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Neverwhere

Neverwhere

List Price: $7.99
Your Price: $7.19
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
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: 5 stars
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: 2 stars
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.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Neverwhere? Nevermind?
Review: You know, I wanted to like this book. Everyone seems to believe that Neil Gaiman is the next Clive Barker. But I have to disagree. I have been trying to read this book for over 3 years, and I just keep getting bored. Why?

I don't know. The premise is good; the characters are well-developed and the story definitely has "that" atmosphere I always love in "Wonderland-type tales." But for some reason, when I finally finished it, I thought, "Hmmm, what's all the fuss about?"

It's well-crafted and very dark (which I like), but it doesn't have that something extra that makes one want everyone they know to read the book.

AFTER READING "NEVERWHERE" A SECOND TIME, I LIKED IT BETTER AND RAISED MY OVERALL RATING FROM 3 TO 4 STARS. STILL, SOMETHING FEELS LIKE IT'S MISSING SOMEWHERE.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Angels are the first to fall
Review: This book was amazing! Wonderfully satirical in that dark, slightly morid way that I absolutely love. Richard is a poor, mundane office worker, caught up in his routine life when suddenly a pretty, albeit bleeding, girl falls practically into his arms. He's catapulted into a world that he knows nothing about, and is treated like a child by his new found friends while he discovers this world below London that he never knew existed. Hilariously frightening, this story takes all the aspects of fantasy, intertwining them with real human emotion. I would deffinetly recomend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, or even if you don't, this is a way to start apreciating the art of it. Also, it's a great way for readers who aren't firmiliar with Gaimen's writing style to begin to understand him. It's a GREAT book, full of twists and turns, and while reading you always have to remember one thing: Who can you trust when no one is trustworthy?

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Definitely worthwhile reading.
Review: As long as you don't expect to be wowed by this little fantasy, I'm sure you'll find it a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon. The characters are nicely realized, the plot is engaging, and Gaiman is a master of dreaming up delightful, oddball creatures and goosebump-inducing villains. The plot twists were, at times, dissapointing....but that hardly takes away from the overall value of the story. Gaiman's just too darn good at what he does to let any minor mishaps detract much from the quality of his storytelling.

Highly reccomended reading....and I beg you to check out Gaiman's other work as well.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Fascinating story; lackluster characters
Review: This story was built with a rich imagination. I loved reading about what odd scenario the characters would find themselves in next. It was clever, interesting, and quite a page turner. The characters, however, especially Richard and Door, were too shallow. I never took to them the way I wanted to. I didn't long for their success. Door had so much potential, but the details just never came out, and Richard, well he was mostly a doofus. If this author could make us really care for the characters, this would be world-class storytelling.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome
Review: This is perhaps my favorite book ever. Neil Gaiman expertly creates a world on the edge of our own, where fantasy and reality meet.
I'm at a loss for words, this book is so good. Go read it. Now. You'll thank yourself.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: too slow for me
Review: I saw all the positive reviews for this book and decided to grab it. I can't for the life of me figure out why people love it so much. It was one of the few books I didn't want to finish. Granted, it was excellent storytelling...but the story, in my opinion, is boring. With little to no action, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a little adventure.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The dark world of London Below
Review: Neil writes excellent fantasy and in this book he takes us to a city below a city. I love this idea and find it fascinating that such a world "exists" underneath. Characters Richard Mayhew, Hunter, the Marquis, and Door set off on a quest for information. Richard wants to restore his world to normalcy...but what really is normalcy? Can normalcy be so fulfilling? Richard will never be the same...and neither will you. I like this story where the homeless and underdwellers can be heroes...where rats are respected and are viewed as friends.

Refreshing and stimulating.


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