It's a novelisation of a tv series he wrote for the BBC in the early nineties. It quite clearly shows it's roots as a story initially intended to be told with an episodic structure.
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View original postI have never read anything from Neil Gaiman, but I obviously see him talked about here quite a bit, including the review below. So, as someone thinking about giving him a try, I have a few questions:
View original post1. Please describe his style.
View original post2. What does he typically write about?
View original post3. What makes his books "fantasy/magical".....which I assume they are?
View original post4. What book should a newb start with? Why?
View original postThanks!
View original postI found it utterly boring and unimaginative, the characters were hollow and the plot seemed like a high schooler's first stab at a novel. You would think the idea of a parallel London underground from the real London would be a great setting but it really fell flat for me; I wouldn't want to visit his parallel world. I simply could not make it through no matter how hard I tried.
View original postThat said, maybe I went wrong with the guy? I had always heard good things about him but then I began reading Neverwhere and I could not figure out why people thought he was so great. I am not against trying him again in the future but for now I have put him aside for other authors that I have heard about. I just finished my first experience with Guy Gavriel Kay via his stand alone novel Tigana and thought it very good. Kay's writing just seemed so much more mature than Gaiman's.
I just have to chip in and say I found Tigana a chore to read. It's quite Tolkien-esque in style, if not in content, and I found it all quite predictable and plodding.
View original postI don't want to discourage you, it just may be that Gaiman isn't really my cup of tea in the end and so Neverwhere didn't click with me, but I just could not, for whatever reason, get into his style. Hopefully you have better luck.
"I mean, if everyone had a soul, there would be no contrast by which we could appreciate it. For giving us this perspective, we thank you." - Nate
Thoughts about Neil Gaiman - For a possible new reader
- 16/07/2013 06:11:40 PM
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I do have thoughts about Neil Gaiman.
- 16/07/2013 06:46:19 PM
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Smoke and Mirrors and Fragile Things show off his multimedialism...
- 18/07/2013 09:24:52 PM
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MY experience was his novel Neverwhere...
- 18/07/2013 02:34:22 AM
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Neverwhere is quite easily his worst novel.
- 18/07/2013 10:50:25 AM
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Just to test a pet theory of mine...
- 18/07/2013 06:33:51 PM
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I want to learn about your theory! 
- 20/07/2013 10:15:51 AM
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- 20/07/2013 10:15:51 AM
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Oh good. *chalks up another data point for the theory* (spoilers for Lions of al-Rassan)
- 20/07/2013 12:18:32 PM
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I read Tigana first, but much prefer Lions.
- 20/07/2013 12:49:10 PM
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Yeah, I think we discussed that before. The exception that confirms the rule?
- 20/07/2013 01:19:46 PM
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- 20/07/2013 01:19:46 PM
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I have only read American Gods and as the risk of being tarred and feathered I though it was just OK
- 25/07/2013 02:22:39 AM
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Actually, I do agree that it's a bit overrated.
- 27/07/2013 05:30:41 PM
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I just started rereading Sandman, the first two volumes so far...
- 27/07/2013 05:58:12 PM
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