Neverwhere

By: Neil Gaiman

Narrated by: Neil Gaiman

Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Under the streets of London there's a world most people could never even dream of: a city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, and pale girls in black velvet. Richard Mayhew is a young businessman who is about to find out more than he bargained for about this other London. A single act of kindness catapults him out of his safe and predictable life and into a world that is at once eerily familiar and yet utterly bizarre.

There's a girl named Door, an Angel called Islington, an Earl who holds Court on the carriage of a Tube train, a Beast in a labyrinth, and dangers and delights beyond imagining.... And Richard, who only wants to go home, is to find a strange destiny waiting for him below the streets of his native city.

©2000 Neil Gaiman (P)2012 Headline Digital

Critic reviews

"Prose that dances and dazzles.... Gaiman describes the indescribable." (Susanna Clarke)

"It's virtually impossible to read more than ten words by Neil Gaiman and not wish he would tell you the rest of the story." (Observer)

"Much too clever to be caught in the net of a single interpretation." (Philip Pullman)

Awesome novel

Wow.

That has been the best novel I have read in a long time. Every character managed to leap off the page and play in my brain while I read this novel. The only way that I can think of describing it is to say that it's like Alice in Wonderland written for adults in modern London where there is a London Above which we can all see and a London Below which is secret and goes unseen by everyone in London Above. Richard Mayhew moves from London Above to London Below after he stops to help a woman on the street and it's his search to help the woman answer why her family has been murdered and a way for Richard to get back to London Above.

Messrs Croup and Vandermar have to be the best written villains I have ever read and I really wish that at some point (if he hasn't already done so) Gaiman writes a spin-off for these two. Every scene they were involved in was lifted by their presence and I wanted more of them, so much more. Gaiman completely explored the world and I'm not sure if there could ever be a sequel but a novel in the same world would be spectacular.

Interesting read

Read this book as a teenager and couldn't get through it for some reason. Picked it up again and Gaiman's narration got me hooked. A little soft at times but the story more than makes up for it. Would try listening to it again someday.

Intriguing and satisfying

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is perfect for audio - strong and memorable imagery, fast-paced, enjoyable characters and a satisfying ending.

Great listen

It's a great listen and would highly and heartily recommend it for both the young and old alike.

Breathtaking

Neil Gaiman is a genius. How does one's mind conceive a story like this?
I enjoyed this book so much that I was reluctant to finish it - I didn't want to say goodbye to the characters. I think I'm going to listen to this again and again.

Master storytelling

Loved it! The author's performance is a perfect accompaniment to the epic adventure quest below.

Well written, though a little dark for my taste.

I usually prefer a lighthearted story or one with more comedy but even though it wasn't exactly to my taste I could not rate it lower. A wonderful tale with many excellent twists and outstanding characters. Neil Gaiman is exceptionally talented.

I felt transported to another world

I felt utterly transported into another world alongside Richard. Neil is such a pleasure to listen to and really brings his books to life.
I think this book is made even more enjoyable if you are familiar with London but its not a must as the story is great in itself.

My best 💕

Always been an utter favourite book, and the reading by Gaiman himself is WONDERFUL. He has a voice like he’s doing an impression of Alan Rickman doing an impression of Neil Gaiman. Don’t judge that description until you’ve given it a listen.

Loved this book

I have to say I loved Neil Gaimans the Graveyard book, and I equally loved this book. Its a real adventure through an underworld London. The characters are interesting and things are never quite what they seem. Gorgeous story. Loved it. I'll be getting more of Neil Gaimans stories.