- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Tor Books; 1st Trade Pbk. Ed edition (30 July 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0312868278
- ISBN-13: 978-0312868277
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 14.2 x 1.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,354,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"Unlike most of today's fantasy literature, Goldstein's work does "not" remind the reader of other books: it is truly original, and has a clear, distinct voice of its own. Highly recommended."--"Starlog"
"The best in fantasy come from Lisa Goldstein. Goldstein is one of the finest talents in any genre today."--R"ocky Mountain News"
"The best in fantasy come from Lisa Goldstein. Goldstein is one of the finest talents in any genre today."--R"ocky Mountain News"
Product Description
Lisa Goldstein has published eight novels, including the recent "Walking the Labyrinth." Her novel "The Red Magician" won the American Book Award for Best Paperback. She has also published a short story collection, "Travellers in Magic," and numerous short stories. Her novels and short stories have been finalists for the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards. "She has given us the kind of magic and adventure that once upon a time made us look for secret panels in the walls of wardrobes, or brush our teeth with a book held in front of our eyes, because we couldn't bear to put it down," said "The New Yorker."
In her most ambitious novel yet, Lisa Goldstein tells the story of Ruthie, a young journalist sent to interview Jerry, an older man who as a child was the central character of a series of classic childrens books written by his mother, the Adventures of Jeremy in Neverwas. But Jerry's scary fantastic world is real and sucks them in to strange adventures underground, where love and death threaten.
In her most ambitious novel yet, Lisa Goldstein tells the story of Ruthie, a young journalist sent to interview Jerry, an older man who as a child was the central character of a series of classic childrens books written by his mother, the Adventures of Jeremy in Neverwas. But Jerry's scary fantastic world is real and sucks them in to strange adventures underground, where love and death threaten.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
/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.
0 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The idea was great; grand, even. But,when Mattie looked at Ruthie and asked, "Does your child look like you?" and Ruthie answered with a somber affirmative, I put the book down to read no more, and fetched some Joe Lansdale to wash this stuff from my eyes. Sorry, Ms. Goldstein -- I really wanted to like this one.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
19 reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
A good book, but not Goldstein's best
12 Aug 2000
Format:Paperback
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.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Take a subway ride through childhood mythic adventure...
7 Aug 2001
Format:Paperback
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.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Original but disappointing
22 Dec 1999
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
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).
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