Neverwhere

Rating:
Summary: An adult fairy tale
Review: From Sandman creator, Neil Gaiman, comes this wonderfully dark and witty fairy tale. The story revolves around Richard Mayhew, a corporate slave from Scotland living in London, and who's life is little more than mundane routine. On one fateful night, he stops to help an injured girl who would soon plunge Richard into a world of mystery, magic, and evil.....Welcome to Neverwhere. It's rare to find a book full of wit and originality, so Neverwhere comes as a very welcome surprise. Indeed, the world of Neverwhere sits below London frozen in time...and covered in filth. Gaiman paints a very rich world and keeps his story telling basic and simple. Though hardly perfect (fairy tales always suffer from predictability), this tale of rejecting the slave mentality of our materialistic rat race is a page-turner that will delight you with its accessibility.

Rating:
Summary: Fun and Unusual
Review: "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman is a weird and dark fantasy that departs from today's typical sword and sorcery novel. What I enjoyed in Gaiman's novel is the alternate universe that he creates. Travelling his world of tunnels and passageways you pass through areas that are full of strange creatures and even stranger people. Lurking among the inhabitants of "Neverwhere" you have rat-speakers, angels, beasts, sewer folk and all sorts of oddities.

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".

Rating:
Summary: Sure to be a classic
Review: Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman's first atempt as a soloist author left me spellbound. Somehow manageing to incorporate all of the magic that has filled his graphic novels. Never have I felt a book more deserving of the praise "Non stop action packed joy ride". Magic, Mystery, and mayham. I would recomend this book to anyone seeking an enjoyable read.

Rating:
Summary: Read This Book
Review: Neil Gaimans "neverwhere" is the best book ive ever read and believe me, ive read ALOT of books. Its got you in its claw from the first word til the last and it doesnt give you comercial breaks. You cant put it down and you just keep reading and reading and reading and time flies by and you dont even notice it. the world changes and its not like your reading about characters. Door, Hunter, Anesthesia and Richard and the others you after a while through the book are parts of everyone that they dont always see and their certainly parts that you never thought you needed. Read this book and enjoy it. but i warn you, youll never look at anything the same way again, not even a empty alley...

Rating:
Summary: Neil led me on an amazing journey
Review: This book took a modern day Joe and led him down the rabbit hole into another world where there are other things scarier than taxi drivers. Gaiman held my interests with some action, some humor, and some outstanding twists. This book has been one of my favorites of all time and would recommend it to any reader with any imagination whatsoever.

Rating:
Summary: excellent book!
Review: i loved this book. i couldn't put it down. it drew me in, and i got attatched to the characters; door, hunter, richard. Neil made you feel like there really WAS a london below. there should be a sequel, after the ending, i want to know what happens to richard and door's sister! all in all, this is an excellent book.

Rating:
Summary: Through the looking glass darkly.
Review: If the Red Queen had been a real threat to Alice it might approach the clever darkness that can be found in this beautiful and eloquent novel. Neil Gaiman takes the London Underground and turns it into a fantasy world where battles rage and goth girls drain your lifeforce with a kiss.
Neil Gaiman is a wordsmith with fantstic stories and memorable characters. 'Neverwhere' leaves you wanting to turn another page.
Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Your city too has an underworld
Review: As I read through the novel, I kept getting drawn in to the idea of a London below, and how other cities, New York, Calcutta etc.. . had their own dark shadows, their own underworlds. This facinated me, the idea of something right under your nose that you see, but you ignore.

Every city has one, so there's one right here, right now. There are probably people walking past me going about their own business, in their own world. These are people I see, but somehow my mind, in a modern above-world psychology, forgets about it in the next instant.

I just think of the homeless person I passed on the street the other day, he was huddled under a blanket. I passed him, and didn't think about him again until I wrote this review. That's the Wellington "Neverwhere" at work.

A facinating piece of fiction, with all of the wizardry and creatures you'd find in any fantasy novel, but with an edge of the frighteningly familiar. There are images of things you see every day that you never think about, unless you bother to focus on them.

The one book that this reminds me of more than any other is "Seventh Son" by Orson Scott Card. It's a view of colonial America, but where all the hexes and jinxes are real. These two books are very similar, but this one is much closer to the modern world and what you see around you every day.

If you like this book, take a look at Orson Scott Card's "Tales of Alvin Maker" series. The first three books are excellend and strike a similar chord in me. Also, take a look at other books by Neil Gaiman, especially any of "The Sandman" comics or graphic novels where Gaiman's writing is brilliantly matched up with pictures that match the gloomy, strangely lit world that is close to "Neverwhere"

Rating:
Summary: A deliciously dark modern day fairy tale
Review: In this story, Neil Gaiman takes the readers on a wild ride through the dangerous but fascinating world of London Below. No one is who they seem, and strange and exciting things are around every corner. Each character is painstakingly developed; these aren't your run-of-the-mill people. A girl who has the power to open any door (even when there is none) who is on a journey to find out who murdered her family. A con artist who takes payment in the form of huge favors. A woman who is legendary as the Hunter. And finally, an average man who got sucked into their strange world through an act of kindness. Neverwhere takes you away from your own reality and transports you right to London Below, where you walk right by the characters. You mourn when tragedy happens, you rejoice when they are triumphant, and you hold your breath with anticipation with every new danger they encounter. The reason that this story is so enticing is because most people can relate to the main character. He's an ordinary man who just got...stuck in his life. But suddenly something happens and he's on an adventure where he sees and experiences things that he could never have even imagined. Everyone gets bored of life once in awhile, but by reading Neverwhere, you loose yourself in London Below, where things are anything but dull.

Rating:
Summary: Surprising to even a jaded fantasy reader.
Review: A friend of mine, who is usually not a fantasy reader, told me about this book. At first, I was hesitant because I have never heard of this author, however, I was soon to find out I made a very good choice. Gaiman crafts a wonderful story with a truly original plot (which is really saying something considering how impacted this industry is). But what makes this book even more wonderful is that Gaiman does not disappoint the imaginary plot because he crafts beautiful, realistic characters that the reader can completely bond with. He evokes real emotions and inputs them into his characters which makes it so that we, the reader, cannot help but become linked to the story. If you are hesistant, like I was, then let me reassure you that Gaiman is a true genius and you are definitely in good hands. After reading this work, check out his Sandman graphic novel series, they are breathtaking!