Available instantly

Audiobook
$0.99
with membership

Hardcover
$14.82

Paperback
$12.69

$8.99 with 18 percent savings

Print List Price: $10.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

Sold by HarperCollins Publishers. Price set by seller.

Add an

audiobook with Audible narration for $12.99

Audiobook Price: $23.62

Save: $10.63 (45%)

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Neverwhere Illustrated EditionAmazon Videos

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Color:

To view this video download Flash Player

2 VIDEOS

Follow the author

Neil Gaiman

Follow

Neverwhere: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Neil Gaiman (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.5 32,411 ratings

See all formats and editions

“Neil Gaiman is undoubtedly one of the modern masters of fantasy writing....For those who have not read Neverwhere, the new edition is the one to read, and is a fitting introduction to Gaiman’s adult fiction....American readers can experience this spellbinding, magical world the way that Neil Gaiman wanted us to all along.” —Huffington Post

The #1 New York Times bestselling author’s ultimate edition of his wildly successful first novel featuring his “preferred text”—and including his special Neverwhere tale, “How the Marquis Got His Coat Back”.

Published in 1997, Neil Gaiman’s darkly hypnotic first novel, Neverwhere, heralded the arrival of a major talent and became a touchstone of urban fantasy.

It is the story of Richard Mayhew, a young London businessman with a good heart and an ordinary life, which is changed forever when he discovers a girl bleeding on the sidewalk. He stops to help her—an act of kindness that plunges him into a world he never dreamed existed. Slipping through the cracks of reality, Richard lands in Neverwhere—a London of shadows and darkness, monsters and saints, murderers and angels that exists entirely in a subterranean labyrinth. Neverwhere is home to Door, the mysterious girl Richard helped in the London Above. Here in Neverwhere, Door is a powerful noblewoman who has vowed to find the evil agent of her family’s slaughter and thwart the destruction of this strange underworld kingdom. If Richard is ever to return to his former life and home, he must join Lady Door’s quest to save her world—and may well die trying.

From the Publisher

	Stardust	American Gods	Anansi Boys	Coraline	Trigger Warning	The Neil Gaiman Reader

Customer Reviews	17,383	58,267	12,456	21,629	4,776	737
Price	$12.00	$11.20	$11.83	$7.99	$11.24	$11.33
		no data	no data	no data	no data	no data

WARNING: California’s Proposition 65

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Neverwhere's protagonist, Richard Mayhew, learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished. He ceases to exist in the ordinary world of London Above, and joins a quest through the dark and dangerous London Below, a shadow city of lost and forgotten people, places, and times. His companions are Door, who is trying to find out who hired the assassins who murdered her family and why; the Marquis of Carabas, a trickster who trades services for very big favors; and Hunter, a mysterious lady who guards bodies and hunts only the biggest game. London Below is a wonderfully realized shadow world, and the story plunges through it like an express passing local stations, with plenty of action and a satisfying conclusion. The story is reminiscent of Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but Neil Gaiman's humor is much darker and his images sometimes truly horrific. Puns and allusions to everything from Paradise Lost to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz abound, but you can enjoy the book without getting all of them. Gaiman is definitely not just for graphic-novel fans anymore. --Nona Vero

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Gaiman assumes the role of narrator for his latest book, offering an intimate reading that steals one's attention almost immediately and keeps the listener involved throughout. As the story is based in the United Kingdom, Gaiman is a quintessential raconteur for the tale, with his charming Scottish brogue instilling life and spirit into the central character of Richard Mayhew. Pitch perfect, with clear pronunciation, Gaiman invites listeners into his living room for a fireside chat, offering a private and personal experience that transcends the limitations of traditional narration. The author knows his story through and through, capturing the desired emotion and audience reaction in each and every scene. His characters are unique, with diverse personalities and narrative approaches, and Gaiman offers a variety of dialects and tones. The reading sounds more like a private conversation among friends with Gaiman providing the convincing and likable performance the writing deserves. A Harper Perennial paperback (Reviews, May 19, 1997). (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Library Journal

In his first full-length novel, Gaiman, the comic-book mastermind, brings his talents to the black-and-white world of books, eschewing the darkly elegant illustrations that are a trademark of his comics. However, this journey to yet another fantastical realm is full of haunting images just the same. The story revolves around Richard Mayhew, a bumbling young businessman, who is about to discover a new side of London after helping a wounded girl named Door. He is trapped in an alternate dimension, known as London Below, or the Underground. Once he steps into it, he finds that his normal life no longer exists. The only chance of getting his old life back is to accompany Door on a dangerous mission across the Underground. Like adults stumbling through the pages of a bizarre children's story, Gaiman's likable protagonists fight off the sinister villains of this nebulous underworld. Shards of the concrete world continually pierce the surreal surroundings, as Gaiman weaves a link between the two dimensions of London. Gaiman's gift for mixing the absurd with the frightful give this novel the feeling of a bedtime story with adult sophistication. Readers will find themselves as unable to escape this tale as the characters themselves. Highly recommended.?Erin Cassin, formerly with "Library Journal"
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Londoner Richard Mayhew and his ice-princess fiancee are hurrying to dinner with her media-tycoon boss when Richard spies a young woman lying dirty and bleeding in the street. Uncharacteristically not thinking twice, he picks the apparent beggar up and, leaving his intended on the spot, carries her to his apartment to recuperate. Next morning, two eerie men are at Richard's door. They are looking for the young woman, who is in the bathroom when they arrive. Over Richard's protests, they barge in and search the place, but the girl is nowhere to be found. After they leave, however, she shows up at Richard's elbow in the kitchen. Strange. But humdrum compared to the quest that Door (the young woman) enlists Richard to undertake with her in London Below, a subterranean city made up of long-forgotten parts of historic London and populated by people who "fell through the cracks," as Richard discovers he has shortly after Door first leaves him, and friends fail to recognize him, while strangers don't even seem to see him. The millions who know The Sandman, the spectacularly successful graphic novel series Gaiman writes, will have a jump start over other fantasy fans at conjuring the ambience of his London Below, but by no means should those others fail to make the setting's acquaintance. It is an Oz overrun by maniacs and monsters, and it becomes a Shangri-La for Richard. Excellent escapist fare. Ray Olson

From Kirkus Reviews

Some of the best pure storytelling around these days is being produced in the critically suspect genre of fantasy, and this exuberantly inventive first full-length novel, by the co-creator of the graphic series The Sandman (1996), is a state-of-the-art example. The protagonist, determinedly unheroic Richard Mayhew, is a young man up from the provinces and living in London, where he has found both job success and a lissome fiance, Jessica. Soon, however, Richard meets a mysterious old woman who prophesies he'll embark on an adventure that ``starts with doors.'' Sure enough, his fate becomes entwined with that of a beautiful waiflike girl who calls herself Door, and who is in flight from a pair of ageless hired assassins and in pursuit of the reason behind the murder of her family. Suddenly wrenched away from his quotidian life (people can no longer see or hear him), Richard follows Door underground to an alternative ``London Below,'' where ``people who have fallen through the cracks'' live in a rigidly stratified mock-feudal society that parallels that of London Above. A parade of instructors and guides brings Richard and Door ever closer to understanding why her father was marked for death by the rulers of London Below, and prepares Richard to do battle with the (wonderfully loathsome) Great Beast of London. Altogether, Gaiman's story ending is both a terrific surprise and a perfectly logical culmination of Richard's journey into the darkest recesses of his civilization and himself. The novel is consistently witty, suspenseful, and hair-raisingly imaginative in its contemporary transpositions of familiar folk and mythic materials (one can read Neverwhere as a postmodernist punk Faerie Queene). Readers who've enjoyed the fantasy work of Tim Powers and William Browning Spencer won't want to miss this one. And, yes, Virginia, there really are alligators in those sewers--and Gaiman makes you believe it. (First printing of 125,000) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review

“For those who have never been to Neverwhere, it’s time to go. For those who may have traveled once before, this new edition is calling out to you. There is more to see, hear and learn.” (Suspense Magazine)

“For those who have not read Neverwhere, the new edition is the one to read ... readers can experience this spellbinding, magical world the way that Neil Gaiman wanted us to all along.” (Huffington Post)

From the Inside Flap

Richard Mayhew is an unassuming young businessman living in London, with a dull job and a pretty but demanding fiancee. Then one night he stumbles across a girl bleeding on the sidewalk. He stops to help her - and the life he knows vanishes like smoke. Several hours later, the girl is gone too. And by the following morning Richard Mayhew has been erased from his world. His bank cards no longer work, taxi drivers won't stop for him, his landlord rents his apartment out to strangers. He has become invisible, and inexplicably consigned to a London of shadows and darkness - to a city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, that exists entirely in a subterranean labyrinth of sewer canals and abandoned subway stations. He has fallen through the cracks of reality and has landed somewhere different, somewhere that is Neverwhere. For this is the home of Door, the mysterious girl whom Richard rescued in the London Above. A personage of great power and nobility in this murky, candlelit realm, she is on a mission to discover the cause of her family's slaughter, and in doing so preserve this strange underworld kingdom from the malevolence that means to destroy it. And with nowhere else to turn, Richard Mayhew must now join the Lady Door's entourage in their determined - and possibly fatal - quest. For the dread journey ever-downward - through bizarre anachronisms and dangerous incongruities, and into dusty corners of stalled time - is Richard's final hope, his last road back to a "real" world that is growing disturbingly less real by the minute.

From the Back Cover

Richard Mayhew is an unassuming young businessman living in London, with a dull job and a pretty but demanding fiancee. Then one night he stumbles across a girl bleeding on the sidewalk. He stops to help her--and the life he knows vanishes like smoke.

Several hours later, the girl is gone too. And by the following morning Richard Mayhew has been erased from his world. His bank cards no longer work, taxi drivers won't stop for him, his hundred rents his apartment out to strangers. He has become invisible, and inexplicably consigned to a London of shadows and darkness a city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, that exists entirely in a subterranean labyrinth of sewer canals and abandoned subway stations. He has fallen through the cracks of reality and has landed somewhere different, somewhere that is Neverwhere.

For this is the home of Door, the mysterious girl whom Richard rescued in the London Above. A personage of great power and nobility in this murky, candlelit realm, she is on a mission to discover the cause of her family's slaughter, and in doing so preserve this strange underworld kingdom from the malevolence that means to destroy it. And with nowhere else to turn, Richard Mayhew must now join the Lady Door's entourage in their determined--and possibly fatal--quest.

For the dread journey ever-downward--through bizarre anachronisms and dangerous incongruities, and into dusty corners of stalled time--is Richard's final hope, his last road back to a "real" world that is growing disturbingly less real by the minute.

If Tim Burton reimagined The Phantom of the Opera, if Jack Finney let his dark side take over, if you rolled the best work of Clive Barker, Peter Straub and Caleb Carr into one, you still would have something that fell far short of Neil Gaiman's NEVERWHERE. It is a masterful debut novel of darkly hypnotic power, and one of the most absorbing reads to come along in years.

About the Author

Neil Gaiman is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Neverwhere, Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, Anansi Boys, The Graveyard Book, Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett), The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains; the Sandman series of graphic novels; and the story collections Smoke and Mirrors, Fragile Things, and Trigger Warning. He is the winner of numerous literary honors, including the Hugo, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy awards, and the Newbery and Carnegie Medals. Originally from England, he now lives in the United States. He is Professor in the Arts at Bard College.

From AudioFile

The remarkable thing about this tape is that, from the first lines, it gives one a strong impression of darkness and dread. It's a novel based on a British TV series--a suspenseful and funny adventure tale of a nebbishy Londoner caught up in a nightmarish, magic world below ground. Neither the premise nor the plot is all that new and compelling. But the execution! First, there's the writing--the delicious witty sense of humor; the vivid, albeit broad, characterization; the delightful dialogue; the adroitly evoked black atmosphere. Then there's the performance--Gary Bakewell's charming Scottish accent, his sense of the book's architecture, his puckish treatment of the humor, his deft characterizations. Third, there's the production--Blakewell's narration judiciously punctuated by sound effects and music that perfectly reinforce his efforts. All in all, a delightful listen. Y.R. Winner of AUDIOFILE's Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000FC130E
Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow (March 17, 2009)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 17, 2009
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2.6 MB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0062476378

Best Sellers Rank: #53,041 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #55 in Action & Adventure Literary Fiction
- #166 in Arts & Photography (Kindle Store)
- #296 in Read & Listen for Less

Customer Reviews:
4.5 32,411 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Neil Gaiman

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Neil Gaiman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including Norse Mythology, Neverwhere, and The Graveyard Book. Among his numerous literary awards are the Newbery and Carnegie medals, and the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, and Will Eisner awards. He is a Professor in the Arts at Bard College.

Customer reviews

32,411 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Review this product

Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the story enjoyable and entertaining, with an imaginative blend of fantasy, adventure, and humor. They appreciate the rich, three-dimensional characters with good and bad sides. The writing quality is praised as amazing and well-written. Readers praise the suspenseful ending and exciting action throughout the book.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

Readability Imagination Character development Writing quality Pacing Suspenseful ending Humor Horror content

1,388 customers mention "Readability"1,320 positive68 negative

Customers find the story enjoyable and entertaining. They describe it as an exciting adventure that keeps readers guessing what will happen next. Readers appreciate the fantastical and bizarre events, and find the book a nice and easy read that hooks them from the start.

"...Which I loved, personally! This book was quirky and deep, fantastic and the kind of realistic urban fantasy I didn’t know I was missing until now,..." Read more

"...The imagery and world was. It was well thought through and has me actually believing that such a place exists, beneath every great city of the world...." Read more

"...We are utterly professional." There is actually an honest to goodness angel (Islington) who evolves into a fascinating character...." Read more

"...Conclusion: Don't let the MCs deter you from attempting this well-written piece by Neil Gaiman!" Read more

694 customers mention "Imagination"608 positive86 negative

Customers enjoy the imaginative storytelling and world-building. They find the book an unusual mix of fantasy, adventure, and humor that collides in interesting ways. The author brilliantly weaves myth, urban legend, and humorous literalism into a captivating tale. The realistic yet magical setting and creepiness are appreciated. The plot delivers some surprises along the way, with landmarks and suspect street characters mentioned.

"...The story is dark, but with moments of tenderness and humor so I never felt bogged down to the point where I could no longer appreciate the imagery...." Read more

"...teeth for eyes, but it is a creative exploration of dreams and pure imagination. And unfortunately, I was not a fan...." Read more

"...Neverwhere is a defining piece of urban fantasy and something everyone should read...." Read more

"...introduced to a cast of characters that are among the most original, unusual and thought provoking I've ever encountered...." Read more

387 customers mention "Character development"337 positive50 negative

Customers enjoy the rich, three-dimensional characters with good and bad sides. They find the plot fun, the characters British, and the writing enjoyable. The villain is satisfyingly evil, and the book references mythological figures and places like Atlantis and other mythical beings.

"...illustrations, the magical whimsy of the writing, and the cast of incredible characters that inhabit London Below...." Read more

"...They're all fully-fledged three-dimensional characters with good and bad sides, and things to love and things to complain about...." Read more

"...There are references to Atlantis and other mythological personages and places...." Read more

"...And the antagonists were really dark, violent, magnificently thought-out characters...." Read more

297 customers mention "Writing quality"269 positive28 negative

Customers enjoy the writing quality. They find the book readable and insightful. The pacing and storytelling are well-done, with an imagination that can be appreciated easily. Readers appreciate the editing and rewriting done by Neil Gaiman to enhance the story.

"...It was masterfully done!..." Read more

"...which has a dreadfully slow beginning, Gaiman’s Neverwhere moves at a steady pace. It’s not too fast, not too slow, just right...." Read more

"...Neil Gaimain's writing is as amazing as ever...." Read more

"...2. The pacing and storytelling was done well enough that, despite the quirky grammar and run on sentences, I was able to immerse myself in the book...." Read more

218 customers mention "Pacing"169 positive49 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book good. They appreciate the well-developed characters and world-building. The story is described as a modern fantasy with elements of good and bad. Readers praise the author's storytelling style as lyrical and well-crafted.

"...The imagery and world was. It was well thought through and has me actually believing that such a place exists, beneath every great city of the world...." Read more

"“Neverwhere” is an urban fantasy novel by author Neil Gaiman. In it, we meet Richard Mayhew. He is a typical Londoner...." Read more

"...and tween- or teenagers, it is a modern fantasy with great elements of good and bad, as well as some lessons on morality, reality and identity and..." Read more

"...Unlike Ocean at the End of the Lane which has a dreadfully slow beginning, Gaiman’s Neverwhere moves at a steady pace...." Read more

172 customers mention "Suspenseful ending"131 positive41 negative

Customers enjoy the suspenseful ending. They find the action exciting and satisfying, with a fantastic journey. Readers appreciate the twists and creative ideas that add depth to the story. The drama and unexpected turns add movement and charm to the story.

"...34;Neverwhere"s ending is just right, its chief villain is satisfyingly and totally evil, and its hero finally bumbles into the right decision..." Read more

"...Truly uly odd. Nice ending Neil." Read more

"...Even the villains, horrible and yet familiar, have a charm and fascination...." Read more

"...The story is dark, but with moments of tenderness and humor so I never felt bogged down to the point where I could no longer appreciate the imagery...." Read more

143 customers mention "Humor"132 positive11 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They appreciate the author's ability to weave witty and charming stories with an ironic tone. The dialogue is smart and witty, with a magical whimsy that makes the story enjoyable.

"...just holding the book, to the perfect illustrations, the magical whimsy of the writing, and the cast of incredible characters that inhabit London..." Read more

"...And they are hilarious! Even when they are dismembering and torturing living things, their banter doesn’t stop...." Read more

"...Lovable, clueless, and yet somehow, strangely accepting of the world beneath the streets of London - London Below - where he finds himself..." Read more

"...book is an unusual mix of fantasy, adventure, and maybe a little odd humor and magic...." Read more

120 customers mention "Horror content"87 positive33 negative

Customers find the book imaginative and full of horrors. They mention that the evil henchmen, vicious assassins, angels, and semi-magical monsters are frightening. The violence and brutality are described as disturbing, exciting, and fun. Readers also mention that the book is filled with mystery and danger, with a little magic thrown in.

"...And while there is ample violence and scenes of brutality, as Mr. Vandemar notes at one point, ""Can't make an omelette without killing a few people..." Read more

"...And the antagonists were really dark, violent, magnificently thought-out characters...." Read more

"Imagine reading something that doesn't make sense. Totally bizarre. This is it. I was happily lost in a new world for days. Complete unknown...." Read more

"...As grave and serious as the story sounds, it is anything but. It is irreverant and witty, and I fell in love with most of the characters...." Read more

Reviews with images

See all photos

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

Chelscey
Quirky and deep, the illustrations are perfection
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2021
Verified Purchase

Gaiman has always been hit or miss for me. Some of his books I love, some I don’t care for, so I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Neverwhere, outside of the fact that there’s something deeply satisfying about holding the illustrated version—something about thick little hardcovers is just the best feeling. Anyway, Neverwhere is a not subtle in its message: the homeless are invisible to those who want to pretend the “problem” doesn’t exist—but make it magic that has a very Tim Burton feel, because this is Gaiman, after all. When Richard sees one of those who have fallen through the cracks—a citizen of London Below—and proceeds to help her, it sets off a chain of events that plunges him into London Below and makes him just as invisible to London Above, and his old life, as the rest of the characters in this novel. In which there a lot, all of which are unique and magical and so beautifully distinct from each other. I even loved Mr Vandemar and Mr Croup who are unequivocally terrible people, but they are written in such a creative way that I couldn’t help but love them just as much as Richard and our heroine Door, with her opal-colored eyes.

I loved the prose of Neverwhere, it read almost like it was meant for children when it’s so clearly not. There’s this whimsy to it, alongside Gaiman’s love of a metaphor and simile, which made the whole style just as magical as London Below. Speaking of, I loved the characters that populated this secret place. Gaiman was able to weave in a complex mystery and twists and turns into something that should have been an otherwise very straight forward plot: find out why/who is after Door and killed her family, and get Richard back to London Above. Gaimain, in this particular book anyway, is able to make you love and care for a character so, so deeply and then cut you to the core by taking them away all in one chapter. He’s also able to play with your mind about what is truly reality for Richard, and who should our main characters trust in a way that really added to the twists at the end. It was masterfully done!

I will say that I read A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab before reading Neverwhere, and after reading Gaiman’s book, it’s really easy to see where Schwab got a lot of inspiration for that series: everything from the different types of Londons that only one person really seems to be able to move between, and even a certain magical coat. I’m not mad about this at all! It’s clear that Schwab idolizes Gaiman, and her writing is an homage to that without being a rip off. Its just something to keep in mind if you read this and things start sounding… familiar.

All in all, this was a perfectly satisfying read—from just holding the book, to the perfect illustrations, the magical whimsy of the writing, and the cast of incredible characters that inhabit London Below. The story is dark, but with moments of tenderness and humor so I never felt bogged down to the point where I could no longer appreciate the imagery. Gaiman’s fantasy is always a reflection of reality with fantastic elements, so the ugly parts of our world are still present, but made magic so when you read you don’t necessarily feel preached to. But I can definitely understand why this style may not be for everyone—Gaiman doesn’t describe anything in a straightforward manner, instead almost tricking the reader into visualizing these delightful things. Which I loved, personally! This book was quirky and deep, fantastic and the kind of realistic urban fantasy I didn’t know I was missing until now, which is why this gets an easy 5 stars from me!

Read more

70 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Wilmar Luna
If you're a fan of underground worlds, you'll love this book.
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2018
Verified Purchase
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman is, for lack of a better description, The Sandman comics in novel form. Neverwhere may not have Gods, or dream weavers, or scary men with teeth for eyes, but it is a creative exploration of dreams and pure imagination.
And unfortunately, I was not a fan.

I know, I know, I can already see the readers foaming at the mouth. “How can you NOT like Neverwhere? Neil Gaiman is the greatest writer that ever lived!”

My issue with the book has nothing to do with Neverwhere’s writing. Neil Gaiman’s prose remains consistently magical and is full of little details that make London Below come alive. But before I go into why I wasn’t a fan, you should know what Neverwhere is about.

The plot is about Richard Mayhew, an ordinary guy. He works at an office, has a regular 9 to 5 job, and he’s with a girlfriend that tolerates his existence. One night, Richard encounters a girl on the run from two men. Richard’s tries to save the girl and ends up transported into an alternate reality called, London Below.

When Richard attempts to resume his normal life by going to work or visiting his girlfriend, he quickly realizes that everyone is ignoring him. He leaves and goes to his apartment, but when he gets there he finds it occupied by strangers. Whenever he tries to speak to his best friend or his girlfriend, they say one word to him and move on as if he didn’t exist. This alternate reality had somehow turned Richard into a ghost.

Stuck with no apartment, no money, no job, no girlfriend, Richard decides to find the girl who got him in this mess in the first place. Her name is Door. Door is the daughter of some nobility in London below and also has the capability to open . . . you guessed it, doors. But when Richard finally meets Door, she tells him that she can’t bring him back to his home dimension.

Richard’s quest to return to the London Above begins. This is the premise of Neverwhere.
So what is the London Below? To describe it simply, London Below is what would happen if you fell asleep on the subway and had a nightmare. It is a twisted, non sensical version of London where “Minding the Gap” means watch out for the monster that lives in the gap between train and the platform. The rats are messengers for the homeless. Junk and random items can be bartered (including your life). And a street name like, Knightsbridge could literally mean that knights are guarding it.

London Below is what would happen if underground subways were towns and marketplaces. And it is this underground theme that ultimately left me uninterested in the book. As a former rider of trains, there is nothing fun or enjoyable to me about a world built around the underground.

Sadly, it wasn’t just the world that disinterested me, the characters also left me detached from the experience. The Marquis De Carabas was written as a cool and suave character; a man so interesting, he needed to have his own bonus content at the back of the book.

I did not read these pages because the Marquis did not interest me. Hunter, a woman who often protected and saved Richard from certain doom, also failed to engage me. I liked Door well enough and I loved the villain, but Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar embodied a type of aesthetic and style that bored me.

The irony is, the book wasn’t boring.
Unlike Ocean at the End of the Lane which has a dreadfully slow beginning, Gaiman’s Neverwhere moves at a steady pace. It’s not too fast, not too slow, just right. Unfortunately, underground worlds are a huge turn off for me, no matter how creative or well written they are. Neverwhere felt like a universe that could exist in a Steampunk setting and I hate Steampunk.

And this, I understand, is a matter of personal taste. It is the equivalent of a die-hard medieval fantasy novel reader trying to force themselves to read a Star Wars book. It doesn’t matter if the characters or plot is interesting, the world will fail to suck in the reader. Neverwhere failed to suck me in.

Had I been a fan of this underground world I would have called Neverwhere a great book, easily 5 stars. Still, for those of you who do like underground themed worlds, then I would highly recommend giving Neverwhere a read. Neil Gaiman, even when he produces work that fails to engage me, is still an amazing writer and I can’t imagine giving Neverwhere anything less than . . .

4 out of 5 stars.

Read more

25 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Kindle-Kunde
An amalgam of various great works – and yet everything is new and unprecedented.
Reviewed in Germany on January 6, 2025
Verified Purchase

The openly expressed brutality, the unashamed depiction of the repulsive. As Stephen King is able to put to paper. A Douglas Adams, who humorously chases a clumsy Arthur Dent through a world completely unknown to him. A J.R.R. Tolkien, who creates a fantastic, coherent world with its complete ecosystem, history, and inhabitants with Middle-earth. Gaiman succeeds in this as well. Neverwhere. And he doesn't copy or recycle anything from others. A completely new cosmos, but always in close connection with our own world.

This is. Phantastic.

PS: Don't miss the short story in the extended edition, where the Marquis has to handle the Shepherds. Funny construction.

Read more
Report
Ankit
4.5 ⭐
Reviewed in India on August 2, 2024
Verified Purchase
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.

Read more
Report
Cliente Amazon
Una historia cautivadora
Reviewed in Spain on August 24, 2022
Verified Purchase
Neverwhere me ha encantado. Es una historia de fantasía diferente, amena y original. Está tan bien narrada que parece hablar de un mundo real. La versión ilustrada es todo un descubrimiento: texto y dibujos maquetados de forma curiosa.
Lo leí en inglés. Para alguien con nivel medio de inglés no debería suponer un problema.
La opinión sobre libros es algo muy personal, pero solo puedo recomendarlo.

Read more
Report
Translate review to English
Seeker
Good, simple urban fantasty fun
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 24, 2022
Verified Purchase
I'm not the world's biggest Neil Gaiman fan (I liked Stardust and his collaborations with Terry Pratchett) and I can take or leave urban fantasy (a genre that is very easy to do very badly) but I found this a charming example. Yes, it is the standard plot line for this type of book (ordinary, somewhat put upon chap from this world falls into another one, struggles helplessly with some over the top villains and bewildering characters , finds his inner strength, falls in love on the way, is acclaimed as a hero and finds his niche), but it is nicely written, it bounds along, the characters are interesting, and I liked the way Mr Gaiman has adapted old myths and beliefs into his story (his Beast of London is clearly modelled on the huge and fierce hogs that the Victorian sewer-hunters believed roamed the sewers). Some reviewers have complained about lengthy, wordy and tedious descriptions but I didn't spot any. And of course the villains are amazingly villainous - that is the point!
Assuming you don't loathe urban fantasy then I would recommend this enjoyable tale; a fun specimen of the genre.

Read more
Report
cnj
une atmosphère incomparable
Reviewed in France on July 28, 2022
Verified Purchase
Est-il nécessaire de dire encore à quel point Neil Gaiman est un génie de la littérature ? La construction de ce Londres crée une atmosphère absolument incroyable. Le tout en est même très déroutant, j'ai reconnu des endroits qui me sont familiers dans la capitale britannique, j'ai cherché des indices dans la ville pour découvrir des passages secrets et je me suis réellement prise au jeu de ce livre. La familiarité de la ville se mêle avec allégresse avec l'étrangeté de l'histoire et donne un rendu complètement déroutant, désorientant.
L'atmosphère de ce livre est typiquement ce que j'aime chez Gaiman, une réalité cabossée, presque steampunk sans le bling un peu facile qui y est parfois associé. On a est plongé dans l'idée que je me fais d'une ambiance victorienne moderne. Bref, j'ai adoré ma lecture. J'ai lu la plupart des livres de Gaiman et celui-ci reste mon préféré de tous.

Read more
Report
Translate review to English

Follow the author

Neverwhere: A Novel Kindle Edition

Customers who bought this item also bought

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

From Publishers Weekly

From Library Journal

From Booklist

From Kirkus Reviews

Review

From the Inside Flap

From the Back Cover

About the Author

From AudioFile

Product details

Videos

Videos for this product

Videos for this product

About the author

Neil Gaiman

Customer reviews

Review this product

Customers say

Select to learn more

Images in this review

Reviews with images

NEVERWHERE: Taught me about Great Fantasy Writing & Entertained me along the Way

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

5.0 out of 5 stars Quirky and deep, the illustrations are perfection

4.0 out of 5 stars If you're a fan of underground worlds, you'll love this book.

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars An amalgam of various great works – and yet everything is new and unprecedented.

5.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 ⭐

5.0 out of 5 stars Una historia cautivadora

5.0 out of 5 stars Good, simple urban fantasty fun

5.0 out of 5 stars une atmosphère incomparable

Report an issue

Quirky and deep, the illustrations are perfection

If you're a fan of underground worlds, you'll love this book.

An amalgam of various great works – and yet everything is new and unprecedented.

4.5 ⭐

Una historia cautivadora

Good, simple urban fantasty fun

une atmosphère incomparable