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Changed my mind
Before reading Neverwhere I would never have called myself a 'fantasy' fan. I was almost turned off from reading this based on its classification. I am so happy I did read it though. It's turned into one of my favorite books. It pulls you out of reality while you read it and suddenly you are in another world. The characters are great and the plot is brilliant. I have now read every book by Neil Gaiman and I love them all. He recently did a book signing that I attended and all I could do was thank him for being a writer. I would say the age range for this book should be 14+. A couple scenes are graphic with adult themes. Neverwhere turned me on to the fantasy genre. It's worth a read.
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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Loved it
One of my favorite books of all time, so ingenious and imaginative and hillarious! Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar are the most delicious villains. And Richard's adventures in the underworld are mesmerizing. Read this book 3 times, and each time it's a so satisfying.
10 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted August 19, 2008
GREAT BOOK
I loved this book from start to finish. To me it reminded me of a darker version of Alice in Wonderland. It seemed to me the book had a sense of magic to it. I love the unexpected plot of the story. There was very little that I did not like to this book. Neil Gaiman says that he will write the second one to this book. I can't wait for the next one to come out.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Neverwhere
Fantastic hardly begins to describe this book, Gaiman¿s imagination simply rises over most in a way that is ¿ well, delicious. This book truly reads like a treat and it also reads quickly. There is so much vividness to the underground world Neil creates, so much detail and so much spark to it, that falling into it and believing it becomes extremely easy. And once you are in that state, turning pages in this book is a cinch.
In this story, a man, who is leading your average life in an average world (London, England), at the average point in his life, ends up stumbling into something he should not have seen and instead of walking past it like everybody else does, he helps the girl that falls before him. From that point on Richard Mayhew is dragged into the vicious underworld of the forgotten, where he must struggle not only to survive but also to keep his sanity if he ever hopes to get his life back.
This book provided a lot of creative inspiration, and if you know Neil Gaiman, more famous for his work authoring the Sandman Graphic Novels, you know his work is dark, witty, entrancing and addictive. A very good read.3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted July 9, 2008
A reviewer
I have read several Neil Gaiman books, and I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this is my favorite. American Gods is a close 2nd, but something about the dark London underground just drew me into this book. Enchanting,haunting, and beautifully written, I loved every minute of it!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted December 30, 2011
Amazing!
Gaiman has the perfect combo of imagination with terror, thrills and fantasy.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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DeannaMK
Posted October 25, 2011
Extremely Entertaining Read
For fantasy-loving, Neil Gaiman fans, Neverwhere is an entirely perfect book. The plot was intense and magical in so many creative and delicious ways. I finished the book in about three days, since I just couldn't put it down. It's full of horror, thrilling events, magic, rats, and evil characters as well as good ones. Finishing the book was mind-blowing, since I can't recall being that awed by a novel besides the Harry Potter series. And that's saying something! The juicy details and beyond-creative story line is insanely riveting, so I absolutely recommend this for anyone who has a taste for fantasy and Neil Gaiman. One of his finest (and earliest) works.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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I loved the characters
I absolutely love Neil Gaiman's work. I first became aware of Neil Gaiman when a friend recommended me reading American Gods. As with American Gods, I become intrigued and captivated by Neverwhere's characters. Neil Gaiman is an amazing author and creates a vivid visual of what London underground is like. I was so wrapped up in Neverwhere that I finished the book quickly. The plot is exciting and well written. After reading American Gods and Neverwhere, I am a permanent Neil Gaiman fan. He also wrote Coraline. I would highly recommend this book to persons who enjoy fantasy worlds and those who enjoy the imagination that Neil Gaiman brings into his books. I will say this, it is not a light, funny book. It can be a little dark but entertaining none-the-less. Not only are the characters and plot well written, the interactions that the characters have with each other are also well written. For those who enjoy slightly darker fantasy, I would highly recommend Neverwhere.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted February 22, 2008
A reviewer
This is perhaps my favourite book, and it is only made better by listening to the author read it. Croup and Vandemar are deliciously creepy, the Marquis is disdainful, and he even manages to convincingly portray an innocent teenage girl 'Door'. I've never been a fan of audiobooks before, but this was amazing.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted January 18, 2007
Whoa...
For starters, I love Neil Gaiman's writing style. Very imaginative and straight to the the heart. I read an earlier review by 'Mike' and I have to totally disagree. Gaiman's books are all very creative and imaginative and extremely well written. I believe that Mr. Gaiman adds a breath of fresh air to a semi-stale genre. He's a God-send for consumers of good writing everywhere! Now, about Neverwhere... I enjoyed this book. Not to the point of euphoiria, but enjoyed it nonetheless. The story plot and conception of this book are amazing. They are what really got me interested. I have read other Gaiman books, Anansi Boys and American Gods, and enjoyed those thouroughly. American Gods was my favorite, with Neverwhere very close behind! A very good read for anyone wanting a slight chill with a side of laughter! Pick this one up!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted October 22, 2004
One of the best novels I've ever read in my life!
This is one of my favorite novels. This book is full of sardonic humor, absolutely hilarious villains, believable characters, mystery that will blow you away, and a mystic feeling that sticks with the story all the way through. The character is a normal guy and stays normal throughout the book so that the reader can relate to how he reacts to certain situations and how he acts in general. Pick up this book. You won't be disappointed. TRUST ME.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted December 26, 2011
Fantastic book.
My first tead of Gaiman's stuff outside of "Sandman", and it hooked me on him forever.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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A new Favorite!
I wasn't really a fan of Fantasy genre until this book. Neil Gaiman creates a very dark and outlandish world beneath the city of London England inhabited by a feudal aristrocrasy, solitary warriors, and a religious cult who talks to rats. But up in London "proper" Richard Mayhew is living an ordinary and orderly life. His fiancée, Jessica has seen to that until the hapless Richard literally trips over a bleeding young woman. Jessica demands he leave her be, but Richard's compassion won't let him leave her injured, lying on the pathway. He takes her to his flat where she cleans up and soon disappears. Lady Door is running from two mendacious mercenaries who have slaughtered her family. By morning, Mayhew has apparently vanished too! His bank card won't work, taxi drivers don't stop for him, Jessica doesn't recognize him, but most troubling to Richard is that his landlord has rented out his flat. He has no home. He has inexplicitly ceased to exist in the world as he knows it. The only way to return to his reality and regain his home, job, and fiancée is to enter the shadowy neverwhere world of Lady Door's London Below.
With no choice available to him, Richard joins Neverwhere's noble lady and her small band to find the malevolent Angel (who will stop at nothing to possess Door's abilities) and stop his evil plan to destroy London Below and its inhabitants. Only then, Richard can find his way back home to London Above.
Reading Gaiman's NEVERWHERE takes the London's Tube's loudspeaker warning "Mind the Gap" to a much more complex meaning... People can fall through the gaps/cracks, literally, not only down onto the rails but much deeper, ending up in "London Below". Richard Mayhew is an unlikely Samaritan and protagonist, but when confronted with a choice he follows his charitable instinct and assists a wounded rag girl he finds lying on the sidewalk. To save her from her apparent killers he sacrifices all that he is as well as the basic creature comforts of life.
Gaiman spins a brilliant yarn of life in the underbelly of London, with its shady characters, speaking rats and special "guides". There is more than one reality. In London Above Richard and Lady Door can be seen but not recalled beyond an instant. The real-life maze of London underground tunnels, hidden passageways and dead ends provide the existent, yet twisted, backdrop to the story. Time and distances have no meaning. The names of tube stations acquire new relevance: the Earl resides at Earl's Court, the black Friar monks are in Black friars and Islington is an Angel. Following Door and her unusual companions, Richard discovers the limits of his endurance especially when confronted by the Black Friar quest and on the Night Bridge. Mayhew questions his own existence and reality. While his desire to get back to his normal life keeps him going, his chances to break free from the shadowy Neverwhere increasingly appear to diminish. Gaiman's novel has become one of my favorite books and a proud addition to my home library!1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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a strange trip through the underground.
For most of my adult life, I didn't really care for anything in the genre of fantasy, but thta all changed a few months ago when I belatedly read Gaiman's par-excellent comic book series The Sandman. After finishing that, to get my fix, I went out and read this book. Since then, I've not only followed Neil's work but also writers similar to Neil like Gene Wolfe, Roger Zelazney and Jonathan Carroll. If that weren't enough, I ended up publishing two fantasy stories of my own. Neil's work has played a pretty big role in my life lately.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Grendel33
Posted February 1, 2011
I Also Recommend:
You Will Love This Book, I Promise You
The way Neil Gaiman utilizes ancient legend, fairy-tales and myths is just amazing. While reading Neverwhere, you encounter talking rats, monsters, angels, and a pair of killers who really enjoy their line of work. Another cool thing, was that everywhere in London Underground was based off of London's subway system. The main characters visit places like Earl's Court and The Black Friars. There actually is a Earlscourt station and Blackfriars station in London. Another thing that I liked was the use of "Mind the Gap". In London, the Gap was the space between the station and the door of the subway. The worst that could happen to you was that you would trip and fall flat on your face. In London Below, the Gap holds dark and shadowy creatures that will grab at you and pull you under. Gaiman reveals a strong plot level by level and builds up the tension like a master. It has drama, action, humor and plot, and it's quite easy to read. If you are into myths, legends and fairy-tales, and not intimidated by gore and guts, then you will like this. Even the hardcore fantasy reader will find this worth reading, as Neverwhere is classic fantasy with a dash of darkness.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Another example why Neil Gaiman is AMAZING!!
I have taken a huge following to Neil Gainman since I read and finished the Sandman Series.
Like all his other works Neverwhere was amazing and well written. Never did I loose interest or want to put it down. I was hooked from page one and died a little when I had to put it down to work, sleep, get out the house.
Highley recommend and like everything else from Neil Gaiman this will not disappoint.1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Dark Underworld Fantasy
This book is vividly imaginative with arresting visual descriptions and bizarre imagery. The story line is engaging, and the 'Above London' protagonist is sympathetic. The supporting characters are wonderfully quirky, and the villains are delightfully evil. The pace is moderate as there's no real urgency to the plot until it approaches resolution. However, it doesn't really matter because it's all about the amazing underside journey through 'London Below'.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Wow, mindblower.
Neil Gaiman has a winner with Neverwhere. It's like an epsiode of Twilight Zone mixed with a generous portion of Douglas Adams and a pinch of weirdness just for fun.
This is a real page turner, keeps you guessing and makes you want more.
Can't pass a homeless person without wondering about the world of Neverwhere ...1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted November 11, 2006
Unlike anything else.
Weird. This is one of the strangest books I have ever read. I recommend it, but be prepared for bizzare and confusing scenes.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted May 24, 2005
Neverwhere Forever More!
What a fantastic read! The characters are believeable, and Neil crafts a wonderfully dark and frightening piece of reality fiction with a good versus evil netherworldly twist. What makes this book so wonderful is Neil's painstaking creation of such relatable characters. I found myself attaching to Door and soon realized that I had fallen into Neverwhere. My only hope was to pray that Richard is shown the way out.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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