Neverwhere (London Below, #1) in Pick-a-Shelf

Sep 17, 2011 KarenF rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library, urban-fantasy

I've read a fair amount of Neil Gaiman but somehow I missed his first novel. Like many of Gaiman's books there's a likable everyman protagonist who gets sucked down the rabbit hole, in this case into the "London Below". As usual in these stories the below-world is full of danger as well as excitement. For me what separates Gaiman from a lot of other UF is the wit and the literary references. And while they are both present here you can see that he grew as a writer in later books. I probably woul ...more

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Jun 23, 2017 Kristin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Oh my goodness, yes. Yes, yes, yes.

This is my first Neil Gaiman book, which I found by just wandering around on Audible looking for ways to use my credits. The reviews were the selling point for me, and then I realized he was also the author of Stardust and Coraline. I've seen both movies and loved them both. My fiancé has been bugging me to read Stardust, so I'm sure I'll have to now that I know what a phenomenal writer Gaiman is.

And it's not just his writing. He performed the audio book as wel Oh my goodness, yes. Yes, yes, yes.

This is my first Neil Gaiman book, which I found by just wandering around on Audible looking for ways to use my credits. The reviews were the selling point for me, and then I realized he was also the author of Stardust and Coraline. I've seen both movies and loved them both. My fiancé has been bugging me to read Stardust, so I'm sure I'll have to now that I know what a phenomenal writer Gaiman is.

And it's not just his writing. He performed the audio book as well, and he is by far the best audio book performer I've ever heard. How does he have TWO incredible talents?! So unfair.

Back to the book, though. I have to say that my favorite thing about his storytelling is that he juxtaposes levity and whimsy in his writing style against grit and darkness in his themes, which I found intensely refreshing and enjoyable. And his performance was just the icing on the proverbial cake, giving each line of the novel exactly the inflection that best set off his writing and made his characters come to life. I cannot find the mot juste to express just how deeply this delighted me.

I also want to say that I found the book quite predictable, much in the way a good road trip is predictable--you might know where you're going and how you're getting there, but the trip isn't any the less enjoyable for it. You're not reading for crazy plot twists. You likely won't be surprised about where the story is going--what will surprise you in the very best of ways is his DELIVERY of the plot. Imagine embarking on that road trip with the expectation that you're taking a car, then Neil Gaiman shows up riding an elephant and says, "hop on!" So you do because HELLO, who doesn't want to ride an elephant? You're still going to New York from LA, but the trip just got infinitely more interesting, amirite?

Imaginative, extraordinarily well-written, phenomenally performed. I can't ask for anything more except another good story from this storyteller, and thank goodness there are plenty more to choose from. I just found a new favorite novelist. I can't help but feel that I live in privileged times. ...more

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