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Michael's Reviews > Neverwhere
Neverwhere (London Below, #1)
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For me this was just the right balance of whimsy and mythological drama. A fun urban fantasy refreshingly free of vampires and werewolves. There is real elegance how it hooks you in and takes you on a wild ride. The heroes are minimally sketched ciphers the readers are invited to project themselves into. They take shape mainly from their quests: Richard wants to get back his ordinary boring life; Door wants to avenge the murder of her family; Hunter wants to kill the Great Beast of London. They join forces to overcome several challenges in the weird and scary underground world of the “London Belowâ€�. The power structure of this society depends on bartering and favors, so it is impossible to tell who to trust. The most evil and supernaturally powerful characters in this tale, Mr. Vandemar and Mr. Croup, take so much fun in their mayhem, you can’t help liking them (“Can't make an omelette without killing a few peopleâ€�). If you want to know if the book is the right read for you, the time it takes to peruse a reasonable sample of the 7,000 reviews on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ might better be spent just diving into the rabbit hole and reading the book.
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Amanda
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rated it 5 stars
Aug 02, 2013 07:05AM
This may be my favorite Gaiman novel (mainly because it was my first)--glad you enjoyed it!
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Amanda wrote: "This may be my favorite Gaiman novel (mainly because it was my first)--glad you enjoyed it!"It was my favorite out of five so far, a close second to The Graveyard Book. Quite the storyteller and knack for opening a door to the heart with his imagination and empathy.
You said that perfectly Michael - the right balance of whimsy and mythological drama. I really enjoy the way he mixes in the humour with his horror. This one slightly edged out The Graveyard Book for me as well -but it WAS a tight race. Probably due to GYard Book being targeted to children, this one more adult.
Florence wrote: "You said that perfectly Michael - the right balance of whimsy and mythological drama. I really enjoy the way he mixes in the humour with his horror. This one slightly edged out The Graveyard Book ..."Thanks you dear friend, humming on the same wavelength. Like books racing each other to be better. Like a chef making magic for the best creation to satisfy us.
A fun urban fantasy refreshingly free of vampires and werewolves.Yay!
Carmen wrote: "Great review."So far from your brilliant analysis.
Wonder what it is about a hidden London underground. Aaronovitch makes a whole series out of the notion and Mieville makes hay with the idea in his Kraken. Sort of an extension and cross between Orlando and Narnia I guess.
Yes, I've noticed "hidden London" is a common theme. Very mysterious and slightly believable.
This is a lovely book--my 1st experience of this book was through audio, the version of Gaiman reading the book.
Lata wrote: "This is a lovely book--my 1st experience of this book was through audio, the version of Gaiman reading the book."Not bad at reading his own stuff. Overdue for a book given that his last, Ocean at the End of the Lane (which I skipped), came out in 2013.
You're so right about Mr Vandemar and Mr Croup, Michael. They're so much fun that you end up liking them. But therein lies my problem with Gaiman. I don't want to like tha bad guys. Superb review!
Kevin wrote: "You're so right about Mr Vandemar and Mr Croup, Michael. They're so much fun that you end up liking them. But therein lies my problem with Gaiman. ...!"Thanks a million. Baim must have started it with the bad witch and her "beautiful wickedness" more alluring than the boring good witch. The Coen brothers and the Sopranos piled on with that with no ticket to admiration required like a prospect of redemption for the one lost sheep of 100 safe in the Bible.
Different slants: I loved the characters, but reading your carefully-written review, I realise I enjoyed the vivid variety with which Gaiman drew each one, but that yes, they are ciphers for their quests.
Cecily wrote: "Different slants: I loved the characters, but reading your carefully-written review, I realise I enjoyed the vivid variety with which Gaiman drew each one...."Thanks for sharing. Quite a unique author. I think I like The Graveyard Book the best. Kind of sad that his productivity has declined. Maybe he is working on a magnum opus.
