I'd have to say this is an enjoyable romp, but not Gaiman's best. So while I criticise here, bear in mind I'm Gaiman fan and i know how good he can be so this is largely me wanting it to live up to his own high standards a little more. In his introduction Gaiman mentions he had arguments with his editor about the number of jokes he put in, and I suspect I agree with his editor. I enjoyed it more once the story got going but before that point I found the gag rate a bit distracting. It's all still very good and wonderfully inventive though, obvs.

A dark and grimy fairytale with immaculate writing (as expected from Gaiman).

Pretty good. This book starts off slow, but it is worth the read just because of the ending. His other book, stardust, is still better, but it really depends on what type of fantasy you are looking for. Stardust is more of a classical/ medieval fantasy, and neverwhere is more along the lines of Holly Black's Tithe and Valiant.

One of the most vibrant books I have ever read--I didn't want it to end. Neil Gaiman is an effervescent wordsmith.

4.5

Neverwhere was a wonderful experience blending the often mundane, familiar normalcy of our daily lives with the unfamiliar, unseen elements that surround us (or lie beneath us, in this instance).

Following the journey of Richard between London above and below alone was intriguing - I loved seeing Gaiman's common, seemingly unbestowed with any powerful traits protagonist be rejected from this new world time and time again. As a result of these rejections, seeing how he changes as a character (albeit slowly - which is absolutely fitting) and develops into one of the residents of London below is continually engaging.

All of the other characters had such remarkable foibles lending to a level of continual dysfunction and unexpected twists that became the operating norm of the novel. Whenever I felt that I truly understood a character and their motivations, inevitably a situation would occur where I'd go back and reassess how I arrived at the conclusion I had about that character in the first place.

The amount of plot twists that were truly unexpected was fantastic. It certainly would be worth a re-read to catch all of the hidden or seemingly unremarkable events throughout the book that may have alluded to future twists!

To say Gaiman's masterful storytelling is superb as always would be beating a dead horse, one that would certainly be valued highly at the Floating Market.

The characters are so unmotivated. I, likewise, found it increasingly difficult to be motivated to continue this tale.

3.5 - I enjoyed the writing, the plot, and the side characters! The main character was boring though and there were some gaps in the world/plot that I would've loved to have explained or more clearly connected.