Here’s the second round of questions for the Neverwhere Read Along! I’m so glad I signed up for this. I’m enjoying myself immensely.
1. Chapter 6 begins with Richard chanting the mantra, “I want to go home”. How do you feel about Richard and his reactions at this point to the unexpected adventure he finds himself on?
I don’t really blame Richard for wishing he was home since he now has, as he put it, “the projected life expectancy of a suicidal fruitfly” (89). In fact, I think that’s the reaction many protagonists have when they find themselves on unexpected adventures. Didn’t Alice and Dorothy just want to go home, too? Before he can go home (if he ever does), however, I think Richard needs to learn how to be a more active, and less passive, participant in his own life.
2. The Marquis de Carabas was even more mysterious and cagey during the first part of this week’s reading. What were your reactions to him/thoughts about him as you followed his activities?
I decided a while ago that I would stop trying to pin the Marquis down. I’m still puzzled by his actions, am unclear as to what motivates him to behave the way he does, and don’t entirely trust him. I’m just going to ride the story out and wait to see what – if anything – Gaiman reveals about this character. It will be an entertaining ride, I’m sure, because even though I feel like I have to keep an eye on the Marquis at all times, he has some of the best lines in the book. (My current favorite: “What a refreshing mind you have, young man. There really is nothing quite like total ignorance, is there?” [94])
3. How did you feel about the Ordeal of the Key?
At first I was a little confused about what was going on, and then it just made me terribly sad. All those people driven to end their own lives . . .
4. This section of the book is filled with moments. Small, sometimes quite significant, moments that pass within a few pages but stick with you. What are one or two of these that you haven’t discussed yet that stood out to you, or that you particularly enjoyed.
Those moments are one of the reasons I love reading Gaiman’s work. Some of them are so fleeting, like this one:
“There are no shepherds in Shepherd’s Bush. I’ve been there. It’s just houses and stores and roads and the BBC. That’s all,” pointed out Richard, flatly.
“There are shepherds,” said Hunter, from the darkness just next to Richard’s ear. “Pray you never meet them.” (90)
And just like that, Gaiman has me wondering, slightly nervously, about the shepherds in Shepherd’s Bush. In just a few short lines, with seemingly little effort, he’s added yet another dimension to this world he’s created. He gives us just enough information to get our imaginations racing, which I think is far more effective writing technique than if he had described in detail just why we wouldn’t want to meet these shepherds.
5. Any other things/ideas that you want to talk about from this section of the book?
I loved this:
Old Bailey was not, intrinsically, one of those people put in the world to tell jokes. Despite this handicap, he persisted in trying. He loved to tell shaggy-dog stories of inordinate length, which would end in a sad pun although, often as not, Old Bailey would be unable to remember it by the time he got there. The only public for Old Bailey’s jokes consisted of a small captive audience of birds, who, particularly the rooks, viewed his jokes as deep and philosophical parables containing profound and penetrating insights into what it meant to be human, and who would actually ask him, from time to time, to tell them another of his amusing stories. (147-148)
That fruit fly line cracks me up. I don’t blame him either. And yet I also do, as I explored in my answers. I think you touch perfectly on what frustrates me about Richard. In both London Above and London Below he is not taking any control of his own life. In each he has found himself pulled along in a current that he is not actively engaged in and yet he is not choosing to fight either of those currents.
I can’t help but think that Gaiman had the most fun writing dialogue for the Marquis. He does have the best lines
The ordeal is very, very sad. And it is a sadness that isn’t 100% spelled out for the reader and yet it is fairly obvious if you don’t rush right past it. Makes me pity the Black Friars. What an awful mission in life they have had. Of course I have to wonder, what do they do now?
There is another line like that about the Underside, and as you point out these brief moments make you realize that there is SO MUCH more to London Below than we will probably see. And scarier stuff than what we have seen.
That part about Old Bailey is great. I do so love him.
I pity the Friars, too, and admire them. What strength their mission must require. I also wonder what they’ll do now. Honoring the memory of those who failed at the Ordeal is part of their mission, so I imagine they’ll stay there. I also get the sense that they expect the worst now that the key is gone, so perhaps they’re going to wait for its return.
I see a lot of myself in Richard, too. That scene with him mentally writing in his diary cracked me up not just because it was funny (the fruitfly line, and the one about the fruit cake) but because I could see myself doing the same thing, too. Richard actually reminded me of a line from that dorky romantic comedy The Holiday, when the old guy tells Kate Winslet’s character that she should be the leading lady in her own life, but she’s acting like the best friend. I want to tell Richard, “You’re the protagonist! Act like it!” I wonder if we’ll see a more active Richard now? The Ordeal certainly changed him.
Just a side note, there is a wonderful pub by the Black Friars Tube stop and it is called The Black Friar. Maybe that is what they do now
That would be a nice reward.
Hahaha – you should go in and ask!
I love that line you quoted by the Marquis de Carabas. I wrote in my answer that I can’t decide what he is up to and why. I felt for him when he was being tortured. And Gaiman hasn’t informed us yet, just what his fate will be. Doesn’t look good though.
The Shepard’s Bush part made me laugh. I see signs for Shepard’s Bush in my neighborhood and I still haven’t ventured over there. Now I’m scared to. I rather hang out with the Earl and have chocolate bars and a Coke.
Oh, please go to Shepherd’s Bush! I need to know if there are shepherds there! (Might want to bring Hunter with you, though.)
I love that you live in Earl’s Court. I don’t think I could eat chocolate there without thinking of this book!
How do I find Hunter?!
Ummm . . . Oh, I know! Hold bodyguard tryouts! I bet she’ll turn up then.
It does seem like Richard needs to do some self-exploration, doesn’t it? I just hope that if he does get to go home he will actually do something with his life.
I always enjoy reading a book that makes me think and ask questions, and Mr Gaiman certainly does that!
I hope so, too!
I agree the ordeal is terribly sad. It’s like we were all in a continual panic attack/hallucinatory state. I can’t help thinking it must be a metaphor for something–just can’t figure out what that is except that maybe it’s something we do to ourselves..
Did you read Carl’s answer to the question? He dug a little deeper into the meaning behind the Ordeal. I think that’s what makes it so sad – that it’s something we do to ourselves.
I’m not sure that I agree that Richard doesn’t take control of his life … he stopped. When his girl stepped over Door. he stopped and took control of a situation. It may well have been a proverbial ‘tiger’, but he took control for that one crucial moment. Then, the crux of the issue is dealiung with the comsequences and digging deeper within his soul and his psyche to keep control … and that’s what we all do over and over in our lives. Yes?
I agree with you, Susan. I don’t know why I left that out of my post, but I think thus far we’ve seen Richard take charge, trust his gut, and do what he thinks is right twice: when he helped Door and during the Ordeal of the Key. I wonder if that’s part of why so many of us are a little disappointed in him – because we know what he’s really capable of.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I wonder what the shepherds will be like and if we’ll encounter them later on. They sound like something sinister to look forward to!
Um, I’m not looking forward to them! You can go hang out with the shepherds and then come tell us what they’re like
Maybe they’re not so scary, kinda like Lady Serpentine.
Maybe. You still get to go first, though
Nice reference to The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy right from the get go has to take charge of her situation. Whereas Richard kind of mopes around, wanting someone else to fix his situation. I can relate to both and it is interesting to see how Richard’s outlook is changing in this section.
You’re right, it will be interesting to see how he changes after the Ordeal. Carl picked a good place to stop, didn’t he?
While I’m glad I read the book years ago and am loving re-reading it, I am still a bit envious of all those who are discovering it for the first time.
Glad you’re enjoying it.
I feel like Gaiman owes us books on the Marquis, Croup and Vandemar, Hunter and the Lady Serpentine, the shepherds in Shepherd Bush, the list goes on.
But then again, if he gives us these books, we’ll need more books because of them. Oh, that man.
I agree – he definitely owes us more books
Yes, I would love to read a book about the marquis and one about Old Bailey. We can hope…
I would be happy with them just showing up in one of his other books!
It’s one of the things that makes Gaiman one of my favourite writers, the way he suggests so much background with just a line or two. Those shepherds sound as scary, in their own way, as Croup and Vandemar! And I got the distinct impression that you wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of Lady Serpentine.
Same here! Love him. And I agree about Lady Serpentine. She makes me nervous!
I love the quotes you picked out, the Old Bailey bit reminded me of my Dad when I read it! But you’re right about Gaiman suggesting things and letting our imaginations do their worst, very clever.
He reminded me of my dad, too! He frequently forgets key elements of the jokes he tells, and then has to backpedal to give us the info we need to find the punch line humorous.
The shepherds are a perfect example of what I was trying to say about more stories hidden behind the main one. Actually — my sister is traveling to London and staying in Shepherd’s Bush, I had to shudder at the thought! LOL
I hope your sister made it out alive!!