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jessmcreno's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
hanniluise's review against another edition
5.0
this was my introduction to neil gaimans writing and i desperately crave more
kathrynjonesreads's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
This is a fun story of a sensible Londoner who reluctantly ends up on an urban adventure in Under-London. It was enjoyable and I'm glad I read it. Particularly glad that the author read the audiobook.
saritaroth's review against another edition
5.0
I must say that I was reluctant to read this book; I have tried to read a couple of Neil Gaiman's books with no success. They just did not grab me. One book may be an anomaly, but I felt that two might actually be a fundamental discord between me as a reader and Gaiman as an author. Boy, was I wrong? This book pulled me in from the very beginning and did not spit me back out until the very end; it may, in fact, stay with me well beyond the last page read.
This book is told from the perspective of an average London man by the name of Richard Mayhew. Early in the story, he is walking down the street with his fiancee, Jessica (Richard calls her Jess, but she HATES the nickname), when they both encounter a girl who is lying on the sidewalk bleeding. Richard wants to stop and help this girl, but Jessica refuses emphatically, pointing out that they will be late for their dinner reservation. After a brief altercation, Richard insists, and Jessica saunters off in a huff. Little does he know that his life is about to change irrevocably. He is quickly catapulted into the life of the creatures, both human and nonhuman, living in a community that he never knew existed, one called London Below. Those living in London Below call London proper London Above. Richard finds that he must help the girl, Door, who is being pursued by two assassins/torturers named Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar, among other nefarious characters.
I felt that this book was a real rollercoaster ride of emotions and action. I did hear that it was banned at one New Mexico high school pending review due to complaints from parents regarding sexual content, but I found that the sexual content was negligible. For me, the violence perpetrated on innocents by Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar was a lot more graphic and stayed with me a lot longer than any brief sexual encounter that might have occurred. I know, however, that everyone is allowed to have an opinion, and I understand that parents often feel the need to fight for the well-being of their kids. I highly recommend this book; I also heard that there was a British TV show made based on this book. I am going to try my hardest to track down that show, because I would love to watch it.
This book is told from the perspective of an average London man by the name of Richard Mayhew. Early in the story, he is walking down the street with his fiancee, Jessica (Richard calls her Jess, but she HATES the nickname), when they both encounter a girl who is lying on the sidewalk bleeding. Richard wants to stop and help this girl, but Jessica refuses emphatically, pointing out that they will be late for their dinner reservation. After a brief altercation, Richard insists, and Jessica saunters off in a huff. Little does he know that his life is about to change irrevocably. He is quickly catapulted into the life of the creatures, both human and nonhuman, living in a community that he never knew existed, one called London Below. Those living in London Below call London proper London Above. Richard finds that he must help the girl, Door, who is being pursued by two assassins/torturers named Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar, among other nefarious characters.
I felt that this book was a real rollercoaster ride of emotions and action. I did hear that it was banned at one New Mexico high school pending review due to complaints from parents regarding sexual content, but I found that the sexual content was negligible. For me, the violence perpetrated on innocents by Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar was a lot more graphic and stayed with me a lot longer than any brief sexual encounter that might have occurred. I know, however, that everyone is allowed to have an opinion, and I understand that parents often feel the need to fight for the well-being of their kids. I highly recommend this book; I also heard that there was a British TV show made based on this book. I am going to try my hardest to track down that show, because I would love to watch it.
mrbear's review
4.0
This book was pretty impressive. As my third Gaiman book, I would rate it better than American Gods but worse than Anansi Boys. I liked it because it seemed a lot like a darker version of Anansi Boys, but it also had some of the shortcomings of American Gods, like a plot that made me feel slightly unsatisfied at the end. It's worth reading and a lot of fun, it just isn't quite as amazing as Anansi Boys.
mteast02'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? No
5.0
nkugler's review
5.0
Omg i love this book all time favorite. Really hoping for a part two to come. Love love love London below!
rachelsb's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
dylant's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
5.0
simonlorden's review against another edition
3.0
There were some interesting ideas, but I didn't really care about anyone except Door, and seeing the names Croup and Vandemar gave me nausea after a point.