Book Review: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Oct. 21st, 2005 11:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
juushikaTitle: Neverwhere
Author: Neil Gaiman
Published: Harper Torch , New York, 1997 (2001)
Pages: 370
Total pages: 7916
Text number: 26
Read for:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
lumos_daily book club.
In brief: Neverwhere isn't a life-changing novel, but it is an original work, twisted and twisty, dark, complete, and fascinating. Gaiman's style is better adapted to graphic novels and children's books, but he nonetheless manages to write a novel that will capture the reader until its completion and open up an entirely new, upside-down, crazy world.
I read this so that I could participate in the Lumos discussion of the book, and I came into it expecting an entertaining read of questionable "depth." I had read some of Gaiman's other work and I'm familiar with his obsessions and style, but I was still impressed by this novel. It's more gripping and entertaining than I expected, and while the depth is still questionable there is plenty of room for analysis, curiosity, questions, and discussion (though things would have gone better on Lumos if more people had read the book/participated).
Gaiman turns London upside down for this novel—literally. Much of the book takes place in London Below, a place of fiefdoms, beasts, magic, and curses that a man from London Above is thrown into unsuspecting. Gaiman's new world is so immense that it would be impossible to fit into a single novel, but he does manage to give enough insight into it that the reader can glimpse the complexity and depth of that world. In fact, he may try to take on too much and show us too much, but that's debatable. He forces the reader to accept and embrace this entirely new, backwards world just as the main character does, and the result is an acceptance of the unknown, the forgotten, and even the impossible.
Much of the text seems to harken back to Alice in Wonderland, a style that Gaiman imitates somewhat unsuccessfully and twists into a darker mimicry. He creates a looking glass world that does provide commentary on who we really are and what we are capable of, and for that reason I enjoyed this book. I read it quickly, was engrossed by it, and loved Gaiman's new world. However, Gaimen is not quite as successful in creating Wonderland as Lewis Carroll was, which makes the text a bit disappointing and strips away some of the depth that it needs. There are more characters and more ground to cover with a more coherent plot, which creates a satisfying ending but lessens the sense of wonder and meaning. Don't expect this book to change your life, but to expect it to entertain you greatly and make you think a little. It's a text that I plan to reread and enjoyed discussing, but it doesn't make my list of favorites.
Review posted here at Amazon.com.
Author: Neil Gaiman
Published: Harper Torch , New York, 1997 (2001)
Pages: 370
Total pages: 7916
Text number: 26
Read for:
lumos_daily book club.In brief: Neverwhere isn't a life-changing novel, but it is an original work, twisted and twisty, dark, complete, and fascinating. Gaiman's style is better adapted to graphic novels and children's books, but he nonetheless manages to write a novel that will capture the reader until its completion and open up an entirely new, upside-down, crazy world.
I read this so that I could participate in the Lumos discussion of the book, and I came into it expecting an entertaining read of questionable "depth." I had read some of Gaiman's other work and I'm familiar with his obsessions and style, but I was still impressed by this novel. It's more gripping and entertaining than I expected, and while the depth is still questionable there is plenty of room for analysis, curiosity, questions, and discussion (though things would have gone better on Lumos if more people had read the book/participated).
Gaiman turns London upside down for this novel—literally. Much of the book takes place in London Below, a place of fiefdoms, beasts, magic, and curses that a man from London Above is thrown into unsuspecting. Gaiman's new world is so immense that it would be impossible to fit into a single novel, but he does manage to give enough insight into it that the reader can glimpse the complexity and depth of that world. In fact, he may try to take on too much and show us too much, but that's debatable. He forces the reader to accept and embrace this entirely new, backwards world just as the main character does, and the result is an acceptance of the unknown, the forgotten, and even the impossible.
Much of the text seems to harken back to Alice in Wonderland, a style that Gaiman imitates somewhat unsuccessfully and twists into a darker mimicry. He creates a looking glass world that does provide commentary on who we really are and what we are capable of, and for that reason I enjoyed this book. I read it quickly, was engrossed by it, and loved Gaiman's new world. However, Gaimen is not quite as successful in creating Wonderland as Lewis Carroll was, which makes the text a bit disappointing and strips away some of the depth that it needs. There are more characters and more ground to cover with a more coherent plot, which creates a satisfying ending but lessens the sense of wonder and meaning. Don't expect this book to change your life, but to expect it to entertain you greatly and make you think a little. It's a text that I plan to reread and enjoyed discussing, but it doesn't make my list of favorites.
Review posted here at Amazon.com.
