Neverwhere

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Review by Louis

I've already read some of Neil Gaiman's work before Neverwhere, and I’m sort of glad I had. It feels a bit unpolished compared to some of the rest, and I didn’t like it as much as American Gods (the progression between the two is very marked) or most of the stories in Smoke and Mirrors. I still enjoyed it but there’s something about it that left me feeling a little unsatisfied. There’s no lack of originality and imagination, of course, as is always the case with Gaiman, the characters are enjoyable for the most part and there are some really funny moments. I guess it feels a little like a short story which happens to be a novel. The plot is pretty straight forward and there was never any real mystery to it in my opinion. I presume that the twists are meant to be a surprise but none of them was very much. There’s also a certain feeling of cliche to the way the characters behave and the ideas put forth through the story. I feel like it’s telling me things I’ve heard plenty of times before.

I know all that seems very critical, but I did enjoy the book really. It’s got good writing, and is consistently witty and droll if not overtly humourous, the characters are enjoyable although not terribly well developed for the most part, and the plot is interesting but not difficult. The high point really is the world created as a backdrop and the characters who inhabit it, not the story itself. All that said, it’s a good enjoyable book and well worth a read.

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