I cannot believe this book was written by the author of "Sandman" (for DC Comics) and "Good Omens" (with Terry Pratchett) both of which I enjoyed immensely. To put it simply, this book reads like what somebody attempting to write like Neil Gaiman would turn out, and not at all the sort of thing I would expect from Mr. Gaiman himself.

I read "Good Omens" twice (and will probably read it again. I re-read all of the "Sandman" periodically). Not only will I never read the garbage that is "Neverwhere" again, I regret having wasted a portion of my life reading it in the first place.


Want to be a Writer - Read this Book   September 14, 2000
 12 out of 14 found this review helpful

Neverwhere is a kind of fun and fantastic adventure through a London we've never seen. It's the London Below, where those who've slipped through the cracks end up, and one man's (he from the "normal" world) journey as he winds up in this world. And despite all the enjoyment with the characters and the wonderful story that takes us everywhere, it's Gaiman's own enjoyment which comes through the pages. One impression I get as a read this book was Neil Gaiman every now and again sitting back while at his computer and laughing at some small element of story or wording or character that came out and how fun it was. Example - while walking through some rather thick London fog, the main character coughs, and says, "Sorry, fog in my throat." Short, funny, and fun. A nice pun that I think had Gaiman laugh for a moment. I think he had a blast writing this book. And those who want to write will love this book. It's inspirational in that it reintroduces you to having fun with the craft of storytelling. Fun with your characters as they surprise you, fun with your setting as you see where it takes you, and fun with your story as you see what happens next. Reading this instantly made me want to run off and write my own stories, merely for the sheer fun of it. Merely to have as much fun as Neil Gaiman seemed to have had with this.


My favorite escape novel   June 28, 2002
 11 out of 12 found this review helpful

I'm a big fan of Neil Gaiman, and I bought this book as soon as it came out. It became one of my favorite novels to read, and when I was depressed I'd hide in my room and read it for escape and pretend I was in London Below. Neverwhere is one of those books that is so easy to slip into and feel like you fit right in. The characterizations of Richard, Door, Hunter, Anaesthasia, Marquis Carabas, and the very evil, very creepy villains, Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar, are extremely well-done! They feel real and whole and you do care about them. The story itself is exciting and surreal and makes me proud of being a Neil fan. His writing and imagination is top-notch here, bringing up some disturbing images while also being very funny. Highly recommended to fantasy and sci-fi fans, or just people who love books.


"Neverwhere": an anticlimactic novel   January 18, 2003
 11 out of 18 found this review helpful

"Neverwhere" is the first book I've read by Neil Gaiman. Now that I've finished it, I hope that his other books are a bit more captivating. I'd be interested to see.

While I *really* loved the opening of this book, I found that as it went on, I continually waited for a turning point -- that particular chapter where the reader stops picking it up just to turn pages, and instead picks it up because the plot has become interesting. I found Nail Gaiman's description very unique, and for that reason I enjoyed "Neverwhere", but I had trouble identifying with Richard Mayhew and Door, the two main characters. While well constructed, both seemed to fall flat, especially as the book went on.

The book was flooded with scenes (which, I might add, are usually jumped to and from, so that there are sometimes up to three scenes "occuring" at the same time. Few scenes last for more than five pages before jumping to another), but each followed a typical surreal-fantasy structure, making them contrived and at times, vapid. "Neverwhere" seemed more a novel of Gaiman's ideas -- perhaps dream sequences and scenes -- but even Gaiman seems hardly invested in his own characters.

In the end, I found "Neverwhere" to be anticlimactic and disappointing. Instead, I recommend "Sabriel", "Lirael", and "Abhorsen," by Garth Nix.


My First Neil Gaiman Book And, So Far, My Favorite   March 21, 2003
 11 out of 13 found this review helpful

Even though I read "Neverwhere" several years ago (this was my first Gaiman book), I decided to re-read it to refresh my memory, so I could write this review. Even after all this time, this is still my favorite book by Neil Gaiman. I even lent it to my sister beforehand, and she finished it off in one day, which was an amazing feat since it took me considerably longer to finish (and I'm usually a faster reader), and she's relatively picky about what she reads. (She gives this book high marks too.)

Now on to the plot. (Skip the next two paragraphs if you'd rather not know what this book is about. Don't worry; I've tried to keep all spoilers as to how it ends out.)

"Neverwhere," which is Gaiman's first solo novel (he's co-written a few others, like "Good Omens" with Terry Pratchett, a novel that has considerable similarities to this one), is about Richard Mayhew, a Londoner who saves a wounded young woman (Door) who has somehow stumbled into London Above (the world we live in). She is from London Below, an underground world that has barely changed for hundreds of years.

After their meeting, Richard's identity is unexplainably lost--or rather, he becomes somewhat of a ghost. Therefore he must enter London Below and find a way to get his life back, by joining up with Door and her traveling companions--her bodyguard: the infamous Hunter, and the shady marquis de Carabas--who are in an avenging quest to find out who murdered Door's family. Along the way, Richard encounters a colony of subterranean rat-speakers, visits a "moving" market, boards a subway train containing a medieval court, and even has the pleasure of meeting a real live angel ("Good Omens" all over again).

"Neverwhere" is a delightfully witty and humorous dark fantasy, though not dark or somber enough to be considered a horror novel, in my opinion. What makes this book so hard to put down--besides the wit and humor--is its fast pace (even though it is 370 pages) and the strikingly well-developed characters, like the protagonist (Richard), who is my favorite in here, though the two assassins are a high second. This is definitely a must-read if you're into fantasies. Like Stephen King's "It", this book will have you glancing down sewer drains while you're walking and wondering what's below your feet.