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Nessun dove
(London Below, The World of Neverwhere #1)
by
Sotto le strade di Londra c'è un mondo che la maggior parte delle persone non riesce neppure a immaginare. Una città di mostri e di santi, di assassini e di angeli, cavalieri in armatura e pallide ragazze in velluto nero: questa è l'altra Londra di chi è precipitato tra le fenditure. Richard Mayhew è un giovane uomo d'affari che sta per scoprirla: un singolo atto di genero
...more
Paperback, TIF Extra, 316 pages
Published
March 2002
by Fanucci
(first published September 16th 1996)
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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
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

Okay, so people have been telling me to read Neil Gaiman for ages. They assume I've read American Gods because the premise is similar to the Percy Jackson series. Well, I still haven't read American Gods, but I did pick up Neverwhere in the Heathrow airport and read it on the way back home. I enjoyed it a lot. Great fantasy, wonderful sense of humor. I can understand why Gaiman is so popular. I'll have to look up his other books.
...more

(A-) 80% | Very Good
Notes: Wherein the hero (twice) and villain share the same desire: (view spoiler) ...more
Notes: Wherein the hero (twice) and villain share the same desire: (view spoiler) ...more

Nov 14, 2017
Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
own,
first-reads-giveaways
I won this in a Goodreads/Firstreads Giveaway! Yay!
Look at these pictures! Sorry for the darkness. We were in the sunlight but it canceled us out.
Anyhoo! I am in love with the looks of this little book! It doesn't have a dust jacket! It's one of my fav hardbacks! I love them without the dust jackets. I have added a picture of the front and back. I have also added a picture of just one of the many illustrations through-out the book and the inside book flap that isn't really a flap but they made ...more
Look at these pictures! Sorry for the darkness. We were in the sunlight but it canceled us out.
Anyhoo! I am in love with the looks of this little book! It doesn't have a dust jacket! It's one of my fav hardbacks! I love them without the dust jackets. I have added a picture of the front and back. I have also added a picture of just one of the many illustrations through-out the book and the inside book flap that isn't really a flap but they made ...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'.
Neverwhere is ...more
"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

Richard Mayhew had a perfectly ordinary life, thank you very much.
He had a job that he didn't quite hate, a fairly decent apartment and a lovely fiancee (despite what his friends thought). One night, he and his fiance stumble upon a broken, bleeding girl. The strangest thing? His fiance couldn't quite see the girl - or more like once she noticed the bleeding girl, his fiance would just as quickly un-notice her.
Shrugging that off, Richard takes the girl back to his apartment (at her insistence) a ...more
He had a job that he didn't quite hate, a fairly decent apartment and a lovely fiancee (despite what his friends thought). One night, he and his fiance stumble upon a broken, bleeding girl. The strangest thing? His fiance couldn't quite see the girl - or more like once she noticed the bleeding girl, his fiance would just as quickly un-notice her.
Shrugging that off, Richard takes the girl back to his apartment (at her insistence) a ...more

May 18, 2010
Kat Kennedy
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kat-s-book-reviews,
the-great-shelf-of-meh
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
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

.
"There are two Londons. There’s London above – and then there’s London below."
This book was recommended to me by genial Goodreads friend, Matthew Quann, whose effusive review sealed the deal.
I was initially reticent…
Having read Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane, I felt that his writing was a bit 'young' for my own personal taste and decided that, though delightful, his books weren’t for this beyond-middle-aged sourpuss.
Despite my misgivings, I dived in and was immediately beguiled – th ...more
"There are two Londons. There’s London above – and then there’s London below."
This book was recommended to me by genial Goodreads friend, Matthew Quann, whose effusive review sealed the deal.
I was initially reticent…
Having read Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane, I felt that his writing was a bit 'young' for my own personal taste and decided that, though delightful, his books weren’t for this beyond-middle-aged sourpuss.
Despite my misgivings, I dived in and was immediately beguiled – th ...more

Neverwhere!
Upon beginning a review of Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman my first thoughts were to write that even a bad Gaiman novel was better than most other authors best work.
But this is unfair, Neverwhere is not a “bad” novel at all.
Compared to Stardust or Anansi Boys, or especially the masterpiece American Gods, it lacks the epic presence and may even be categorized as one of Gaiman’s lesser works.
What is present, though, is Gaiman’s phenomenal writing, his brilliant and original imagination and ...more
Upon beginning a review of Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman my first thoughts were to write that even a bad Gaiman novel was better than most other authors best work.
But this is unfair, Neverwhere is not a “bad” novel at all.
Compared to Stardust or Anansi Boys, or especially the masterpiece American Gods, it lacks the epic presence and may even be categorized as one of Gaiman’s lesser works.
What is present, though, is Gaiman’s phenomenal writing, his brilliant and original imagination and ...more

Jan 29, 2019
emma
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-ya,
gorgeous-covers,
dark,
sci-fi,
beautifully-written,
favorites-2019,
comments,
owned,
recommend,
couldn-t-wait-to-read
this full review is now POSTED on my blog! what better time to pretend there's a magical other world beneath ours than now? find it here: https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...
-----------
As the song goes, “Do you believe in magic, in a [Neil Gaiman book]?”
And the answer is yes.
Well, the answer for me is yes. I can’t comment on your answer. But like, if your answer is no...what is wrong with you? Read a damn Neil Gaiman book, you cretin. Allow yourself that happiness.
Anyway.
The fact that this i ...more
-----------
As the song goes, “Do you believe in magic, in a [Neil Gaiman book]?”
And the answer is yes.
Well, the answer for me is yes. I can’t comment on your answer. But like, if your answer is no...what is wrong with you? Read a damn Neil Gaiman book, you cretin. Allow yourself that happiness.
Anyway.
The fact that this i ...more

The first half was so slow, and I was even thinking about DNFing which was horrifying to me, this is Neil Gaiman's book we're talking about! Plus I also found it was too easy to guess who the bad guys really were. These two things were the main drawbacks to the book for me.
But this book has some of the best characters ever. Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar are just the best partners in crime ever! I just need a book on the two of them. And Marquis de Carabas was another great character. Fantastic, fant ...more
But this book has some of the best characters ever. Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar are just the best partners in crime ever! I just need a book on the two of them. And Marquis de Carabas was another great character. Fantastic, fant ...more

yet another book that has been sitting on my bookshelf for ages and im so glad i finally made time to read it. if i remember correctly, my interest was first piqued when someone had posted some fan art for this and i just thought it looked so. cool. and i knew it was a world that i really, really wanted to dive into. so it makes me a little sad that i didnt enjoy this as much as i thought i would. but its definitely a case of it being my fault and not the books.
i just dont think urban fantasy i ...more
i just dont think urban fantasy i ...more

Wow that was fantastic!
I listened to the audiobook because my brother recommended it to me. Neil narrates it himself, which I thought was really cool.
When I think of Urban fantasies this is now the first book that will pop into my head. Neil built this incredible world below London, that weaved in and out of our reality seamlessly. I think he benefited from calling on existing infrastructures like the London Underground to give a sort of map, but he worked it into the story beautifully. There we ...more
I listened to the audiobook because my brother recommended it to me. Neil narrates it himself, which I thought was really cool.
When I think of Urban fantasies this is now the first book that will pop into my head. Neil built this incredible world below London, that weaved in and out of our reality seamlessly. I think he benefited from calling on existing infrastructures like the London Underground to give a sort of map, but he worked it into the story beautifully. There we ...more

Final review: After a multilevel process of reading, commenting and then rereading (see my various updates below), here is the final summation of all my thoughts and feelings about Neverwhere: 4 stars! And read the illustrated version!

Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Neverwhere is a novel that improved dramatically for me on reread, which actually was a surprise to me. I originally read it about six years ago when, in an odd twist worthy of London Below, it mysteriously appeared one da ...more

Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Neverwhere is a novel that improved dramatically for me on reread, which actually was a surprise to me. I originally read it about six years ago when, in an odd twist worthy of London Below, it mysteriously appeared one da ...more

3.5/5 Stars
Whether you’ve read his book or not, there is a high chance that you have heard of the name Neil Gaiman if you’re a reader and most people probably loved his works. Let’s just say I finally knew why. I knew about him since 2009 from watching the movie Coraline which I loved and turns out it was based on a book written by him and that movie shocked the crap out of me cause it so imaginative and scary at times, I thought it would be a family movie. Fast forward 8 years later and here I ...more
Whether you’ve read his book or not, there is a high chance that you have heard of the name Neil Gaiman if you’re a reader and most people probably loved his works. Let’s just say I finally knew why. I knew about him since 2009 from watching the movie Coraline which I loved and turns out it was based on a book written by him and that movie shocked the crap out of me cause it so imaginative and scary at times, I thought it would be a family movie. Fast forward 8 years later and here I ...more

Dec 27, 2017
Elle (ellexamines)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
author-love,
sff-specfic,
y-2000sreleases,
z-2018reads,
4-star,
sff-high-fantasy,
x-audiobook
“The Marquis sighed. "I thought it was just a legend," he said. "Like the alligators in the sewers of New York City."
Old Bailey nodded, sagely: "What, the big white buggers? They're down there. I had a friend lost a head to one of them."
A moment of silence.
"It was OK," gurned Old Bailey with a grin that was most terrible to behold. "He had another.”
This book feels like pure magic. And wow, looks like I'm getting the Gaiman hype.
Neverwhere follows the story of Richard Mayhew, a pil ...more

The mean guy inside of me is completely against my giving this book a four-out-of-five instead of a three star rating, but the good guy/casual reader wins out! Hey. C'mon, gimme a break. This is Neil Gaiman: He's not one of Stephen King's favorites for nothing!
Incredibly short, seemingly dippy sentences make up this whimsical phantasmagoria-- more Hollywood script/ graphic novel than novel outright. Gaiman mixes and mashes myths & monsters all for this tight, devious yarn. It must be said that t ...more
Incredibly short, seemingly dippy sentences make up this whimsical phantasmagoria-- more Hollywood script/ graphic novel than novel outright. Gaiman mixes and mashes myths & monsters all for this tight, devious yarn. It must be said that t ...more

Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere is an immersive experience in a dark and fantastical place called London Below. Our protagonist, Richard Mayhew, steps out of his daily life by helping a girl who is bleeding on the sidewalk. With this action, his old life in London Above (the world we know) ends. This old life exists side by side (or above) his new one; however, former colleagues and friends in this world no longer see/recognize him. The descriptions of London Below and some of the characters are amazin
...more

Jan 12, 2019
Cecily
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Cecily by:
Ygraine
If American Gods (see my review HERE) is Gaiman’s love letter to his adopted country, this is his homage to the capital city of his natal land.
It’s an enjoyable, steampunkish romp about “people who fall through the cracks” of society - literally in this case. It is dark but fun, and never priggish or preachy. The world-building is impressive, as is the huge array of brilliantly drawn secondary characters (and there's nothing wrong with the main ones).
Richard Mayhew reminds me a little of Arthur ...more
It’s an enjoyable, steampunkish romp about “people who fall through the cracks” of society - literally in this case. It is dark but fun, and never priggish or preachy. The world-building is impressive, as is the huge array of brilliantly drawn secondary characters (and there's nothing wrong with the main ones).
Richard Mayhew reminds me a little of Arthur ...more

Oct 23, 2007
James
rated it
it was ok
·
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

Jun 08, 2018
❄️BooksofRadiance❄️
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adult-fantasy-sci-fi
My first Gaiman and I’m enchanted by the quirkiness of this book😍

Dear Book,
Why did you get over so soon?? Why did you get over at all?? :(
I could have spent many more hours exploring those underground tunnels in the company of those wonderful people, and reveling in the amazing things that some of them - especially marquis de Carabas - had to say.
I could have spent many more days reading and re-reading those delightfully formed sentences, laughing at the intelligent absurdity of it even when not-so-scary villains were doing not-so-pretty things.
I could have s ...more
Why did you get over so soon?? Why did you get over at all?? :(
I could have spent many more hours exploring those underground tunnels in the company of those wonderful people, and reveling in the amazing things that some of them - especially marquis de Carabas - had to say.
I could have spent many more days reading and re-reading those delightfully formed sentences, laughing at the intelligent absurdity of it even when not-so-scary villains were doing not-so-pretty things.
I could have s ...more

God damn it, Goodreads, when are you going to let me use half-star ratings? You had enough time to make those hideous green "want to read" tabs next to every damn book in my newsfeed; could you please throw me a bone and stop confining me to full stars? I demand half stars, Goodreads. Particularly for this review, because three stars seems unfairly low, and four stars is a bit much.
Neverwhere is early Gaiman (published in 1996), and it shows. You can see him working on the formula that would ma ...more
Neverwhere is early Gaiman (published in 1996), and it shows. You can see him working on the formula that would ma ...more

Richard had noticed that events were cowards: they didn't occur singly, but instead they would run in packs and leap out at him all at once.
This is a very well-written and predictable book by Neil Gaiman.
Richard is an office drone.
Of course he is.
And he's dating a go-getting, beautiful woman who doesn't love him for what he is, but sees "potential" and dreams about the man she can turn him into. You know the type. Scarlett Johansson from DON JON.
And he's miserable, but pretends he's happy becaus ...more
This is a very well-written and predictable book by Neil Gaiman.
Richard is an office drone.
Of course he is.
And he's dating a go-getting, beautiful woman who doesn't love him for what he is, but sees "potential" and dreams about the man she can turn him into. You know the type. Scarlett Johansson from DON JON.
And he's miserable, but pretends he's happy becaus ...more

I read Neil Gaiman's "American Gods" recently, and loved it. So when I saw "Neverwhere" on the cheap shelf at the local bookstore I picked it up. For a book that is only 370 pages I thought it would never end. It was Gaiman's first solo novel, so I will cut him some slack, but this text is just simply not that satisfying. The high praise for it mystifies me.
"Neverwhere" is an imaginative novel, with some interesting character ideas and plot devices. But it is not a well written novel. It verges ...more
"Neverwhere" is an imaginative novel, with some interesting character ideas and plot devices. But it is not a well written novel. It verges ...more

“There are four simple ways for the observant to tell Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar apart: first, Mr. Vandemar is two and a half heads taller than Mr. Croup; second, Mr. Croup has eyes of a faded china blue, while Mr. Vandemar’s eyes are brown; third, while Mr. Vandemar fashioned the rings he wears on his right hand out of the skulls of four ravens, Mr. Croup has no obvious jewelery; fourth, Mr. Croup likes words, while Mr. Vandemar is always hungry. Also, they look nothing at all alike.”

Mr. Croup ...more

Mr. Croup ...more

Neverwhere (London Below, The World of Neverwhere #1), Neil Gaiman
Neverwhere is the companion novelization written by English author Neil Gaiman of the television serial Neverwhere, by Gaiman and Lenny Henry. First Publication date: 16 September 1996.
Under the streets of London there's a place most people could never even dream of. A city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, knights in armour and pale girls in black velvet. This is the city of the people who have fallen between the crac ...more
Neverwhere is the companion novelization written by English author Neil Gaiman of the television serial Neverwhere, by Gaiman and Lenny Henry. First Publication date: 16 September 1996.
Under the streets of London there's a place most people could never even dream of. A city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, knights in armour and pale girls in black velvet. This is the city of the people who have fallen between the crac ...more

Neil Gaiman's books are so beautiful inside and out.
...more

Jan 07, 2012
James
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
3-multi-book-series,
1-fiction
3 of 5 stars to Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, a fantasy full of quirky characters and commentary on society, published in 1996. This was another book group selection (not mine), but by someone who has very good taste in books.
I'd never read Gaiman before, but he seems to be immensely popular. We read it in 2009, many years after it first hit print, but still at the cusp of my interest in fantasy books. I think it was too much of a fantasy for me, as I tend to need some rules or boundaries, and I cou ...more
I'd never read Gaiman before, but he seems to be immensely popular. We read it in 2009, many years after it first hit print, but still at the cusp of my interest in fantasy books. I think it was too much of a fantasy for me, as I tend to need some rules or boundaries, and I cou ...more

Feb 03, 2015
P
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
urban-fantasy,
young-adult
“Beware of Doors.”

Neverwhere reminded me of Alice in Wonderland with a darker setting. The lead character is an adult confronting a world that he's never known before. The concept of Neverwhere is easily understandable even though the narrative is multi-layered and complicated. Why not ? This is exactly an urban fantasy novel without young adult materials, but Gaiman managed to throw some little things that we're so accustomed to, such as London, the lousy villains, the wise hero and MAGIC. ...more
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Other books in the series
London Below, The World of Neverwhere
(2 books)
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“You've a good heart. Sometimes that's enough to see you safe wherever you go. But mostly, it's not.”
—
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“He had noticed that events were cowards: they didn't occur singly, but instead they would run in packs and leap out at him all at once.”
—
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