Neverwhere

Dec 30, 2012 Nataliya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: excellent-reads, favorites, i-also-saw-the-film, 2012-reads, location-is-the-true-protagonist

Neverwhere was my first real introduction to the world of urban fantasy - a clever take on Alice in Wonderland, one can say, set in the semi-magical, unsubtly dangerous, and quite fantastically warped world of 'London Below'.

"Young man," he said, "understand this: there are two Londons. There's London Above - that's where you lived - and then there's London Below - the Underside - inhabited by the people who fell through the cracks in the world. Now you're one of them. Good night."

Neverwhere is...more Neverwhere was my first real introduction to the world of urban fantasy - a clever take on Alice in Wonderland, one can say, set in the semi-magical, unsubtly dangerous, and quite fantastically warped world of 'London Below'.

"Young man," he said, "understand this: there are two Londons. There's London Above - that's where you lived - and then there's London Below - the Underside - inhabited by the people who fell through the cracks in the world. Now you're one of them. Good night."

Neverwhere is one of my all-time favorite books. It has just the right amount of wild imagination (inexplicably somehow still grounded in firm reality), a healthy dose of absurdity and strangeness, remarkably colorful larger-than-life characters, unforgettable setting that is more of a character than a simple backdrop, and, of course, sufficient amount of lovely dry humor.

Besides, there is that certain 'something' in Neil Gaiman's writing that keeps bringing me back to his works - that cleverness, I guess, that boldness in his approach to writing, that apt descriptiveness that burns scenes into your mind without becoming boringly detailed or repetitive, and the bit of mesmerizing darkness he harbors in all of his works, regardless of the theme or target audience.

In Neverwhere Gaiman uses the old technique of taking a person belonging to the 'regular' world and throwing them into the midst of a fantastical reality, using the protagonist as our eyes into this world - think of "Alice in Wonderland" or "The Wizard of Oz" or its younger siblings like Miéville's "Un Lun Dun".

Richard Mayhew is a timid and perfectly average London guy who suffers from a noticeable lack of figurative backbone - and the only time in his life he does show some of that ill-fated backbone, combined with some very real compassion, he gets himself into trouble that is waaaay over his head. Let Richard tell you about it himself:

"Dear Diary," he began. "On Friday I had a job, a fiancée, a home, and a life that made sense. (Well, as much as any life makes sense.) Then I found an injured girl bleeding on the pavement, and I tried to be a Good Samaritan. Now I've got no fiancée, no home, no job, and I'm walking around a couple of hundred feet under the streets of London with the projected life expectancy of a suicidal fruitfly."

Unwittinly having thwarted an assassination attempt on a young girl named Door and having helped her because, let's face it, he's basically a decent guy, Richard suddenly finds himself in the London Below - a place for those who no longer belong to the regular 'London Above', a place for those who have slipped through the cracks of ordinary reality. It is a place that exists outside of our conventions of time and space, touching our reality but not quite overlapping it.

"There are little pockets of old time in London, where things and places stay the same, like bubbles in amber,” she explained. “There’s a lot of time in London, and it has to go somewhere—it doesn’t all get used up at once."
“I may still be hung over,” sighed Richard. “That almost made sense.""

Just like London Above, London Below is a melting pot - except for this one is for relics and discards and misfits of all kinds of times and legends and beliefs and tales. It is a place for those who fell between the cracks - think of those you usually do not notice even if you walk past them on the street, like the homeless, for instance; they are already invisible to us. It is also a place for those who spent too much time in the company of the supernatural, and for those who don't fit in our world.

You can view it as a colorful tapestry - or more aptly, as a dirty filthy rag made of mismatched and threadbare bits and pieces that once were something grand and even now create a mesmerizing albeit puzzling effect through their sheer strangeness and unexpected combination.

And it is a place that has teeth and is ready to bite. It is harsh and cruel, full of menacing dangers lurking around every corner. Friends can quickly turn into foes, and promising a favor is a serious thing that can get you far in this world. It takes skill to survive here.

And Richard is very much NOT prepared for that.

"His life so far, he decided, had prepared him perfectly for a job in Securities, for shopping at the supermarket, for watching soccer on the television on the weekends, for turning up the thermostat if he got cold. It had magnificently failed to prepare him for a life as an un-person on the roofs and in the sewers of London, for a life in the cold and the wet and the dark."

London Below is a place populated with creatures that have enough color and flair to them to easily stand out against the drab background of life and their surroundings. Of course I'm talking about Marquis here, the not-so-honest and yet brave and loyal (for a reasonable price of a favor) Marquis de Carabas, the guy who you would ultimately want covering your back in a sticky situation (as long as you can overlook the fact that he may have had something to do with creating the said sticky situation in the first place!)

"He..." Richard began. "The marquis. Well, you know, to be honest, he seems a little bit dodgy to me."
Door stopped. The steps dead-ended in a rough brick wall. "Mm," she agreed. "He's a little bit dodgy in the same way that rats are a little bit covered in fur."

With characters like Marquis, or the enigmatic single-minded Hunter, or pretty much anyone Richard comes in contact with in this weird mixture of rooftops and sewers and underground tunnels, London Below is a confusing blur to Richard's tired and overwhelmed senses. Some things don't make sense. Others make way too much sense, are way too literal (Earl's Court or Knightsbridge, for instance). He is so out of place here, it's almost painful to read, as you wince and cringe at his pathetic attempts to clutch to what he continues to view as safety and sanity. And no, this sanity does not normally involve girls named Door or a charming scoundrel Marquis de Carabas, or Angel Islington, or outwordly hired thugs Croup and Vandemar, or Rat Speakers, or Beast of London, or the real Old Bailey, or the nonexistent British Museum underground station where Earl's Court can get you if you so please.

"Richard did not believe in angels, he never had. He was damned if he was going to start now. Still, it was much easier not to believe in something when it was not actually looking directly at you and saying your name."

But eventually Richard may, just may, start discovering something about himself that is a bit more adjusted in the world that has slipped through the cracks than "real" London. In other words, Richard Mayhew just may have gone native. Unlike Dorothy and her Toto, he may not want to just live happily ever after in his version of Kansas.

"Metaphors failed him, then. He had gone beyond the world of metaphor and simile into the place of things that *are*, and it was changing him."

After all, haven't we all at some point asked a question about what is the meaning of all that we are doing? Haven't we always wondered whether there ay be something else we may be better suited to be and do? Haven't we wanted to escape somewhere... well... else? Different? Isn't that some of the reasons we wan t to immerse ourselves into worlds of fantasy at least for a short while?

"Work. Home. The pub. Meeting girls. Living in the city. Life. Is that all there is?"

Usually, however, the point is to return home, enriched by experiences of the outwordliness, and, of course, gain some appreciation for the life we used to take for granted before. Because, of course, no matter how much we want to, we will never escape the real life. Or can we? After reading this book, I know I would want to, had I been in Richard's place. But I cannot, and so I appreciate my mundane uneventful life - but what if I didn't have to? Who knows...

.............

........

"The marquis de Carabas raised an eyebrow. "Well?" he said, irritably. "Are you coming?"

Richard stared at him for a heartbeat.

Then Richard nodded, without trusting himself to speak, and stood up. And they walked away together through the hole in the wall, back into the darkness, leaving nothing behind them; not even the doorway."

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Oct 09, 2011 Steve rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I should have. I kept distracting myself with the thought, "Why the hell haven't I read more of Neil Gaiman's books?" Then I would have to tell myself to shut up, because I'm reading one right now, and I can return to berating myself later.

Neil Gaiman really understands fantasy. He understands that it isn't elves dancing in a forest and drunk dwarves mining for gold with improbably well maintained beards. No, fantasy is a reflection of reality, but fantastic....more

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Dec 27, 2011 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: urban fantasy readers

Shelves: audiobook, urban-fantasy, alternate-dimension-or-world, fish-out-of-water, angels, set-in-london, set-in-uk, unlikely-hero-or-heroine, hero-i-liked, library-checkout, quest, character-diversity, character-evolves-well-in-book, favorite-or-autobuy-author, favorites, male-pov, 2011-reading, fa-top-100-challenge

Neverwhere is one of those books that answers the 'what if' question about the city in which you live your days, going through your admittedly 'mundane' routines. In this case, London. What if there was a London Below, a strange world which consists of Underground railways, tunnels, sewers, and sometimes uncannily parallels the London that the average inhabitant thought they knew but didn't, and in a way that seems a lot more interesting? It's a scary place, not terribly clean and sanitary. But...more Neverwhere is one of those books that answers the 'what if' question about the city in which you live your days, going through your admittedly 'mundane' routines. In this case, London. What if there was a London Below, a strange world which consists of Underground railways, tunnels, sewers, and sometimes uncannily parallels the London that the average inhabitant thought they knew but didn't, and in a way that seems a lot more interesting? It's a scary place, not terribly clean and sanitary. But it's also a place of wonders. If you spent some time there, would you find yourself, and realize that the normal world just doesn't hold the same charm for you, now that you've realized the possibilities? With this book, you can ponder these questions for yourself through the viewpoint of Richard Mayhew.

The unknown is scary for us. Scary, but also exciting. You just have to find the courage to seek it out. That's one thing I love about books. They take me places that I'm not sure I'd want to go in real life. And in the process, they make me want to be braver than I am. Richard has to find that courage (the hard way), but he becomes a hero and a champion in his own right in the process of his journey. He faces pain, loss, and uncertainty, but he gains a lot more in return.

This is the third book I've read by Neil Gaiman (all on audio), and I really appreciate his writing. He has a wonderful way with humor, a grand sense of adventure and whimsy, and he finds the uncanny and fantastical in the everyday and ordinary. Honestly, that's why I love fantasy, particularly urban fantasy.

Although parts of this story were dark in subject matter and could have been too gruesome, the writing keeps the subject from being over the top in these areas. Subtlety in storytelling gives this reader enough to know just how bad the bad guys are, and without the scenes being too off-putting. And there is always hope that good will win out. I need that in a book.

Of course, living in the sewer and the underground aren't the most clean ways to go about one's business, but there was also an undeniable appeal to these worlds. I'm not saying you will see me taking off on a sewer adventure (not going to happen), but at least I can read about it, and think that it didn't sound quite as bad as I thought it would (for the most part).

I liked the diversity of this world. People of different colors, shapes, sizes and origins. That's how a big city like London truly is, not the monochromatic make-believe of some of the shows on TV (which I won't name) where you wonder how the characters can go seven seasons without ever encountering a person of color. And the diversity isn't just background filler. Diverse people have strong roles in this story. With this added appeal, it made the novel even more enjoyable.

Neverwhere was a fun, interesting novel, with some mystical, otherworldly elements right smack dab in the middle of the everyday. I loved that about this book. I am so glad I started reading Neil Gaiman. I recommend you give this book a try if you haven't read him yet.

Overall rating: 4.25/5.0 stars.(less)

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May 27, 2010 Kat Kennedy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: the-great-shelf-of-meh, kat-s-book-reviews

I first started reading this book and honestly wanted to just chuck it in the bin. I said very mean things about the protagonist under my breath.

Surely, I said, a Protagonist means that they are pro and totally into furthering the story. Surely, Protagonist is the similar to Proactive and Productive.

I was wrong. The word Protagonist, in its basic form is not similar to proactive. It simply, from the Greek plays, means the principle character or the first speaking character.

However, I maintain th...more

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Oct 23, 2007 James rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Kids

Shelves: fantasy

Picture Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Really good books right? Now imagine if someone took the first book and mad libbed characters, settings, monsters, etc, so that you were left with the exact same story except instead of travelling the galaxy with your crazy friend and the most powerful man in the universe, you were travelling in haunted British sewers with a nerd's wet dream of a Xena warrior princess rival and a Gothic princess who can unlock doors (sigh). I don't think there is much o...more

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Mar 29, 2008 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, 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 his...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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Jun 12, 2007 Brooke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2007, own, fantasy

Neverwhere is an urban fairy tale, taking place in modern day London. It uses the real world as a contrast to the underworld that Richard Mayhew is plunged into after he helps an injured girl he finds laying on the street.

Neverwhere has two of the best villains I've ever come across, Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar. They delight in their work and have hilarious conversations with each other. Gaiman did a great job giving them voices that are very different from the other characters.

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Dec 09, 2012 Jonathan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-challenge, fantasy, quirky-fiction, neil-gaiman

3.5 stars

A brilliant and witty piece of storytelling that I thoroughly enjoyed although I took my time to read it due to the style of Gaiman's writing and the cruise I was on. I will keep this review short as I have little to add to the numerous reviews about the book merely stating that if you haven't read this read it. I will eagerly devour more of Gaiman's books when possible.

UPDATE:

This is sort of an adult's version of Alice in Wonderland. An odd idea since Alice in Wonderland is in many way...more

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Jan 26, 2008 Belarius rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Gaiman Fans

Shelves: fiction-finished, speculative-fiction, reviewed

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 wi...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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Mar 25, 2007 Steven rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 was wande...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, gr-friend-recommendations, mmxi

My only experience with Neil Gaiman’s writing (other than a viewing of Coraline) was Anansi Boys, which happened to be the sequel to American Gods to which no one had bothered to tell me about. So, yeah, I was hesitant. I mean really… of all the people on this site that I know that like Gaiman, couldn’t one of you have bothered to let me know? Huh? Fine. It’s done with.

Now, erasing that slight… really, I am… I will tell you that I totally gave Gaiman the brush off. I filed him under ‘what the he...more My only experience with Neil Gaiman’s writing (other than a viewing of Coraline) was Anansi Boys, which happened to be the sequel to American Gods to which no one had bothered to tell me about. So, yeah, I was hesitant. I mean really… of all the people on this site that I know that like Gaiman, couldn’t one of you have bothered to let me know? Huh? Fine. It’s done with.

Now, erasing that slight… really, I am… I will tell you that I totally gave Gaiman the brush off. I filed him under ‘what the hell’, ‘hype’, ‘don’t give a damn’ and ‘world weary.’

My bad.

Neverwhere is brimming with exotic personalities who have ‘fallen between the cracks’ and landed in ‘London Below’, the place below the sewers and train tunnels, where rats have kingdoms and Night is still an idea that is terrifying. The plot is a familiar one, there is a quest, there are bad guys, there is the hesitant hero and a rakish Marquis. Oh, and there’s Door, the determined princess in distress. But Gaiman’s writing creeps along the sewers and delivers us to angels in a way that takes your breath away.

“And then it erupted over the side of the platform. It was diaphanous, dreamlike, a ghost-thing, the color of black smoke, and it welled up like silk under water, and, moving astonishingly fast while still seeming to drift almost in slow motion, it wrapped itself tightly around Richard’s ankle.”

I wonder sometimes what falling through the cracks would be like. If everyone that I knew suddenly ‘unknew’ me. Would I go mad? Would I huddle in doorways and wait for the gloaming to swallow me? Could I survive? (Seriously, help me out here...I'm all for huddling...)Our hero, Richard, meets Hunters and Velvets and Earls and assassins that make those creepy floaty dudes from Buffy episode Season 4, #10 look like Hummels. Richard, of course, is made better by knowing these creatures and learns that life isn’t all about corner offices and pretentious fiancés..and that sometimes angels can be assholes, but we already knew that, right?
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Mar 17, 2008 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-and-scifi, fiction, brit-lit, goth-goth-baby, owned

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.

Gaim...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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Feb 09, 2013 Ben Babcock rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-read, fantasy, mystery, own, urban-fantasy

In everyone’s life there is always at least one door. You know the door I mean. It’s the one that you’ve never opened, even though you’ve always wanted to. It could be the front door of the creepy, abandoned house at the end of your street. It could be the strange door at the top of the stairs in your school, the one that doesn’t lead to the roof and probably leads to a boring storage closet but might—just might—lead to another world entirely. It could even be … a wardrobe. These are the doors o...more

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Mar 26, 2012 ★ Jess rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, 5-star-excellent, special-top-favorites-♥, read-in-2011, magnificent-writing

This is the best book I've read in a loooooong time. Gaiman has a magnificent imagination, and writes terrifically. I need to get my hands on some more of his other work, like American Gods.
This book was unbelievably good, with characters that will stay with me for ages to come: The Angel Islington, The assassins Mister Vandamer & Mister Croup, the quirky Marquis de Carabas, the creepy Velvets and so many more. Not to mention scenes and imagery! Some favorites that come to mind are the brid...more

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Sep 07, 2011 Colleen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who likes a good story

Shelves: fantasy, dark-fantasy, urban-fantasy, loved

After reading Neverwhere for the second time, it remains one of, if not thee, favorite book of mine by Gaiman. There really aren't many flaws to this book. I love the world and the idea that the people who 'slip through the cracks' exist in this other world beneath the world. I even love the slight ambiguity that it could be that Richard is actually just crazy, through I prefer to think of it as real.

I love the way the story unfolds. We are given information piece-meal, receiving it as our prota...more After reading Neverwhere for the second time, it remains one of, if not thee, favorite book of mine by Gaiman. There really aren't many flaws to this book. I love the world and the idea that the people who 'slip through the cracks' exist in this other world beneath the world. I even love the slight ambiguity that it could be that Richard is actually just crazy, through I prefer to think of it as real.

I love the way the story unfolds. We are given information piece-meal, receiving it as our protagonist receives it, and, like our protagonist, we just sort of go along for the ride and start taking the craziness for granted, because it's told in such a convincing way that you don't really ever stop to think it couldn't be true.

I love the characters. Richard is a bit dull and gets annoying sometimes. Door is interesting though, in a way, oddly underdeveloped. The Marquis de Carabas is one of my faves, though, and who doesn't love the creepy, funny insanity of Croup and Vandemar?

I love the wording. Gaiman is evocative without being overly desriptive or trite. The story moves along at a good pace, and the words wrap around you, creating the world and the story, with turns of phrases that just linger on the tongue and in the mind.

*some spoilers*

And, lastly, I love the ending. There are many self-referential nods to Wizard of Oz throughout the story. It's obvious - the journey to the angel to get knowledge, or power, or to go home. Even Croup and Vandemar as a substitute Witch, as they hound the heroes with threats throughout the story. But in this Oz, which I still choose to think of as more than a dream, the theme is that getting what you want, what you think you wanted all along, isn't necessarily the best thing for you. I always thought Dorothy was better off in Oz, just like Richard truly belongs in London Below.

There are few perfect endings to books, but I think this is one... I always sigh happily to myself when it's over...

Ok - I lied, that's not the last thing I'm going to say. I also really like how Richard, our bumbling hero, isn't always the hero. Yes, he passes some ordeals - but he still has to be saved from his encounter with heights. And he doesn't really rescue to damsel, even though it seems that's how it's going to turn out. Rather the damsel rescues them all, through cleverness.

And I also like how it doesn't become a romance between Richard and Door. I don't have anything against romances, as evidence by my reading list, but it's nice that it doesn't have to be that way.

*end spoilers*

Overall, there's not really much to dislike about this book - unless you're just a big curmudgeon or something ;)(less)

19 likes · like · see review

Jun 20, 2007 m rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: londonists and fans of vampires or sci-fi

Shelves: publique

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 also been t...more

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May 14, 2007 Joy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i loved this book. i think i even like it more than american gods. a young man comes across door, a girl from the underworld, and helps her. this gets him kicked out of the london above into the much-cooler london below, that can be found underneath and in between. there are pigeon men and literal interpretations of subway names and bizarre bazaar's with everything and anything for sale. gaiman is so adept at portraying a fantastic universe that butts up against our everyday universe. in our ord...more

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Mar 16, 2010 Pamela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dark-fantasy, neil-gaiman, urban-fantasy, fiction, favorites

Another favorite Gaiman novel. This was the second I read, and the one that really hooked me on his writing. Neverwhere is painted in shades of Alice in Wonderland; somewhat hapless but helpful Richard Mayhew falls through the cracks and into London Below, and while trying to find his way home, he manages to find himself. This book is full of rich, imaginative supporting characters; the Lady Door is smart and brave, and the Marquis de Carabas is deliciously two-faced. I can read this book over a...more

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Nov 18, 2009 Steph rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fantasy lovers; Neil Gaiman fans

Shelves: 2009, 2009-favorites, author-유, stand-alone

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the idea of an Above & Below London. I thought Neil Gaiman did a wonderful job painting a picture of Below and loved poor Richard fumbling around down there with Hunter, Door & marquis de Carabas.

I loved Richard's quote at the end to the homeless lady, "Have you ever got everything you ever wanted? And then realized it wasn't what you wanted at all?" I was happy that he got what he really wanted, in the very end.

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Dec 01, 2012 Kate Jacobson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, fantasy, favorites, magical-realism, read-in-2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 29, 2011 Kat Hooper rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Richard Mayhew has a life that most men would envy: He’s got a good job, a nice apartment in London, and he’s about to be married to a beautiful wealthy woman. But when he stops to help a girl (named Door) in the street, Richard soon finds that he’s slipped through the cracks into Neverwhere: a magical and frightening underground London that people like Richard never knew existed. How could he have known that his Random Act of Kindness would ruin everythin...more ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Richard Mayhew has a life that most men would envy: He’s got a good job, a nice apartment in London, and he’s about to be married to a beautiful wealthy woman. But when he stops to help a girl (named Door) in the street, Richard soon finds that he’s slipped through the cracks into Neverwhere: a magical and frightening underground London that people like Richard never knew existed. How could he have known that his Random Act of Kindness would ruin everything? And, most importantly, how can he get his old life back?

Neil Gaiman rarely fails to amuse me with his creative concepts, quirky humor, and over-the-top villains, and Neverwhere, the novelization of his BBC television program of the same name, has all that. What it doesn’t have is a tight and gripping plot or exciting and well-developed heroes. Richard is an average guy who’s mostly along for the ride and Door and her monster-hunter bodyguard (named Hunter) aren’t too stimulating either. The best characters are the caricatured villains, Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar, ancient assassins who enjoy killing famous world leaders and biting the heads off kittens. This is totally and purposely overdone, and humorous because of it.

What makes Neverwhere worth reading is, without doubt, its wonderfully fantastical setting: an alternate London Underground. After visiting Neverwhere, you’ll never look at a London Tube Station map the same way again. Ever wonder how Earl’s Court Station got its name? Well, obviously, because a medieval lord holds court there. Who are the Blackfriars? And what about Islington at Angel Station? You’ll meet them all and discover what they’re up to in Neverwhere. I am not familiar with Underground London, but Neil Gaiman made me want to don a headlamp and begin exploring its closed off tunnels and tracks (“Mind the Gap!”). He could have done more with this setting, so I hope that someday he’ll write another novel in this world (a sequel has been rumored for years).

The other aspect of Neverwhere that I think is really well done is Richard’s confusion about what is real. Is he really in another world below London, or is he just going mad? It’s estimated that ⅓ to ½ of the homeless are schizophrenic and Gaiman captured their delusional behaviors so well, explaining them in the context of Neverwhere.

“Neil Himself” narrated the audio version I listened to. He’s a good reader and his voice is always pleasant, but I think it’s a little too light and upbeat for some of the darker scenes in Neverwhere. Still, it’s nice to hear the author’s interpretation of his own work.(less)

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May 21, 2009 Libby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-contemporary-urban, vacation-reads

I recently re-read Neverwhere for a Goodreads book group. While I am an avid Neil Gaiman fan, this is not my favorite Gaiman work. Nonetheless, it is still a very entertaining novel based on amazing conceptual ideas and deserving of 4 stars.

I would rate this as one of Gaiman’s weaker works for two primary reasons. Foremost, the story was a mini-series first then novelized and I think it shows. Some characters and plot aspects are flat on the page and I believe they probably had more depth when v...more

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Oct 22, 2008 Ken-ichi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: escape

My what a pleasure. This story is comfort food, a Sunday roast or a warm stew on a cold Autumn day. There are no surprises, no revelations, but you still can’t put it down. Wonderful characters and a compelling world add heft where the plot thins, and if the dramatic zenith falls a little short, well, that’s just fine. I was happy to spend 300 pages with good folks in a nice place.

It occurred to me while reading this that world-building works of fantasy like this are interestingly limited by len...more

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Aug 26, 2008 Kristjan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Monty Python Fans

Recommended to Kristjan by: GR SciFi & Fantasy Book Club

Shelves: pulp-fantasy, book-club-selection, urban-fantasy, reviewed

I read the book, then watched the BBC series and I must say that I liked the series a little better. It seems that this story really does better with the visuals then the bare text.

The basic plot has an Alice in Wonderland quality with typical, understated British humor. The main character, Richard Mayhew, begins the story as a listless man who, despite having the 'good-life' finds something lacking in his existence. A chance encounter with one of the denizens of 'London Below' (Lady Door) pull...more

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Feb 14, 2008 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-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.

The Go...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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Dec 18, 2007 Martine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: humour, fantasy, modern-fiction, british

Neil Gaiman's first novel is an occasionally shocking but frequently funny fantasy thriller set in a London you've never seen before. At the beginning of the book, Richard Mayhew, an utterly normal businessman living in a London not too far removed from our own, rescues a damsel in distress: Door, a lovely girl whose entire family has been murdered and who would dearly like to know by whom and what for. Richard would like to help Door, but in order to do so, he has to enter a world whose existen...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Karolina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal

"I imagine that right now you're feeling a little like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit-hole".

Quoting one of my favorite movies that's exactly how this book made me feel. I was confused, baffled, surprised and entertained at the same time. It took me a while to get into the story, but once I did I really appreciated the intricate plot and originality that shone through every page. Gaiman is a greatly skilled writer, that will make you fall in love with the most extraordinary characters. Even tho...more

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Oct 25, 2010 Joyzi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Peeps who love fantasy and dry humor

Recommended to Joyzi by: Just seen it in the library

Shelves: borrowed, disappointing-books, fantasy, adult, fiction, reviewed, author-brit, contemporary-fiction, sci-fi, 100-books-tfg

It's my first Neil Gaiman book, (I think his name is kinda funny btw, Gay-Man?)and for so long I always wanted to read one of his works.

There are some amazing parts especially in the beginning of the story but somehow in the middle of it, it became too random and I was really bored because there are times that I felt that it just draaags too much and nothing exciting is happening and I felt like I could not finish it. However I finish the book, the ending is okay and still good.

There are parts t...more

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Dec 02, 2008 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who like fantasy

Recommended to Elizabeth by: Otis Chandler

Shelves: fiction

I finally finished it. And with all due respect to fantasy and sci-fi writers and readers, the verdict is in. I do not like this genre. Never. I've tried and tried: Dune, Lord of the Rings, Neverwhere...whatever.

I just don't care. I read about characters and I don't care if they find a ring or a magical door or some sand that supposed to be oil. No thank you. For the next employee book club choice...if we choose anything in those two genres...I'm going to have to abdicate. There are just so man...more

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Jan 02, 2009 Heather G Gentle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The character development wasn't what I think it could have been in a story that was this original and interesting. Although the characters weren't great (but not bad)-- I thought the imagery of the "underworld" the author created was impressive. I thought the whole premise of their being a whole other world of people living simultaneously with the "regular" world-- only not noticed because they "slipped through the cracks" is a really interesting concept. Based on a little bit of reality I'm s...more

3 likes · like · see review

topics	posts	views	last activity
Critical Lit: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman S-FREE	7	14	Apr 10, 2013 04:56am
Critical Lit: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman SPOILERS	1	8	Apr 03, 2013 09:28pm
New Radio Performance	17	70	Mar 30, 2013 09:55am
Club 42: Neverwhere off shoots	10	6	Mar 20, 2013 06:30pm
Soon to be a movie	45	855	Mar 14, 2013 06:01am
Club 42: March Book Pick	16	4	Feb 25, 2013 12:23pm

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