Bookish Thoughts: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon. It is also where I share my first impressions about the book I am sharing.

The night before he went to London, Richard Mayhew was not enjoying himself. 

Every Tuesday, Jenn from Books And A Beat hosts Teaser Tuesdays at which time participants grab their current read, open to a random page, and share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page while avoiding any spoilers.

Teaser from Neverwhere, page 4:

The old woman took the umbrella, gratefully, and smiled her thanks. "You've a good heart," she told him. "Sometimes that's enough to see you safe wherever you go." Then she shook her head. "But mostly, it's not." 

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

William Morrow, 2014 (originally published in 1997)

Fiction; 336 pgs

When I noticed Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere was going on tour, I immediately volunteered. I have only read a handful of Gaiman's novels, but he is one of those authors who never fails to impress me with his writing and imagination.

Neil Gaiman wrote Neverwhere while shooting the BBC miniseries of the same name. The show wasn't quite living up to his expectations. It could not capture the entire story he wanted to tell, nor did he feel his best scenes always got in the final cut. The novel has recently been re-released in the author's preferred text, reconciling the various versions of the novel that have come out, adding and cutting scenes.

Richard Mayhew is just an ordinary man, living a relatively normal life. It's not a very exciting life, at that. As he and his fiancée, Jessica, are walking to a restaurant for an important meeting with Jessica's boss, Richard sees a young woman bleeding on the sidewalk. Jessica tells him to leave her, but Richard cannot help but assist the woman. By doing so, he steps into a different reality, one which exists alongside his own, only below. Below the London he knows. Richard's own life is in a shambles as a result of his crossover into the shadows, and he turns to Door and the Marquis de Carabas for help. He joins them on Door's mission to find out who was behind the murder of her family, taking them all through London Below, going up against monsters and making new allies.

This dark and comic novel was such a delightful read. Richard is indeed rather ordinary. He has no special skills and can be a bit petulant at times, but given the circumstances, is it really any wonder? Door is extraordinary, a door opener, whose family, before their deaths, was quite powerful in London Below. It is obvious she is well respected. She is the last of her line and determined to find out the reason behind her family's murder--and who ordered their deaths.

The novel is filled with fascinating characters from Old Bailey and his birds, the Marquis who I never quite knew whether I should trust and yet liked just the same; Hunter, a fierce fighter and bodyguard for hire; the rat speakers and the rats themselves; Islington, the angel; to Mr. Croup who loves words (and has some of the best lines in the novel) and Mr. Vandemeer who has a big appetite; the intimidating Serpentine, and a dozen others.

A mixed band of individuals going on a quest is not new to the fantasy genre, but I like Gaiman's approach to it in Neverwhere. An astute reader may notice the several literary allusions, although it isn't at all necessary to do so to enjoy the novel. I'm sure I missed half of them at least. Gaiman's sense of humor, the enduring and interesting characters, and the mystery surrounding Door's family's death kept me riveted to the pages of the novel. I found Neverwhere to be extremely entertaining and a fun read over all.

I cannot help but wonder if the author intended to write a follow-up book given the ending. While the ending wraps the story in Neverwhere up nicely, it does offer a little tease near the end that leaves it wide open for another novel.

This edition of the book ends with a short story called "How the Marquis Got His Coat Back," which gives the reader more of a look into the Marquis de Carabas. He's quite cunning, our Marquis. It's a great addition to the Neverwhere novel.

I could not help but watch the BBC miniseries after finishing the book. The show originally aired in 1996, starring Laura Fraser and Gary Bakewell. Peter Capaldi of Doctor Who fame plays Islington. The show obviously shows its age, given the twenty years since it first aired. The show is fairly true to the book in terms of the story line, and so I imagine if you want to avoid the book being spoiled, definitely read that first. The interactions between Mr. Coup and Mr. Vandemeer in the television show weren't quite as entertaining in the television show as they were in the book, but the Marquis, played by Paterson Joseph, was just as I imagined him. I heard there was talk of a remake of the series. I think that might be fun. Hopefully the Beast will be better cast this time around. I did enjoy the television miniseries, but the book is so much better--no surprise there.

To learn more about Neil Gaiman and his work, please visit the author's website. He can also be found on Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter. 

I hope you will check out what others had to say about June on the TLC Book Tours route!

Many thanks to the TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to be a part of this book tour.  Review copy provided by publisher for an honest review.

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