Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Neverwhere
Book Review: A great read. Witty, fun, and exciting.
Summary: 4 Stars
You can feel Neil Gaiman's playfulness throughout the story. He has blended his past as a comic book author (and there is NO inference here that Neverwhere is "comic-like") with a nicely polished style that comes together as a story filled with plenty for the mind and all the senses.Mr. Gaiman's storyline feels like a modern day, twisted and tweaked "North by Northwest" - a Cary Grant of today, an innocent man completely out of his element, thrown literally into the sewers and dragged into events totally out of his control.
Mr. Gaiman has produced a winner, and I can't wait for another to hit the shelves.
Keep writing, Neil.
Book Review: A gripping story in a parallel alternative universe London
Summary: 5 Stars
Neil Gaiman's 'Neverwhere' is a delight from start to finish. Richard Mayhew, a young Scot living and working in London, finds himself helping a young girl lying in a street who is being pursued by two sinister looking men. Reluctantly, he finds himself being drawn into a tangled web of a plot that leads him to an London Below, a London that exists both beneath London and as a parallel alternative universe London, a London where people live who "fall through the cracks." This London is highly inventive, richly detailed, and, despite the unrealness of it, convincing. I, for one, will never be able to take the London Underground again and wonder about the trains with darkened windows that go though the stations without stopping - Do they carry the court of the Earl on it? And how did Earl's Court get its name? Or Baron's Court, for that matter? I shall certainly never go to Harrods or go on board HMS Belfast without thinking of the Floating Market. London Below is peopled with colourful and strange characters - The Lady Door, The Marquis de Carabas, Hunter, The Angel Islington, and many others, including the menacing Mr Vandemar and Mr Croup. This is the sort of book that Michael Moorcock would be writing if he was still writing decent books. Even if you don't know London, this book is still wonderful - you will want to get to know it. The story is gripping and the writing is vivid and sharp. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Gaiman, by far, is the best writer writing fantasy today.Book Review: A kind of fantastical escape...
Summary: 4 Stars
So I was late in finding Neil Gaiman. But I picked up *American Gods,* fell in love with it, and quickly sought out all else by Gaiman. This search, of course, brought me to *Neverwhere*.Now, where my reaction to *American Gods* was immediate and fierce, *Neverwhere* simmered. The last page turned, I was pleased and disappointed. The story was entertaining and humorous--with villians like Croup and Vandemar, how could it be anything else? But it didn't make me turn the pages with the same anticipation. For a week or so after I tried to figure out why this was.
It's some kind of cosmic law that whenever you a read a truly satisfying book, whatever you read immediately after is doomed to disappoint. And I should chalk up a good deal of my reaction to this law. However, there were some points that substantiate it. Such as the fact that this novel seemed a tad bit rushed. Characters, places, plots--they all had substance, but at times they didn't seem fleshed out. I cared about Richard and Door and the rest, but moreso in retrospect than while I was reading. And the ending. Well, it didn't seem like the right place to have an ending. Recent questions put forth to Neil Gaiman in regards to a sequel have brought positive responses. Which rather nullifies my complaint about that issue.
And I also realized that the content of the two novels completely separate them. *Neverwhere* seems to be pure entertainment. You're meant to enjoy the fantastical people and places, it's suppose to allow you the same kind of escape that Richard Mayhew finds in London Below. And, after it simmered, I realized that it fulfilled all of its purposes.
Book Review: A must read for anyone and everyone!
Summary: 4 Stars
Gaiman does right in my opinion regarding this book. I couldn't put it down once I started reading. I would definitely like to see it continued....Book Review: A must read!
Summary: 5 Stars
Gaiman has created a world in London Below that is as fascinating as it is believable. Even the secondary characters are well defined and interesting, which is unusual in fantasy fiction. The main character of Richard is thrust from his ordinary life into the world of London Below by a simple act of human kindness. After a rough start, he handles the challenges a lot better than most people might. Without giving too much away, I can guarantee that you will never look at London in the same way ever again! Knightsbridge and Earls Court especially. <VBG>
This book is destined to be a classic, and well worth reading two or more times in order to savor all of the details! I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for a good read with an absorbing plot, interesting characters and superior writing! Gaiman is one of my favorite writers!