#librophile

Anytime I read something by Neil Gaiman, I am instantly captivated and pulled into the book. He has a way of storytelling that is so personal and well developed that is impossible not to love.  Neverwhere is no exception. Yes, I am about 16 years late on reading this novel, which is actually a novelization of the 1996 BBC 2 series, which never really took off.  The book is captivating, and I believe that if it were televised today, it would be a hit.  Silly BBC canceling pure gold...   Anyways...

Neverwhere focuses on Richard Mayhew, a young man in London who becomes entangled in the magical London Below, a hidden society beneath the streets and in the subways of the city.  This world is generally unnoticed by the inhabitants of London Above until Richard Mayhew fatefully encounters a young-London-Below-girl in distress named Door.  Richard enters London Below to assist Door in her--for lack of a better word--"quest", and becomes terrified, confused, and strangely enthralled by the norms and mystical elements of his hidden world. 

Gaiman, as always, is extremely successful in creating very colorful and very powerful characters that readers love, or love to hate, instantly.  The book does a great job of developing the duel societies and the effects they have on Richard when he tries to bridge both worlds.  This book had me glued to each page, anxious for the journey, and attached to the characters and relationships they developed.

For simply being a novelization of a failed BBC show,  this book is astounding.  Neil Gaiman has hinted at a sequel sometime in the future, and after this adventure with Richard Mayhew, Door, and their companions, you too will be waiting impatiently for Gaiman to put his pen to paper and continue the magic.

Genre:  Adventure, Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 Stars  ****