Neverwhere: A Novel (edition 2003)

by Neil Gaiman (Author)

Series: London Below (1)

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Conversations / Mentions
25,592	596	139	(4.09)	2 / 1187
A man goes to the aid of woman pursued by assassins and discovers an alternative City of London, a subterranean, medieval world populated by "people who fell through the cracks" from the real city above. A fantasy tale, replete with demons and wizards.

▾Book information

Member:	SA_Jane
Title:	Neverwhere: A Novel
Authors:	Neil Gaiman (Author)
Info:	William Morrow Paperbacks (2003), 400 pages
Collections:	Your library
Rating:
Tags:	None

Work Information

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

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243
American Gods by Neil Gaiman (WilliamPascoe)
WilliamPascoe: Phenominally brilliant fantasy .
170
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2510
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (souloftherose)
souloftherose: Although Neverwhere and The Hitchhiker's Guide (THHG) are different genres (the first is urban fantasy, the second comic science-fiction) I felt there was a lot of similarity between the characters of Richard Mayhew (in Neverwhere) and Arthur Dent (in THHG). Both are a kind of everyman with whom the reader can identify and both embody a certain 'Britishness'. And they're both stonkingly good books by British authors.… (more)
121
Kraken by China Miéville (fugitive)
fugitive: Another urban fantasy vision of London.
111
Un Lun Dun by China Miéville (elbakerone, ahstrick)
111
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (riverwillow)
100
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch (riverwillow)
riverwillow: Both 'Neverwhere' and 'Rivers of London' (US title 'Midnight Riot') evoke a magical fairy tale London which sometimes feels more authentic then any real life guide to the city.
80
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll (sturlington)
sturlington: Neverwhere is a lot like a grown-up's Wonderland, and the two stories have a similar, surrealistic feel.
40
Gloriana by Michael Moorcock (ed.pendragon)
ed.pendragon: Both fantasy titles explore the seedy underbelly of London, one in Tudor times, the other more recently in London Below.
51
Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green (Phantasma)
Phantasma: The nightside novels are a little darker, but if you like the ideas presented in Neverwhere, you'll most likely enjoy the Nightside (actually, I prefer the Nightside and it's gritty dark humor).
30
Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch (Jannes)
Jannes: For all your "supernatural secrets in the London underground"-needs.
74
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20
The Secret History of Moscow by Ekaterina Sedia (elbakerone, parasolofdoom)
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ed.pendragon: Fantasy mixing late 20th century London with fairytale, myth and menace.
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42
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21
The Raw Shark Texts: A Novel by Steven Hall (freddlerabbit)
10
The Mysteries by Lisa Tuttle (ehines)
ehines: Regular guy stumbles into the secret realm. In Neverwhere this secret realm is very much a London one; in the Mysteries it is decidedly an old Celtic one. Also Never where turns into a full-blown fantasy adventure, while the Mysteries stays mostly realistic.
21
A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin (martlet, readhead)
98
The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett (derelicious)

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▾Will you like it?

▾Conversations (About links)

Group › Topic	Messages	Last Message
Folio Society Devotees: New Release: Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman	148 unread / 148	red_guy, September 2022
The SF&F Book Chat: Chat about... Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman	4 unread / 4	Hatgirl, May 2012

» See also 1187 mentions

▾Member reviews

English (573) German (5) Italian (3) Finnish (2) French (2) Dutch (2) Spanish (1) Norwegian (1) Catalan (1) Swedish (1) Portuguese (Brazil) (1) Danish (1) Portuguese (1) All languages (594)

date ▼ | votes

Showing 1-5 of 573 (next | show all)

When Richard Mayhew helps a girl named Door bleeding, little did he know that she would open the Door to another world for him, changing his life. Fantastic world building, tying in the world Richard knows and the one that Door is apart of. Neil Gaiman is my favorite author, but I think this book was a little too slow for me and I found myself having to push to finish it, especially since it was a dark story and it was hard to like the characters. (

)

quirkx | Jan 6, 2025 |

I have been learning something about storytelling, and this book has most of the key elements...

It has a down the rabbit hole at the beginning, with a lot of quests and ordeals, and finishes with a reward.

It was mystery elements, in a "who killed Door's family?" form.

And it has lots of humour and irony.

Now the spoilers...

I guess I'll start from the end. I loved the whole I want to go home ("Who do you think she is -- the Wizard of Oz?") quest of Richard, just so he could find out that his version of home was boring, and he really wanted to go back...

I also loved the concept of London Underground. All the characters around, and the way they were constructed around stereotypes, and the fact that Richard was so boring that he couldn't identify Lamia as a succubus.

I also loved the marquis de Carabas. In the first pages the name reminded me of something, then it reminded me of a fairy tale, but I couldn't say which. Then I remembered, and some pages after that, the marquis himself says he was inspired by the fairy tale, and that is where he took the name... I love how he took the subtle use of the name and the clothing and uses it over and over, and in the end he spells it out, just to make sure every one understands it.

In one point Lamia compares their desires to those of the characters of the Wizard of Oz. The characters use it consistently to mock Richard about is desire to go home, and his view that every quest deserves a reward... (

)

Artemisa | Dec 30, 2024 |

I don't think I've ever read anything by Neil Gaiman that I didn't really, truly enjoy. But this one is extra special, probably because of the hugely entertaining villains Croup and Vandemar. Their banter is priceless. (

)

DS_LaLonde | Dec 20, 2024 |

meh. it was okay. This author writes an awful lot of YA and I think that pretty well sums up his book. It's kind of a juvenile plot and the characters are pretty childish (so much so I kept forgetting the main character was old enough to hold a job!!)

But, it was kind of cute. (

)

Trisha_Thomas | Nov 13, 2024 |

One of my favorite books. I love the concepts in this story. Especially the idea of London Below. (

)

MoodleZu | Oct 20, 2024 |

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Showing 1-5 of 573 (next | show all)

▾Published reviews

3 reviews

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thingScore 75

Gaiman blends history and legend to fashion a traditional tale of good versus evil, replete with tarnished nobility, violence, wizardry, heroism, betrayal, monsters and even a fallen angel. The result is uneven. His conception of London Below is intriguing, but his characters are too obviously symbolic (Door, for example, possesses the ability to open anything). Also, the plot seems a patchwork quilt of stock fantasy images. Adapted from Gaiman's screenplay for a BBC series, this tale would work better with fewer words and more pictures.

added by Shortride | editPublishers Weekly (May 19, 1997)

The novel is consistently witty, suspenseful, and hair-raisingly imaginative in its contemporary transpositions of familiar folk and mythic materials (one can read Neverwhere as a postmodernist punk Faerie Queene). Readers who've enjoyed the fantasy work of Tim Powers and William Browning Spencer won't want to miss this one. And, yes, Virginia, there really are alligators in those sewers--and Gaiman makes you believe it.

added by Shortride | editKirkus Reviews

The millions who know The Sandman, the spectacularly successful graphic novel series Gaiman writes, will have a jump start over other fantasy fans at conjuring the ambience of his London Below, but by no means should those others fail to make the setting's acquaintance. It is an Oz overrun by maniacs and monsters, and it becomes a Shangri-La for Richard. Excellent escapist fare.

added by Shortride | editBooklist, Ray Olson

▾Other authors

» Add other authors (15 possible)

Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Gaiman, Neil	—	primary author	all editions	confirmed
Althoff, Gerlinde	—	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Berggren, Hans	—	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Braiter, Paulina	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
D'Alessandro, Jaime	Afterword	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Fabry, Glenn	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Faerna, Mónica	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Gaiman, Neil	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Halperin, Amy	Cover designer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Hohl, Tina	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Kivimäki, Mika	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Marcel, Patrick	—	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Mcginnis, Robert	Cover artist	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
McKean, Dave	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Osyczka, Dan	Endpaper map	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Pék, Zoltán	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Rĳsewĳk, Erica van	—	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Villa, Elisa	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Vojtková, Ladislava	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

▾Series and work relationships

Belongs to Series

London Below (1)

Belongs to Publisher Series

HarperAudio

Il libro d'oro [Fanucci]

TIF: Tascabili immaginario Fanucci [Fanucci]

Is contained in

Neverwhere | Stardust | Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman

Neverwhere | Stardust | American Gods | Anansi Boys | Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman

American Gods | Anansi Boys | Neverwhere | Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Has the adaptation

Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere [comic book adaptation] by Mike Carey

Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere [1996 TV series] by Dewi Humphreys

Is expanded in

Neverwhere: The Author's Preferred Text by Neil Gaiman

Inspired

Where's Neil When You Need Him? by Neil Gaiman

Has as a supplement

Rogues by George R. R. Martin

▾Awards and Honors

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▾Common Knowledge

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Canonical title

Neverwhere

Original title

Neverwhere

Alternative titles

Original publication date

People/Characters

Important places

Night's Bridge, London Below, London, England, UK

Floating Market, London Below, London, England, UK

Earl's Court, London Below, London, England, UK

The Angelus, London Below, London, England, UK

(show all 11 items)

Important events

Related movies

Neverwhere (1996 | IMDb)

Epigraph

I have never been to St. John's Wood. I dare not. I should be afraid of the innumerable night of fir trees, afraid to come upon a blood red cup and the beating of the wings of the Eagle.
– The Napoleon of Notting Hill, G. K. Chesterton

If ever though gavest hosen or shoon
Then every night and all
Sit thou down and put them on
And Christ receive thy soul

This aye night, this aye night
Every night and all
Fire and fleet and candlelight
And Christ receive thy soul

If ever thou gavest meat or drink
Then every night and all
The fire shall never make thee shrink
And Christ receive thy soul

– The Lyke Wake Dirge (traditional)

Dedication

For Lenny Henry, friend and colleague, who made it happen all the way; and Merrilee Heifetz, friend and agent, who makes everything good.

First words

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

She had been running for four days now, a harum-scarum tumbling flight through passages and tunnels.

Quotations

"It starts with doors."

"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."

There are four simple ways for the observant to tell Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar apart: first, Mr. Vandemar is two and a half heads taller than Mr. Croup; secnod, Mr. Croup has eyes of a faded china blue, while Mr. Vandemar's eyes are brown; third, while Mr. Vandemar fashioned the rings he wears on his right hand out of the skulls of four ravens, Mr. Croup has no obvious jewelry; fourth, Mr. Croup likes words, while Mr. Vandemar is always hungry. Also, they look nothing at all alike.

He continued, slowly, by a process of osmosis and white knowledge (which is like white noise, only more useful)...

It was a good place, and a fine city, but there is a price to be paid for all good places, and a price that all good places have to pay.

(show all 13 items)

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

This is main work for the book Neverwhere. It should not be combined with the TV series on which it is based.

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Original language

Canonical DDC/MDS

Canonical LCC

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (2)

Neil Gaiman bibliography

Neverwhere (novel)

▾Book descriptions

A man goes to the aid of woman pursued by assassins and discovers an alternative City of London, a subterranean, medieval world populated by "people who fell through the cracks" from the real city above. A fantasy tale, replete with demons and wizards.

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▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

Neverwhere is the story of Richard Mayhew and his adventures through London. At the start of the story, he is a young businessman, with a normal life. All this changes, however, when he stops to help a mysterious young girl who appears before him, bleeding and weakened, as he walks with his fiancée to dinner to meet her influential boss.

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