Rating: 
Summary: Morpheus who?
Review: Before he broke out full time into the world of novel writing Gaiman's reputation mostly rested on a relative handful number of comic books he had written, most notably (though not his best stuff) The Sandman series which showed his ability to toy with fantasy and myth to a near demented degree previously not expected for comic books. At best it was flat out amazing, at worst it was merely pleasant. Name recognition alone probably drove a lot of Gaiman starved Sandman fans to this book but fortunately it has much broader appeal as a contemporary fantasy. In this tale normal guy Richard Mayhew helps a stranger and winds up falling through the cracks into "London Below" a quasi-mystical world that coexists and yet can't be seen by "London Above". Now Richard, with a bizarre cast of comrades has to help the lady Door figure out how killed her family and what it all means, while dodging all sorts of unpleasantness that keeps popping up. The idea of a fantastic dark London overlapping the normal London isn't anything new (DC Comics' Hellblazer went over that concept all the time and "Midnight Nation" applies it to the entire US) but the key to a story like this is imagination which Gaiman has in spades. Every texture of the London Below feels real, and almost every page has some bizarre occurance or some off kilter social commentary disguised as fantasy coming from all sides. He has more good ideas than any man should possibly have and these ideas and his brilliant descriptions are what carry the novel, for the most part, you can read the whole thing like a travelogue and just become immersed in this strange and amazing world. The plot doesn't hold up so well and at times requires some dubious leaps of logic to connect two points together and for some reason, even though the whole story is executed brilliantly, the emotional center feels a bit hollow, most of the characters are painted with broad strokes and while I was incredibly interested in their plights, I didn't really care as deeply as I should have. Gaiman succeeds best when he's trying to darkly whimsical (most of the story), creepy (the scenes with Vandermar and Croup are sporadically effective, though the "ruthless killers who talk like Oxford graduates" has been done by everyone from Hannibal Lecter on down) or sentimental, which for the most part were the same problems with dogged the weaker Sandman stories. But his boundless imagination carries everything even through the slower moments when it just seems like one of those useless fantasy "Point A to Point B" quests and the ending is absolutely pitch-perfect, even though you suspect it's coming, watching him pull it off is definitely watching a genius at work. Gaiman fans will find this the greatest novel of all time of course (sorry, best fantasy novel is still "Little, Big", folks) others not exposed to him will find this an absolutely pleasant and quick read that immerses them in a world that if not for the danger (and hey even then) most of us wouldn't mind living in. Or at least visiting.
Rating: 
Summary: Clever plot-disappointing characters
Review: I read this book while on maternity driven bed rest so my hormones may have tainted my view of the book. I loved GOOD OMENS and was taken aback by the shallow characters and gruesome descriptions found in NEVERWHERE.
Richard Mayhew finds himself sucked into an alternate world below London where magic and monsters are very very real. This is no fairy tale world of good knights and evil wizards. No one is what they appear to be. In fact after meeting Door, a beautiful girl on the run from the bad guys, Richard isn't what he appears to be anymore either. His identity starts to fade and people don't seem to remember him at all. Including his girlfriend! Richard correctly assumes that his problems are a direct result of his meeting the curious runaway who has now disappeared. In his search for the girl he is drawn into a dark, nasty world of evil and deception.
Although the plot was cleverly conceived I found the characters a bit flat. You wanted more. You wanted to know more and feel more about these people trapped in this hellish alternate reality, but you were denied. The visual descriptions of the underworld were quite vivid but they didn't make up for the shallow people walking around in it. (some of the vivid descriptions would have been better not quite so vivid...yuck) Over all I found the storyline made the read worthwhile but it's not something I'd recommend to anyone but hardcore fans of Gaiman or those who don't find characterization that important to their fiction.
Rating:
Summary: No deed goes unnoticed
Review: Wow. When I first heard of Neverwhere, I didn't expect it to be so well written. Gaiman has done more than written a modernized version of Alice in Wonderland, he has created an entire world that is both fascinating and horrifying at the same time, both amusing and deadly at the same time. His wonderful tie-ins with the real Underground ("Mind the Gap!" and "The Earl's Court") make the book even greater. The ending was not quite what I expected, but it leaves the reader with a sense of closure anyway. A definitely good read.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite escape novel
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Alice in Wonderland takes the C train..........
Review: I sat in the sun for 4 hours getting sunburnt before I noticed anything was amiss! This is a fabulously dark tale that takes you down the rabbit hole leaving you wanting to remain there. It leaves no room for a sequel of any value. The entire story is here and completely self contained. The characters are unpretentious, and frankly unremarkable. The ending is entirely predictable. And, who cares? This book has the making of good fiction, good film and good television. There is nothing more appealing to me in literature than characters who are well developed and not too much larger than life. It's easy to relate to Mayhew. He's not perfect. His good intentions do not always lead to good results. There is nothing glib about this story. It's dark. So, if you want cotton-candy fluff reading, this isn't it. Pick up a copy of Gaiman and Pratchett's "Good Omens" for that. That's an equally delightful read, for entirely different reasons. Risk a sun burn for this one.
Rating:
Summary: Comments from a Lucrative Citizen of London Below
Review: Neil Gaiman has discovered a hook, line, and sinker theory with Neverwhere. The thought of "Where do forgotten things go?", answered in detail with the theory that they go to a bits-and-pieces city underground, is so captivating, that even if this novel was undescriptive and boring (which it isn't), it would keep you reading even if it was 700 pages long, just to find out more about the concept of a city that is entirely unknown to us, that exists right beneath us, and consists of all the riffraff and the people who have, as Gaiman so cleverly states it, "fallen through the cracks". The character quirks that Gaiman manages to think of are so ludicrous, and, indeniably, real, that it gives the characters a whole new dimension. Gaiman invents characters that often seem to be just for the humor at first, and manages to shape them into vital parts of the story, that either teach a valuable lesson to the protagonist and hero, Richard Mayhew, or provide a much needed "favor" (a special currency of London Below). This book is, no-questions-asked, a winner. Your Lord and Master,
Wade Redfearn
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere is a highly imaginative, chilling tale of a normal man who's life is changed forever when he helps Door, and he is sent into the London Below. This book is an awesome representation of London, showing the poor and forgotten people and slums in an interesting way (as the London Below). Very entertaining and impossible to put down! 5 stars all the way! :)
Rating: 
Summary: Overrated
Review: Clichés smothered over more clichés topped with stolen ideas from a plethora of cult-type movies, comics and reading material. I was extremely disappointed with this work - as everybody seemed to ring in its extraordinary plot and characters, which I believe Neil has copied form other sources - blatantly copied. Anybody ever see 'Diamonds are Forever' (Sean Connary :James Bond film)? If you have, then the parallels between the villainous Mr. Coup and Mr. Vandemar and the 2 queer arch type assassins in the bond film are extraordinary - especially in their speech and mannerisms. Anaesthasia!? - wow, I hope Anne Rice doesn't mind her 'Queen of the Damned' being ripped off (sort of being shared between that Serpentine chick). And the bloody Angle turned out to be one hell of an anti-climax considering the context in which it was set. Neil can write and does have a fantastic imagination, but don't for a second think he is original in his work. He is the proverbial Quentin Tarinteno of fantasy literature: steals everything of other, less recognised cult works and improves/bends it into his idea of what it should be. Not trying to set out to be nasty, but i had high hopes for this book, which did contain some real gems... but in no way should it ever get over 4 stars in anybodies lanuage.
Rating:
Summary: Wow.
Review: This is the first Neil Gaiman book I ever read. It was recommended to me by a friend years ago, and I'd never even heard of Neil Gaiman before, but after reading this I am madly in love with him, or at least his work. This idea is just so original. The idea that the people we barely enough notice make up an entire subculture in a world that we are unable to even see...
Words are not enough to describe how absolutely brilliant this book is. You just have to read it. I have absolutely no complaints about anything in this book. I love the sardonic humor, the random allusions... I have to stop talking now before I start swooning or raving. Read this book.
Rating:
Summary: ok, so what?
Review: 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.
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