Neverwhere

by Neil Gaiman

Review by Stephen Clark

Let me hold my hand up and say that yes I’ve only just read Neverwhere! It’s been one of those books I’ve always meant to read and has constantly been put on the backburner for another book. Having just finished it I realize what a complete fool I’ve been.

We follow Richard Mayhew, a man who lives and works in London, a contented man, a man whose life is pretty much mapped out with love and success. On an evening particularly important to his fiancé (regarding a business meeting) they come across a girl slumped against a wall dirty and bloodied. Against Jess’ (sorry Jessica’s) wishes Richard gathers the pale waif in his arms and returns home, abandoning the booked dinner table, the meeting and it seems, relationship, all for this victim who pleads for the police not to be involved.

Richard allows the girl to stay the night and following a sofa induced sleep, with nightmares to keep him company, awakes the next day to answer the door to two unpleasant looking gentlemen. They barge in looking for the girl and when they enter the bathroom to which the girl had only entered moments before, they find it empty. The strange men apologize and leave. The girl re-appears from no-where and from then on the book turns into a strange ‘Alice in wonderland’ type tale. We’re shown a strange city (called Below London) that dwells below ‘Above London’. It’s a city where the girl’s family has been murdered and where she’s the next on the (two gentlemen’s) list. Richard, abate through an act of kindness, is forced to help as it becomes clear he has slipped though the cracks of his own world and become ghostlike to his friends, work colleagues and former fiancé.

Sound interesting? It is! We’re propelled into an ancient world of barter, of characters full of mystery and twist. The Marquis de Carabas, Hunter, Old Bailey, The Earl, Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar – all of them are a reader’s delight. As good as 'American Gods' and very recommended.    

Publisher: William Morrow 1997

ISBN: 0380973634 - Hardcover (352 pages)

Publisher: Avon 1998

ISBN: 0380789019 - Paperback (400 pages)

Publisher: Headline 2000

ISBN:  0-7472-6668-9 -  Paperback (387 pages)

Publisher: Perennial 2003

ISBN: 0060557818 -  Paperback (400 pages)