79 pages • 2 hours read
Neil GaimanNeverwhere
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1996A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Background
Literary Context: The Origin and Evolution of Neverwhere
While the novel form of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere remains the most widely known version of the story, the narrative was originally created as a television series that aired in 1996; Gaiman created the novel more or less concurrently and used it to correct many of the inevitable changes to plot and setting that occurred during the series’ production. Published in 1997, the novel also clarifies the finer aspects of world-building that imbue the narrative with Gaiman’s unique blend of fantasy, history, philosophy, and adventure. Gaiman later created an “Americanized” version of the novel for Avon Books, adding approximately 12,000 words and cutting other passages in an attempt to clarify aspects of London geography and omit culture-based references that American readers might find difficult to understand. In 2006, however, he republished an “Author’s Preferred Text” version of the novel that blends the British and American versions and restores many of the omitted passages, particularly a range of humorous quips that had been cut from the Americanized version. In his introduction to the Author’s Preferred Version, Gaiman wryly explains that his editor at Avon Books “was convinced that American readers would not be able to cope with jokes in a book that wasn’t meant solely to be funny.”
Since the story’s creation, Gaiman has also expanded the world of Neverwhere and hints at further developments to come. In 2014, he published a short story entitled “How the Marquis Got His Coat Back”; the narrative features the incorrigible Marquis de Carabas, a trickster figure that is loosely based upon the titular character of the classic fairy tale, “Puss in Boots.” Current printings of Neverwhere include this short story as a coda to the original novel, and Gaiman has also announced his intention to write a sequel to Neverwhere that will most likely be titled The Seven Sisters, although no specific release date has been given.
Genre Context: Neverwhere as a Work of Urban Fantasy
Within the highly nuanced world of Neverwhere, Gaiman makes frequent use of historical references and mythological elements to enhance his world-building and remain true to the conventions of the urban fantasy subgenre, which often embeds fantastical stories within a real-world context. By drawing upon the rich history and legends of London, Gaiman blends the mundane with the magical and delivers a unique narrative that both honors and transcends its real-world origins. A prime example of this strategic blending can be found in the names of many secondary characters, which invoke geographical references that have the effect of personifying recognizable landmarks of London. As Gaiman himself states on his website, “Most of the characters from London Below are named after places in London (the Old Bailey is the London criminal court, Hammersmith is a district, The Angel Islington takes his name from the Angel tube station in London's Islington)” (“FAQs: Books, Short Stories, and Films.” Neil Gaiman). Similarly, the character of Serpentine is based upon the 40-acre man-made lake of the same name, which is located in Hyde Park, and the Earl’s Court, which Gaiman transforms into a whimsical court on a subway car, exists in the real world as a district in the well-to-do area of Kensington.
Other character names of London Below take on more literal meanings from myth and legend. Lamia, for example, is a vampiric character whose name is derived from the Greek term for a child-devouring daemon; the figure was later reimagined as a seductively dangerous woman who targets and destroys young men. Acclaimed British poet John Keats penned a poem called “Lamia” in 1819 that explores this image further, and in Neverwhere, Gaiman pays homage to these origin stories when the character of Lamia targets the naïve Richard Mayhew. Throughout the story’s unusual evolution from the screen to the page and from continent to continent, it is clear that Gaiman has created a uniquely powerful mythos that appeals to readers across multiple cultures and generations, and the various iterations of the novel reflect the author’s dedication to crafting the most precise version of his original vision.
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