Customer Reviews

Dark Cities Underground

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If this had been the first novel I ever read by Lisa Goldstein, I think I would have loved it without reservations. Unfortunately, as much as I love the ideas presented in this book, the plot seems less coherent than those of her previous novels, despite being somewhat simpler, and the characterizations just don't seem as rich as those in earlier novels.

Each of her novels has been very different from every other. Strange Devices of the Sun and Moon is a brilliantly realized Elizabethan fantasy, Summer King Winter Fool is classic high fantasy, Tourists is a haunting novel about modern American travelers in a strange land where all the rules are different, and Walking the Labyrinth is an eerie but fun "exploring my family's mysterious and magical past" type of novel. I would give any of these novels five stars.

With Dark Cities Underground, Goldstein seems to be going further into Charles De Lint urban fantasy territory, where there is magic all around us, if only we can open our eyes to see it. I do enjoy books like this sometimes, but Goldstein's earlier books all seem much more lyrical to me, and oddly much more evocative of the strangeness in everyday things.

I still recommend reading this novel. The story is wonderful, and it's fun the way it connects so many of the best-loved stories of childhood. But if you enjoy this novel, do yourself a favor and check out any of Lisa Goldstein's other novels. Each of them is a uniquely beautiful fantasy masterpiece.

Could there possibly be a connection between Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, The Hobbit and Wind in the Willows? Could they all be stories that were told, not by the authors to their children, but rather by the children to their parents? Could they all be about the same place, a fantastic world that only children could enter and return to tell stories about?

When a struggling journalist is hired to do a biography of A. E. Jones, the author of the classic children's series "Jeremy in Neverwas", her suspicions are aroused. Especially when she meets the author's son, now a disturbed, middle-aged man, who has become estranged from his mother for stealing his childhood. As she continues her research into truth behind Neverwas she never expects that her own daughter will also be drawn into this fantastic world. A world far more dangerous than any children's book.

This is terrific book. The author ties in history, myth and literature to create a timeless story. A fast paced and exciting roller-coaster ride. No, make that a fast paced and exciting subway ride! You'll get my meaning when you read the book.

Dark Cities Underground starts out in the fine tradition of many fantasies in which the characters discover bit by bit a vast, ancient secret world parallel to our own. Lisa Goldstein incorporates many original ideas into this time-tested framework, but unfortunately her prose is, well, prosaic, lacking (to my mind) the mystery and wonder necessary to draw the reader fully into the alternate world. And instead of the characters gradually discovering the secret, one clue at a time, most of it is simply told to them by an obliging trio of sisters, after having first been revealed to the reader as the narrative follows several denizens of the alternate world in their incursions into this one. The plot undergoes numerous twists, some of which are not very convincing, but it does carry you along. The characters were developed to some extent, but they still seemed somewhat simplistic to me.

On the whole, I'd say it's worth a read (it doesn't take very long); but for a much richer experience I suggest Robert Holdstock's Mythago Wood (dark fantasy) or A.S. Byatt's Possession (literary detective work).

The idea for this book is marvelous but the individual characters are not always as interesting or as developed as the adventures. There is too often one character suddenly explaining at length everything around them when it could have been more interesting for the characters, and the reader, to slowly learn the secrets and be surprised themselves as books from their childhood seem to be part of this underworld conspiracy. It was not always clear how these Egyptian legends could have been transformed into such a wide variety of children's booksm, either. It was entertaining and a fast, pleasurable read, but it could have been so much more.

I just finished reading this yesterday. Lisa Goldstein has created an intersting world connecting up the various subways in cities around the world. She also brings in Egyptian mythology, children's literature, and literary archetypes as parts of her Nefer Lands(Netherworld). The only weak aspect was her trying to tie in what seemed like all great children's literature. I could see a connection to some, but not all of the books mentioned.

In all though, it's a pretty good story. The characters are interesting and fleshed out enough to make them sympathetic protagonists or effective antagonists.

Two years ago I bought and read Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. There are obvious parallels between that book and Dark Cities Underground. I enjoyed both and would recommend both, but I feel that Neverwhere is the superior book.

DCU is a bit thin. Much is written of the build up to the main characters realizing that something else is down there underground, but there just isn't the development of the underground world the way there is in Neverwhere. I also liked the characters in Neverwhere a bit better.

Read both books and see what you think.

This is a solid but unexceptionable fantasy novel. Like the work of Tim Powers and others, it assumes a mythic substructure to our mundane world. In this case, the emphasis is on the Egyptian Osiris myth, though other mythic archetypes are involved in the story. The plot, involving the mythical elements, subway construction, and different aspects of children's literature, is ingenious. Other aspects of the book, such as character development and prose in general, do not match the promise of the plot. Worth reading but disappointing in the sense that the potential of the story is never really fulfilled.

/Dark Cities Underground/ has a great title and a kick-ass cover--just the kind of book that'll catch your eye at the store. Let it. It's a fairly slim volume, unlike what passes today for a typical fantasy, requiring great strides in the book-binder's art simply to keep the whole damn thing from falling apart, and wonder of wonders, it is complete in a single volume. But don't think there isn't a wealth of invention, some highly sympathetic characters, and some just plain neat stuff, because there is. Goldstein was able to make her story resonate with some of our most cherished children's books, and I was constantly thinking, "Wow, cool. I hadn't thought of that." She made me think, which is something to be treasured. If there was a problem, it was that she's too concise--I would have loved to see more of her invention, and more of the Dark Cities, and more of her characters. But not three volumes' worth. In that sense, I heartily agree with her choices.

I give this book a single star because it so horribly betrays the promise of its fascinating premise: that the world's most beloved children's stories come from a real place, a secret world that's hidden behind the world of everyday, and can be entered only by the favored few. Through pedestrian language, two-dimensional characterizations, and unconvincing plotting, Goldstein manages to bleed all the wonder out of this compelling idea. To add insult to injury, she seems to tire of her story about three-quarters of the way through; the book's climax, which ought to be thrilling, is even flatter than the rest, and feels like something she slogged through in order to meet a deadline. I'm at a loss to understand the praise and award nominations this book has received, or why it's on so many people's "best of" lists.

Among other things, "Dark Cities Underground" has been lauded for its originality. But a very similar theme was previously explored by UK author Mark Chadbourn in his novel "Scissorman"--which, though flawed, is far and away the better book.

Lisa Goldstein is one of the finest storytellers of our generation, and "Dark Cities Underground" shows this in vivid detail. Who else do you know who can weave together the themes from favorite childrens books sucha as "Alice in Wonderland," "Peter Pan," "The Wind in the Willows," and even "The Hobbit" to create an excursion through the archetypes that form the Dark Cities Underground? Add in enough Egyptian mystery via the tales surrounding Isis, Osiris and Set -- and you have yourself a potent little tale that is hard to forget.

If you like the works of James Blaylock or early Tim Powers, then this is one you should give a try. The characters are well developed, the themes are fascinating, and the book is thoroughly entertaining. Highly Recommended.

This book will become an "underground" best seller (pun intended)! The author ties in history, myth and literature to create a timeless story. A fast paced and exciting roller-coaster ride. No, make that a fast paced and exciting subway ride! You'll get my meaning when you read the book.

No, I'm not going to tell you the plot. That would just spoil the fun. And shame on those reviewers who do tell you the whole story instead of just wetting your appetite. So, here's your hors d'oeuvre...

Could there possibly be a connection between Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, The Hobbit and Wind in the Willows? Could they all be stories that were told, not by the authors to their children, but rather by the children to their parents? Could they all be about the same place, a fantastic world that only children could enter and return to tell stories about? When a struggling journalist is hired to do a biography of A. E. Jones, the author of the classic children's series "Jeremy in Neverwas", her suspicions are aroused. Especially when she meets the author's son, now a disturbed, middle-aged man, who has become estranged from his mother for stealing his childhood. As she continues her research into truth behind Neverwas she never expects that her own daughter will also be drawn into this fantastic world. A world far more dangerous than any children's book.