Neverwhere

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Summary: I don't usually like sci fi but...
Review: This one combines the historical novel, an urban planners vision of London, romance, and the sci fi genre. A life imagined underneath the London underground in modern Victorian times is really fun.

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Summary: engaging and fast-paced dark fantasy
Review: I just finished Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. Both my friend and myself read through it at a ravenous pace, as the book is difficult to put down. For all its fairytale otherwordliness, this is no children's story. This deals with adult themes and situations.

The setting is London's underground tunnels and rooftops - an alternate reality that exists in the spaces inbetween. Richard, the main character, is an ordinary man who stops one day to help an injured girl and finds himself thrown in this alternate reality. No one from his previous ordinary life can see or hear him, and he is forced to deal with this new and confusing world. In this world, rats can speak and a raggedy earl holds court in abandoned subway stations. Here is where the book becomes an engaging fantasy in a dark milieu. Richard, not having other options, joins a quest to help the girl avenge her family and hopes someday to return to the surface.

Previously, I had only read Gaiman's graphic novels, and Gaiman can paint a picture with prose just as well as with colored inks. The settings and characters are lavishly drawn, and each scene is fully imaginable in three-dimensions. The connections between real London locations and the underworld add a touch of reality.

The book touches on the theme of homelessness, and "invisible people". The people of this alternate universe look like vagrants to ordinary Londoners, if they are seen at all. To most people, they are invisible. This is a metaphor for all the invisible people in our world. Gaiman even touches on the fact that service people can be invisible, as Richard greets the doorman of his office building for the first time after experiencing being invisible himself.

The setting reminded me of the documentary book, The Mole People, if it were taken one step further. Neverwhere poses the question whether the homeless man talking to himself is crazy, or is it just that we cannot see what he sees?

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Summary: Starts well, then ....
Review: Another of Gaiman's compelling works, I read this one years ago.

This one is simply written, follows another tale of a world that mirrors our own, yet, despite two genuinely scary characters and a shocker of a villain at the end, the hero failed to gain my complete sympathy. Without that, I just didn't care which world he chose at the end.

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Summary: One of my all time favorites...
Review: Let me start by saying that this was the first thing by Neil Gaiman that I ever read. I was immediately sucked in and finished the books within a few day, held captive by Richard Mayhew's story.

Door, the Marquis, the scary Croup and Vandemar, and the other characters confuse Richard, who at first does not understand the strange new world that he has fallen into. Or rather, put himself into, unintentionally, when he helped out an injured young street girl, not knowing who she was.

Neil Gaiman is a fantastic writer, he is my favorite, and I am proud to say that I now have my copy of Neverwhere signed by him!! His other works, such as the Sandman series, Smoke & Mirrors, and Stardust, are wonderful as well. Highly recommended!

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Summary: There are TWO Londons
Review: This is absolutely one of the best books I have ever read. Richard Mayhew is a dull sort of fellow who lets his fiance dicate everything. But one night, on the way to a restaurant with her, they stumble upon a young lady bleeding on the sidewalk. Richard's fiance says it is none of their concern and tells him to just keep walking. For once, though, Richard stands up for himself and decides to help the young girl. He takes her to his apartment and tends to her, as his fiance stalks off.

In the morning, his new friend leaves... and everything changes for Richard. People start ignoring him, and gradually he realizes he has become invisible to the world of London Above. That's when he enters London Below, and meets all kinds of interesting characters in his quest to get his life back.

I especially loved the ending of this book. If you haven not read it, I won't give it away. The last page left me with sense of utter longing and nostalgia. Do yourself a favor, buy this book. You'll read it over and over.

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Summary: Stunning other-world experience.
Review: I've read a lot of sci-fi/fantasy and admit to being jaded. However, Gaiman's work in this book is beautifully written, suspenseful, and original. As with his style, there is humor and clever twists to the story of a man lost in an alternate London... seeking his fate among mystical vagabonds, mysterious magics... and a myriad of bizarre characters. (ok, I've used up my M's.)

I read this in 2 nights flat, and sighed when it was done. Recommend heartily. Only 4 stars because I thought the ending was a bit pat, or perhaps I was just annoyed that it ended at all.

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Summary: Laughing through the darkness ...
Review: Very good book, tremendous storytelling ability - the juxtaposition of the dark, resigned, gloom of everyday world against the shining, humble heroism is just terrific. Don't make any plans to do anything else for a few hours, though! :)

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Summary: Dark, creative and fascinating
Review: Mr. Gaiman really did a great job on this book. Offers smooth reading, with no chapters that you have to struggle to finish. Set in a very imaginative world, a place where dreams, nightmares and words make sense. A dark fairytale place within London.

Very well thought characters and enjoyable story. It figures high in my recommended list! If you haven't read it yet, and if you like some kind of different way to see the world, go for it! You won't regret it!

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, but less than amazing.
Review: The storline is a bit bland to be honest. It feels a little too much like the entire setup of the story was forced to get the story to go to the places the author wanted them to go (London underground in this case). As for the characters, most of them are pretty well written, but i must say that I'm getting a little sick of books like this one where the protagonist is constantly whining about how much he doesn't know what he's doing, how lost he is, or how unqualified to be a hero he is. (This book's protagonist does all three for the entire duration of the book). The book comes very close to a really stupid ending, but the ending does in fact save this book. Overall this book is entertaining and the writing certainly keeps it flowing, but at the end of the day you don't feel like you've heard a new story, you feel like you've heard a pretty mundane story told, again.

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Summary: This book rocks!
Review: The cover caught my eye first. But the story exceeded even my highest expectations. This was my first book of Gaiman's. There was never a dull moment. I visited London once, and Gaiman's attention to detail was like touring the city once again. Afterwards, I bought American Gods without hesitation. If you enjoy sci-fi/fantasy, buy this book!