Today I Have Mostly Been Reading...

Neverwhere is like an adult's 'Alice in Wonderland', retold for the 21st century in darkness and grime. Richard is our Alice, an ordinary bloke who works in an office; his desk looks like my desk, complete with toys. The 'Wonderland' of the book is an underside of London, but it could be any big city, and is populated with just as many strange creatures as any Carroll story. Richard has to believe a lot of impossible things before breakfast.

This is the second time I've read it, but it's been so long since I read it the first time that I'd forgotten most of the twists and turns of the story. I devoured the book. Day one, I picked it up and decided to read a couple of pages before going to sleep. By half 3 in the morning, I forced myself to put it down again after having read half of the book. I took it with me to Dorset and ended up having a 'Wonderland' adventure of my own. This book was the perfect thing to read as I lay very still recovering from it.

It's dark and violent, but there is also a lot to say in it on the subject of trust and compassion. It will alter your view of London forever... any city really. I even entered Dorset wondering where the door was actually set. (Incidentally, it was in Wareham Forest.)

I have two copies of this book, if anyone wants one of them.