Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

77 reviews

scottyreadsstuff's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Well one thing I can say is that Neil Gaiman is an excellent storyteller! I thoroughly enjoyed the world-building and humor in Neverwhere. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was because I don’t think I’d want to reread it. I may check out the TV adaptation though.

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ainrave's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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? Yes

5.0


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renettereads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.75

“As a child, Richard had had nightmares in which he simply wasn’t there, in which, no matter how much noise he made, no matter what he did, nobody ever noticed him at all.”

At the beginning of Neverwhere, we meet Richard Mayhew who has a fine life; a fiance and a well-paid job, but Richard seems timid and afraid of life. He also doesn’t seem to be as content as he could be. Cue Door, a girl from London Below who shows up needing help and Richard's life irrevocably changes. 

Wildly imaginative, Neverwhere once again shows off Neil Gaiman’s playful storytelling. He crafts an alternate London filled with ghouls and mysterious magic with that same unsettling prose as I fell in love with in Ocean at The End of The Lane. 

The characters are distinct, including the most villainous of villains, Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar who are as creepy as they are scholarly (okay, maybe not in the case of Vandemar, but you’ll see what I mean about Mr Croup). 

Richard faces many ordeals and seeing him grow confident and more certain of what he wants from life, is a really satisfying arc. 

This type of whimsical fantasy reminds me of someone like Robert Rankin or Terry Pratchett. There’s a sort of innocence that could’ve translated into a children’s story if it weren’t for the undercurrent of tension and violence. 

I really enjoyed this book. It truly swept me off my feet and plunged me into this underworld where kooky merchant boast their wares in magical markets and beautiful women lurk in dark corners to steal your lifeforce. 

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bookycnidaria's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny 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? Yes

5.0


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hexe_19's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0


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anibee19's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? Yes

5.0


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bel017's review against another edition

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 Riddel's illustrations are such a perfect fit for Gaiman's prose. I look forward to seeing their continued collaboration.

I'm always looking to fill the Pratchett shaped hole in my reading, but have avoided Gaiman, as I DNF'd Ocean at the end of the lane, which he has said is his favourite of his works, and he seemed way too dark for me (have you met Coraline?). To the darkness, I did glance over some of the scenes with ... Mr C and Mr V, the names escape me ... the scary version of Pratchett's Mr Tulip and Mr Pin (who were scary enough for me). I was quite distressed by the
  loss of Anaesthesia
. Gaiman does go out of his way to be gross and morbid (so many descriptions of sewer content and dead bodies), but the deadpan, understated, humour is great.

Gaiman is a gifted storyteller, and I really enjoyed his writing even though I didn't like the dark/gross/awful/scary/violent parts. I like Riddel has a distinct style that suits Gaiman. If you buy a copy of Neverwhere, make sure it's this one. 

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julieyael's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

I was once again taken into the story by Gaiman’s writting. 
This book takes us to a wonderful universe, full of fun and interesting characters. 
The reader only has to follow the story and let it evolve through the pages. 

As often we find some gory scenes and details, but it makes sense and nothing is gratuitious. 

I would have appreciated a slighty faster rythm, but the tension is nice. Also, even if I really enjoyed the book, I found that the overall story and plot could have been a bit deeper to make it perfect. 

The best part of this novel is the world building and the little details, and of course the way the story is told. 
So far, I’ve never been wrong picking a Gaiman’s book. 

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orchidd's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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jkononova's review against another edition

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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

4.75

 
My second Neil Gaiman book, my first real introduction to urban fantasy, and now probably one of my new all-time favorite reads!

I don't read many pure fantasy books, mainly because the whole "elves/dwarves/mages/etc" setup feels trite and overdone, and I generally don't enjoy historical fiction very much either (and a lot of fantasy tends to dwell primarily in the past). But I loved the gritty vibe of the description, and I trusted Gaiman's worldbuilding to be more original than that brand of the run-of-the-mill fantasy, and I'm so glad that I did!

I won't spoil much other than this did really feel like an Alice in Wonderland for adults, with all the vibrant whimsy of Carroll's story but much more intense, explicit, and dark in the ugliness of its world. I am in love with Gaiman's writing style -- especially for its fusion of humor and sincerity -- and am happy it, by and large, avoids the many pitfalls of male fantasy writing (e.g. lack of diverse characters as well as the typical "men writing women" fare) that I've come to begrudgingly expect. Also, the bonus content in the "definitive version" of the book felt like a delightful lil treat on top of the already amazing novel.

Would absolutely recommend for those looking to go on an escapist journey with a bit of an edge to it, as well as countless laughs along the way!!

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