Neverwhere

“Neverwhere” (Photo credit: tripu)

Title: Neverwhere

Author: Neil Gaiman

Main Characters: Richard, Mayhew, Door, Mr. Croup, Mr. Vandemar, Maraquis De Carabas, Gary, Hunter, Lamia, Jessica, Anaesthesia, Sylvia, Angel Islington and The Beast Of London

Description of one of the main characters: Hunter is the best bodyguard in London Below. She has killed the great blind white alligator-king in New York below. She has fought the bear that killed thousand of men in Berlin Below. She has killed a black tiger in the undercity of Calcutta. She wants to be the greatest hunter in London Below. She is Door’s bodyguard but she also serves Islington. But instead of saving Door from the enemies, she gives Door away for money.

Whom I like and why: I like the Maraqis de Carabas. He is faithful to Door and Richard. He does not kill anyone. He makes dangerous deals to find out who killed Door’s family. He finds out that Angel Islington was at the back of all this.

Whom I dislike and why: I dislike Angel Islington. He is very wicked. He acts as if he is good to Door and Richard but is the one who killed Door’s family. He is imprisoned for killing people. The prison can be opened only by Door or with magical key to the lock.

Setting/theme of the story: Richard Mayhew sees a wounded girl lying on the London sidewalk. He offers to call the ambulance but the wounded girl doesn’t want him to. So he takes her home and keeps her. The girl introduces herself as Door. Two men named, Mr.Croup and Mr.Vandemar, come in search of Door. Richard keeps Door hidden in his house. Door explains to him that those two men are trying to kill her. She requests Richard to meet her friend, the Maraquis de Carabas, instead of her and also tells him to tell de Carabas that she orders him to take her back safely. Richard meets de Carabas and tells him Door’s order. De Carabas takes Door and goes off. Door thanks Richard. Just when, Richard thinks that everything has been settled and goes back to work, nobody in London recognises him. Gary, Sylvia, Jessica and all his other friends don’t recognize him. So he starts roaming in the streets of London. One day some people suddenly come and take him down sewers. Suddenly he is in a place where he dosen't know. Then a rat comes and looks at him. Anaesthesia, a girl, introduces herself and tells that they are all rat speakers. Soon he knows that he is in London below. He sets out to find Door and the Marquis. He finds them and starts going out with her. Door hires the best bodyguard in London, the hunter. Richard and Door meet Islington and Islington asks them to bring the magical key. She lies to them that if she has the key she would be able to send Richard back to London above. So Richard and Door get the key. Door makes another copy of the key exactly, for safety on their way back to Islington. Hunter betrays Door and helps Mr.Vandemar and Mr.Croup take Door away. At that time, the Beast of London comes. Hunter’s aim is to kill the Beast and become the best hunter. But Richard kills it. Hunter gets hurt and then gradually dies. She gives the knife to Richard before dying. Meanwhile Maraquis finds out that Mr.Croup and Mr.Vandemar are working for Islington. So, de Carabas and Richard go to save Door. They reach there and find Door standing beside Islington. Door has given Islington the copy of the real key once she knew that Islingon was in the prison. So now, Islington forces Door to open the door of the prison. Door acts as if she opens the doors but instead pushes Islington, Mr.Croup and Mr.Vandmar deeper into the prison and also forms more protective doors so that they will never come back again. Richard gives up the aim of returning to his old life. But he becomes a part of London Below.

Part I enjoyed the most: I enjoyed the part when Door finds that she has talent to open and close doors. She also has the talent to create doors.