Back of the book blurb
"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."
The best way I can describe this book to you is this:
It is a dark and twisted story with elements that reminded me of PETER PAN and THE WIZARD OF OZ, but written for adults. Neil Gaiman broke practically every rule that has ever been beaten into writers as unbreakable, and it was beautiful.
In essence, the book follows the story of Richard Mayhew, though there are plenty of other pov characters, around London Below in his quest to get home. And in order to get home, he has to help Door, a girl with a particular knack for opening anything and even creating a door where there wasn't one before. Gaiman skips around from pov to pov in a very who-dunnit-mystery kind of way.
About halfway through, you'll be positive you know who the mastermind behind everything is, but when you get to the last few chapters, you'll realize you were totally wrong. And THEN you'll be positive you finally know everything, and you'll STILL be wrong.
NEVERWHERE is one of those books that will keep you entertained all-around. Between a fantastic premise that has you constantly guessing and beautiful prose that's quite simply a pleasure to digest, you won't be able to put it down, but you won't be able to read it in a day, either. Though it's not particularly long, it IS one of those books you have to keep going back and rereading because the writing is so beautiful and intense, you'll want to keep reading the same paragraph over and over before moving on.
Out of a rating system that goes like this:
1 star: don't bother
2 stars: It may be your cup of tea, but it ain't mine
3 stars: pick it up at the library some time
4 stars: go ahead and buy it. You might like it
5 stars: What are you doing still reading this post?? Go out and buy this NOW!
I give NEVERWHERE...
5 stars!
If this review has piqued your interest, I give this link for your purchasing convenience. :)
Have any of you dear readers read this already? If so, what did you think?
I've read this book and loved it. I agree with the five stars. I cried at the end of this book just because it meant the book was over.
ReplyDeleteI love Neil Gaiman's work--I'll have to read this book!
ReplyDeletei love neverwhere SO MUCH!!!
ReplyDeletei'm glad you enjoyed it too!
i agree with you wholeheartedly on the rating! :)
love the title of the book, and he has a few of his works sold to Hollywood, so we can expect a film sooner or later.
ReplyDeleteGreat review :) I read (and reviewed) this several months ago, and I completely agree with what you've written.
ReplyDeleteI've been told by readers my writing reminds them of Gaman, so I've been too afraid to read his work and know for absolute certain he's 10 billion times better than I am. I really, really want to, but what if I never write again afterwards? It's a pickle.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds fascinating! Thanks for the review, Emily.
ReplyDeleteJai
Thanks for the review--it is now on my MUST READ list!! Sounds great. Not a Bestseller for nuttin'!
ReplyDeleteI saw the English miniseries...stumbled across it on netflix. It was weird and dark and funny. The special effects and acting were nothing to brag about, but I found myself drawn in by the underlying idea. I am sooooo glad to find out that there is a book. I will read it at once. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteCharlie--You are welcome! I've been thinking of checking out the miniseries on netflix, but since you say the acting isn't that great, maybe I won't. Books are always better anyway! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd welcome to the blog! It's great having you here!
Thanks. Always glad to find more literary nerds in the world. I'll try to remember to let you know after I read the book if the miniseries is worth your time. I loved it, but that really had to do with the idea that someone could cease to exist and go unnoticed overnight...and the society that would build up around such people.
ReplyDeleteFunny Stuff I Write
Charlie--Please do remember! :) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOkay...so I finished the book and decided to coe back and let you know if the mini-series is worth your time. Yes, the special effects were lacking more than a little. They did not do London Below justice, nor the Market, nor the Beast. Yet, the actors were better than I initially thought. They do a decent job of portraying the characters. Overall, I say the mini-series is worth your time just for the acting of the marquis. He does an amazing job of fleshing out that character. There ya go. Ü
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