A review by ayla_derammelaere
Het oneindige verhaal by Michael Ende

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I have the seen the movie so many times, the first time when I was very young, and it has always left a huge mark on me. I had never read the book though and now my sister bought it for me as a Christmas present. This is one of the best books I have ever read.

Both the book and the movie tell us of the story of Bastian, who isn't happy with himself and flees into his imagination to make bareble for himself. To escape his bullies, he hides in a bookstore and finds a book 'The neverending story'. For some reason, he is drawn by the book and decides to steal it. 
The story is about the world Fantasia where the Nothing is destroying it, bit by bit. A young boy, Atrejoe, is chosen to find salvation and goes through big adventures. Bastian feels connected to Atrejoe and when the answer to the question 'how to safe Fantasia' is to rename the empres, Bastian realizes that he would be able to do that.

This is where the movie ends and it is such a beautiful way of showing us how we need to keep our imagination and the child in us, alive. How it adds beauty to our lives and our world.

The book however, continues. Bastian is brought to Fantasia and is given Auryn, a magical token of the empres that will help him create a new Fantasia. Bastians first wishes are to 'improve' himself : he wants to get rid of all of his 'flaws'. When he meets Atrejou again, Atrejou has trouble recognizing him. They go on a quest to get Bastian back to the human world but every wish Bastian makes, takes away a memory. 
Atrejou tries to fight for Bastian and asks him to tell him all of his stories. By the end, Bastian doesn't want to leave Fantasia anymore, he even wants to become the emperor. During a huge fight, Bastian cuts Atrejou with a blade and Atrejou is brought to safety by the luck-dragon. Bastian spirals in anger and fury and follows them to end it all. 

He ends up in a town where he finds other huma men and women, who also came to Fantasia and ended up forgetting all of themselves because of all of the wishes they made. They no longer can go back to the human world since memories are needed to create wishes and wishes are needed to go back. It is only then that Bastian realizes what Atrejou was trying to safe him from. Bastian wants to go back home and needs to give up all of himself, including his name, to get the chance to go back. Luckily for him, Atrejou hasn't left his friend and helps him to go back home.

The book is so much more than the movie : the first part tells us of the importance of imagination and all of the beauty that it brings, it warns us for the danger that is present when be become an adult and might forget our inner child.
The last part of the book, shows us that we need to be happy with who we are : we are unique and that is what makes us special : no one has our memories, our flaws, our strengths,..  
In the end, Bastians final desire, is to be able to love others, to show compasion, forgiveness, to share stories and beauty, to be together,..

Everyting that makes us human, all values that we would ever need, are in this book.