Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Richard Mayhew's posh London life is about to change forever. In "heroically" helping a woman in distress named Door, he plummets himself into the world below, the one that exists beneath London within the Old City, the elaborate underground system, and, of course, the sewers. Having slipped through the cracks of reality, Richard must help Door save her world below in order to get the chance to be able to return to his own, above. In a world made for the people society has mistreated or forgotten, he must navigate his way through a familiarly unfamiliar London, avoiding dangers around every corner, to not only safe London Below, but to learn his true place in the world(s) as well.
This story, weaved throughout the labyrinth of the London Underground and all the mysterious things that happen there, will draw you in from the first moment. This book was so good and probably one of my favourite of Gaiman's work thus far (first will always be Good Omens). Not only was it legitimately well-written and mysterious, but it was funny as hell. It was also extremely nostalgic for me. My most memorable summer will always be the one with my Europe trip where a friend and I spent a full week in London and it felt like we spent at least 3/4 of that time in the underground system and, of course, visiting the main tourist destinations along the Thames. This book encapsulates all of that, from the most memorable Tube stations to the different landmarks that you will ALWAYS see on London post cards, it felt like I was there again.
The elaborate world that exists below London (is it really just a story?) for the people that fall between the cracks of our world was very typical of Gaiman, he has a way of creating these whole worlds that draw you right in and could almost be believable if fantastic things like that existed. Master architect material. Gaiman also writes real characters with flaws and faults of their own which makes them so much more human and relatable. One of my favourite things about his writing is that we aren't following around any perfect heroes that can do no wrong, they are flawed and so perfectly real. The characterization was on point and included so many types of people with absolutely no judgement involved. Door was young and feminine woman yet also a well-respected badass in her own right and Richard was definitely more bland at the start but grew throughout the story into this interesting man without outshining his female counterparts. Although the story was through Richard's eyes, he didn't feel like the true main character here, everyone played a crucial role. All the other characters were so unique I couldn't get enough of them: the Earl at Earl's Court, the Hunter, and best of all, the mysterious Marquis de Carabas. I'd love to revisit each and every one someday.
This book wasn't pretty. Everything you would realistically expect from an "underground world" is there but, mainly, it's sewage. It's all dirty and imperfect yet this is a place where our main character, Richard, is able to see the true beauty of the world and of human nature. Take away all the beauty and glamour and the hustle and bustle of the world above and life can become much more enjoyable (even if you have to dodge a few ancient thugs along the way).
This was a very whimsical and dark story (my favourite kind) reminiscent of a Tim Burton film (oh wouldn't it be amazing if he adapted this into a movie?!). It took me back to a childhood story full of make-believe but still kept dark enough elements to remind me that this isn't anything like the wonderful lands of my childhood. This book, for me, like most of Gaiman's works, was pure nostalgia. He has a way of reaching into your memories as you read and bringing things to the forefront of your mind that you then find in every line of his books. It's so beyond enjoyable to read something like that. Definitely 5 stars.