Review: Neverwhere

Title: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy
Details: Released September 2, 2003 (originally 1996), 370 pages
Available Formats: Hardback, Paperback, eBook
Source: Local Library
Add to Goodreads: Neverwhere



Richard Mayhew is a young man with a good heart and an ordinary life, which is changed forever when he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk. His small act of kindness propels him into a world he never dreamed existed. There are people who fall through the cracks, and Richard has become one of them. And he must learn to survive in this city of shadows and darkness, monsters and saints, murderers and angels, if he is ever to return to the London that he knew.

I'm not going to lie, the reason I picked up this book from my local library was because I had heard this clip of Benedict Cumberbatch singing. I'm really glad I did, as this book was a fantastic read.

In the beginning you follow Richard and his day at work leading up to his date with his fiancée. Everything seems normal until they come across a girl bleeding on the sidewalk. Richard wants to help the girl, while his fiancée, Jessica, insists that he leave the girl and call an ambulance, clearly more interested in getting to the restaurant to make a good impression on her boss. Richard takes the young girl back to his flat, giving her a place to stay for the night since she requested not to be taken to a hospital, fearing for her life.

"I'd watch out for doors if I were you."

 

At first I was confused by this quote, thinking to myself, 'Doors lead you places. You have to go through doors to get from Point A to Point B. Sure, doors could be like portals, but what could be so bad about something as simple as a door?' Not long after, though this quote began to make sense. Richard finds everything about his life changing. He is no longer noticed. In a way, he's not even alive. To London Above, he doesn't even exist thanks to the encounter with this girl. So he finds his way into London Below, where a majority of Neverwhere takes place.

 

In London Below, Richard is accompanied by the Marquis de Carabas, the Lady Door, and eventually Hunter. De Carabas is a very sly man; Door is what is called an 'opener' (an individual who can open doors and things that are not meant to be opened), while Hunter is a very talented woman. London Below tends to be a horrific place. Things that have fallen through the cracks over the years end up in London Below, and you do not want to linger in the darkness.

All Richard wants is to return to his London Above and the life he once held dear. But as he has been told many times, once you become one of London Below, there is no returning to London Above. You follow Richard, de Carabas, Hunter, and Door through their journey in search of the Angel Islington. Whether the journey is worth it or not, is another thing.
 

What I really like about Neverwhere is that it keeps you guessing. It makes you think one thing, and then it proves you wrong. At some points it will keep you on the edge of your seat. There were so many moments in this book that I went 'What. Is. Going. On?' because things happen that you really don't expect.

Overall, I give Neverwhere 5/5 stars and recommend it to those who like fantasies, science fiction, and stories with a sort of alternate universe. I look forward to reading more of Neil Gaiman's works and hope that if you choose to read this novel, you enjoy it as much as I did.

*After finishing this novel, I listened to the BBC radio play on YouTube, and it did an excellent job at staying true to the book. If you read Neverwhere and listen to the radio play, you will notice a few things are missing, but nothing too extraordinary.