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corriejn's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
4.5
Gaiman's typical engaging, quirky/creative storytelling (real world setting with fantasy elements). A very enjoyable shorter novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicide
Moderate: Animal death and Child abuse
crusoe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Disclaimer: my experience of the book may be tainted by my reaction to the recent allegations brought against Neil Gaiman. I started reading this book before I became aware of these allegations.
The ocean at the end of the lane is quite dark for a fantasy novel and it sits in a weird spot between an adult and children's novel. This was also the case for Stardust (a different story by Gaiman) but there I did not notice it as much because the story was a little less dark.
Overall, the story was okay. The magical elements were great, but it took a while to get to these and the main character was quite bland in my opinion. I liked the theme of how growing into an adult does not make you all-powerful or even very different from being a child.
The ocean at the end of the lane is quite dark for a fantasy novel and it sits in a weird spot between an adult and children's novel. This was also the case for Stardust (a different story by Gaiman) but there I did not notice it as much because the story was a little less dark.
Overall, the story was okay. The magical elements were great, but it took a while to get to these and the main character was quite bland in my opinion. I liked the theme of how growing into an adult does not make you all-powerful or even very different from being a child.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, and Suicide
cmbrown4's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Death
Minor: Sexual content
green_amaryllis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Death
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Vomit
julia__tabea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Suicide
samchase112's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is such a strange book to rate. I found myself pulled into Gaiman's writing and world, and intrigued by the child's perspective. Months later, I'm still thinking about this, and that's always a sign of something good. One I could definitely see myself coming back to again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Torture
Moderate: Animal death and Suicide
Minor: Sexual content
literatureleaf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Age: 14+
Reading time: 3 days
Difficulty level: 2/5
Rating: 5/5
After attending a relative’s funeral, an unnamed man returns to his childhood home in search of comfort and relief from his grief. When he chooses to visit an old neighbor, he finds himself drawn into the web of his childhood memories, struggling to reconcile what he remembers as magic and monsters against the complexities and inhibitions of an aged mind.
Reading like a fever dream, The Ocean at the End of the Lane combines simple, yet elegant prose with magical realism and a sense of whimsy that seamlessly blurs the lines between the fantastical and the real. Capitalizing on the fragility and uncertainty of our own memories, Gaiman makes us ask ourselves if we can ever be truly certain that what we remember, was our reality.
Nostalgic and emotional, Gaiman’s writing feels like glancing into the glimmering waters of the fountain of youth. With an ethereal, fuzzy quality that permeates throughout the story, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is reminiscent of the feelings that you get when you remember your first kiss, the car you got at 16, the first dog that you ever called your own, or any of the hundreds of experiences that you can never return to, no matter how significantly they shaped who you became.
Because The Ocean at the End of the Lane leans heavily on nostalgia, with the goal of permeating each reader’s own childhood, the characters are the weakest aspect of the book. The protagonist is unnamed, likely with the hope that the reader will put themselves in his shoes, and while the other characters do have more substance, there is not as much there to work with as those who prefer character-driven stories may like. However, many readers may find that the minimalized characterizations work with the book rather than against it.
With the emphasis on emotional impact and gorgeous writing being so pervasive, the pacing struggles at times, particularly towards the middle of the book. Much of the actual plot advancement takes place towards the beginning and towards the end, and for such a short read, this lends to the feeling of the story “dragging” a bit. Nevertheless, this is more than compensated for with the rich imagery and stylistic prose that fills those middle pages.
A beautiful journey into the eye of the storm that is childhood, Neil Gaiman paints an endearing and lyrical portrait of what it’s like to be young and still believe in magic. Like drinking a steaming cup of hot cocoa from the mug you used every Christmas morning as a kid, or driving past the house you grew up in, The Ocean at the End of the Lane will leave you with an irrevocable need to go back home again, even if that home doesn’t exist anymore.
Reading time: 3 days
Difficulty level: 2/5
Rating: 5/5
After attending a relative’s funeral, an unnamed man returns to his childhood home in search of comfort and relief from his grief. When he chooses to visit an old neighbor, he finds himself drawn into the web of his childhood memories, struggling to reconcile what he remembers as magic and monsters against the complexities and inhibitions of an aged mind.
Reading like a fever dream, The Ocean at the End of the Lane combines simple, yet elegant prose with magical realism and a sense of whimsy that seamlessly blurs the lines between the fantastical and the real. Capitalizing on the fragility and uncertainty of our own memories, Gaiman makes us ask ourselves if we can ever be truly certain that what we remember, was our reality.
Nostalgic and emotional, Gaiman’s writing feels like glancing into the glimmering waters of the fountain of youth. With an ethereal, fuzzy quality that permeates throughout the story, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is reminiscent of the feelings that you get when you remember your first kiss, the car you got at 16, the first dog that you ever called your own, or any of the hundreds of experiences that you can never return to, no matter how significantly they shaped who you became.
Because The Ocean at the End of the Lane leans heavily on nostalgia, with the goal of permeating each reader’s own childhood, the characters are the weakest aspect of the book. The protagonist is unnamed, likely with the hope that the reader will put themselves in his shoes, and while the other characters do have more substance, there is not as much there to work with as those who prefer character-driven stories may like. However, many readers may find that the minimalized characterizations work with the book rather than against it.
With the emphasis on emotional impact and gorgeous writing being so pervasive, the pacing struggles at times, particularly towards the middle of the book. Much of the actual plot advancement takes place towards the beginning and towards the end, and for such a short read, this lends to the feeling of the story “dragging” a bit. Nevertheless, this is more than compensated for with the rich imagery and stylistic prose that fills those middle pages.
A beautiful journey into the eye of the storm that is childhood, Neil Gaiman paints an endearing and lyrical portrait of what it’s like to be young and still believe in magic. Like drinking a steaming cup of hot cocoa from the mug you used every Christmas morning as a kid, or driving past the house you grew up in, The Ocean at the End of the Lane will leave you with an irrevocable need to go back home again, even if that home doesn’t exist anymore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, and Suicide
Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Violence
Minor: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
purpledragonfly9's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Suicide, and Dementia
torismazarine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Infidelity, and Suicide
jolineliest's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicide, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Vomit, Grief, and Car accident