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A review by lydiamacclaren
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
3.0
I have heard so much about Neil Gaiman that I finally decided it was about time to read one of his books. I was originally going to read American Gods which is arguably his most well-known adult novel, but it was so thick and I did not feel up to jumping into that during the Thanksgiving/Christmas season that I opted instead for the smaller Neverwhere .
Which... wasn't bad... it just wasn't good. After some research I discovered that this was his first novel, which perhaps explains why what I heard wasn't matching up to what I was reading. The story is engaging and interesting, but it also falls flat in terms of overall plot and characterization and some elements of the story I found rather frustrating.
Which is why I rate it a three. I enjoyed the book and its Alice in Wonderland feel. There is a suspended reality and as stranger things begin to occur the reader is strung along on a magical and whimsical adventure. However, the story is not "seedy" or "scary" as the Minneapolis Star Tribune claimed it to be on the front cover of the copy I borrowed from the library. The suspended reality and the cartoonish nature of the villains never made me feel scared during the story and in all honesty I found the book to be rather mellow for an adult novel.
The writing I would argue needed streamlined. He often repeated descriptions, with certain characters ALWAYS described with an "elfin face" or as "wasp-waisted" and I soon became tired of always reading the same descriptions for the same characters.
At appropriate times of the story random backstory would be added which just felt contrived and forced to make certain character actions make sense instead of these reasons being weaved into the narrative.
The characters confused me overall. Richard was useless until he was required by the plot to be useful. Door was routinely described as a "child" and yet certain things that happened made me question this description. Vandemar and Croup were interchangeable and I routinely forgot which was which (though that was probably purposeful), and the big bad guy at the end never felt that great a threat. So in general... the characters were weak. Not horrible, but... weak.
And lastly, the plot. It needed help. The pacing was strange with a large chunk at the end that dragged on. There were plot holes that annoyed me to know end. Then of course there are the cliff-hangers...
Overall, I enjoyed the story but thought the book could have underwent further plot development and the prose needed to be combed through at least one last time. The end of the story was lackluster, but it was an enjoyable read and a good way to break back into some contemporary fantasy. I look forward to reading Gaiman's later works to see the progression of his story telling. Perhaps it was a good thing I started with an early work to see his author growth.
Which... wasn't bad... it just wasn't good. After some research I discovered that this was his first novel, which perhaps explains why what I heard wasn't matching up to what I was reading. The story is engaging and interesting, but it also falls flat in terms of overall plot and characterization and some elements of the story I found rather frustrating.
Which is why I rate it a three. I enjoyed the book and its Alice in Wonderland feel. There is a suspended reality and as stranger things begin to occur the reader is strung along on a magical and whimsical adventure. However, the story is not "seedy" or "scary" as the Minneapolis Star Tribune claimed it to be on the front cover of the copy I borrowed from the library. The suspended reality and the cartoonish nature of the villains never made me feel scared during the story and in all honesty I found the book to be rather mellow for an adult novel.
The writing I would argue needed streamlined. He often repeated descriptions, with certain characters ALWAYS described with an "elfin face" or as "wasp-waisted" and I soon became tired of always reading the same descriptions for the same characters.
At appropriate times of the story random backstory would be added which just felt contrived and forced to make certain character actions make sense instead of these reasons being weaved into the narrative.
Spoiler
A prime example would be when Richard's claustrophobia is revealed just as they enter a small space and then in the next scene it is revealed that he has a fear of heights. Nothing previously written even hinted at these fears until it was appropriate to reveal them, though there was plenty of opportunities to do soThe characters confused me overall. Richard was useless until he was required by the plot to be useful. Door was routinely described as a "child" and yet certain things that happened made me question this description. Vandemar and Croup were interchangeable and I routinely forgot which was which (though that was probably purposeful), and the big bad guy at the end never felt that great a threat. So in general... the characters were weak. Not horrible, but... weak.
And lastly, the plot. It needed help. The pacing was strange with a large chunk at the end that dragged on. There were plot holes that annoyed me to know end.
Spoiler
Why did no one ask about the placement of the diary to begin with? That was my first question when they found it and it wasn't until another 100 pages (roughly) that Door finally wondered about it AND THEN IT WAS ONLY ONE PASSING QUESTION AND NO THOUGH WENT INTO IT! And considering how big a point that was... you would have thought that she would have at least considered it a bit more. And why did Vandemar and Croup enlist the random bodyguard to kill Door is Hunter was on their side to begin with? Wouldn't it have been useless to get the other guy? Why did Hunter and Door let Richard make a deal with the Velvet and then leave her alone with him. Hunter especially CLEARLY KNEW what she was capable of, so they pretty much were leaving Richard to die. And lastly, though perhaps this is a bit too nit-picky... but after all the candles in the Angel's room went to "hell"... where did Door get that last candle that she lit???Overall, I enjoyed the story but thought the book could have underwent further plot development and the prose needed to be combed through at least one last time. The end of the story was lackluster, but it was an enjoyable read and a good way to break back into some contemporary fantasy. I look forward to reading Gaiman's later works to see the progression of his story telling. Perhaps it was a good thing I started with an early work to see his author growth.