Wendy

I enjoy Neil Gaimans work greatly, and recommend it frequently. While this novel features some of the speculative nature of his work, it is fundamentally flawed.
The premise of the book is intriguing--a man realizes he's dead, his heart has stopped, and needs to learn why he's been brought back to life. For what purpose? He's told repeatedly that he wouldn't understand, there are hints of greater purpose... and when the big reason is finally revealed, I wonder, "really? this was what was so difficult to understand?"
Spoiler alert! The fascination of a novel like this one is to see its philosophy unfold, the rules it sets for itself, and how it can resolve itself within these rules. But at the end, this novel breaks its fundamental premise: that the main character is dead, putting him in the hospital clinging to... what? Death? He needs a blood infusion, this man who is dead and without a heart beat?
The novel does feature some lovely details of a relationship that are interesting and delightful. However, the german accent given to the Austrian girlfriend is distracting and overbearing.