couldn't tell if they were above ground at times. It seemed like they were, like the first Floating Market that was held in Harrods, it mentions them walking across the pavement, and the second one is held on an old ship. Only, later, Hunter reveals she can't go to London Above. There were a few others spots too where it wasn't clear if they were above or below.

So my main concern with Gaiman - and yes, this is only based on the two books of his that I have read, Stardust being the other - is the mocking way he handles his characters. It makes it hard to really like them, because they're not presented as likeable characters. It also puts a bad taste in my mouth, like Gaiman is scoffing at this story he's written because he's afraid of putting confidence into it in case everyone hates it and leaves him looking silly. I can't really explain the strange, uncomfortable feeling I get reading his books any other way. ...less

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Kelly rated it:

03/17/08

bookshelves: fantasy, fiction

Read in March, 2008

Well done again, Gaiman. Well done indeed. I very much enjoyed this novel. The same thing happened to me here as with American Gods. I was a little uncertain at first, a bit skeptical, and then slowly Gaiman won me over with his writing and sucked me into his world until I was engrossed and turned over 100 pages in a day without realizing it, even despite some distractions that should have made it impossible for me to concentrate. It is a very special breed of author who is capable of that.

...more Well done again, Gaiman. Well done indeed. I very much enjoyed this novel. The same thing happened to me here as with American Gods. I was a little uncertain at first, a bit skeptical, and then slowly Gaiman won me over with his writing and sucked me into his world until I was engrossed and turned over 100 pages in a day without realizing it, even despite some distractions that should have made it impossible for me to concentrate. It is a very special breed of author who is capable of that.

Gaiman stuck to the same format as American Gods, i.e.: normal man gets thrust into randomly magical world that is hiding behind the mundane and everyday curtain of modern life that we all live to meet metaphors and representations of the past and ideals and myths particular to a specific country, in this case, London. Richard Mayhew, our regular Joe of the piece, wanders about "London Below," with figures out of swashbuckling tales, fairy stories (and fairy nightmares) and everything else you hoped or feared might be hiding around a London streetcorner in the fog and rain. It might be an old device, but it is one that works, and I'm not going to quibble with it. I do think that I liked American Gods better, but thats mostly because I think he took on a lot more with that and the focus was larger than here, where it seems he was simply trying to tell a ripping good story. Which is as valid a goal- and one thing I do look for in a book is that goal- but I just think American Gods is on a different playing field than this book.

I loved the deliciously gothic, overwrought tone of the writing, the horrifically surreal painting of characters and circumstances. The descriptions of the London Below floating markets were particular favorites of mine. It was like watching one of those horror sequences of a fun house where they try to scare you with clown faces and garish colors.. only well done and as inclined to make you smile as scream. I very much enjoyed the characterization of the Marquis de Carabas, the different species of peoples underneath the sewers, and the way he could find something in people's actions to surprise you even though you sort of knew what was coming.

It is, truly, a book to get entirely lost in. And that's what all my favorite books are.

The only problem I had with the novel really isn't even Gaiman's fault. This particular novel centers around the homeless, the street musicians and the sick. I rather wish I hadn't read Charles De Lint before, because every single story that man writes is about how the poor, the insane, the people you pass on the streetcorner are full of secret magic and secretly run the world and we don't know it or how they are more virtuous than the rest of us. I've just seen this theme beaten to death a lot and in a thousand different ways (I've read a few short story collections by De Lint and he really hasn't more than a theme or two to write about). Granted, Gaiman does it much more beautifully and colorfully and in a much more complex way here and doesn't paint things so black and white as De Lint does, but nonetheless, it just made the whole idea a bit less magical for me than it should have been.

All in all: read it, love it, smile at it, thrill at it and remember that fantasy can be more than what you might think it can be....less

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Jenn rated it:

02/14/08

bookshelves: fantasy, read-in-2008

Read in February, 2008

This was my first Gaiman book and I went in with high expectations given all the praise I've read about the author. This is one of his earlier novels and I think it shows the transition period from serial comic (the Sandman series) to novelist. The writing is very visual and Gaiman appears to take great delight in describing each tiny thing in excruciating detail. Overall, I enjoyed the story but didn't always enjoy the way it was conveyed. It was a struggle to get through the entire book.

Th...more This was my first Gaiman book and I went in with high expectations given all the praise I've read about the author. This is one of his earlier novels and I think it shows the transition period from serial comic (the Sandman series) to novelist. The writing is very visual and Gaiman appears to take great delight in describing each tiny thing in excruciating detail. Overall, I enjoyed the story but didn't always enjoy the way it was conveyed. It was a struggle to get through the entire book.

The Good: the basic premise of the story is intrigueing and original. I like the idea of the two Londons, one above, one below. Gaiman demonstrates an insight into human character and nature and shines a spotlight on it. For example, he takes the idea of the homeless street people who exist in our world on the fringe and "unseen" and then gives the reason they are invisible a twist. His characters are well-rounded and vivid with graces and faults. The story has several twists and turns that are suprising but believable which keeps the reader guessing. The ending fits the story and characters. Gaiman posesses a real talent for weaving a story outside the common mold and creating something other than expected. The world building and details of London Below are well thought out, engaging and fresh.

The Bad: this book is way too long. As I said above, Gaiman can be too descriptive and all of that window-dressing on the story can get tiring. Gaiman also likes to use non-traditional similes and metaphors in his description - some are refreshing, but some miss the mark so completely it's distracting. The text has a tendency to ramble on and on when a simple statement would have been more to the point and more effectively moved the story forward. While most of the book's characters are well-developed, the two major villians of the piece Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandermar remain largely two-dimensional. Like some other famous authors, Gaiman also uses far too many adverbs throughout the text and most especially in dialogue attribution. I doubt this will distract anyone that hasn't read one too many books about writing fiction and editing, however it definitely tripped me up more than once.

I listened to the author's preferred text version of this novel via Audible. Gaiman did a good job of reading the novel and injected life and humor into the various characters. You could tell his obvious relish in the piece....less

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Manu rated it:

(review of isbn 0380789019)

03/01/08

bookshelves: children-young-adults-novels, classics, fantasy, mythology-and-religion

Read in January, 2007

In the back cover, one of the reviewer compared this book to "Alice in Wonderland".

And, after my experience with "American Gods", I thought the man was simply exaggerating (of course, they couldn't put a bad review on the back cover of the book they are selling you, could they?).

Anyway, I'm happy I didn't put it away and instead I started reading it because, people, this boox is simply amazing. And it surely deserves the comparison with Carrol's masterpiece.

So, we...more In the back cover, one of the reviewer compared this book to "Alice in Wonderland".

And, after my experience with "American Gods", I thought the man was simply exaggerating (of course, they couldn't put a bad review on the back cover of the book they are selling you, could they?).

Anyway, I'm happy I didn't put it away and instead I started reading it because, people, this boox is simply amazing. And it surely deserves the comparison with Carrol's masterpiece.

So, we have our hero, Richard Mayhew, who has a normal and boring life. He moved in the big city, seeking fortune, found a decent job, has a beautiful and annoying girlfriend plus some frieds to hang on during some evenings. Everything was just fine, until, one day he found a girl on the street, covered in blood, and decided to help her.

From that very moment, everything in his life went wrong: his girlfriend dumped him, he lost his flat, his job, and it seems that nobody could even see him anymore. So our hero - well, he's surely not a hero, not in the convetional use of the term - start his travel through the underground, to find the girl he helped, Door, and find a way out of the mess she left him in.

What amazed me reading the book, which plot can appear so simple by my description but this is far from the truth, is how easily you could imagine what Gaiman was describing. Every passage is higly visual, almost real and you can get easily lost too in the London Below.
Every detail from out reality was taken, twisted and showed again under a different light... so different that you can actually believe it.
And you have all the package: speaking rats, a moving market, monsters in the Tube, knights, killers and angels. And you can only stuck with Richard, trying to accept all the differences and novelties, while doing your best to survive in a world were questions are tabus.

And you remember what happened in Wonderland when Alice started to make questiond, do you? Well, this time you don't have audio effects, but you risk your own life.

This book is just brilliant and good for everyone, from children to adults. Just one thing: read it with attention and don't take anything for granted. The truth is so different from what you think it is, that you'll be surprised.
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Dusty rated it:

12/22/07

bookshelves: read-in-2007

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in December, 2007

Neverwhere was Neil Gaiman's first solo novel, which he wrote after who-knows-how-many years as an author of graphic novels. I haven't read any of Gaiman's graphic novels (yet), but I have read -- and loved -- three of his other novels: Stardust, American Gods & Good Omens. That Neverwhere is a transition between genres is obvious; the book has almost an excess of visual description -- colors, textures, clothes, all details that would make easy Neverwher...more Neverwhere was Neil Gaiman's first solo novel, which he wrote after who-knows-how-many years as an author of graphic novels. I haven't read any of Gaiman's graphic novels (yet), but I have read -- and loved -- three of his other novels: Stardust, American Gods & Good Omens. That Neverwhere is a transition between genres is obvious; the book has almost an excess of visual description -- colors, textures, clothes, all details that would make easy Neverwhere's adaptation into a comic or, better, a movie.

Gaiman's hyper-visual prose made me question, at first, his decision write a novel at all when the story, about a man who "falls through the cracks," like Alice fell through the rabbit hole, into a subterranean society he never knew existed, is, really, material better suited for a visual medium than for prose. But, within the first fifty pages, my critical initial impression disappeared. Neverwhere, first novel or not, is masterful. As in American Gods and Good Omens, Gaiman entwines mythological figures with his own supernatural inventions, and, in doing so, provides genius societal commentary.

Like Malory's Le Morte Darthur, Neverwhere is, to an extent, an author's lamentation for an idealized, simpler, earlier world in which people addressed unfairness with swords, in which good and evil were distinguishable opposites, in which good always triumphed. The further he plunges us into his imagined underworld, the deeper Gaiman plunges into London history. At one point, near the end, his characters drop into a London completely unblemished by humans, by constructions, even by divinities. It is a lush, green space between bodies of water, no different than any other piece of land in all Creation.

It was at that moment, about thirty pages before the nevel ended, that I decided Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere was more than a fun romp through a fantastical universe, more than a great author's first novel. It is a modern-day Heart of Darkness, a meditation upon good and evil and the subjectivity of history, a story about a man who can discern the good and evil within himself only by traveling far, very far, away from his home, where he realizes that he never really left home in the first place.

Highly recommended....less

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Belarius rated it:

01/26/08

bookshelves: fiction-finished, reviewed, speculative-fiction

Read in July, 2007

recommends it for: Gaiman Fans

Neil Gaiman's influential penchant for dark urban fantasy presents itself in its least complicated form in his first novel, Neverwhere. The book has the simplistic characters and perfectly-even pacing of television, which should come as no surprise as it is, in fact, an adaptation of a BBC miniseries. The book is pure entertainment, which is as much praise as it is condemnation.

Neil Gaiman is reputed to have a near-encyclopedia knowledge of matters both historical and fantastical, and this i...more Neil Gaiman's influential penchant for dark urban fantasy presents itself in its least complicated form in his first novel, Neverwhere. The book has the simplistic characters and perfectly-even pacing of television, which should come as no surprise as it is, in fact, an adaptation of a BBC miniseries. The book is pure entertainment, which is as much praise as it is condemnation.

Neil Gaiman is reputed to have a near-encyclopedia knowledge of matters both historical and fantastical, and this is without a doubt the singular strength he has to his advantage in the field of fantasy authors. His stories are elegant, Frankensteinian creations, the admixture of dozens of obscure references, conventional character archetypes, and fairy-tale plot structures. Neverwhere benefits from this approach, its various components fitted together by clever joints. The world is engaging, the story is easy to follow, the villains are the kind you love to hate, and the tried-and-true formulas go unviolated. Everything works.

And yet, like Frankenstein's creation, the story's efficient construction can't overcome what it is: an assembly of existing parts into a working whole. The protagonist, Richard Mayhew, really could just as easily be named "Arthur Dent," and undergoes a journey of self-discovery as mundane and uninteresting as the life he leaves behind when he is swept into London Below (a fantasy realm just below modern-day London). The other characters are, with few exceptions, completely flat, showing neither emotional range or development over the course of the story. Like any classic fairy tale, it's hard to tell the characters from the set dressing, and visa versa.

It's hard to fault Gaiman, as he's done everything right. And it's no surprise that, among readers of popular fantasy, Neverwhere is much-beloved as "brilliant modern storytelling." After all, here's a book that presents a world, both terrible and marvelous, in very readable prose and with PG-13 sensibilities. Despite its darkness, it's not terribly challenging or haunting, both qualities that would normally get in the way of pure entertainment. But at the end of the day, it's just another fairy tale, and like all things fae, it lacks the substance to be truly great. ...less

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Laura rated it:

07/04/08

Read in June, 2008

recommends it for: everyone

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this novel, I had never experienced the magic of Neil Gaiman before but am I ever glad that I did.
When first introduced to Richard Mayhew I found myself amused by his typical "guyness". Gaiman defintitely brought out the "average joe" in this character. As the novel progressed he not only remains in touch with who he is but grows into a man of strength and character. It was exciting to read what he would do or say next an...more I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this novel, I had never experienced the magic of Neil Gaiman before but am I ever glad that I did.
When first introduced to Richard Mayhew I found myself amused by his typical "guyness". Gaiman defintitely brought out the "average joe" in this character. As the novel progressed he not only remains in touch with who he is but grows into a man of strength and character. It was exciting to read what he would do or say next and often I found myself laughing out loud at some of his dialogue.
As Door entered his life he began to sparkle even more. I absolutely loved the description of Door and found myself attached to this character very early on in the story. Her youthfulness and innocence are a complete contradiction to her wisdom and strength it seems that Gaiman has given this character such a complex yet balanced persona it definitely shines through the pages and this is proof of his mastery in this genre.
I found myself actually missing Door when she was not a part of a particular portion of the story and was excited as I glanced towards the next page to see her name once again.
The Marquis de Carabas was an interesting character and it was almost a love/hate relationship for me throughout the entire novel. The way he responds to Richard made me clench my fists and his demanding nature made me want to curse. however, despite his cruelties I found myself in admiration of his dedication to Door and seeing her through to the very end.
Hunter however, "pissed me off" to no end. I knew something was "sketchy" about her from the beginning but when she ultimately completely betrayed them I was so mad I could spit. I found myself greatly satisfied to her demise.
Finally, I was in complete adoration of the way that Gaiman introduced and finalized the character of Islington, his cunning yet admiral persona made you want to reach out either hug him or slap him across the face.

I was very pleased to read that Richard went back to the underground leaving so much room for my imagination to play....perhaps in a world of dark corridors, opened doors and a place where mice talk and men dream. Two thumbs up and a big toe from me!!...less

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Tony rated it:

06/20/08

bookshelves: fiction

Read in June, 2008

Great book! Edging a bit towards the fantasy end of the genre spectrum, it's an imaginative, entertaining, and progressively engrossing novel. I will leave the story itself alone and just say that, above all, it is really about the kind of escape for which reading novels is a poor but convenient substitute.

Not too much brain candy here - you could try imposing some sort of construct on it about identity, or history, or even put a sociological spin on it, but you'd be making a bit of a stret...more Great book! Edging a bit towards the fantasy end of the genre spectrum, it's an imaginative, entertaining, and progressively engrossing novel. I will leave the story itself alone and just say that, above all, it is really about the kind of escape for which reading novels is a poor but convenient substitute.

Not too much brain candy here - you could try imposing some sort of construct on it about identity, or history, or even put a sociological spin on it, but you'd be making a bit of a stretch. It has certain mythological overtones, some more obvious than others, which make it much more conducive to allegory than analysis, and which is why it remains enjoyable despite seeming at times derivative.

The author's comic book writing heritage does show through, at least to an ex-long-time comic book reader who has read quite a bit of his illustrated work. This is both good and bad. The action is staged really well and brought to life with a remarkable frugality of words, a tribute to years working under the constraints inherent to a 32-page monthly volume. But the characters unfortunately suffer. Gaiman relies heavily on fantasy-genre, comic book, and literary archetypes, and along with that comes a substantial inventory of cliche.

It also seems that while he wants to use violence to create a profound effect, he is at the same time held back by a certain squeamishness. It's evident throughout the novel despite some nonetheless gruesome depictions and, without spoiling the story, it's safe to say that it's evident in each character's particular fate.

I will overlook (but not fail to mention, of course) that there were way too many commas. Wow. Not everything HAS to be a parenthetical remark. Holy crap!

But despite even a deluge of unnecessary commas, it remains a fast read and could actually have been longer - the author creates a world out of which a more ambitious writer might try to squeeze at least a couple of sequels, or which a Stephen King-type would turn into another 1000+ page behemoth. But it turned out relatively short and, like many things about this novel, it worked....less

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Robert rated it:

04/02/08

bookshelves: fantasy

Read in April, 2008

recommends it for: Everyone

Neil Gaiman paints a garish picture of a world beneath our own, where outrageous and unbelievable events are the matter of every day course. From an Earl's court held in a subway car to an angel's citadel beneath the sewers, the world of London Below will continue to astound the mind in its possibilities through the entire story.

Enter into this world Richard Mayhew, your "Average Joe", trying to get ahead in life and deal with the little issues that always seem to come up. Suddenly...more Neil Gaiman paints a garish picture of a world beneath our own, where outrageous and unbelievable events are the matter of every day course. From an Earl's court held in a subway car to an angel's citadel beneath the sewers, the world of London Below will continue to astound the mind in its possibilities through the entire story.

Enter into this world Richard Mayhew, your "Average Joe", trying to get ahead in life and deal with the little issues that always seem to come up. Suddenly, trying to help a hurt girl catapults him into the magnificently crazy world of London below, Richard faces new challenges that anyone else in London Above would have him committed for mentioning. As Richard travels through London Below looking for a way home, he comes to learn new things about himself, finding new strengths and courage he was unaware he had.

The imagery is a bit jarring at first, but after several chapters, it all starts to blend to form one world that actually starts making sense. The strange occurrences that happen there are oft times hilarious, and sometimes unsettling, but still manage to tie into real life, where generally the same things happen, only on a less grand scale.

The storyline is very well written, with unexpected changes that kept me intrigued the entire time. the story didn't actually "keep you guessing", but more prevented me from being able to project what might happen. I found this a great aspect of the book, because at no point did the story get old or predictable.

And finally, the characters. in most novels, I find there are a few characters, just one or two, that i can't stand. Either from the way they talk, they way they treat others, or just the things they do, I usually end up disliking them. Not so with Neverwhere. All of the characters are very all written, and extremely dynamic in nature. I enjoyed reading about each character, even after all motives were finally revealed.

All in all, I really enjoyed Neverwhere, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good, easy read....less

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Cat rated it:

(review of isbn 0380789019)

05/03/08

bookshelves: fantasy

Read in January, 2004

This story has a lot of interesting bits. When I started it, it drew me in immediately. I thought the storyline seemed interesting and it was well written.

However, the story is based upon a screenplay, and it shows. The story has so many horrible clichés it really, dreadfully, dragged the book down. The whole story reads like a film script, which, technically, it is. And this is all very well for a film, but the rules that apply to films don't apply to books.

There's the whole par...more This story has a lot of interesting bits. When I started it, it drew me in immediately. I thought the storyline seemed interesting and it was well written.

However, the story is based upon a screenplay, and it shows. The story has so many horrible clichés it really, dreadfully, dragged the book down. The whole story reads like a film script, which, technically, it is. And this is all very well for a film, but the rules that apply to films don't apply to books.

There's the whole part with the Beast; ever so noble. All it made me do was roll my eyes. There's the whole wandering about, which annoyed me slightly; it got boring after a while. I don't see at all what good Lamia did in the story other than give the marquis something to do. The final showdown seemed rushed, and that "important thing" that happens to the marquis was just terrible.

Mr Gaiman also used too many "thens" occasionally in the story. He also had a tendency to add in bits that were completely redundant and that should have, in my opinion, been edited out.

There was also a scene where Richard goes through an "ordeal" where he is led to believe that everything he had previously experienced was make-believe, that he was crazy, and that he should go kill himself. This was done incredibly badly. At no point whatsoever did I question whether or not the first part of the story was a lie. I have seen this done much, much better in other books.

All of this, while it seems very little, really dragged the story down.

However, it still had a lot of good bits. It managed to surprise me on several occasions. I had not guessed who the Bad Guy was. I hadn't noticed what Door did. And there is a part in the end where Mr Vandemar (one of the cut-throats) does something ... sweet. In a way.

It still grates on my nerves. I don't regret reading it, but I do feel a bit cheated and disappointed because it began so promising and then petered out. I won't really recommend it to anyone, but neither will I advise people against reading it.
...less

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Kevin rated it:

05/05/08

Read in March, 2008

Like all of Gaiman's work, Neverwhere is an imaginative and creative story and it posits an alternative world in which his lead character must complete a quest. But for some reason this book didn't really grab me in the same way the others did. This one seemed to mirror my reaction to American Gods: interesting but a little messy and not quite as captivating.

I will admit that it could have been that I was distracted, but something I wrote about American Gods applies: "It was as if the ...more Like all of Gaiman's work, Neverwhere is an imaginative and creative story and it posits an alternative world in which his lead character must complete a quest. But for some reason this book didn't really grab me in the same way the others did. This one seemed to mirror my reaction to American Gods: interesting but a little messy and not quite as captivating.

I will admit that it could have been that I was distracted, but something I wrote about American Gods applies: "It was as if the journey was interesting but I am not sure I would want to take the same trip again." The story itself was interesting and their were twists and turns to keep up the suspense. There were lots of interesting characters and some of them particularly well done (the Marquis for example or the heavies Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar). But all of the ingredients didn't come together in as satisfying way for me. With Stardust I was always want to block out some time so I could read it. With Neverwhere it wasn't like I struggled to keep reading but it wasn't something that was always on my mind; it wasn't one of those books that I always wanted to be reading it.

As this was his first novel, it seems likely that he honed his craft and that his later books benefited from that. On the other hand, maybe this one just didn't strike a nerve with me. But even so, Neverwhere is an entertaining read. Just for the imagination and creativity involved. Gaiman is certainly an author whose latest work I will always want to check out. And for that reason alone, I am glad I read Neverwhere so I can better appreciate the arc of his overall career.

Obviously, Gaiman fans will have read Neverwhere long before I stumbled upon it. If you haven't yet read any of his work you might choose to read chronologically. Or you could just dip in randomly like I did. Either way, I am glad I decided to read more of this by now world famous author. He is one of those few hugely popular figures whose popularity seems deserved.
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Glenn rated it:

06/01/08

bookshelves: sci-fi-fantasy

Read in May, 2008

recommended to Glenn by: Rae did!
recommends it for: Lisa Weeks

This book is about a man, Richard, who moves to London from Scotland, and who by all accounts leads a rather ordinary life, an all around nice guy. One day, while on his way out with his snobbish fiance, he stops to help what appears to be a ragged, homeless adolescent girl who is injured. After a series of strange events revolving around him helping her, he finds out he is, for all intents and purposes, invisible to all the people and things of his world. Not ghostly invisible, just...unnoti...more This book is about a man, Richard, who moves to London from Scotland, and who by all accounts leads a rather ordinary life, an all around nice guy. One day, while on his way out with his snobbish fiance, he stops to help what appears to be a ragged, homeless adolescent girl who is injured. After a series of strange events revolving around him helping her, he finds out he is, for all intents and purposes, invisible to all the people and things of his world. Not ghostly invisible, just...unnoticeable. Nobody remembers him, his apartment is rented out from under him, nobody really sees him, even though he's there. It turns out the girl he stopped to help is from what is called London Below, a subterranean culture of the London sewers comprised of people who have, almost literally, fallen through the cracks of London society. The rest of the book centers on a sort of quest that Richard must undertake with the girl (Door) to find out what happened to her family, for this is the only path by which Richard can re-enter his former life.

Make no mistake, this book has magical and mystical elements to them, but Gaiman does a good job at not making those things the focal point. Make no mistake, they are important aspects of the book, but it's not all that the book is about. It almost seems as if this book is a classic Heaven versus Hell sort of conflict, but with much blurrier lines of distinction and wrapped in a modern context. It has Angels, Demons, succubi, Beasts, Knights and more, yet only the Angel Islington is directly referenced as such. One thing that bugged me about this book was that for some reason I couldn't really get emotionally invested in the characters, except for Door. To me this was more of a setting or event driven book than it was character driven, and I don't think it was intended that way.

Regardless of my lack of experience in reviewing books, I liked this one enough to read more by Gaiman, so I guess, in the end, this book was a success....less

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Steven rated it:

03/25/07

Read in July, 2006

The first book I read by Gaiman was a collaboration with Terry Pratchett, Good Omens. Actually a pretty funny read, although the person who loaned it to me seemed to think it was the best book ever written. This was probably back in 2000. I laughed at a couple of the more auspicious stances (One of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, Famine, is responsible for the stick-thin models we see constantly…) but didn’t think much past this.

Last week I had a lot of travel scheduled. So when I w...more

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James rated it:

12/12/07

Read in December, 2007

as one of the few remaining neil gaiman things i had left to read, i was very much looking forward to reading this, gaiman's first solo novel (his first novel being good omens, which he co-wrote with terry pratchett), and now i have.

neverwhere is a great story, full of wonderful characters, wonderful places, and a fascinating mythos of the city (in this case, london, but others are referenced). it's also very clearly a first novel, and the main character, richard mayhew, suffe...more

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Dake rated it:

(review of isbn 0380789019)

04/13/08

Read in April, 2008

recommends it for: anyone named Iain Travis

i think this is a good read if you arent sure what to read next. that is, if you dont have something that you REALLY want to read next, i think you will enjoy this book. also, i think that you will further enjoy this book if you read it in a week or so, that way you dont drag the plot further than it was intended.

i have mixed opinions of Gaiman's works. i love his work in The Sandman graphic novels, i love Stardust, i liked American Gods alright, and i liked this book. because i took more ti...more

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Jen rated it:

(review of isbn 0380789019)

09/03/07

bookshelves: fantasy-magic-fairy-tales

Read in August, 2007

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot more of Gaiman's Sandman stuff than any of his other non-comic book prose I've ever read. I was hooked from the very first page, and found it hard to put down after that. The story takes place in London, and most of it is set in a mythical and mysterious world of London Below, which is an entire world to itself in the tunnels and caverns and places underneath London Above (what we'd call the "real" London). In London Below, there is ...more

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James rated it:

10/23/07

bookshelves: fantasy

Read in December, 2005