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ramreadsagain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
The illustrations are beautiful and really add to the atmosphere created by the mesmerising prose. I’m also impressed by the massive sense of nostalgia this book managed to cause: even though our main character grew up in a different era to me, Neil Gaiman really nailed the experiences of a bookish youth who struggles to understand other people. I also loved the hints at frustration over how differently younger siblings are often treated lol.
The world this book created is so good, Lettie and her ‘family’ are so interesting though I do feel like some of their ‘magic’ was quite conveniently not explained at times.
My only other complaint is that our main character is a bit of a blank slate at times without much special about him, especially as he grows. Though I do believe this may be the point lol. We grow up to become an adult we would not have understood as a child.
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Death and Animal death
Minor: Body horror, Confinement, and Infidelity
booksjessreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It did take me a while to get into the book but it did start to get interesting about half way through and I was intrigued to see how it would end. I think the fact that it was told from a child's perspective also made some experiences seem more real to me and did add depth to the book. I think it made me empathise with our MC more.
One thing that I would disagree with a lot of reviews though, is that they said the writing was lyrical, and this didn't really ring true for me, personally. I think the writing was good at getting us into the mind of the main character, but I wouldn't say it was as lyrical as I had hoped. I also thought the plot was just a little strange in places and didn't flow well in parts, but that could just be personal preference also.
I don't personally think this is Gaiman's best, but I still enjoyed many elements of the book all the same.
Graphic: Child abuse and Body horror
Moderate: Animal death, Car accident, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual content
rjackson25's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Animal death, Physical abuse, Grief, Confinement, and Suicide
mooshake's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief, Suicide, and Confinement
smallish_bird's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Body horror
Moderate: Infidelity, Animal death, Blood, Suicide, Death, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content and Confinement
markwillnevercry's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Suicide, Child abuse, Body horror, and Vomit
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Confinement
batcaves's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Violence
meliemelo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
I reread this book before going to see the incredible, amazing play based on it. Thus, this read had much of a "how will they translate that on stage" feel to it (the answer? very creatively and so, so well, even better than anything I could have expected). Yet, I found myself fully absorbed once more by the story. It truly is a very special book to me.
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(2018 reread)
I was at the bookshop, looking for books to complete my Goodreads challenge, when I saw it: a nice paperback edition of the book that had touched me so profoundly years ago, and that I didn't own yet. So I got it. And read it again.
It's still deep, the connection I have to this book, to this story, the way it speaks to me. Neil Gaiman is an amazing writer, and one of my favourite authors, but this is different. I relate to parts of the story, and not just the ones that don't feel like fiction: I relate to the supernatural parts too, the way they reshape reality. It's not just the kind of books I love to read. It's the kind of book I want to write, someday.
----
(original 2014 read)
I was really touched by this book. Neil Gaiman uses childhood memories to create something and it's both beautiful and terrifying. It's a kind of [b:Lunar Park|4031|Lunar Park|Bret Easton Ellis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1385309748s/4031.jpg|1374605], though I wouldn't be able to tell you which of the two books is scarier. I read them at two different parts of my life, and as much as Lunar Park disturbed me I don't think it was as profoundly as The Ocean at the end of the lane. I saw bits of myself in this book, small echoes.
And even without that, I loved it. I loved every single page of it.
Graphic: Child abuse, Body horror, Confinement, and Death
Moderate: Animal death, Suicide, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Child death
cleansky7's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Confinement, and Suicide
nickel_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Bullying, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Kidnapping