Book 6: Neverwhere

Neverwhere

Neil Gaiman

This is my first experience reading a Gaiman solo effort, and as I now reflect on Good Omens, I have strong suspicions regarding which aspects of the novel were Gaiman's. First and foremost, his pure literary talents are astounding. Here is an author with a natural knack for creating spellbinding sentences that draw you in, whether their purpose is reflective, ironic, or simply functional. This ability to effortlessly draw the reader in with prose alone serves Gaiman well in the modern-day and parallel Londons his characters explore; it is easy to accept the quirks and fantastic elements when they are described so matter-of-factly that they wouldn't, but for the content (no big deal, right?), feel out of place in a Dickens novel. Yet Gaiman's voice and novel are all his own, displaying a very modern and peculiarly English sensibility, often laced with heavy doses of delicious irony and subtle humor that are rendered more effective by the often silly subject matter. By drawing attention to the unlikelihood of the fantastic elements he introduces, new to the reader and protagonist alike, the narrative rationalizes them and reassures readers that, yes, strange things lie between these covers.

The fantastic parallel London that Gaiman conjures has a unique history and culture to flesh it out, but is revealed to the reader just a bit too slowly. On many occasions, I found myself flipping backwards to check for a background fact that had never appeared and wondering when certain hints would rocket into the foreground. The protagonist's guides make it clear on numerous occasions that there is more to London Below (as opposed to London Above, our city) than even the plot that drives this story, but these undercurrents never quite grab hold of the characters. Whether they exist to serve as a half-baked, unrealized red herring, as sequel fodder, or as an attempt at background enrichment, their continued irrelevance becomes distracting and can lead readers to wonder whether there's something missing. Though the reader's knowledge progresses along with that of the protagonist, heretofore a denizen of London Above, there is much about London Below that remains mysterious at the end of the book, and though over-explanation and tacky exposition (nowhere to be found in this novel) doom many a genre novel, Gaiman errs slightly too far toward understatement and innuendo. As matters escalate, it can be difficult for readers to find a foothold.

Regardless of his occasional inability to describe or utilize them to the best effect, Gaiman's Londons and, more importantly, his characters are compelling. Neverwhere has as primary antagonists two of the creepiest characters I have encountered in any medium, sinister and calm despite their distinctly antisocial tendencies (to put it mildly). Their dry dialogue contribute to the generally gloomy atmospherics that envelop novel and reader alike. Gaiman's utter mastery of language and ability to conjure and sustain a mood mask the fact that the story is, at its heart, a fairly predictable quest narrative. Yet somehow, London Below is so compelling that the familiar plot twists come as a surprise. It is not, therefore, surprising that a disappointing climax fizzles into a boring, drawn-out ending when the setting returns to London Above. The finale makes sense within the context of the book and is a relatively subtle evocation of character development, but it pales in comparison to the remainder of the novel; one gets the feeling that the same events could occur but in a way much more befitting of the book as a whole.

Final disappointment aside, however, and despite its flaws, Neverwhere is an incredibly compelling work of urban fantasy and a testament to Gaiman's raw talent. The prose is of the highest quality, the humor belies some fairly disturbing sequences, and the setting is vivid. Indeed, the book's best trick is hiding its central metaphor for an impressively long time; while London Below is most definitely the world of those who fall through the cracks, the satirical elements are understated and tragic, rather than glaring and grandly moralizing. In fact, some of the most interesting, humorous, and emotionally devastating elements of the story occur when the two Londons directly interact. Neverwhere is a great and compelling book that doesn't misfire so much as fail to fully realize its potential, leaving me the slightest bit annoyed but only because it is obvious that Gaiman is more than capable of fixing the (minor) problems.

Grade: A-