Neverwhereby Neil Gaiman
★★★★
I first read Neverwhere in 2007 and had so much fun following Richard Mayhew and Door on their adventures in the London Below. When I heard about the 2013 Radio dramatization of the novel on the BBC I was so excited. The incredible cast included James McAvoy, Christopher Lee, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Natalie Dormer just to name a few. They brought the story to life in such a wonderful way, I think I enjoyed it even more this time around.
The plot revolves around an ordinary man in London. He has a regular job, a regular girl and nothing too exciting ever happens to him. Then one day he meets a girl named Door and everything is turned upside down. He finds himself in London Below, along with hundreds of others who have "fallen through the cracks." As he explores the strange world of Angels, markets and guardians he finds that he might just have a taste for adventure after all.
Gaiman’s talent for writing is undeniable, but this story is a great demonstration of his ability to create quirky, memorable casts of characters. Hunter, Old Bailey, the Marquis, Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar, such a weird and wonderful group that I’m not going to forget anytime soon. The story isn’t as complex as some of his later work, but it is a fun, fast-moving story.
BOTTOM LINE: Of all of Gaiman’s novels, I think this one is the best candidate for a sequel. I had so much fun revisiting the characters through the audioplay and I hope more people check it out! (You can find it on Audible if you're interested.)
“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.”
“Until that moment she had never thought she could do it. Never thought she would be brave enough or scared enough, or desperate enough to dare.”
Gaiman’s talent for writing is undeniable, but this story is a great demonstration of his ability to create quirky, memorable casts of characters. Hunter, Old Bailey, the Marquis, Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar, such a weird and wonderful group that I’m not going to forget anytime soon. The story isn’t as complex as some of his later work, but it is a fun, fast-moving story.
BOTTOM LINE: Of all of Gaiman’s novels, I think this one is the best candidate for a sequel. I had so much fun revisiting the characters through the audioplay and I hope more people check it out! (You can find it on Audible if you're interested.)
“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.”
“Until that moment she had never thought she could do it. Never thought she would be brave enough or scared enough, or desperate enough to dare.”
