Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Originally reviewed on Books Take You Places
I always have a hard time reviewing a book that I love, I think it is because I have become so immersed in the world and have a hard time coming out of it and looking at it with a critical eye. Perhaps, or perhaps I just want to keep it all for me, in a secret chamber in my soul. Whatever the reason, I will do my best to put my feelings into words and I will try not to be too biased as everyone knows I think Neil Gaiman is the best writer alive. It is also no mystery that I love his narration, so when I was able to meet him earlier last year and have him sign my copy of Ocean at the End of the Lane, I also bought the audio to enjoy!
The Ocean at the End of the Lane leaves the reader reminiscing about their childhood, trying to bring up memories long forgotten. It is a book that makes you think back at the way you looked at the world before it became so ugly, when your parents were your superheroes and everything was safe within your own little world. It is hard to look back on those times, to see how vastly different your life is and realize that things are never what they seem. It is almost frightening to realize that your perception on the world at that young an age puts you at a high risk for many things, from disappointment to real harm.
“I do not miss childhood, but I miss the way I took pleasure in small things, even as greater things crumbled. I could not control the world I was in, could not walk away from things or people or moments that hurt, but I took joy in the things that made me happy.”
The novel is narrated by a seven year old, and it is haunting to see the story progress through his eyes as he is so innocent and naïve but made stronger and older by the happenings around him. The fact that it can be considered slightly autobiographical (as some of the events that happen at the beginning of the book do in fact happen to Gaiman’s family) makes it even more real and emotional. The Hempstock women are strong, witty and all together marvelous; I love their relationship with one another and their relationship with our unnamed protagonist. Ursula Munkton (I love her name – and the way in which Neil Gaiman says it) was really quite terrifying.
This novel is not like other novels by Neil Gaiman, instead of coming on bold and strong as most of his novels, it creeps up on your and you are made raw by the different emotions playing through your mind as you read (or listen) to Gaiman’s words. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is like nothing I have ever read before. It spreads over many genres and bridges the gaps between ages. It is a story of friendship, coming of age, and battling monsters both real and imaginary. It is horrific, and lighthearted, ugly and so beautiful. In short, it is a glorious blend of all things.
I always have a hard time reviewing a book that I love, I think it is because I have become so immersed in the world and have a hard time coming out of it and looking at it with a critical eye. Perhaps, or perhaps I just want to keep it all for me, in a secret chamber in my soul. Whatever the reason, I will do my best to put my feelings into words and I will try not to be too biased as everyone knows I think Neil Gaiman is the best writer alive. It is also no mystery that I love his narration, so when I was able to meet him earlier last year and have him sign my copy of Ocean at the End of the Lane, I also bought the audio to enjoy!
The Ocean at the End of the Lane leaves the reader reminiscing about their childhood, trying to bring up memories long forgotten. It is a book that makes you think back at the way you looked at the world before it became so ugly, when your parents were your superheroes and everything was safe within your own little world. It is hard to look back on those times, to see how vastly different your life is and realize that things are never what they seem. It is almost frightening to realize that your perception on the world at that young an age puts you at a high risk for many things, from disappointment to real harm.
“I do not miss childhood, but I miss the way I took pleasure in small things, even as greater things crumbled. I could not control the world I was in, could not walk away from things or people or moments that hurt, but I took joy in the things that made me happy.”
The novel is narrated by a seven year old, and it is haunting to see the story progress through his eyes as he is so innocent and naïve but made stronger and older by the happenings around him. The fact that it can be considered slightly autobiographical (as some of the events that happen at the beginning of the book do in fact happen to Gaiman’s family) makes it even more real and emotional. The Hempstock women are strong, witty and all together marvelous; I love their relationship with one another and their relationship with our unnamed protagonist. Ursula Munkton (I love her name – and the way in which Neil Gaiman says it) was really quite terrifying.
This novel is not like other novels by Neil Gaiman, instead of coming on bold and strong as most of his novels, it creeps up on your and you are made raw by the different emotions playing through your mind as you read (or listen) to Gaiman’s words. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is like nothing I have ever read before. It spreads over many genres and bridges the gaps between ages. It is a story of friendship, coming of age, and battling monsters both real and imaginary. It is horrific, and lighthearted, ugly and so beautiful. In short, it is a glorious blend of all things.
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Neil Gaiman's [b:The Ocean at the End of the Lane|15783514|The Ocean at the End of the Lane|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1351914778s/15783514.jpg|21500681] is probably one of the best books I've read in a while. Not that I've read anything in a while. But I picked this book up because I needed something to read.
It isn't like I really needed something to read. I'm stuck in the middle of [b:The Invasion of the Tearling|22698568|The Invasion of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling, #2)|Erika Johansen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1461864829s/22698568.jpg|42216232] by Erika Johansen and [b:The Golden Yarn|26667719|The Golden Yarn (MirrorWorld, #3)|Cornelia Funke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442593197s/26667719.jpg|45873028] by Cornelia Funke. And though both books are fantastic (Cornelia's [b:The Inkheart Trilogy: Inkheart, Inkspell, Inkdeath|3334563|The Inkheart Trilogy Inkheart, Inkspell, Inkdeath (Inkworld, #1-3)|Cornelia Funke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1346484626s/3334563.jpg|6874450] is one of my favorites, and the second [b:Reckless|7823592|Reckless (Mirrorworld, #1)|Cornelia Funke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1274650443s/7823592.jpg|10867541] book, titled [b:Fearless|9477896|Fearless (Mirrorworld, #2)|Cornelia Funke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1346927033s/9477896.jpg|14363180], is one of the three best books I've ever read), I haven't been able to get through them, to the point that I have had to restart both books. And beyond that, I haven't read anything in a while. The last book I actually finished was [b:Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two|29056083|Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two (Harry Potter, #8)|John Tiffany|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470082995s/29056083.jpg|48765776] and that was a script, not an actual novel.
Suffice it to say, I've been in a reading rut. Over the last year or so, things like Netflix and YouTube have made reading more difficult. That instant ability to watch a story was making it more difficult to get lost in words on a page.
So when I hit the bookstore the other day, armed with a birthday giftcard, I was looking for something to read. I needed something to read. And more than that, I needed a book that would jumpstart my reading fuel, something that the ever-present streaming video services have dwindled away without remorse. I needed THE book to read. THE book that would pull me out of my funk. It couldn't be just any novel. I had the daunting task of needing to pick the right one, the most brilliant needle in the thickest of haystacks. And after perusing children's fantasy, and teen fantasy, and looking at covers of books that are waiting on my Kindle app (because I'll always want the printed book over the digital), I found myself seeking out authors that I've been wanting to read.
Neil Gaiman is one such author. Having only read his collaboration with Terry Pratchett, [b:Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch|12067|Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch|Terry Pratchett|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1392528568s/12067.jpg|4110990], his short story for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary, [b:Doctor Who: Nothing O'Clock|18754367|Doctor Who Nothing O'Clock|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1383652605s/18754367.jpg|26644481], and [b:Coraline|17061|Coraline|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1443798739s/17061.jpg|2834844] (as well as having watched both of his "Doctor Who" episodes and the brilliant film adaptations of "Stardust" and "Coraline"), he has always been an author I've enjoyed, but haven't experienced much of. In fact, [b:Stardust|16793|Stardust|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459127484s/16793.jpg|3166179] has been sitting on my shelf for years, and I've yet to make it through the first chapter. But while I skimmed over his books, titles I've been told time and time again that I would love, I found [b:The Ocean at the End of the Lane|15783514|The Ocean at the End of the Lane|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1351914778s/15783514.jpg|21500681] standing out.
I've looked at this cover before. The title has always had me slightly curious. But I'd never given it any more thought than to read the title and look at the picture on the front (I do judge books by their covers, if I hadn't, I would have never read [b:Skulduggery Pleasant|284440|Skulduggery Pleasant (Skulduggery Pleasant, #1)|Derek Landy|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1334279051s/284440.jpg|909082], which is now my second favorite series, and I only read it because the cover was so enticing). Monday, however, I decided to read the back of the book.
Compared to Gaiman's other works, books, as I said, I've been told time and again I need to read, "Ocean" did not seem to have a story I'd be particularly interested in. As you'll read on the back cover, it follows a middle-aged man attending a funeral in his childhood home town, who takes a walk down the old lane from his childhood home to the end of the lane, and begins to remember events from when he was seven years old, events "too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy." At the face of it, it was intriguing, but ultimately wasn't the sort of story I'd normally pick up, as I prefer the worlds of Narnia and Tolkien and Rowling. I opened the book and flipped carelessly through the pages, and happened on one sentence, which went something along the lines of "when she spoke again, it wasn't her voice."
Reader, it was that sentence that sold me on the book. I can't explain why, but it did. Had I read any other sentence, I might have realized that the book was in first person, a style which I hate reading, and I would have put it back. I might have read a little bit about the boy growing up on the farm, which wouldn't have interested me, and I would have put it back.
But I read the sentence about some mysterious "her" speaking with a voice that wasn't her own, and I felt compelled to read more. And so, without really knowing why, I took that book to the front of the store and purchased it.
I started reading "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" Monday night. And I finished it on Thursday. Of course, it isn't a very long book (234 pages, approx.), but anyone who knows me knows that I will take forever to read a book. I read [b:Inkdeath|2325825|Inkdeath (Inkworld, #3)|Cornelia Funke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327341991s/2325825.jpg|3897683] in four months. I read [b:Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix|2|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5)|J.K. Rowling|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387141547s/2.jpg|2809203] in two. I take a while. I've only ever read two books straight through, and each had a caveat that made them easier to read quickly ([b:The Invention of Hugo Cabret|9673436|The Invention of Hugo Cabret|Brian Selznick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1422312376s/9673436.jpg|527941] which is half pictures, and "Cursed Child," which is a script). But Gaiman's "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" is such a compelling story that even when I dogeared the page and set the book down, I generally picked it back up within ten minutes to read another chapter.
It felt good. I haven't read a book like that in a while. I haven't been addicted to a book like that since "Skulduggery Pleasant" ended. And on the face of it, next to books like Potter and Skulduggery and Artemis Fowl, Gaiman's "Ocean" doesn't seem like it would be interesting to someone who thrives on high fantasy as I do.
The best thing I can reference when telling someone what this book is like is to point at Gaiman's previous work, notably "Coraline." If anything, "Ocean at the End of the Lane" is like a spiritual cousin of "Coraline," a more adult companion; both books about children in a nightmarish situation. Both books that start off relatively normal, and get creepier and creepier with every page. But it never once feels like a rehashing of "Coraline," and nor does it feel for the same audience; I'd let a kid read "Coraline," but "Ocean" might be a little too dark. This is definitely a more adult book, but not in the sense that it would be rated "R" if filmed. This isn't Steven King, this isn't something that will terrify you and make it hard to sleep, and yet, it is at the same time. This book thrives on the unknown, on giving only the detail that a seven-year-old would notice, and at that, only the detail that a middle-aged man would remember from his time as a seven-year-old. And, to me, that is where "Ocean" is beautiful. Simply beautiful. The writing isn't particularly clever or elegant, it is straight-forward, but the simplistic, bare-bones style of it makes it feel real, even when it reaches its most fantastical elements. The entire story almost feels as though you are watching it from the corner of your eye, rather than seeing it head on. And, to me, that was brilliant.
This book is spellbinding. It captures you and won't let you go until it is finished. Here I am a day later, and I'm thinking of starting it all over again (something I didn't even do with Potter until years later). Through the child-like lens, Gaiman shows how children will see what adults simply forget to see. The minuscule wonders and horrors of life. As it begins, these minuscule horrors are commonplace occurrences- the death of a beloved pet, for example, and how adults don't always make the same connections to animals that children do- but as the story grows, we enter a darker world of monsters and old magic that feels just as natural as anything else. The way he writes- and again I don't have enough knowledge of his work to know if it is exclusive to this book or not- is so realistic, so vivid, to the point that when real life turns to magic, you believe it 100%.
One of my favorite aspects of this book was the perspective. Gaiman doesn't offer wild explanations of how certain magics work, or where certain monsters come from, simply because a seven-year-old boy wouldn't think to ask it, or question it. Evil is evil, and not because of some wild schemes, but simply because it IS evil.
And Gaiman is a master at his particular flavor of horror. He doesn't present us with grotesque creatures or bloodbaths, he seems to pull directly from nightmares themselves- the monsters that frighten us even when we aren't sure why, the creatures that, in the moment, are terrifying but only so when we are in the dream itself- and puts them on the page. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Gaiman dreamed of Ursula Monkton before she ever appeared on paper.
There's never an epic quest in this book. The characters aren't seeking something, they aren't fighting villains. In fact, I'd say the characters are a little one-dimensional compared to other stories, but where that would be a downfall for most any other book, here it only adds to the story. The Hempstock ladies themselves will forever be some of my favorite characters ever read; as mysterious at the close of the book as they are in their introduction, one can't help but to be entranced by them. Gaiman says in the acknowledgements that they've always lived on their farm in the back of his head, and I am so grateful that he shared them with us (and I hope to see them again one day).
This is the kind of story that fans of "Stranger Things" would love. The kind of story that adults who read "Coraline" when they were younger would relate to. I could say so much more, but anything more would only spoil the book for readers. It is a nightmare, a beautifully crafted nightmare that gets scarier and scarier with every chapter, and will keep you turning the page over and over again until you finish. And every revelation, however vague, is gripping, up to the very last page. This is one of those books that, even in reading the final paragraph, I found it getting better and better.
This book will break your heart, it will fill you with fear, it will summon your courage, and it will leave you completely, utterly satisfied. It won't change you or your outlook on the world, except in the ways that it will, and in those ways, inexpiable, will be profound.
I won't say more. I can't say more. All I can say is read it. Read it as soon as possible. If you are a fan of stories that mystify and terrify you at the same time, go get this book and read it.
I told you, way back at the beginning of this review, that I was looking for a book. A book that would fuel my reading engine, inspire me to stop watching Netflix day in and day out, and spark my creativity to continue writing my own books. [b:The Ocean at the End of the Lane|15783514|The Ocean at the End of the Lane|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1351914778s/15783514.jpg|21500681] was the book I needed. I don't know how I managed to choose this book, written in a perspective that I don't like, with a premise that I didn't seem that interested in, but I am so glad I did.
You will be, too.
What book will I read next: It was complete luck that I stumbled upon this book. And in my desire to read every word written in the book, I read Gaiman's acknowledgements, in which he thanked many people, including [a:Cornelia Funke|15873|Cornelia Funke|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1437000100p2/15873.jpg], whose book, [b:The Golden Yarn|26667719|The Golden Yarn (MirrorWorld, #3)|Cornelia Funke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442593197s/26667719.jpg|45873028], I am still in the middle of. Call it a sign, call it sleep deprivation, but I'm taking it as a nudge to finish Funke's follow-up to one of my favorite books ever written. Stay tuned for that review, hopefully coming soon.
It isn't like I really needed something to read. I'm stuck in the middle of [b:The Invasion of the Tearling|22698568|The Invasion of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling, #2)|Erika Johansen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1461864829s/22698568.jpg|42216232] by Erika Johansen and [b:The Golden Yarn|26667719|The Golden Yarn (MirrorWorld, #3)|Cornelia Funke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442593197s/26667719.jpg|45873028] by Cornelia Funke. And though both books are fantastic (Cornelia's [b:The Inkheart Trilogy: Inkheart, Inkspell, Inkdeath|3334563|The Inkheart Trilogy Inkheart, Inkspell, Inkdeath (Inkworld, #1-3)|Cornelia Funke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1346484626s/3334563.jpg|6874450] is one of my favorites, and the second [b:Reckless|7823592|Reckless (Mirrorworld, #1)|Cornelia Funke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1274650443s/7823592.jpg|10867541] book, titled [b:Fearless|9477896|Fearless (Mirrorworld, #2)|Cornelia Funke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1346927033s/9477896.jpg|14363180], is one of the three best books I've ever read), I haven't been able to get through them, to the point that I have had to restart both books. And beyond that, I haven't read anything in a while. The last book I actually finished was [b:Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two|29056083|Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two (Harry Potter, #8)|John Tiffany|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470082995s/29056083.jpg|48765776] and that was a script, not an actual novel.
Suffice it to say, I've been in a reading rut. Over the last year or so, things like Netflix and YouTube have made reading more difficult. That instant ability to watch a story was making it more difficult to get lost in words on a page.
So when I hit the bookstore the other day, armed with a birthday giftcard, I was looking for something to read. I needed something to read. And more than that, I needed a book that would jumpstart my reading fuel, something that the ever-present streaming video services have dwindled away without remorse. I needed THE book to read. THE book that would pull me out of my funk. It couldn't be just any novel. I had the daunting task of needing to pick the right one, the most brilliant needle in the thickest of haystacks. And after perusing children's fantasy, and teen fantasy, and looking at covers of books that are waiting on my Kindle app (because I'll always want the printed book over the digital), I found myself seeking out authors that I've been wanting to read.
Neil Gaiman is one such author. Having only read his collaboration with Terry Pratchett, [b:Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch|12067|Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch|Terry Pratchett|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1392528568s/12067.jpg|4110990], his short story for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary, [b:Doctor Who: Nothing O'Clock|18754367|Doctor Who Nothing O'Clock|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1383652605s/18754367.jpg|26644481], and [b:Coraline|17061|Coraline|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1443798739s/17061.jpg|2834844] (as well as having watched both of his "Doctor Who" episodes and the brilliant film adaptations of "Stardust" and "Coraline"), he has always been an author I've enjoyed, but haven't experienced much of. In fact, [b:Stardust|16793|Stardust|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459127484s/16793.jpg|3166179] has been sitting on my shelf for years, and I've yet to make it through the first chapter. But while I skimmed over his books, titles I've been told time and time again that I would love, I found [b:The Ocean at the End of the Lane|15783514|The Ocean at the End of the Lane|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1351914778s/15783514.jpg|21500681] standing out.
I've looked at this cover before. The title has always had me slightly curious. But I'd never given it any more thought than to read the title and look at the picture on the front (I do judge books by their covers, if I hadn't, I would have never read [b:Skulduggery Pleasant|284440|Skulduggery Pleasant (Skulduggery Pleasant, #1)|Derek Landy|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1334279051s/284440.jpg|909082], which is now my second favorite series, and I only read it because the cover was so enticing). Monday, however, I decided to read the back of the book.
Compared to Gaiman's other works, books, as I said, I've been told time and again I need to read, "Ocean" did not seem to have a story I'd be particularly interested in. As you'll read on the back cover, it follows a middle-aged man attending a funeral in his childhood home town, who takes a walk down the old lane from his childhood home to the end of the lane, and begins to remember events from when he was seven years old, events "too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy." At the face of it, it was intriguing, but ultimately wasn't the sort of story I'd normally pick up, as I prefer the worlds of Narnia and Tolkien and Rowling. I opened the book and flipped carelessly through the pages, and happened on one sentence, which went something along the lines of "when she spoke again, it wasn't her voice."
Reader, it was that sentence that sold me on the book. I can't explain why, but it did. Had I read any other sentence, I might have realized that the book was in first person, a style which I hate reading, and I would have put it back. I might have read a little bit about the boy growing up on the farm, which wouldn't have interested me, and I would have put it back.
But I read the sentence about some mysterious "her" speaking with a voice that wasn't her own, and I felt compelled to read more. And so, without really knowing why, I took that book to the front of the store and purchased it.
I started reading "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" Monday night. And I finished it on Thursday. Of course, it isn't a very long book (234 pages, approx.), but anyone who knows me knows that I will take forever to read a book. I read [b:Inkdeath|2325825|Inkdeath (Inkworld, #3)|Cornelia Funke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327341991s/2325825.jpg|3897683] in four months. I read [b:Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix|2|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5)|J.K. Rowling|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387141547s/2.jpg|2809203] in two. I take a while. I've only ever read two books straight through, and each had a caveat that made them easier to read quickly ([b:The Invention of Hugo Cabret|9673436|The Invention of Hugo Cabret|Brian Selznick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1422312376s/9673436.jpg|527941] which is half pictures, and "Cursed Child," which is a script). But Gaiman's "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" is such a compelling story that even when I dogeared the page and set the book down, I generally picked it back up within ten minutes to read another chapter.
It felt good. I haven't read a book like that in a while. I haven't been addicted to a book like that since "Skulduggery Pleasant" ended. And on the face of it, next to books like Potter and Skulduggery and Artemis Fowl, Gaiman's "Ocean" doesn't seem like it would be interesting to someone who thrives on high fantasy as I do.
The best thing I can reference when telling someone what this book is like is to point at Gaiman's previous work, notably "Coraline." If anything, "Ocean at the End of the Lane" is like a spiritual cousin of "Coraline," a more adult companion; both books about children in a nightmarish situation. Both books that start off relatively normal, and get creepier and creepier with every page. But it never once feels like a rehashing of "Coraline," and nor does it feel for the same audience; I'd let a kid read "Coraline," but "Ocean" might be a little too dark. This is definitely a more adult book, but not in the sense that it would be rated "R" if filmed. This isn't Steven King, this isn't something that will terrify you and make it hard to sleep, and yet, it is at the same time. This book thrives on the unknown, on giving only the detail that a seven-year-old would notice, and at that, only the detail that a middle-aged man would remember from his time as a seven-year-old. And, to me, that is where "Ocean" is beautiful. Simply beautiful. The writing isn't particularly clever or elegant, it is straight-forward, but the simplistic, bare-bones style of it makes it feel real, even when it reaches its most fantastical elements. The entire story almost feels as though you are watching it from the corner of your eye, rather than seeing it head on. And, to me, that was brilliant.
This book is spellbinding. It captures you and won't let you go until it is finished. Here I am a day later, and I'm thinking of starting it all over again (something I didn't even do with Potter until years later). Through the child-like lens, Gaiman shows how children will see what adults simply forget to see. The minuscule wonders and horrors of life. As it begins, these minuscule horrors are commonplace occurrences- the death of a beloved pet, for example, and how adults don't always make the same connections to animals that children do- but as the story grows, we enter a darker world of monsters and old magic that feels just as natural as anything else. The way he writes- and again I don't have enough knowledge of his work to know if it is exclusive to this book or not- is so realistic, so vivid, to the point that when real life turns to magic, you believe it 100%.
One of my favorite aspects of this book was the perspective. Gaiman doesn't offer wild explanations of how certain magics work, or where certain monsters come from, simply because a seven-year-old boy wouldn't think to ask it, or question it. Evil is evil, and not because of some wild schemes, but simply because it IS evil.
And Gaiman is a master at his particular flavor of horror. He doesn't present us with grotesque creatures or bloodbaths, he seems to pull directly from nightmares themselves- the monsters that frighten us even when we aren't sure why, the creatures that, in the moment, are terrifying but only so when we are in the dream itself- and puts them on the page. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Gaiman dreamed of Ursula Monkton before she ever appeared on paper.
There's never an epic quest in this book. The characters aren't seeking something, they aren't fighting villains. In fact, I'd say the characters are a little one-dimensional compared to other stories, but where that would be a downfall for most any other book, here it only adds to the story. The Hempstock ladies themselves will forever be some of my favorite characters ever read; as mysterious at the close of the book as they are in their introduction, one can't help but to be entranced by them. Gaiman says in the acknowledgements that they've always lived on their farm in the back of his head, and I am so grateful that he shared them with us (and I hope to see them again one day).
This is the kind of story that fans of "Stranger Things" would love. The kind of story that adults who read "Coraline" when they were younger would relate to. I could say so much more, but anything more would only spoil the book for readers. It is a nightmare, a beautifully crafted nightmare that gets scarier and scarier with every chapter, and will keep you turning the page over and over again until you finish. And every revelation, however vague, is gripping, up to the very last page. This is one of those books that, even in reading the final paragraph, I found it getting better and better.
This book will break your heart, it will fill you with fear, it will summon your courage, and it will leave you completely, utterly satisfied. It won't change you or your outlook on the world, except in the ways that it will, and in those ways, inexpiable, will be profound.
I won't say more. I can't say more. All I can say is read it. Read it as soon as possible. If you are a fan of stories that mystify and terrify you at the same time, go get this book and read it.
I told you, way back at the beginning of this review, that I was looking for a book. A book that would fuel my reading engine, inspire me to stop watching Netflix day in and day out, and spark my creativity to continue writing my own books. [b:The Ocean at the End of the Lane|15783514|The Ocean at the End of the Lane|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1351914778s/15783514.jpg|21500681] was the book I needed. I don't know how I managed to choose this book, written in a perspective that I don't like, with a premise that I didn't seem that interested in, but I am so glad I did.
You will be, too.
What book will I read next: It was complete luck that I stumbled upon this book. And in my desire to read every word written in the book, I read Gaiman's acknowledgements, in which he thanked many people, including [a:Cornelia Funke|15873|Cornelia Funke|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1437000100p2/15873.jpg], whose book, [b:The Golden Yarn|26667719|The Golden Yarn (MirrorWorld, #3)|Cornelia Funke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442593197s/26667719.jpg|45873028], I am still in the middle of. Call it a sign, call it sleep deprivation, but I'm taking it as a nudge to finish Funke's follow-up to one of my favorite books ever written. Stay tuned for that review, hopefully coming soon.
Well, this was beautifully written. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. I tend to think that this sort of fairy tale-style narration feels distant and prevents full immersion. If you love that sort of tone, please read this book; it's both a fascinating story and an insightful exploration of childhood/growing up.
Sabía, a grandes rasgos de qué iba esta historia y qué iba a encontrar en ella, pero a pesar de todo me ha sorprendido muchísimo.
Me ha conquistado la narración. En esta historia, el protagonista, un adulto, regresa al pueblo donde se crió. La historia en sí narra una parte de sus recuerdos de infancia, por lo que el narrador es un niño. Me ha fascinado esa forma de narrar una historia que, a pesar de estar narrada por uno, no parece estar dirigida a niños, ya que tiene algunos puntos muy crudos.Creo que ha reflejado perfectamente, la diferencia de puntos de vista y pensamientos entre niños y adultos, es decir, que ha conseguido una voz de un niño narrador muy creíble.
Leer este libro en inglés es una verdadera delicia. No lo he leído traducido por lo que no puedo opinar, pero la narrativa en inglés es sencillamente un gustazo para leer.
Es una novela a la que no le sobra ni una página. Para lo que suelo leer es bastante cortita. Presenta la trama de forma rápida, apenas haciendo hincapié es los personajes, excepto el protagonista y Lettie, el trasfondo o la localización, hasta que entramos en la parte fantástica. Y esta es increíble. No es algo tremendamente complicado y creo que, en este caso, su brillantez reside en lo sencilla que es ya que funciona muy bien así. ¡Y la forma en que la realidad y lo fantástico se entrelazan sin un corte mal hecho ni que sea forzoso!
La única pega en sí que puedo ponerle al libro, es que el final no me ha terminado de encajar bien con el resto de la historia. Esto es que esperaba algo diferente a lo que he encontrado. Tras leer el contenido extra del libro, me di cuenta de que Gaiman también esperaba algo diferente. No sé, no pude evitar pensar que se habría merecido otro final que cerrase el libro tras una traca final, que me dejase con la boca abierta por alguna revelación inesperada que se sacase de la manga.
Eso sí, es un libro que me costaría mucho recomendar. No creo que sea un libro para todo el mundo, de hecho, por lo que he visto por aquí, o tiene puntuaciones muy altas o muy bajas. Pero yo, por lo menos, lo he disfrutado como una niña.
Me ha conquistado la narración. En esta historia, el protagonista, un adulto, regresa al pueblo donde se crió. La historia en sí narra una parte de sus recuerdos de infancia, por lo que el narrador es un niño. Me ha fascinado esa forma de narrar una historia que, a pesar de estar narrada por uno, no parece estar dirigida a niños, ya que tiene algunos puntos muy crudos.Creo que ha reflejado perfectamente, la diferencia de puntos de vista y pensamientos entre niños y adultos, es decir, que ha conseguido una voz de un niño narrador muy creíble.
Leer este libro en inglés es una verdadera delicia. No lo he leído traducido por lo que no puedo opinar, pero la narrativa en inglés es sencillamente un gustazo para leer.
Es una novela a la que no le sobra ni una página. Para lo que suelo leer es bastante cortita. Presenta la trama de forma rápida, apenas haciendo hincapié es los personajes, excepto el protagonista y Lettie, el trasfondo o la localización, hasta que entramos en la parte fantástica. Y esta es increíble. No es algo tremendamente complicado y creo que, en este caso, su brillantez reside en lo sencilla que es ya que funciona muy bien así. ¡Y la forma en que la realidad y lo fantástico se entrelazan sin un corte mal hecho ni que sea forzoso!
La única pega en sí que puedo ponerle al libro, es que el final no me ha terminado de encajar bien con el resto de la historia. Esto es que esperaba algo diferente a lo que he encontrado. Tras leer el contenido extra del libro, me di cuenta de que Gaiman también esperaba algo diferente. No sé, no pude evitar pensar que se habría merecido otro final que cerrase el libro tras una traca final, que me dejase con la boca abierta por alguna revelación inesperada que se sacase de la manga.
Eso sí, es un libro que me costaría mucho recomendar. No creo que sea un libro para todo el mundo, de hecho, por lo que he visto por aquí, o tiene puntuaciones muy altas o muy bajas. Pero yo, por lo menos, lo he disfrutado como una niña.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
tense
fast-paced