Fantasy
Annotation: Neverwhere
Author:
Neil Gaiman
Title:
Neverwhere
Genre:
Fantasy (science fiction/adventure)
Publication
Date: 1996
Publisher: Avon
Books (New York)
Number
of Pages: 370 pages
Geographic
Setting: London
Time
Period: unknown
Series
(if applicable): None
Plot
Summary: Richard Mayhew
lives a simple life until he helps a hurt, young woman named Door who states
she is from under London. When she
leaves, he finds he has been erased from the world, meaning no one knows him
and he does not exist. He discovers that
under London is actually a whole new world where mystical creatures, murderers,
and angels live. He finds Door, and
meets Hunter and Marquis de Carabas, and decides to help her find out who
killed her family as well as finding a way to get his life back.
Subject
Headings: underground areas, subway, angels,
Appeal: For
those who love a good fantasy where monsters and humans exist. Ages 16 and over due to some gruesome and
disturbing scenes.
3
Terms that describe book: twisting, adventurous, and dark
Similar
Works and Authors:
The
Midnight Mayor – Kate Griffin: A story about a sorcerer
Matthew Swift who discovers the secret behind the magical wards of London.
Whispers
Underground – Ben Aaronovitch: A story about an
apprentice sorcerer who teams up with the last remaining wizard to figure out
who killed a young teenager in the London subway.
The
Naming of the Beast – Mike Carey: A tale of Felix Castor, who
must decide how to face a deadly demon who is roaming the streets.
Personal
Thoughts: Fantasy is not one of my strongest genres, but I have
started to figure out what kind of fantasy books I like, and this one is
definitely one I have never read before.
The thought of a world underneath a city just blew me away, especially a
world where angels and murderers live.
“Richard wondered where they were.
This didn’t seem to be a sewer.
Perhaps it was a tunnel for telephone cables, or for very small
trains. Or for … something else. He realized that he did not know very much
about what went on beneath the streets of London” (Gaiman, 1996, 42).
I would have to say what I liked about this book was
the many twists and turns that came with is, as well as Richard figuring out
how to face his fears to help his new friends.
What is different about this book is how it is written. Usually each chapter involves different
characters, or one side story is a chapter and the next chapter is another
story. But this one, each paragraph
switched to Door and Richard, and the next is about another character, but they
do come together.
Either way, this book is definitely unlike anything I
have ever read, but in a good way.
“Fantasy is ultimately an optimistic genre, with the forces of good
eventually conquering the evil (although it may take several long books in a
series to accomplish this). The pattern
of the genre leads to a hopeful outcome, no matter how grievous the trials
along the way” (Saricks, 2009, 269).
References:
Gaiman, N. (1996).
Neverwhere. New York: Avon Books.
Saricks, J.
(2009). The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. 2nd Ed.
Chicago: American Library
Association.
Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors, and this was the first novel of his that I read. (At least where he was the solo author...I first read "Good Omens", which he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett. Still one of my favorites to this day!) I'm glad you enjoyed it even though it challenged your reading habits. Gaiman can definitely come up with some weird, dark things, but ultimately I think all his stories are just like you said...optimistic.
ReplyDeleteThis was one of the first books I read by Neil Gaiman as well! I think your description of the book as "twisting" is really apt, as it captures the physical nature of the setting as well as the confusion the protagonist feels.
ReplyDeleteSince we annotated the same book, I wanted to read your thoughts on Gaiman. This was not my first Fantasy novel but it was my first exposure to a Gaiman novel. I appreciate that you added a disclaimer of 16 and older due to some of the gory scenes. You were spot on with "dark" as a describing term but, like you, I did feel optimistic at the end. I will be reading more Gaiman in the future.
ReplyDeleteGreat fantasy annotation! Glad to see you reading outside your comfort zone. Full points and nice disclaimer and personal opinion!
ReplyDelete