Neverwhere: A Novel by Neil Gaiman Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Neverwhere: A Novel
Book Review: A Story for Those Wandering in Our Own Subways
Summary: 5 Stars
Most novelists would describe themselves as storytellers of some kind, arguably the function of the Novel is to tell a story while conveying certain themes to the reader. However, the large population of today's novelists are more concerned with rehashing well-worn thematic storytelling instead of pushing the envelop of creativity to take the reader on paths they haven't seen, and experience things from angles they never comprehended. Luckily for us, Neil Gaiman has asserted his role firmly in the latter. Neverwhere can be best described as an amalgamation of elements derived from many facets of fantasy and science fiction. What makes the story successful is the ideal blend of the fantastical and the real, the contrast fuels the narrative and makes the novel a cohesive piece of great fiction.
The story follows Richard Mayhew, a typical Londoner of little regard. On his way to a dinner function with his fiancee he stumbles upon a bleeding young woman on the street. He takes her home and his life changes forever. The young woman, aptly named Door, takes him on a journey to a world standing in the shadows, full of people who can talk to rats, traveling markets, and assassins of the most ruthless sort. Richard ends up traveling with Door trying to uncover the mysteries of her past, and desperately trying to find a way back to his world, London Above.
Gaiman has a knack for creating memorable characters and Neverwhere isn't any different. Richard is every bit the forlorn traveler that the reader would expect, and he plays the role beautifully. He is both endearing and funny, and his knack for macabre humor brings needed levity to the novel. Door is the weakest character in my mind, she is fairly generic, but their are certain points, especially towards the beginning and end, that make her shine. My favorite character, however, is the Marquis. For me, he ties the novel together. He takes Door, the protagonist Richard, and the many ancillary characters and weaves them into the narrative in precisely the right way. He makes the novel move.
Good storytelling is not an easy business. In an era where genre's are hashed and re-hashed, Neil Gaiman has carved out his niche as a gifted storyteller amongst a sea of hacks. He doesn't dazzle you with the ideas he conveys, but rather the method for their illustration. He's comfortable in his style and confident in his execution. It is easy to write a story about a man trying to find his way home. It is immensely more difficult, however, to take that idea and create something powerful, relatable, and memorable, and at this, Gaiman succeeds absolutely.
Book Review: A bit disappointed
Summary: 3 Stars
Perhaps it's just that I read this book in-between reading A Separate Peace and The Life of Pi, but I couldn't help but be disappointed by the the author's writing ability. Good ideas, but not well executed. I hoped to be moved and captivated like I was when I read Clive Barker's Imajica, but the author isn't able to invest his characters with enough depth to make them memorable.Book Review: A bit slow
Summary: 3 Stars
Gaiman (re)writes the Heroes journey. Like Luke Skywalker's tale, Richard Mayhew too must grow up and become the Hero. He too loses his first guide (OB1), picks up new band of rabble rousers (Han, Chewie, the droids) bent on protecting the royal lady (Leia) and must decend into a Labrynth (cave) where he must slay the Beast (himself/vader/fear) before facing off against the big Evil (Palpatine/Vader) before helping the girl save the day and become knighted in the process.
But Richard lives in 21st century London Above. He's a number cruncher who, in helping a wounded "street urchin" finds that no one knows him, his apartment is rented while he's still in it, his bank fails to recognize his PIN and no one can see him...except those from London Below. In pockets of time, those who have slipped through the cracks of society live under London in a completely different world. There, the rats rule, rat-speakers translate, various kinds of people exist for indeterminate amounts of time, and many have unique abilities. And here, he befriends the "street urchin", the Lady Door on her quest to find out who killed her entire family and why. Will he find his way back to London Above? Will he go back? Will he stay?
I found Richard oddly like Arthur Dent from the Hitchhiker's Guide...reacting rather blandly to such oddity and unusual occurrences. The pace of the book was slow to warm up, the assassins way too comical, and oddly unfulfilling where Door and Richard left things...to possibly be picked back up. I think Gaiman, so used to leaving much on the panel and the art to convey, didn't really grasp the characters or story as he fully could have.
Book Review: A book that makes you think
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm sure this was written as purely entertainment...a fantasy and a well written one at that...however, this one made me stop and think and that's what I truly love about it. It made me think about our lives and how sometimes it all seems so ridiculous. How we pass by those nameless, homeless individuals everyday as we rush here and there and how little we know of them or their sufferings or their world. This is a fantastic book, not only because it's well written, has a well thought out plot and has well developed characters, but because it made me look deeper into things I choose to put in the back of my mind. I highly recommend.Book Review: A dark Alice in Wonderland for modern times
Summary: 5 Stars
This book was hard to put down! Gaiman's visual writing style really brought the underworld to life for me. While the story is set in a dark and grimy world, the characters are colorful and imaginative. This helped to create a surreal atmosphere that was also believable. Reading Neverwhere was a memorable experience for me, and I look forward to reading it again!