I've always enjoyed the Sandman comics, and that prevented me from reading this novel when it was first released; just because Gaiman can write a superb comic, does that mean he can write a good novel? After reading it, my answer is no. It's very unfortunate, however, because his protagonist, Richard Mayhew, is very well characterized, and quite funny at times. I had a hard time understanding just what the point of this novel was. My guess: it's a version of those D&D quest-novels I overdosed on back in the early 80s. If you suffer from fantasy role-playing burnout such as I do (since junior high), avoid this book. Also, I figured Gaiman could be a bit more creative and avoid the "lost subterranean world" fall-back setting.