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quarkie's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Having heard so much about Neil Gaiman, I'll admit that this book was a bit underwhelming. I had to start it three separate times before I actually finished it. I understand that it was his first novel and so he's probably grown as a writer and a human since then.
What I liked: I loved the writing style. It's funny, punny, and manages to be light-hearted about very serious topics. The idea of a London made up of people who fell through the cracks is interesting, and I do think he achieves his stated (in the forward) goal of writing an "Alice in Wonderland" or "Narnia" for adults. He includes so many details in his writing that help build the world, and they all end up mattering in the end. His world is compelling because it is both so unfamiliar and so familiar at the same time, and there is just enough description to easily transport you there, but not so much to bore you.
What I didn't like: While the characters are well-defined and stay true to their characterization throughout the plot, I didn't find them that interesting and I couldn't bring myself to like them. The main character is a white man who starts out as a walking doormat, and through his trials becomes less of a doormat but something of an asshole. The supporting characters, who are the only female and non-white characters, are the ones who are actually driving the plot and end up saving the day, but they are written as side characters, and this story is clearly not about them. There is nothing about their happily-ever-after, and they are not the ones who get to live on in infamy for their heroic deeds (though maybe that's because they've already achieved that previously?). The villains are largely evil-for-the-sake-of-evil, and don't have any other driving force.
The main takeaways of this story felt pretty trite. If you go through struggle you can change, ordinary people can be the hero with the help of their friends, the real world is not what it seems and maybe not what it's cracked up to be, etc. I'm not sure I took away anything particularly deep.
Overall, it was an unoriginal read that was still somewhat enjoyable, but I'm happy to be done.
What I liked: I loved the writing style. It's funny, punny, and manages to be light-hearted about very serious topics. The idea of a London made up of people who fell through the cracks is interesting, and I do think he achieves his stated (in the forward) goal of writing an "Alice in Wonderland" or "Narnia" for adults. He includes so many details in his writing that help build the world, and they all end up mattering in the end. His world is compelling because it is both so unfamiliar and so familiar at the same time, and there is just enough description to easily transport you there, but not so much to bore you.
What I didn't like: While the characters are well-defined and stay true to their characterization throughout the plot, I didn't find them that interesting and I couldn't bring myself to like them. The main character is a white man who starts out as a walking doormat, and through his trials becomes less of a doormat but something of an asshole. The supporting characters, who are the only female and non-white characters, are the ones who are actually driving the plot and end up saving the day, but they are written as side characters, and this story is clearly not about them. There is nothing about their happily-ever-after, and they are not the ones who get to live on in infamy for their heroic deeds (though maybe that's because they've already achieved that previously?). The villains are largely evil-for-the-sake-of-evil, and don't have any other driving force.
The main takeaways of this story felt pretty trite. If you go through struggle you can change, ordinary people can be the hero with the help of their friends, the real world is not what it seems and maybe not what it's cracked up to be, etc. I'm not sure I took away anything particularly deep.
Overall, it was an unoriginal read that was still somewhat enjoyable, but I'm happy to be done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Animal death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Animal cruelty, and Death
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Classism, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Trafficking and Adult/minor relationship
ibf's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Blood, and Violence
breamfish1138's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This book is kind of like Paddington in that it's an unapologetic love letter to London and its landmarks and history. And there's also a lot of murder, urban decay, esoteric folklore, mild cosmic horror and rats. So yeah, just like Paddington.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Excrement, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Child death, Grief, Death, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Torture, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault, Vomit, and Genocide
leannarapier's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I almost didn’t finish this book. I loved The Ocean at the End of the Lane. It was so heartfelt. I loved the creepiness of Coraline and the playfulness of The Graveyard. But Neverwhere’s long rambling plot and Richard’s lack of agency (this is really Door’s story, but her character fell flat for me being told largely from Richard’s POV) made this story drag. I put it down so many times and almost didn’t pick it up again. And apparently because this book is meant for adults, it needed an unnecessary amount of “adult” language in it. Would not recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
vorpaldormouse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
bickleyhouse's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is actually the fifth time I have read this book, which must mean it is my favorite book.
I can't say enough good things about Neverwhere. For me, it is the ultimate fantasy/horror novel. We meet our protagonist, Richard Mayhew, going about his normal, boring life, going out with work "friends," being engaged to a pretty girl, and about to have dinner with her boss, a rich man who owns part of pretty much everything in London.
On their way to dinner, they stumble across a girl, who is mostly unconscious, and appears to have been beaten. She is dirty, and dressed in layers of clothing, such as a homeless person might be. Richard, risking the ire of Jessica, his fiancé, decides that he cannot simply leave this girl alone, so he picks her up and carries her back to his apartment. This girl turns out to be named Door, is from London Underground, and is being hunted by a couple of nefarious dudes named Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar, a couple of villains who would rival the infamously creepy Uriah Heep.
After saving Door, and helping her regain some of her health, Richard is sent on a mission to find someone who can escort Door back to the Underground. Eventually, Richard finds himself on an adventure that is beyond his own ability to believe.
Mr. Gaiman's writing is fabulous. There is humor, there is violence, there is danger, and some of the most insanely weird beings and people that I have ever encountered. At every turn, it seems as though we meet something or someone even stranger than before, from Serpentine to the Velvets, to the Angel Islington. I absolutely love this book, and will probably read it again.
I can't say enough good things about Neverwhere. For me, it is the ultimate fantasy/horror novel. We meet our protagonist, Richard Mayhew, going about his normal, boring life, going out with work "friends," being engaged to a pretty girl, and about to have dinner with her boss, a rich man who owns part of pretty much everything in London.
On their way to dinner, they stumble across a girl, who is mostly unconscious, and appears to have been beaten. She is dirty, and dressed in layers of clothing, such as a homeless person might be. Richard, risking the ire of Jessica, his fiancé, decides that he cannot simply leave this girl alone, so he picks her up and carries her back to his apartment. This girl turns out to be named Door, is from London Underground, and is being hunted by a couple of nefarious dudes named Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar, a couple of villains who would rival the infamously creepy Uriah Heep.
After saving Door, and helping her regain some of her health, Richard is sent on a mission to find someone who can escort Door back to the Underground. Eventually, Richard finds himself on an adventure that is beyond his own ability to believe.
Mr. Gaiman's writing is fabulous. There is humor, there is violence, there is danger, and some of the most insanely weird beings and people that I have ever encountered. At every turn, it seems as though we meet something or someone even stranger than before, from Serpentine to the Velvets, to the Angel Islington. I absolutely love this book, and will probably read it again.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Torture
kcmg710's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Body horror, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Torture, Grief, Gore, and Violence
Minor: Vomit, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Cursing
justaddwater's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Classism, Death, Gore, Grief, Stalking, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Animal death
galexy_brain's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This felt like a pretty bog-standard hero's journey sort of book, though the action was great (I felt myself grimacing and cringing often). I wish Richard was a more compelling main character. The backdrop of a creepy London underworld was pretty cool. I've only been to London once so the references to city locations I'm familiar with were neat, though I'm sure it would have been cooler if I had been well-acquainted with the city. However, I found it hard to visualize London Below. I don't know if I missed something, but half the time it felt like they were walking through subway systems and sewers and marshes, and other times it was described as having buildings, almost reflecting London Above? idk maybe I'm inattentive. My only other qualm with this book is when Richard, who seems as if he is in his mid-twenties, wants to kiss Door, who is described by Richard as appearing to be a teenager. Then they never bring this up again??? The final inconsistency that didn't bother me but caught my attention was that the Sewer People are introduced as not speaking English in Neverwhere, but in the short story prologue from this edition ("How the Marquis Got his Coat Back" or whatever), he had a full-on conversation with them. Anyway, if you like gritty grimy creepy spooky hero stories this book may be for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Gore
Moderate: Murder, Blood, Child death, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Death of parent, and Kidnapping
Minor: Alcohol, Pedophilia, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Grief, and Abandonment
chronicacademia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Violence, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Racism, Torture, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death of parent, Animal death, Blood, and Classism