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rileyreviews's review against another edition
5.0
Loved the performances and also the story. I always have had my grievances with how Hunter is treated in this story (I've seen the 90's tv show) but that didn't take away from this adaptation. At the very least it's a 4.5 stars.
daameliiie's review against another edition
3.0
“There are little pockets of old time in London, where things and places stay the same, like bubbles in amber,” she explained. “There’s a lot of time in London, and it has to go somewhere—it doesn’t all get used up at once.”
***
And the prize for the most annoying, stupid and useless protagonist ever, goes to...
Richard Mayhew.
Our beloved Dick (and what a fitting nickname✨) doesn’t do anything, ever. And when I mean ever, I mean EVER.
He’s not obtuse: he is brilliant and has all of the potential to be a strong protagonist, while also being kind and generous.
But no, the others have to forcely push him over and over and over, he follows them like a cute (not even that cute, really), useless puppy.
At the start of the book I thought he was going to be chosen one, he had some sort of prophecy around him… but no. I don’t care about what Door says, he is useless and could be 345% cut out of the book.
It’s the side characters — Hunter, the Marquis, Old Bailey, Croup and Vandemar — & the accurate and evocative worldbuilding that save this book, and make it so fun and interesting.
Even though easily guessable, the plot was fine, and I loved the two antagonists, Vandemar and Croup, so deliberately cartoonish! If I had been in Neil Gaiman’s shoes, I would have cut away all of Richard’s scenes and made a three novels just about them.
And let’s not talk about Hunter— she is the queen, she is the moment and I’m on my knees⚔️
London Below was evocative and felt like a real place— so, the urban bit of the fantasy has really succeeded!!! I would love to go there… and (metaphorically ofc
***
And the prize for the most annoying, stupid and useless protagonist ever, goes to...
Richard Mayhew.
Our beloved Dick (and what a fitting nickname✨) doesn’t do anything, ever. And when I mean ever, I mean EVER.
He’s not obtuse: he is brilliant and has all of the potential to be a strong protagonist, while also being kind and generous.
But no, the others have to forcely push him over and over and over, he follows them like a cute (not even that cute, really), useless puppy.
At the start of the book I thought he was going to be chosen one, he had some sort of prophecy around him… but no. I don’t care about what Door says, he is useless and could be 345% cut out of the book.
It’s the side characters — Hunter, the Marquis, Old Bailey, Croup and Vandemar — & the accurate and evocative worldbuilding that save this book, and make it so fun and interesting.
Even though easily guessable, the plot was fine, and I loved the two antagonists, Vandemar and Croup, so deliberately cartoonish! If I had been in Neil Gaiman’s shoes, I would have cut away all of Richard’s scenes and made a three novels just about them.
And let’s not talk about Hunter— she is the queen, she is the moment and I’m on my knees⚔️
London Below was evocative and felt like a real place— so, the urban bit of the fantasy has really succeeded!!! I would love to go there… and (metaphorically ofc
jweeeen's review against another edition
the beginning was promising and amusing, but then i was given 0 reason to care about the plot. i spent the whole time as confused as the main character about what was happening and why it was happening. if u hated the phantom tollbooth u will hate this book
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
4.0
Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors in the world, although I didn't read his entire backlist yet. One of those books I hadn't read yet, is this book. It has been on my shelves for quite some time already, but for some reason it never felt like the right moment to dive in. Until last week. Last week I wanted some Neil Gaiman magic in my life again and this book was the one capturing my attention. I was really curious what was gonna be waiting for me.
This is the kind of book where you actually have no idea what you've read after finishing the book. There's so much going on. There are so many adventures and so many characters are having even more reasons to betray, backstab or trust certain people. This book is as much about the journey and the exploring as it is about the characters in this story. And a part of me really wants to go back to London to see if I can find a way to find this world myself.
Because the author does an amazing job creating a mysterious, unique and exciting world hidden in between the cracks of the London we know and are familiar with. It's hard to grasp sometimes how things work exactly, but it's also part of the charm. Not everything is explained, some things just happen, some things just are and as a reader you just have to accept that whatever happens happens and whatever is possible is possible.
I did quite like the characters too though. It never really feels like we really get to know them on a deeper level, especially since a lot of characters are keeping secrets, a lot of characters are hiding parts of themselves or are playing multiple roles. But it also feels like especially Richard is kept a little generic because it almost makes us feel like we could be him. What happens to him, could happen to us. Who knows. Maybe next time when you're in London.
This is the kind of book where you actually have no idea what you've read after finishing the book. There's so much going on. There are so many adventures and so many characters are having even more reasons to betray, backstab or trust certain people. This book is as much about the journey and the exploring as it is about the characters in this story. And a part of me really wants to go back to London to see if I can find a way to find this world myself.
Because the author does an amazing job creating a mysterious, unique and exciting world hidden in between the cracks of the London we know and are familiar with. It's hard to grasp sometimes how things work exactly, but it's also part of the charm. Not everything is explained, some things just happen, some things just are and as a reader you just have to accept that whatever happens happens and whatever is possible is possible.
I did quite like the characters too though. It never really feels like we really get to know them on a deeper level, especially since a lot of characters are keeping secrets, a lot of characters are hiding parts of themselves or are playing multiple roles. But it also feels like especially Richard is kept a little generic because it almost makes us feel like we could be him. What happens to him, could happen to us. Who knows. Maybe next time when you're in London.
rita_book's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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
4.5
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 against another edition
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.