When it was published more than a decade ago, this special story within a story captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of readers worldwi...
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May 14, 2010
Ben
rated it: 
I loved most of what I read, yet I’m stopping on page 352; I just can’t continue. And you know, I’m not entirely sure why I can’t continue -– I just know that I can’t.
But I have a theory.
Having loved the movie version of this in my youth, the whole story is etched into the part of my psyche that deals with childhood; that time when so much is new; where much in the world is observed through an inner-wonder of the mind and a stirring of the soul: a magical state, by adu More...
But I have a theory.
Having loved the movie version of this in my youth, the whole story is etched into the part of my psyche that deals with childhood; that time when so much is new; where much in the world is observed through an inner-wonder of the mind and a stirring of the soul: a magical state, by adu More...
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Dec 10, 2011
Greg
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One of my favorite books of all time, this one is definitely closest to my heart. I've certainly read it more than any other (Ender's Game being a close second). Which is interesting because it's almost nothing like any of my other favorites (besides maybe Watership Down). Maybe it's because it's the first main character I was able to identify so well with. Or because Bastian does what I had always dreamed of, to enter inside a book. To turn your imagination into reality. And this book really is
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Mar 08, 2010
Lisa
rated it: 
This is a rather brilliant book and I could see it being a life changing book for some readers.
It’s about reality & fantasy, escape, power, free will, friendship, individuality, isolation, grief, choices, wishes, courage, growth, altruism, friendship, change, self acceptance, meaning, memory, identity, love, introspection, and imagination & stories.
From the beginning, it reminded me of The Lord of the Rings and The Phantom Tollbooth, and other books too.
Even t More...
It’s about reality & fantasy, escape, power, free will, friendship, individuality, isolation, grief, choices, wishes, courage, growth, altruism, friendship, change, self acceptance, meaning, memory, identity, love, introspection, and imagination & stories.
From the beginning, it reminded me of The Lord of the Rings and The Phantom Tollbooth, and other books too.
Even t More...
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Mar 30, 2008
Corinne
rated it:
Perhaps the reason I just did not love this book is that I was absolutely in love with the movie when I was young. I love the idea of a reader being taken to the land of the book he's reading. For me, the first 1/3 of this book was wonderful, just what I fondly remembered from my beloved movie version - and actually, a bit more fleshed out. The movie makes a bit more sense having read the book. However, I couldn't believe when I got to the end of what I knew of the story that I still had about 2
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(14 people liked it)
Mar 14, 2008
Tracy
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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2 comments
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Jan 23, 2008
Wicked Incognito Now
rated it:
Well, this is an "out-there" book, so I can see how it wouldn't be for everyone, but.....
I can't figure out how I got to 33yo and never read this book! I just read it with my daughters and we absolutely loved it. It's a fantastic romp filled with lessons that every child can benefit from: the nature of individuality and wish-fullment, how wishing is impossible without personal change, how personal glorification is empty, the nature of fantasy vs. reality. How fantasy ca More...
I can't figure out how I got to 33yo and never read this book! I just read it with my daughters and we absolutely loved it. It's a fantastic romp filled with lessons that every child can benefit from: the nature of individuality and wish-fullment, how wishing is impossible without personal change, how personal glorification is empty, the nature of fantasy vs. reality. How fantasy ca More...
Nov 22, 2007
Needleroozer
rated it:
Somehow I missed reading this book when I was a kid. I missed seeing the movie based on the book too. I don't know how I missed the movie. My family was really into seeing movies (especially when we lived near dollar cinemas), and I saw many other films in this genre: Legend (Tom Cruise in a loincloth), Willow, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth. In any case, I did not see the movie version until just this past Halloween (October 2007) when Tony got it from Netflix.
It's one of Cassidy's More...
It's one of Cassidy's More...
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Apr 16, 2007
Erin
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Most folks of a certain age have seen the movie they made of this book in the '80s. What's intriguing is that it's only about the first third of the book. Much, much more happens to Bastian in the Neverending Story than we ever got to see. Granted, most of it is a slightly preachy allegory about personal responsibility, but it's still a pretty kickass young adult fantasy novel if you don't think about it too hard. Also, the chapters are alphabetized with illuminated text, which is fun.
Feb 11, 2008
Eleanor
rated it:
This is the book on which the movies were based (loosely). While I still love the first movie, having grown up on it, this book blows it right out of the water. Michael Ende's creativity and originality (not quite the same things) are brilliantly showcased in this novel. Don't miss it!
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Nov 25, 2008
A.C
rated it:
This is one of the books that is definitely better than the movie. It says something because the movie was fantasticly done! But the story has much more levels and goes much further than the on the screen. It is so vividly written that you in your mind you see the characters and the landscapes.
The story is about 2 boys. Bastian who lives in our world and Atreyu who lives in Fantasia. Bastian steals a book and when he starts to read we read with him about a dying world. We follow the adven More...
The story is about 2 boys. Bastian who lives in our world and Atreyu who lives in Fantasia. Bastian steals a book and when he starts to read we read with him about a dying world. We follow the adven More...
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Nov 02, 2010
Janeen-san
rated it:
Yesterday I finished The NeverEnding Story, by Michael Ende.
When you pick up this book, be prepared to read a story... THAT...NEVER...ENDS. Literally.
This story begins where young Bastain Bathlazar Bux stumbles into a old book store on a rainy, wet day. No one is there...or so it seems. Rounding a corner, Bastain sees the owner of the store reading a book that will change his life forever---in more ways than one. When Bastain (out of pure ciriosity) asks what the book is about, th More...
When you pick up this book, be prepared to read a story... THAT...NEVER...ENDS. Literally.
This story begins where young Bastain Bathlazar Bux stumbles into a old book store on a rainy, wet day. No one is there...or so it seems. Rounding a corner, Bastain sees the owner of the store reading a book that will change his life forever---in more ways than one. When Bastain (out of pure ciriosity) asks what the book is about, th More...
Sep 17, 2008
Amber
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Dec 13, 2009
Jmccluer
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Mar 25, 2008
Natalie
rated it: 
Like other reviewers, I had seen this movie and I loved it, so I decided to read the book with high hopes. However, I had unmet expectations.
The beginning and up until about the middle of this book are written very well and held my attention. The book is filled with suspense as we follow Atreyu and Falkor on their quest. I enjoyed the mystery of Bastain trying to find out how the characters in the book, he is reading, can sometimes see and hear him.
All of these factors More...
The beginning and up until about the middle of this book are written very well and held my attention. The book is filled with suspense as we follow Atreyu and Falkor on their quest. I enjoyed the mystery of Bastain trying to find out how the characters in the book, he is reading, can sometimes see and hear him.
All of these factors More...
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Jun 05, 2007
Blake
rated it:
****All Time Favorite Book****
As another reviewer so rightly pointed out: This is a book lover's dream, a book that never ends.
Like I always say, a picture is worth 1000 words, but a mental picture is worth 1000 times more. Words cannot ever capture what's in a picture, there's always something more, and yet pictures themselves never quite capture something as well as the imagination. People always say that movie version of the book is never as good as the book was, and More...
As another reviewer so rightly pointed out: This is a book lover's dream, a book that never ends.
Like I always say, a picture is worth 1000 words, but a mental picture is worth 1000 times more. Words cannot ever capture what's in a picture, there's always something more, and yet pictures themselves never quite capture something as well as the imagination. People always say that movie version of the book is never as good as the book was, and More...
Oct 30, 2008
Sarah
rated it:
This is one of my favorite books of all time. Every time I read it I pick up on something new.
I was lucky enough to get a newish edition that had the multicolored inks and the full-page chapter starters. It took me until last year to realize that the 26 chapters of the book each start with a letter of the alphabet.
I love the story within the story, and how Mr. Ende portrayed fantasy as being both savior and devil. In the first section of the book, Bastion's imagination More...
I was lucky enough to get a newish edition that had the multicolored inks and the full-page chapter starters. It took me until last year to realize that the 26 chapters of the book each start with a letter of the alphabet.
I love the story within the story, and how Mr. Ende portrayed fantasy as being both savior and devil. In the first section of the book, Bastion's imagination More...
Sep 29, 2011
S. Bell
rated it:
Today in my gf's bookstore I stumbled across the most amazing thing ever: a beautiful hardcover edition of Die unendliche Geschichte - aka the original German edition of The Neverending Story. So of course I had to buy it even though I already have two English copies - one is a falling-apart paperback with the movie tie-in cover, the other is a hardcover sadly missing its dust jacket but it has the gorgeous red and green text. This one also has the red and green instead of just plain/italic whic
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Dec 01, 2008
Sheena
rated it:
The Neverending Story is written from the perspective of a boy, Bastian, who is reading a book that he eventually enters. By reading the book, Bastian becomes a part of the story.
Ende manages to write from two perspectives -- that of Bastian while reading, and the book itself -- without confusing the reader. He also includes, without being heavy-handed or didactic, the concept "be careful what you wish for".
The world of Fantastica is written with amazing description and de More...
Ende manages to write from two perspectives -- that of Bastian while reading, and the book itself -- without confusing the reader. He also includes, without being heavy-handed or didactic, the concept "be careful what you wish for".
The world of Fantastica is written with amazing description and de More...
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Mar 11, 2008
Psychophant
rated it:
The first half is gripping, or was, to my fourteen years old self. The second half was a bit of a letdown, mainly because the main character becomes something that he is not.
I still spent four straight hours reading, unable to do anything else. So although I give it three stars (or rather, 4 and a half and 2), my teenaged self would have given it 4 (or 5 before I read The Lord of the Rings). Incredibly well suited for young teens that love books. More...
I still spent four straight hours reading, unable to do anything else. So although I give it three stars (or rather, 4 and a half and 2), my teenaged self would have given it 4 (or 5 before I read The Lord of the Rings). Incredibly well suited for young teens that love books. More...
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Mar 03, 2009
Jason
rated it:
Although I saw this movie when I was a child and thoroughly loved it, it never occured to me that it might be based on a novel. So when I was gifted this book, it came as a complete surprise. The book read almost exactly like the movie which was both a surprise and a pleasure. It was when I almost half way through the book, but nearing the end of the story as I knew it that I started to get nervous.
And I discovered I was right to do so. Some of you might remember the movie 'The More...
And I discovered I was right to do so. Some of you might remember the movie 'The More...
Jan 31, 2012
Stephanie
rated it:
The year 2005 is written on the inside cover of this book in my handwriting, but was I really 17 when I read it the first time? I could have sworn I was younger. Because this book made me do a major Geek-out unlike almost everything else. The suspense of Atreyu's journey especially lured me in, and I'll never forget reading the whole thing during a horribly boring morning spent with my family at the hardware store. At one point I literally thought the author was referring to me directly ("a
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Jan 25, 2012
Πέτρος
rated it:
Just like most people, so did I first watch the movie versions as a kid, before eventually stumbling on the book by someone’s recommendation during my teenage years. I didn’t even realize it was the same story up until I was midway. Anyways, I have nothing against the books and I will not compare them to the original source, since they have their distinctive differences, imposed by the medium they were told.
Now about the book itself. First of all it has a more than typical protagonist More...
Now about the book itself. First of all it has a more than typical protagonist More...
Jan 21, 2012
Raine
rated it:
I've read this several years ago but I was first introduced when I heard the theme song aired along the classic movie trailer as part of a feature in cable. I was captivated by the lyrics. Who can't get intrigued when the lyrics went "Hidden on the pages is the answer/To a never ending story..." and then "Rhymes that keep their secrets/Will unfold behind the clouds..." the book had a straight ticket to my heart. It took quite a while to get a copy since I had to order it t
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Jan 01, 2012
Wanxuansoh
rated it:
I started reading this book, expecting it to have an ending. And boy, was I wrong.It is considered common sense to know that every story have an ending, but this just does not have one.
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From the start of the book, I was surprised that I could imagine everything. I could see clearly how Bastian Balthazar Bux (BBB) barge into CCC's shop, with the bells ringing loudly and all. A clear picture formed in my head, which didn't for a long while. While reading, I was sucked into that worl More...
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From the start of the book, I was surprised that I could imagine everything. I could see clearly how Bastian Balthazar Bux (BBB) barge into CCC's shop, with the bells ringing loudly and all. A clear picture formed in my head, which didn't for a long while. While reading, I was sucked into that worl More...
Nov 17, 2011
Duesterwald-Online
rated it:
Inhalt:
"Tu was du willst" - Diese Inschrift befindet sich auf dem Medaillon von Phantasien, als Symbol für die uneingeschränkte Herrschaft.
Der Junge Bastian hat es schwer im Leben. Er verlor früh seine Mutter, sein Vater kam nie damit zurecht und er selbst hat in der Schule ständig mit anderen Kindern zu kämpfen, die ihn schikanieren.
Als er eines Tages vor ihnen flüchten muss, kommt er in das Antiquariat von Karl Konrad Koreander. Dieser liest ein Buch namens "Die More...
"Tu was du willst" - Diese Inschrift befindet sich auf dem Medaillon von Phantasien, als Symbol für die uneingeschränkte Herrschaft.
Der Junge Bastian hat es schwer im Leben. Er verlor früh seine Mutter, sein Vater kam nie damit zurecht und er selbst hat in der Schule ständig mit anderen Kindern zu kämpfen, die ihn schikanieren.
Als er eines Tages vor ihnen flüchten muss, kommt er in das Antiquariat von Karl Konrad Koreander. Dieser liest ein Buch namens "Die More...
Oct 02, 2011
Mazil
rated it:
As someone who grew up on the movie version of the story, reading the book was a strange experience. I was interested to find that the movie only covers the first half of the book, after which the story makes quite a departure. The rest of the book gives a richer understanding of the title through story concepts which are not effectively portrayed in the movie.
Very slight spoilers ahead...
<spoiler>On a less positive note, it's tempting to make reference to the title in te More...
Very slight spoilers ahead...
<spoiler>On a less positive note, it's tempting to make reference to the title in te More...
Oct 01, 2011
Angie
rated it:
I waffled between three stars and four on this. But I guess it's kind of half five and half three, so four. I truly loved the first half of the novel (the half upon which the movie was based). The narration is charming. The ideas are creative. I found myself quite fond of Atreyu and Falcor, and many of the characters that just passed through as well. The problem came for me with the second half of the novel. Bastian becomes the lead character, rather than the sort of Everychild role he pl
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Sep 07, 2011
Erinn
rated it:
The NeverEnding Story
A personal childhood favorite of mine, I used to walk down the street to my neighbor’s house to borrow The NeverEnding Story at least once a week . . . from ages seven or so to about fifteen when I just decided to buy the movie for myself. The movie, filmed in 1984, is based on the book of the same title by German author Michael Ende. It tells the story of young Bastian Balthazar Bux who escapes his troubled life in a dusty bookstore. It is there where he finds an More...
A personal childhood favorite of mine, I used to walk down the street to my neighbor’s house to borrow The NeverEnding Story at least once a week . . . from ages seven or so to about fifteen when I just decided to buy the movie for myself. The movie, filmed in 1984, is based on the book of the same title by German author Michael Ende. It tells the story of young Bastian Balthazar Bux who escapes his troubled life in a dusty bookstore. It is there where he finds an More...
Aug 28, 2011
Anna
rated it:
Even though two stars seems low, GoodReads states that as "It was OK" which I will stand by. I will also admit to not finishing it. I've had this book in hardcover for about twenty-five years--I could never get through it as a high school student and I've tried a couple of times since and I still can't. The book itself is beautiful, with its two-color print and grand illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. I remember as a young person thinking it was difficult to really get int
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Aug 13, 2011
Craig
rated it:
Third in my series of "movies that were made into books" is The Neverending Story, which was apparently originally written in German. The things we learn when we actually read stuff, huh?
Anyway, on with the story. The tale, as I imagine most people know from the film, revolves about a young boy named Bastian who begins reading a book that ends up being a lot more real than he could ever have imagined. One of the really neat things is that the "real-world" bits ar More...
Anyway, on with the story. The tale, as I imagine most people know from the film, revolves about a young boy named Bastian who begins reading a book that ends up being a lot more real than he could ever have imagined. One of the really neat things is that the "real-world" bits ar More...
