Lori Duff Writes

BOOK REVIEW: Neverwhere: A Novel by Neil Gaiman

I am a huge Neil Gaiman fan, though I admit to coming later to that game than I should have and I am playing catch up with some of his books.

Neverwhere imagines a London in which there is a whole society that exists mostly underground rather plainly, but goes unnoticed by “London Above.” This society is dreamier, more magical than London Above. Richard Mayhew, the main character in the book, begins the story as a rather average individual, not standing out one way or another. One evening, while going out with his fiancée, he notices Door, a young woman from London Below, who has landed on a London Above sidewalk in obvious distress and injured. Richard chooses to help Door over going to the event with his fiancée, and so he makes the unintentional transition in the world he lives in.

Neverwhere has the same liquid, watercolor prose that is Gaiman’s hallmark. Gorgeous turns of phrase, heavily pigmented prose, unexpected laughter, and ideas that make you wonder are scattered on almost every page. What is it we don’t see simply because we aren’t looking? Are things that blend into the background for us of utmost importance to someone else somewhere else? What if you had the key to open any door? What if you were the key to open any door? What would you do with that ability, and how would you protect that power?

I won’t answer any of those questions, mainly because I still haven’t thought of most of the answers. But I’ll invite you to read the book and ask them of yourself. If you have any answers, please tell me in the comments below.

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Lori Duff

Lori B. Duff is an award-winning author who practices law on the side.  Her latest book, “If You Did What I Asked in the First Place” was awarded the Gold Medal for humor in the Foreword INDIES awards in 2019. You can follow her on Twitter at @LoriBDuff and on Facebook. For more blogs written by Lori, click here. For more information about Lori in general, click here. If you want Lori to do your writing for you, click here. If you want Lori to help you market your book, click here.