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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
This was such a strange book. Overall I really enjoyed it (especially since I listened to the audiobook,. narrated by Neil Gaiman himself) but I think this one was possibly on the cusp of a little too weird for me. I can't get the visual of that foot-worm out of my mind. XD
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was....fantastic in every sense of the word. I read this because one of my dearest high school English teachers loves Neil Gaiman, and now I am compelled to read everything by him.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It was just not for me, there was no point of the mystery and the origin of the "people beyond the ocean from the old country", and it got repetitive and boring really fast, too grownup for children to read and too childish and irrelevant for adults.
The release date and synopsis of the book were just released by Tor.
I was so excited about this book's release that I posted the above link when a tiny amount of info released last October, and now all these months later, after reading it, all I can say is "meh."
In that release, this is touted as Neil Gaiman's next "full-length novel," and subsequent release notes elaborated, promising Gaiman's "first new novel for adults since his #1 New York Times bestseller Anansi Boys." Well, while this is a distinctly Neil Gaiman tale, two things it isn't are "full-length" and "for adults." And that is probably half of the reason I was so disappointed after finishing this book.
While I am admittedly a rather fast reader, I cannot finish a full-length novel in under three hours, which is how long it took me to finish this book. Also, this book was no more for adults than either [b:Coraline|17061|Coraline|Neil Gaiman|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327871014s/17061.jpg|2834844] or [b:The Graveyard Book|2213661|The Graveyard Book|Neil Gaiman|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1303859949s/2213661.jpg|2219449], which were both marketed as YA. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed both of those books (especially the latter), but at least they weren't sold as something they're not.
What this book is, is a novella-length modern fairy-tale that is distinctly from the imagination of the inimitable Neil Gaiman. And that is a good thing. It was a quick, compelling, interesting read.
But it also felt overly familiar, like a pleasant rehashing of many of Gaiman's older works. I was looking for something that was going to push the boundaries further than his magnum opus, [b:American Gods|4407|American Gods (American Gods, #1)|Neil Gaiman|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1258417001s/4407.jpg|1970226]. This was not that. And expecting that, admittedly, is my fault (although I am also laying blame at the feet of whoever marketed it).
The best metaphor I can come up with is walking into a restaurant and only eating a single amuse-bouche. While tasty, it only teases the senses and intensifies the hunger for something more substantial.
Update: I feel like these quotes from this excellent, recent NewStatesman interview of Neil Gaiman explains a lot of my frustrations with this book better than I could:
I was so excited about this book's release that I posted the above link when a tiny amount of info released last October, and now all these months later, after reading it, all I can say is "meh."
In that release, this is touted as Neil Gaiman's next "full-length novel," and subsequent release notes elaborated, promising Gaiman's "first new novel for adults since his #1 New York Times bestseller Anansi Boys." Well, while this is a distinctly Neil Gaiman tale, two things it isn't are "full-length" and "for adults." And that is probably half of the reason I was so disappointed after finishing this book.
While I am admittedly a rather fast reader, I cannot finish a full-length novel in under three hours, which is how long it took me to finish this book. Also, this book was no more for adults than either [b:Coraline|17061|Coraline|Neil Gaiman|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327871014s/17061.jpg|2834844] or [b:The Graveyard Book|2213661|The Graveyard Book|Neil Gaiman|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1303859949s/2213661.jpg|2219449], which were both marketed as YA. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed both of those books (especially the latter), but at least they weren't sold as something they're not.
What this book is, is a novella-length modern fairy-tale that is distinctly from the imagination of the inimitable Neil Gaiman. And that is a good thing. It was a quick, compelling, interesting read.
But it also felt overly familiar, like a pleasant rehashing of many of Gaiman's older works. I was looking for something that was going to push the boundaries further than his magnum opus, [b:American Gods|4407|American Gods (American Gods, #1)|Neil Gaiman|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1258417001s/4407.jpg|1970226]. This was not that. And expecting that, admittedly, is my fault (although I am also laying blame at the feet of whoever marketed it).
The best metaphor I can come up with is walking into a restaurant and only eating a single amuse-bouche. While tasty, it only teases the senses and intensifies the hunger for something more substantial.
Update: I feel like these quotes from this excellent, recent NewStatesman interview of Neil Gaiman explains a lot of my frustrations with this book better than I could:
So, is this as good as it gets for a writer?
“No,” says Gaiman. “This has huge problems, which are mostly about writing. I’m currently dealing with how to go back to being a writer. Rather than whatever it is that I am. A traveller, a signer, a promoter, a talker, a lecturer. I’m building new ways to get back to being a writer, because there are lots of things that are more fun than sitting in a room, on your own, writing stuff, that have to do with actually interacting with other human beings. And going out and doing stuff.”
...
Gaiman has been approached by the Guinness Book of Records to make an entry for most books signed. He turned it down, but he estimates that during the last tour he must have signed more than 75,000 copies of The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which, I point out, is more words than in the book itself.