Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
I have an interesting history with Neil Gaiman, and I feel I need to tell a little of that history before giving my review. I stand behind the firm belief that Neil Gaiman is the leader of an unintentional cult (this is a joke; he is a lovely man and not a cult leader). I say this because some coworkers invited my partner and me to listen to a talk Gaiman was giving at a theater near us. I was expecting a medium to small turnout, but I was WRONG! This theater was packed from top to bottom. We sat in seats so far from the stage Gaiman’s appearance was more suggestion than corporeal form. During the talk, he discussed turning his books into shows and movies and read from some selected chapters of a few of his books. I’m sure at this point you are wondering why I made my bold (and unserious) cult leader claims. Well, there I was, sitting in a theater completely packed, and every word was held onto as if coming from a God, which is fair; he makes them, you know? Add to that, those things he would say would send this entire theater into laughter. Things I did not understand the hilarity behind, but it gave me an appreciation for the love Gaiman’s fans have for him and his work.
I do believe it is deserved. Neverwhere is a masterpiece of creating a story that makes you believe magic is hidden under your feet. The story, although not challenging to read, did require more attention than others I’ve enjoyed. There would be moments of reality working with fantasy that made the book desire more of my attention. Still, this book is good. The story captures the imagination and answers questions you didn’t know to ask!
I highly enjoyed the characters, and if you didn’t know, character development is one of my things. Gaiman created so many unique characters that did not feel bland or one-dimensional. I was left wanting to learn more about everyone’s pasts. What did Hunter do to earn the respect of Serpentine, and why is Door so afraid of her? How did the Velvets become what they are? How do you get placed in the groups found in the London Below? So many good questions that wouldn’t be necessary for the story, but the characters were so delicious I had so much more I wanted to know.
We can’t end this review without discussing Richard Mayhew, the Marquis de Carabas, and Lady Door. Richard Mayhew is as interesting as he is boring, which is unique in the main character. He has some Rincewind vibes (a Terry Pratchett reference I highly recommend his work) of not wanting to be the main character and mostly wanting to find his way home. Aside from that, he cares, is kind, wants to learn more about these people, and has strength that he didn’t know before the start of his adventure. Door is an excellent counterpart to Richard. She is firm after the annihilation of her entire family but still has hope that people want to help. Marquis de Carabas is a very useful and very nice scoundrel. He exudes a tough exterior but truly wants to learn and collect as much information and secrets as possible. These three make for a wonderfully delightful trio to offset the twisted villains Croup and Vandemar.
If you want to know more about this fantastical book set in the sewers and magical realms beyond London Below, I highly recommend you pick it up. This book is an adventure that your brain might keep thinking about well after you finish it.
