Unforgettable....

I read this book many, many years ago and have never read another one anything like it. After 60 years of constant reading, "Neverwhere" is one of only a handful of books that has stayed with me, stuck in my mind forever. Out of probably thousands of books I've read, this one has to be my very favorite. I recommend it to everyone I meet who has enough imagination to enjoy it. Because a healthy imagination is definitely necessary!

I won't summarize the plot here; others can do that better than I. I don't even know how to classify it: Mystery, Fantasy, Adventure, Horror? "Neverwhere" is all of these. My advice? Save it for a free weekend, turn off the phone, find a comfortable place to curl up with it, and prepare to enter another world. This is THE most fantastic story I've ever come across!

Exciting Stuff (and a little bit to think about)

I've had friends recommending Neil Gaiman to me for quite a while now, and for some reason, I was just never that enthused about reading anything by him. It turns out, I was really wrong. Neverwhere is the first Gaiman book I've read, and it was excellent. I can't wait to get to other novels by this guy.

Neverwhere is about Richard Mayhew, who is basically an unhappy loser struggling through his everyday life. That is, until he helps out a mysterious girl laying in the streets. After this, he is a loser trying to survive in the fantastical, surreal, dangerous, unbelievablely dark underworld of London. He has to encounter all sorts of maniacal enemies, including two assissins who are perhaps the most morbid I've seen in any story. Of course, he gets drawn into an impossible quest as well, and he has a few friends to accompany him through his adventures. There are some pretty old fantasy motifs here, but with Gaiman writing, everything seems original. There is certainly no excitement lacking in this compelling novel.

There's also a certain depth to the novel that really adds to the effect. The novel's littered with meaningful allusions to religious stories, fairy tales, and literary works (particularly by G.K. Chesterton). It all culminates into a sort of rumination on the essentiality of imagination to enhance ordinary life and perhaps allow for transcendence.

Overall, this is a really solid work. There's plenty to enjoy here and a little to think about.

Outstanding Book

What a captivating book! Neil Gaiman has such an intricate imagination and invites everyone into it with his wonderful storytelling. I cannot wait to read more books of his...