Title: Neverwhere.
Series: London Below, The World of Neverwhere #1.
Writer(s): Neil Gaiman.
Publisher: Avon.
Format: Mass Market Paperback.
Release Date: November 1st, 1998 (first published September 16th, 1996).
Pages: 370.
Genre(s): Fantasy.
ISBN13: 9780380789016.
My Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆.
Having our hands held and pulled through life is an appealing and effortless way to progress through the world. To never have to challenge ourselves or to think twice at all the things that happen to us and around us is just such an easy path to take. However, such a way of life is bound to strip you away from the wonders that the journey itself holds for all of us. Sometimes, these surprises were always in front of us or even within us. It’s at that very instant when you realize what was out there to be discovered that your Self is unchained and everything seems to be within the palm of your hands. Created in 1996 by Neil Gaiman and Lenny Henry, Neverwhere was originally a six episodes mini-series on BBC Two. It is in the middle of the series that author Neil Gaiman went ahead to write a novelization of the show that hence saw this title acquire its well-known international praise.
What is Neverwhere about? In the heart of London is an uninteresting and uninterested young businessman who is engaged to an authoritative woman. On his way to an important occasion that his fiancée holds dear to her heart, they run into a girl lying on the ground bleeding. Unable to refuse what his heart desires, he wishes to help her out while his significant other prefers to ignore the situation before them. It is from this moment on that the plain good man, Richard Mayhew, falls between the cracks of his beloved city and finds himself engulfed in the machinations of a wickedly dark subculture existing right under their nose, within abandoned subway stations and uncharted sewer tunnels. Unfortunately for him, the bizarreness of his reality doesn’t end there as he embarks on an adventure of self-discovery and unparalleled reverie.
Legendary author Neil Gaiman doesn’t fail to meet expectations with his indisputable reputation placing him on everyone’s radar. His writing skills are beyond reproach and it is even more so in Neverwhere where his talents allow him to infuse a beloved and well-known city with a darkly imaginative twist that explores its darker corners with such vivid storytelling techniques. In fact, London Below flourishes with life with little detail, successfully leaving it all to the imagination of the reader. While it somehow works, it remains albeit unsatisfactory as the rich underground universe merits more focus to fully grasp its subtleties. Despite that, it is essentially author Neil Gaiman’s writing style that allows Richard Mayhew’s adventure to be memorable and strikingly visual, wholly capturing the reader’s attention from cover to cover.
Veiled in a fairytale coat, the story presents Richard Mayhew as an ordinary and mundane character who rediscovers himself through an adventure that his mind is unable to make sense of. His road to self-actualization comes in the form of a realization of his own willpower and his ability to act for himself, by following what he believes in rather than what he’s told to do. Although this character growth is almost tangible, he remains lifeless, almost as if he was meant to be a vessel for the reader but not exactly as inviting as he’s should be, with a frustrating demeanor that denies us the ability to connect with him. This, unfortunately, remains an obstacle that isn’t easy to circumvent but the presence of far more riveting characters, such as the dynamic evil duo of Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar, makes this stand-alone tale—even with a sequel called The Seven Sisters currently being written—a satisfying reading experience.
Neverwhere is an enticing urban fantasy tale exploring the hidden and ominous underbellies of London with a protagonist’s new license on life allowing him to rediscover himself and his vicinity.
This is a novelization of the TV mini-series Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman and Lenny Henry.
Roars and Echoes 
Three out of five? I’d call it rather satisfactory than satisfying 😉 but then, you’re a more generous reviewer than I am on my best day 😂
I fully agree with your opinion of the main protagonist’s lifenessness – he’s a paper cutout, which is surprising for me as usually Gaiman’s protagonists are compelling and believable. I think the actual protagonist of this novel is London Below 😉
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Hahaha I honestly didn’t see a difference between those two words. 😛 And yes, his characters are usually so much more interesting than this one. Can’t blame the idea behind this one though. For now, I won’t rule him out of my list of authors still worth checking out though. I just need to pick up a much better one next so I don’t feel like I only give the dude 3 stars all the time hahah
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What have you read by Gaiman till now? I’ve read my good share of his books and as a rule, he seems to have trouble with a satisfying conclusion 😉 – the only exceptions being The Norse Mythology (but that’s definitely not his own conclusion 😜) and The Study in Emerald. And, grudgingly, The American Gods (but only to a point 😉).
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I’ve read American Gods (gave it a passing grade of 3 stars, despite enjoying the super long journey. I’ve read the comic book adaptation and am waiting for the 3rd volume. Also read Sandman (will end up rereading that one this year) and Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader. The only other novel I read was The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which is so far, the best one of his work for me… for now… What do you recommend me, based on what you know about my reading habits? I’m not sure if I want to try Coraline (I saw the movie and enjoyed it), The Graveyard Book or Stardust next… I don’t know what the last two are actually about but I’m hoping they’re my cup of tea… 😛
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The Graveyard Book was mediocre for me. As usual with Gaiman, great ideas, less than stellar execution 😉 I quite enjoyed Stardust, is funny and witty, but it’s mostly an elaborate play on fantasy tropes – not sure if it’s up your alley.
My favourite Gaimans are The Norse Mythology, which I really adore, as it’s a highly engaging, at the same time modern and respectful retelling of Norse myths, and The Study in Emerald (the comic book version). Both had been reviewed on our blog, if you’re interested 😀
I think you’d also enjoy one of the best Marvel what-if stories, 1602, showcasing all favorite Marvel characters in an early Renaissance English setting 😁
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Thanks for your valuable input on these. I want to read Norse Mythology too but it’s because it’s not purely “FROM” him that I’m less in a hurry to pick it up hahah! And yes! 1602 is on my list too! Definitely something that intrigues me. 😁
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Did I rub off on you with my less than perfect views of the books I read?
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Hahaha noooo I’m just a critic, like everyone else in life!
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“Everyone” else? I thought with the push to see the positives in life, I am a dying breed.
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Did the tv show ever go anywhere or did it stall out too?
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Well… I couldn’t find a proper trailer to put in my review. I think that says enough on the TV show? 😀
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Yep, that says enough 😀
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Glad you enjoyed it, Lashaan! It sounds like it meets the premise, but I have a question about the writing style (which is my biggest qualms about Good Omens): is it as meandering or less? 😀
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Thanks, Tasya! It’s not meandering, it’s easier to follow. I don’t think it’s some of his best work though. But definitely worth trying out at some point. 😉
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Fab review Lashaan! I listened to a dramatised version of this and really enjoyed it. Maybe it works better in that format. I didn’t realise Lenny Henry was involved with it, which would explain why he was so familiar with Neil Gaiman when I watched a YouTube interview recently.
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Thanks, Nicki! I think it might indeed be enjoyable in other formats. I usually do think that novelizations aren’t that great in general too, maybe he was too focused on recreating the elements from the show as he wrote, making it less appealing to me. And yes, I’m glad to connect the dots for you regarding Lenny Henry! 😀
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😀
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Sorry you weren’t completely convinced, but I am glad you en enjoyed it overall.. Like Nicki, I listened to the dramatised version with a great set of actors incl. Christopher Lee and Benedict Cumberbatch and loved it!
I do see what you mean about the protagonist, he certainly wasn’t the most exciting character. But perhaps that was kind of the point with him? What happens when a very ordinary (boring) person is exposed to something extraordinary? I couldn’t help wondering how I would have reacted. I live in London, not too far from the British Museum, which added an extra dimension. Great review as usual!
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Ohhhh so cool that Lee and Cumberbatch were on that version! I’d be down to try that out sometime.
I too did think that maybe he was meant to be so mundane for the sake of making his adventure so exceptionally wonderful hahah And yes! I feel like living in London while reading this would make it even more fantastic. I had the opportunity to finally visit London for the first time over the summer and everything was quite fresh in my mind too while I read it. 😀
Thank you so much for reading, I really appreciate it! 😀
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I did not know this started as a TV series! I thought it was the other way around. Very cool😁
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Quite a surprise, right? I didn’t know about the TV series till I did a little bit of research too hahah
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I read this one so long ago my memories are a bit vague, but I recall really enjoying it. I think it may have been my first Neil Gaimen book. Several years ago I attended a live presentation by Gaimen, very interesting and entertaining person. Hearing him read from his own books was quite a treat, especially given the setting, which was sunset in the open air pavilion of Wolf Trap in Northern Virginia. Now everytime I read anything he’s written I can’t help but imagine it in his voice in a similar setting. 🙂
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My first Neil Gaiman NOVEL (excluding comics) was American Gods and I enjoyed it too but had issues with the pacing with it. I just really love his writing style but I feel like his stories have some kind of structure issue for now. I still got a couple more to try hahah
Wow, I envy those who live in the UK or USA who get the chance to see these authors so often. Out here in Quebec, Canada, the chances of that are close to zero… Unless I go on a roadtrip to Vancouver, BC or maybe Toronto hahah
But I’ve heard Neil Gaiman in interviews and I can only imagine how cool stories told in his voice must be awesome!
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I love Neverwhere, but well, it’s not flawless. Probably the first solid urban fantasy I’ve read, that perhaps made me like it even more. And it was the same edition 🙂
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Ohhh, I’m glad to hear that! I didn’t exactly hate it and enjoyed my time with it; which seems to be the case with most of his novels hahah
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Brilliant review, Lashaan! Neil Gaiman’s work is always so praised but I haven’t had a chance to check it out yet. Sounds like there were certainly some great ideas in this book however I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t quite work for you!
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Thank you so much, Darina! It has a great premise and it’s still worth picking up but I think he has better books than this one though hahah 😀
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Hm, interesting, I was hoping to eventually check this out but I’m not so sure now – especially since it’s the first book in a series as well makes me more reluctant to commit. I hadn’t realised this was a novelisation of a BBC tv mini-series and I now seem to have vague memories of it being advertised back in the day. Great (and honest) review Lashaan, I do want to read some Neil Gaiman one day but unsure if it’ll be this title!
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I think there might be a better place to start with his books, honestly. However, it’s still a solid story and if you overcome the downsides I point out, you might enjoy it even more though.
I too didn’t know it was a BBC show before becoming a well-beloved novel. Thanks for reading, Chris! I appreciate it a lot. 😀
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No worries, it was certainly an interesting review!
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It’s been a long, long time since I read Neverwhere, and memory of it has turned hazy at best, but what I remember is that I found it delightfully strange: I guess that was my first Urban Fantasy read before I became aware of this hybrid genre, and this book probably gave birth to my fondness for UF. Maybe I should revisit it, just for the sake of memory… 🙂
Thank you for reminding me and for sharing this!!!
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I can definitely see it as an introduction to UF, it merits that kind of praise for sure. I just can’t say that it’s some of the best UF you can find today. I could only recommend revisiting it to remind you of what made you enjoy it though. It’s Neil Gaiman after all. He doesn’t disappoint hahah Thanks for reading, Maddalena! 😀
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It turns out I read this book in 2014 yet I remember absolutely nothing about it. I’m assuming I had no particular opinion either way 😀
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Sort of proves that it is a bit unmemorable, to say the least hahah
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In fairness, I read so many books that they really have to stand out for me to remember them even a month later 😀
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I need to experience Gaiman’s writing. I don’t know why I haven’t yet read one of his books.
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You definitely should! He has quite a fascinating imagination and a great writing style to go with it!
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Even though you did not give it a 5/5, it still sounds interesting.
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It is indeed. It’s worth checking out despite the issues I had with it.
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