A review by moontayne
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I really, really liked The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I had no clue what to expect from this book when I started it, or what direction it would go, I think I just bought it because it was the genre I like (fantasy) and highly reviewed. If you like the concept of being back in a child's mind on an adventure, I'd recommend not looking into this book any further and reading it - it's very lovely. I'm gonna chat about potential spoilers under this.

Neil Gaiman has a magical way of putting my 22 year old self in the headspace I had when I was just a kid reading stories like To Kill a Mockingbird for school. I haven't read a book in 2 years, and I finished this one in just a few days. The first day I read one chapter, the next I read 2, then a few more, then I read the last half of the book in a day. It pulled me into the story, the way he described the world and the magic in it was so incredible. 

I felt my own whimsy being channeled through the seven year old main character. It wasn't immediate - I didn't feel part of the book in the more nonfiction section, with the opal miner and his kitten, but I did feel sympathy. But as they adventured on the farmland, I felt myself curious about the Hempstock family, scared for the child (I don't think his name was mentioned) as Ursula Monkton gained influence, and I felt safe and comfortable in the sections on the Hempstock farm. 

I forgot how much emotion I could feel while reading, but this book made me feel a lot. I don't think I have a great imagination, and when I close my eyes I don't see anything, but I think my heart can travel very far and do very well at experiencing other's perspectives and emotions. This book was magical for that. And I love love love that the pulled-up garden kitten was still at the farm when he returned. 

It would be lovely to have somewhere like the Hempstock farm. Not a home, because to me (and I imagine the main character), homes are sometimes tumultuous and sad, though they are where we return to; the Hempstock farm is more a place of permanent stability and comfort, for the seven-year-old kid scared of his nanny, the 22 year old scared of how open the future is (me! me!), or the 40 year old struggling with loss of things that felt forever. I might not have a physical place like the Hempstock farm, but I do have this book, and the wonder it made me feel. Maybe I'll re-read it in the future. I'd like to read some other Neil Gaiman books as well, if they have a similar wonder and fantasy to them.


Anyways I think I want my book reviews to be a bit longer, like this one, instead of silly like my movie reviews. It's a bit more personal, and more for my own collection to remember how books made me feel, but isn't that the goal of a review? But I think it's cool to share my journal-y side of myself to those interested in reading it (hi kinnick!). Hopefully this is the first of many books I read, where I can do some good thinking and feeling, because I don't like how much I consume now that doesn't require me to think or feel. Here's to more good books!

Favorite quotes:
"I wish I could purr. I would have purred then." (106)

"Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. Truth is, there aren't any grown-ups. Not one, in the whole wide world." (108)
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