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warlockdorian's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Child abuse
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Animal death and Suicide
queer_bookwyrm's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: suicide, death of a pet, body horror, Native American caricature mention, child abuse, attempted drowning, death of a child
"Oh, monsters are scared. That's why they're monsters."
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman is a short, surreal, horror with some magical realism thrown in. It was creepy and haunting in a way that Gaiman has perfected.
We follow a nameless MC who goes back to his childhood town to attend a funeral when he finds himself inexplicably at the end of the Lane he grew up on. He remembers playing with a girl named Lettie Hempstock, who used to tell him the pond on her farm was an ocean.
It is when he sees the pond (Ocean) that all his memories come flooding back from when he was 7 years old. Our MC went through some really weird and fucked up shit for a 7 year old. He goes with Lettie to a weird place where they find this creature who gets out my transporting itself inside out MC's foot. Cue body horror. The thing becomes a person who seduces his father and convinces him to abuse his child. He experiences some otherworldly shit.
Although this was a really messed up story, Gaiman has made a statement on the different perceptions of adults vs. children. We see the powerlessness child face in world built for adults. A theme throughout the book is the notion that children will always blame themselves for anything that goes wrong.
This was a surreal, haunting story that packs so much into so few pages. I'm usually one for wanting more to a story this short, but I felt it wrapped up nicely. I love in Gaiman's stories things don't need to make sense, similar to fairytales.
"Oh, monsters are scared. That's why they're monsters."
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman is a short, surreal, horror with some magical realism thrown in. It was creepy and haunting in a way that Gaiman has perfected.
We follow a nameless MC who goes back to his childhood town to attend a funeral when he finds himself inexplicably at the end of the Lane he grew up on. He remembers playing with a girl named Lettie Hempstock, who used to tell him the pond on her farm was an ocean.
It is when he sees the pond (Ocean) that all his memories come flooding back from when he was 7 years old. Our MC went through some really weird and fucked up shit for a 7 year old. He goes with Lettie to a weird place where they find this creature who gets out my transporting itself inside out MC's foot. Cue body horror. The thing becomes a person who seduces his father and convinces him to abuse his child. He experiences some otherworldly shit.
Although this was a really messed up story, Gaiman has made a statement on the different perceptions of adults vs. children. We see the powerlessness child face in world built for adults. A theme throughout the book is the notion that children will always blame themselves for anything that goes wrong.
This was a surreal, haunting story that packs so much into so few pages. I'm usually one for wanting more to a story this short, but I felt it wrapped up nicely. I love in Gaiman's stories things don't need to make sense, similar to fairytales.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, and Child death
Moderate: Suicide and Animal death
Minor: Racism
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