*****

(Audiobook)
Beneath London lies a different kind of city – one filled with monsters and angels, villains and rat-talkers. When businessman Richard Mayhew finds a young woman hurt and bleeding on the streets, he takes her back to his flat and soon discovers she is not all she seems. But if he is to help her, Richard will have to deal with some very strange people, not least the creepy Mr Croup and Mr Vandemar. And if Richard thinks he can then go back to his old life – well, he’ll have to think again.

Though I do have other (unread) Neil Gaiman books on my bookshelves, this is the first one I’ve tackled as an audiobook. Read superbly by the man himself, ‘Neverwhere’ leads us on a journey where we encounter some very strange people who live in very strange places, and where, although the names might be familiar, they’re like nothing we’ve met before. Gaiman’s use of language is delicious and at times positively hilarious – I often found myself (actually) laughing out loud. The story is intelligent and captivating, with a cast of characters that will thrill anyone who enjoys fantasy fiction.

Having said that, the author’s use of adverbs in dialogue tags surprised me, with phrases like, ‘she added, disgustedly,’ ‘said Jessica, accurately,’ and ‘said Gary, insincerely.’ This sort of thing had the effect of distracting me from the story, which I’m sure isn’t what Mr Gaiman intended.

All in all, a delightfully entertaining and clever book, (he added, truthfully).

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