This eccentric and whimsical place is given a lot of world-building, and this is where most of the novel's charm can be found. While Richard Mayhew is the proclaimed protagonist of Neverwhere, I’d argue the real main character is London Below itself. I think he achieved this with the creation and description of London Below. In the preface to the novel, Gaiman explains he wanted to write a book that makes adults feel like he did as a child first reading Alice in Wonderland, the Narnia books and Wizard of Oz. There were also some really interesting characters that didn’t get as much “screen time” as I’d have liked, such as the Rat Speakers. It felt almost like a story made up of a series of things that happened because they were extraordinary and fantastical. However, at the end of the story, when I looked back, the whole thing felt like a series of loosely connected events which our protagonist passively journeyed through. This isn’t a bad thing in and of itself, it makes it fun to read, and I found myself wanting to turn the page to see where the main cast would go next and who they’d meet. There are self-contained elements within each chapter, and most of the time, the reader is introduced to new characters, locations or something magically quirky. However, on the negative, each chapter feels episodic. Layers of meaning are caught in each monologue and exchange. The dialogue can both ground the characters and make them feel otherworldly. You can also hear the distinct voices and accents of characters in the text. You’ll smirk, you’ll laugh, and when appropriate, you’ll wince. On the positive side, there is a heavy emphasis on dialogue, and the conversations in this novel carry it. The novel was originally a television script, which shows both positively and negatively in the text.

However, as pointed out to me by a member of Book Club, it’s worth noting there are different editions of Neverwhere out there, including a UK, USA and the ‘author’s preferred’ version. In March, my workplace Book Club read Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere.įor those that don't know, Neverwhere follows Richard Mayhew, a young businessman from Scotland, through his trials and tribulations within London Below, a semi-magic realm hidden within the gaps and forgotten spaces festooned across the capital.

Verdict: Whimsical British series of adventures. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman This love letter to the magic and majesty of London is sometimes an enthralling mystery, but mainly it's a capricious and witty series of adventures through a strange yet familiar world of magic.

Neverwhere book 2