Neverwhere

Rating:
Summary: Neverwhere, a great book
Review: Neverwhere Neil Gaiman

Neverwhere was a very spooky and exciting tale that kept my attention until the last page. Richard Mayhew was a very content man, living in England, had a wonderful girlfriend, the perfect life, all someone could ask for. Then one day, he sees a small woman lying on the ground, bleeding, so with remorse and the disgust of his girlfriend, Richard picks up the girl and takes her to his house, cleaning her up a bit. But before long, two men come to the door,who calls herself Door, asking for a girl that matches the descrition of Door. Struggling to keep them from reaching Door, he manages to ward them off. These events lead up to Richard's induction to a hidden world of magic, deception and adventure he never knew existed below the streets.

Rating:
Summary: Great Adventure
Review: Mr. Gaimain has written a wonderfully dark story of adventure. I enjoyed his twists and turns, and while they were slightly predicatble I nonetheless found myself flowing along with the story. My favorite characters bar none were the two hired hit men and the marquis. Their wit drove this story and while I never actually laughed out loud I wore a wry grin from cover to cover. I very much liked the ending and the question Richard the main characters asks. What if you got everything you ever wanted and then discovered that's not what you wanted at all? Wonderful story and while not overly complex it is very easy to flow with. I highly recommend this to anyone who's in for a little light reading the dark side of the street. I read this book very quickly and I imagine you will too.

Rating:
Summary: MAGICAL and WONDERFUL
Review: This is the most MAGICAL book i've ever read. I literally couldn't put it down, and had my roommate rip it out of my hands when he wanted my attention. I imagine the main female character, Door, incredible beautiful in my head... and she leads the main male character on a wonderful journey. I think differently every time i ride the NYC subway now. This is a book you'll want to read and re-read every time your life seems ordinary. Incredibly visual language makes this better than every film i've ever seen... and this is one of my favorite books. ENJOY it at LEAST once. =)

Rating:
Summary: as he loved the sound of all words
Review: This is, first and always, a book that is a damn fine read. You laugh, and you shudder, and you find yourself thinking, my god, he just used the word "fop," and then you finish, and it is good. And then, an hour, a day later you think--I want to go back, or just: I want to go. Gaiman's world is fullblown, richely hued and uniquely his, and I for one want it. Whenever I go back, which is about once a year, I find myself wondering, if I really was homeless, could I maybe disapear into this world of his? No author has ever made me crave to jump into his head and live forever there quite so much. This is a book to tell others about, to read big bits and little bits to friends, and certainly to read over and again. Fans of the DreamKing, read it like you've never known Neil, and those who've read Stardust, I'd like to introduce you to Missers Croup and Vandemar, to Door and Richard, the Marquis and Hunter, and to London, as your dreams have always know it to be.

Rating:
Summary: Well done but not as imaginative as some of his other work
Review: Neverwhere was a lot of fun, but not quite the masterpiece a lot of people seem to find it. Its premise of a fairy kingdom under the London streets is fairly standard fare for modern comic books, although apparently it caught some mainstream fiction readers by surprise. The characters are also all comic archetypes, but the whole thing is written very well. Gaiman really knows how to move a plot forward. Altogether, I'd say Stardust is a better book than Neverwhere, but this one does have the advantage of mass appeal. The Sandman books are still Gaiman's finest work, and I recommend them to anyone who enjoys Neverwhere. Don't be put off by the fact that they are "comic books", as the writing is as good if not better.

Rating:
Summary: Very entertaining book
Review: "Neverwhere" is set in a world like our own (perhaps our own) were a strange and fantastic underworld lies just beneath the one we are a part of. It is populated by those members of our society who were forgotten and fell through the cracks, those who were born there, and those who accidently came in contact with it and once touched by it could never be a part a our world again.

The hero of "Neverwhere" is the last. Once he stops to help an injured woman that his fiance is almost incapable of seeing he finds that no one knows him, no one remebers hims, and no one can even see him unless he purposefully gets their attention. Only others like himself even knows he exist.

It turns out the girl he saved is royalty in this otherworld and he's made himself a number of enemies because of it, so in addition to coping with his misfortune, he's swept up in a grand adventure in the shadows of our world and in the subways and the sewers.

"Neverwhere" has a sense of humor that is similar to "Good Omens" and somewhat like Douglas Adams style of Sciece Fiction comedy. But in "Neverwhere" the emphasis is on adventure. And the unique setting makes for a very intersting adventure. "Neverwhere" is easy to read and even though it isn't great literature, it is wel written, and it develops its plot and characters well.

Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Race Up the Stairs in Fear After Turning off the Light
Review: Croup and Vandemere still scare the daylights out of me! Not too cool when trying to maintain and insist to your 3 small children not to be afraid of the dark. If I think of those two, I'll run over myself trying to get up the stairs in the dark.

This book transported me in a way that hadn't happened since I was a child. (That book was Timothy Travels by Margaret Storey, excellent). I think Neil Gaiman is a genius.

Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter Grows Up
Review: This is my new favourite book. I have looked so long for a good fantasy book, and finally found it. At my high school, I am the president of a book club and have to read new books all the time, so rarely do I find a book good enough that I want to read it instead of having to. Gaiman's charachters are well developed and colourful. All I want is for him to write a sequel! Immediately this book grabbed my attention and kept me sucked in. I read it in hours, I couldn't put it down. And when I finished, I read it again! Anyone who is reading Harry Potter but looking for a more adult book, read Neverwhere.

Rating:
Summary: A simply amazing work of art
Review: There is only one word I can use to describe this book: AMAZING. Neil Gaiman has truly won me over with this book. Not only is it beautifully written, but it will keep your eyes glued to each page. It combines suspense, mystery, and a bit of fantasy to create a beautiful novel. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good read.

Rating:
Summary: a dark, lush tale of London below
Review: I read this book at the recommendation of a bookstore employee, and I am so glad I took her suggestion. Incredibly imaginative with wonderfully detailed elements, Neil Gaiman creates a whole world from the names associated with the London Underground. Having visited London in 1997 and ridden on the Underground many times, I recognized many of the place names Gaiman used to create his fantastic world of London Below.

Our reluctant hero, Richard Mayhew assists a young woman, Door, whom he find hurt on the street little knowing what is in store for him. His contact with the world of London Below sets in motion a series of events which changes Richard's life forever. First, the world of London Above (his world) suddenly refused to acknowledge his existence. No one recognizes him, they forget his name as soon as he introduces himself, his apartment is rented out, his desk is cleared away. Richard goes looking for Door for an explanation, and that is just the beginning of the adventure.

Three words only: Read this book!