I especially enjoyed the characters Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar. Sometimes you can measure a book by its antagonists, usually the better the novel the better it's evil characters. These two were completely evil and yet hysterical.

The novel focuses upon Richard Mayhew an ordinary man working for an investment firm in London, UK. He is engaged to be married to a dominating yet beautiful woman and seems destined for a quiet, ordinary life. Until he stumbles into a situation that is beyond his control and understanding. This ordinary person put into an extraordinary situation may seem trite and overused; however, here it works.

Quite honestly I thought I was going to hate this book. I was expecting a comic book-like quality to the writing, but I was wrong. The writing is crisp. The dialog interesting. I enjoyed the atmosphere Gaiman creates and the weird people he manufactures.... In a word it's fun.

If fantasy is your thing and you are looking for something a little bit different I recommend "Neverwhere".


too slow for me   February 9, 2004
 6 out of 13 found this review helpful

I saw all the positive reviews for this book and decided to grab it. I can't for the life of me figure out why people love it so much. It was one of the few books I didn't want to finish. Granted, it was excellent storytelling...but the story, in my opinion, is boring. With little to no action, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a little adventure.


ok, so what?   March 20, 2004
 6 out of 19 found this review helpful

Richard is an ordinary, do gooder who loves his comfortable life where nothing unexpected, unplanned, or unpleasant occurs. But once he helps a girl from London below (another world that literally exists below the London Richard lives in) Richard finds that he is pulled in and no longer exists to anyone from his previous world. Making it back is going to be hard, but surviving the trip is going to be nearly impossible. And unfortunately he has teamed up with a group of people who each have their own agendas. One wants revenge, one wants to kill a savage beast, and one wants to fufill a long standing debt.
Gailman does get tremendous points for originality and imagination. But for me anyway, that is all he gets. I was disappointed with Neverwhere. Gailman is supposedly close to Jonathan Carroll in his writings, but if you are going to read this book hoping for someone like Carroll, don't bother.
I think the main problem with this book is that its premise is so fantastic, outrageous, and vivid that the characters and Gailman's writing style simply cannot measure up. All of this is happening so fast to them and it is so fantastc that they cannot keep up.
And so the result is flat characters, flat dialogue, and a pretty flat writing style. Gailman does not flow very well, and he is nowhere near the literary style of Jonathan Carroll. The plot just seems to be forced on the characters, like they are just going through the motions and doing what Gailman wants them to do.
The only redeeming thing about this book is Gailman's fantastic imagination. The whole concept of this book and the effort it took to conjure up some of the outrageous images hints at his talent. But that's about it. It's a good concept, but as a writer Gailman cannot carry it.


I am lost in this new world and dont want to be found!   August 17, 2006
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

I found this book accidently and did not expect to like it. I loved it and want more, more, more. Neil Gaiman's mind scares me a little but the creativity and feeling that the characters in this world generate are wonderful and so much like the "real" world only under eschewed circumstances to say the least. I loved all of the characters. The nasties found in this book were so unbelievably nasty and the good folks were good even if in a somewhat flawed way as most of us are.

I have just read the above and it makes no sense to me at all. However, those who have read this book will understand.

Well worth the $ and the time. Best and most unusual book I have read in a very long time.


OK, but not my cup of tea   February 10, 2007
 6 out of 9 found this review helpful

This book was recommended by a friend. Enthusiasts of fantasy novels may enjoy it, as it is readable. The author's inversion of London had some appeal, and he knows his city well. Ultimately, this novel failed for me. It read too much like an extended version of a good D&D game and not enough as a piece of literature, at least for my taste.