Neverwhere: A Novel
by Neil Gaiman
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Book Reviews of Neverwhere: A Novel
Book Review: Decent reading despite the flaws
Summary: 4 Stars
I've only read a couple of Gaiman books before, so i can't say how well this stacks up to his corpus in general, but as a relative outsider I liked (though not loved) it.
The Pro's: It's fast-paced, and held my interest. The setting was intriguing, and I liked the characters -- especially the antagonists. It even made me chuckle in a few places, which helped lighten the otherwise dark mood that is the general tone of the book.
The Con's: The plot structure reminded me of an old computer game: each stage is essentially a quest to get to the next part, and this format came dangerously close to wearing out its welcome. Also, there are a **couple** of major plot-holes in the story, though I won't discuss them as they are spoilers. Admittedly, they didn't immediately jump out at me: I had to reflect upon the situation after-the-fact to realize "um, wait a second..." so I don't know how much of a speed-bump they will be to other readers. Even then, it could be a misunderstanding on my part: this novel seems to have an internally-consistent logic EXCEPT when the plot dictates otherwise and it's "convenient" for something to happen. I kind of have a low threshold for that sort of thing, but others probably will be more forgiving.
Overall, the book's positives outweigh the negatives, so I conditionally recommend it to people who like dark, off-beat quasi-fantasy fodder. If nothing else, it's a fast read and holds the reader's interest, so give it a go.
Book Review: "There's a lot of time in London, and it has to go somewhere - it doesn't get used up at once."
Summary: 5 Stars
Neil Gaiman is imaginitive, clever and can weave a witty and utterly believeable story out of whole cloth. This is particularly true in _Neverwhere_. Set in London, the boringly average Richard Mayhew leads a boringly average life: a beautiful, domineering girlfriend, a job in middle-management, and the world makes sense to him. Until he meets Door, who shows him "London Below" - a city alongside Richard's London, but one very different, and much more dangerous.
Richard's experiences in London Below is the classic hero's journey: the refusal of the call, the mentor, and so on. The predictability of events, however in no way diminish from the richness of the experience, especially given Gaiman's playful wit as he takes the mundane and common in London and recreates it. Tube stations become literal (Blackfriars, for example, is a station that leads to a monestary of ruddy-skinned, black cowled monks, and the ubiquitous London call "mind the gap" has sinister implications for those who don't mind it.) It is an utterly captivating read.
For those unfamiliar with Gaiman's work, this (or American Gods: A Novel) would be my recommendations to start. Fair warning: once you've experienced the creativity and uniqueness of his writing, you will want to read more by him. For those who have read his work, this certainly among his best work. Highly recommended.
Book Review: As good as it gets.
Summary: 5 Stars
"Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman truly is a great fantasy adventure. Mr. Gaiman's style of writing had me wondering what time period he was writing about and frankly I was surprised when I came to the realization. My confusion was due, in part, to the London locale but also a result of the incredibly realistic story blending of the author. The story begins with Richard Mayhew, the protagonist, being given a send off by friends. He's to leave Scotland for London to begin a new job. Mayhew is a strange sort of fellow, not daring or adventurous at all. Not truly enjoying the party, and perhaps having had too much drink he leaves for a bit and has an encounter with a woman who thinks he's a derelict. She provides him with a prophesy that confuses him but it's what sets the stage and gets ones imaginative juices flowing. It isn't long afterward that the reader is introduced to the next protagonist and then the story goes places, very different places both in time and locale. I'm especially interested in this sort of fantastic, whimsical, adventure storytelling and Mr. Gaiman is a master. The novel characters and story develop nicely and mostly what happens isn't at all what one might anticipate. It's all somewhat, and sort of, like an adult "through the looking glass" type adventure, but then, very much not like that at all. Mystery and danger, with a little magic thrown in, is rife throughout. Have some fun with this exciting book, I did.Book Review: Disappointing
Summary: 1 Stars
The short of it: creative but,
1. storyline is lame
2. characters are cardboard cut-outs without a hint of personality.
eeek. I loved Stardust. It was such a witty and pleasant fairy-tale. I heard wonderful things about Sandman. I expected an interesting story. In all honestly- it was boring. There was no real point to the story. There is creativity and great ideas, but there is no substance. It is almost like the book is a dumping ground for wonderful ideas, but the chord that ties them together is painfully weak.
The plot, or the reason behind the situation turns out to be so simple, that from the moment the character in question (the one causing the problems) comes in, I figured it out. I told myself: "no, that can't be it, that is too simple. Don't worry, it will pick up. Keep reading".
The ending is painfully anti-climatic. The characters hired to be bad, are bad, and then are hired not to be bad and then are hired to be bad again- it was silly. SMALL SPOLER WARNING: in the beginning he wants her dead, but at the same time he needed her- then why was he ordering her death??? That was never cleared up. Also, Richard's ordeal? That was it?LAME!!
The place is dirty and ugly and yes, like an Alice in Wonderland adventure... but without emotion and with characters who utterly lack personality and who are painfully boring. I just never cared for ANY of them, blaaah :P.
Book Review: Male Rite of Passage
Summary: 3 Stars
In a classical sense, this book is a male rite of passage novel. It opens with Richard Mayhew being almost totally self absorbed with his life, a theme that continues almost until the end of the book. But Richard's "passage" which one could call his ordeal, begins when he bends down to save the Lady Door Portico who lives in London Below. This is when Richard's London Above disappears and he begins to see that the world is more than the sum of his own life. In this novel, Richard grows by doing for others via a quest that is about saving the life of Door, and some of her mystical friends. The ultimate objective of Door's is to continue her father's work of uniting the Londons, to which many of the evil characters in London Below are opposed. Richard does, indeed, become an unlikely hero, although the reader never fully likes him. The reader simply wants to. He is annoying. And yet Gaiman does this on purpose. As a man, or a woman, stretches and grows beyond what they believe is their capability, it isn't with gusto, enthusiasm, and full confidence. It is much more like Mayhew - with tentativeness and maybe not even with willingness. The human condition is such that adversity is what makes us stronger and wiser - maybe even by accident. And it enhances our world view. This is Richard's rite of passage and Gaiman handles it very well. The book does move somewhat slowly, but you can't help but want to finish it.