Neverwhere & The Ocean At The End Of The Lane - Neil Gaiman - 5*

Neverwhere

Neil Gaiman

*****

No Spoilers.

Neverwhere is my first Neil Gaiman book that I have picked up and read; I’ve heard so many good things about his fantastical worlds that I should have really turned the pages over sooner. How right that is. Neil Gaiman has a magnificent way with words, a whole world of dialogue that just flows, with an imagination that is twisted and amazing.

Neverwhere focuses on the droll life of Richard Mayhew, he works in a London Office, has a respectful fiancee and his life is ticking by. On his way to a stuffed up evening with his Fiancee to meet her Boss, a bloodied girl literally falls into his path. Much to his Fiancee’s dismay he takes the girl, Door, back to his flat, where he helps tidy her up. We learn in the next few chapters that Door is from downbelow, the place where those that fall through the cracks in society end up, lost and forgotten. They have rat people, not so stealthy assassins and a floating market to boot.

Richard ends up embroiled in Door’s world and with a flurry of intrigue, friendship, loyalty, confusion, depression and a little romance, Richard finds out that his life in London is far different, than he could possibly imagine.

I loved the characters, even Mister Croup and Mister Vandemar. I really enjoyed Marquis de Carabas’ character. He added a little bit extra. As well a Richard and Door. There wasn’t anything bad with this book, apart from it ending. I wanted it to go on and on. Downbelow was an amazing, rich world that made me want to jut slip through the cracks and find it. Follow the Velvets, the Rat People and find the Angel Islington all alongside them. Amazing five stars.

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane

Neil Gaiman

*****

No Spoilers.

I read this straight after Neverwhere. Wanting another Neil Gaiman fix; Being set in Sussex, which is where I call home also, I thoroughly delved right into this story. Rich with childhood wonders, amazing prose that leaves any writer with an envious green tint to their eyes. Full of a magic that you want to wrap yourself in forever. Neil Gaiman does it again and leaves me wanting to read more, but here, I think he did a superb job and the story was told perfectly.

The Ocean at The End of the Lane takes us back into the childhood of a man revisiting his childhood home. He recalls his memories of Lettie Hempstock. Both fond and magical and sad and cruel. We are introduced to the world through the character’s young eyes. His love for books and different worlds, magic and things, just reminds you what it was like to be a child yourself. At the end Neil left you wanting to go and feel your own little bit of nostalgia. Reading up upon Neil’s writing of this book, I learnt he took a great deal of his own childhood and placed it in this book. I thought that was a special and heartwarming ideal. Neil Gaiman is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors of all time.

A nice little bit of mystery, the supernatural and a very large ocean in a small pond in the garden. Gaiman weaves his trademark writing into a spell that captures you from the very first page and doesn’t leave you even when you put the book down, one final time.