Neverwhere: A Novel
by Neil Gaiman
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Book Reviews of Neverwhere: A Novel
Book Review: What an amazing journey
Summary: 5 Stars
I think the only potentially more interesting trip would be one into Gaiman's mind. This book is truly exercise for the imagination. I almost always skip overblown descriptions in fantasy books, yet here I found myself rereading some scenes to try and better wrap my mind around the vibrant images conjured up. The people, places and personalities that Gaiman invents are at once thought-provoking, mind-expanding and totally believable. The world he describes is so surreal and delightfully irrational that it actually becomes credible. The reader parallels Richard in his descent into the madness that is London Below, but like Richard acquires a taste for this madness such that it is preferable to the artificialities littered throughout real life that Gaiman exposes.
This blending and contrasting of settings is to me the most interesting aspect about this book, but everything else is well done too. The protagonist is endearing, the story is cleverly constructed, and the supporting cast is downright compelling. Dark humor and defiance of stereotypes reign, and the heroes and villains all follow the theme of joining the unconventional with the ordinary, the exotic with the familiar.
In the end, perhaps the greatest testament to Gaiman's achievement is that by the end of the book it is hardly clear whether the fantastical or the mundane world is the more "real" of the two.
Book Review: Richly Imaginative
Summary: 5 Stars
Neil Gaiman has obviously read much about old myths and the legends of "old" gods. He has taken his knowledge and produced three (American Gods, Anansi Boys and Neverwhere)wonderful fantasies. Other reviewers have summed up the plot to this one so I won't do it again. I will say that the plots of the three books mentioned above are very twisty and the author strives to avoid the obvious, very often going off in an unexpected direction that surprised this reader at least. I read the three books almost one after the other and I will say that the protagonist in each bears a similarity with that of the others. That is, he is a quiet sort of lost soul who almost inadvertently tumbles into a fantastic world. That is not a problem with these books but I sense a danger of the author falling into a kind of formula regarding his books.
The writing style is as imaginative as the plot, an increasingly rare attribute in novels these days.
For those who want more of such superior urban fantasy(for grown-ups)I would recommend also, "Winter's Tale" by Helprin and "Saint Jack and Toad" by Carraher, both of which are also thoroughly enjoyable. Winter's Tale and Saint Jack and Toad
Book Review: Enjoyable Modern Fantasy
Summary: 4 Stars
For some reason, I had thought that "Neverwhere" would be a dark novel. There are several dark elements, but the tone of the novel isn't dark (though it is often darkly comedic).
Overall, I found it to be faster paced than Gaiman's "Stardust" and as enjoyable as Gaiman's "Anansi Boys."
"Neverwhere" (like "Stardust" and "Anansi Boys") features a hapless, likable hero on a quest to escape a world that is both more dark and more whimsical than the ordinary life he knew before he fell through the cracks in the world.
The hero of "Neverwhere" is a bored worker bee named Richard Mayhew who could easily fit into the world of tv's "The Office" before almost literally stumbling across a wounded girl. The girl begs for his help, and that's where Richard's trouble begins. Before he knows it, Richard has lost his job, his fiance, his apartment, and quite possibly his mind.
Has Richard gone crazy? Even he isn't 100% sure. Perhaps he's become one of the homeless, haunted by delusions and talking to himself. Or perhaps he truly has fallen into an unseen world of magic, killers, monsters, witches, and angels that exists above, below, and through the shadows and cracks of London.
This is a modern fantasy/adventure with sparkling wit and enough darkness to keep it interesting. Overall, it was a fun, enjoyable read.
Book Review: A very uncharming book; not suitable for children
Summary: 2 Stars
Having read Stardust, which I liked (although which is one of the very rare books that is not as good as the movie, IMHO), I was disappointed in Neverwhere (which I listened to on audiobook). It's like a very ugly Wizard of Oz (which the author at least cops to in the end), where instead of Dorothy we get befuddled Richard, who seems to have no strong feelings about anything except that he wants to go home. And, he's not exactly passionate about that; just sort of bemusedly tagging along after the girl Door and her entourage as she seeks vengeance for the murder of her family. The story is confusing, the bad guys disgusting as well as sadistically violent, and everything in Under London is dirty, uncharming and like some 70's movie version of a bad drug trip. Definitely not Oz, and definitely not for young children. When Richard finally gets home, he's not happy with everything he ever wanted, so he decides to go back to Under London. Why? I have no idea. He seems very likely to end up dead there, as it's a dangerous place and he's clueless. Then again, I found myself clueless as well, and wondering about the motivations of all the characters. The plot is a jumble. [And why does the marquis share a name with the character from Puss n Boots?] The concept of another world under London and in abandoned tube stations was interesting, the story is just not executed well.Book Review: Just About the Perfect Book Ever
Summary: 5 Stars
This book starts out at a perfect pace, introducing the reader to the main character's ordinary life, and swiftly sweeps both the reader and this ordinary man into a dark reality from which there is no escape. By the end of the book, I had a real affection for the bewildered Richard, and for his friends in London below: the curiously powerful Door, the conniving marquis de Carabas, and even the single-minded bodyguard, Hunter. It's easy to become concerned in their fates, and they are all unique and likeable characters, each in their own ways.
This story is easy to relate to, as it follows a familiar plot: average person gets swept up in mysterious goings-on, meets allies, they have a quest to follow, with powerful enemies popping up now and then to interfere...or worse. This doesn't mean that the story is stale. Indeed, it constantly surprised me with its twists and turns, and its utter originality. But what makes the story familiar makes it comfortable; otherwise, the alien world in which Richard finds himself would be too cold and unknowable. Richard, being from London Above, gives the story its dose of reality, which of course makes the book all that more unnerving.
All fans of fantasy and modern thrillers will enjoy this book. This is the first book of Gaiman's that I've tried, and I'm looking forward to reading more!