Bookworms: Neverwhere (1998) by Neil Gaiman

Posted By on March 21, 2013

neverwhere-novelWith a new adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere now airing on BBC Radio 4, I thought I would re-read the novel and post a review of it.

Richard Mayhew is a normal guy with a normal job.  He gets along with his co-workers and has  a beautiful girlfriend that he possibly wants to marry one day. But things in his life are a bit off. Richard’s girlfriend is embarrassed of him and wishes he was more ambitious. His co-workers believe he has an obsession with trolls and make fun of him by giving him trolls as gifts. On the way to an important dinner with his girlfriend’s boss, Richard stops to help  a girl lying on the sidewalk and his life is forever altered.  After learning about the London Below, or the London that humans don’t notice, he realizes people are starting not to notice him or even remembering that he even exists. The only way he can find his way back into existence is by seeking out the girl he helped, the Lady Door.  However, Lady Door is on her own quest, and unbeknownst to both of them, Richard is a part of this quest whether he likes it or not.

I admit that I am a huge Neil Gaiman fan and, for me, Neverwhere ranks up there with his Sandman series. Re-reading this book felt like seeing an old friend for the first time in years.  Normally, when I re-read books, I seem to focus on the little details of  the novel.  I might nitpick or read the story from a more detached view point.  But this time, I found myself re-entering the London Below for the first time.

Neverwhere is a fine example of a good fantasy novel. Fantasy/science fiction authors have the difficult task of creating not only new characters, but also a new world while telling a story.  (Need to talk about the actual book here – how about?) Gaiman does this successfully by remaining imaginative but not too esoteric, descriptive but not heavy-handed and wordy and provides clear plot points and character relationships to prevent readers from having to flip back to previous chapters for clarity.

The plot isn’t overly complicated but Gaiman provides texture for the reader in multiple, rich characters and a strong setting.  My only issue with the plot, spoiler free, is simplicity of the final showdown between the villain and the heroes, but overall, the scene is full of suspense.

Neverwhere was originally a BBC television series that Gaiman wrote but he re-wrote the story as a novel as he explained on his twitter account, “the TV series left me going, ‘But it’s not meant to be like that’ ”  I would love to see more stories from the London Below, but it looks like fans, like myself, will have to suffice with adaptations for the time being.  Mike Carey adapted Neverwhere into a limited edition nine issue comic book series.  Carey also wrote a Sandman spin off series called Lucifer.  Fans can also find the original series on the original BBC TV on the BBC iPlayer App and find the times for the new BBC Radio 4 series here.

 

Related posts:

Review: Uncanny Skullkickers #1
Bookworms: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) Philip K. Dick
Bookworms: Eating Aliens (2012) by Jackson Landers
Bookworms: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1971) by Hunter S Thompson
Movie review: Troll Hunter (2010)
SDCC: NerdSpan's Favorite Comic Stories Day 4

Comments

One Response to “Bookworms: Neverwhere (1998) by Neil Gaiman”

  1. nrlymrtl says:

    Gaiman is one of my favorite authors, and this is my first book by him – the one that truly got me hooked. London Below is such a good use of urban fantasy – something that is a bit familiar but with these magical elements all twisted in. You’re right when you say it is like seeing an old friend whenever I pick it up for a reread.

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About the Author

I am a shameless Nerd Fighter fan girl librarian who has a deep addiction to YA novels. Many of my obsessions include Nerd Fighters, Zombies, Star Wars, Drag Queens, Tara McPherson, Harry Potter Series, Star Trek, Horror Culture, John Green, Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Who, Douglas Adams and Madam Xanadu, knitting, and tattoos. You can follow me @hidinginahoodie