Book review - Neverwhere

I’ve thought about doing (non-knitting) book reviews on this blog before and always decided against it. Most recently my book reviews have been going on Goodreads, that’s what it’s for after all. But the demands of three blog posts a week, plus socialising, a relationship, holding down a job, knitting and all the little things that make up a life, have meant that reviewing books has fallen by the wayside. So I’ve decided that it’s time to start putting reviews here.

First up is an old title: Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere. I’d been wanting to read this for some time. I watched the TV show when it was first shown many years ago and later read that Gaiman wasn’t entirely happy with the way the series turned out; he published the book to redress the balance. Having loved the series I wanted to find out what his vision for the story had been.

The book is the story of Richard Mayhew, who after a random act of kindness, finds himself no longer a part of the life he knows, of London Above, and instead one of London Below – where all those who fall through the cracks end up. Here he finds adventure, murders to be solved, keys to be found, beasts to be slain and assassins to be avoided at all costs.

Richard isn't an entirely sympathetic character. He's weak, bullied by his overbearing girlfriend, a bit whiny. His journey in London Below is as much emotional as physical, and the changes his adventures forge in him are wide ranging and long lasting.

The storytelling is fantastic – and fantastical – with London Below well realised as a forgotten, hidden realm that Londoners will find both strange and familiar. I love books about London and ones about an alternative to the city we all know and love have an especial appeal. China Mieville's wonderful Un Lun Dun comes to mind.

The characters are well drawn and believeable, particularly Hunter and the Marquis de Carabas, although my personal favourites have to be Mr Croupe and Mr Vandemar. The sense of menace whenever they are on the page is almost palpable – no small feat in a book.

This really is an excellent book. And how does it compare to the TV show? Well it's been so long since I saw the series that I really can't remember. I think I shall be making a DVD purchase very shortly.