Neverwhere: A Novel

Neil Gaiman is just phenomenal. It's a highly recommended read. London Below is a magical and unimaginable place that Gaiman created brilliantly. It’s beautiful, dangerous, and cruel. Still, it captivates readers and leaves them wanting more.

In Neil Gaiman's words: What I wanted to do was to write a book that would do for adults what the books I had loved when younger, books like Alice in Wonderland, or the Narnia books, or The Wizard of Oz, did for me as a kid. And I wanted to talk about the people who fall through the cracks: to talk about the dispossessed, using the mirror of fantasy, which can sometimes show us things we have seen so many times that we never see them at all, for the very first time. And that's exactly what he does. Fantastically so. I love Neil Gaiman's writing style. That's the first thing I always think when I start one of his books. His wry humour is a breath of fresh air. Neverwhere is a book of mystery and intrigue. It's fantasy at its best. On one hand its a story we know. A band of accidental heros who don't belong together are in over the heads, and ensared in danger. It's the story of Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and even the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Richard, our unwilling Arther Dent type hero, gets pulled down a rabbit hole, and makes some oddball friends, while being persued by menacing villians. Twists, turns and betrayal ensues. On the other hand it's a commentary on belonging, high society, and redefining happiness. It's a story of displacement and otherness that is echoed in Alice in Wonderland and the Wizard of Oz. Richard is sucked into a world much like our own but filled with magic and danger. <spoilers> The difference is, he finds belonging down there, and a sense of meaning he never could find in 'real life.' Like Frodo Baggins, Richard is a changed man at the end of his journey, and the safe and simple path no longer holds joy. There are some open questions Gaiman never really answers. Why, for example, was Richard pulled into London Below? Was it because he was it unknowingly dispossed? And why did Richard survive an ordeal that noone else could? What was so different and special about him? And why did the angel have so much faith in him and Door to retrieve the key? </Spoilers>

It's a world of magic and imagination and horrors and adventures and love and redemption and bravery and the innate humanness of all creatures, whether they are living in London Above or London Below. I read it while I was visiting London, and this book made my holiday even more special. Loved, loved, LOVED the book.

Neil describes things in such a way that you form very vivid images of every setting in the story. I'm about halfway through the book, and so far there are 2-3 scenes running in parallel - based on the dark characters, the good ones, and any other characters both these sets of people meet on the way.

This review is only for the illustrated hardcover edition. This was the first time when i read a novel illustrated in such fashion. The art was so mesmerising that i took some time just to savour the moments. The art, at certain places, was expressive to such extent that it told half the stuff written on that page.! The art would not have come out so well if not for the paper quality used in this edition. It certainly lives up to the mark and does justice to the art. All in all, if you have read this and don’t mind spending some extra bucks for the illustrated edition, then go for it. If you have not read it before, this certainly is a good option for a few extra bucks.!

Imagine in a setting where suddenly your drawn into world where people you know, your workplace and even people who pass by you.. don't recognise your existence..🧐🧐 Our protagonist here is thrust into world where he can't comprehend his existence his role in it.. We r just taken on the journey that he is on.. by Neil Gaiman! Beautifully written and intially he creates an intrigue among readers as to what is this world we r being shown.. BUT as when it we read further.. plot furthers but the world building and many questions about it remain unanswered and keeps us wondering about it more than plot.. this is ONLY reason for giving 3 star rating.. but i would definately read his other books..🙂🙂🙂

From the moment I started reading this book, I knew that i wouldn't be able to sleep without finishing it off. It's such a brilliant and imaginative concept which can only be put together by an author like Neil Gaiman. An absolutely marvelous read.