From the Bookshelf of The Reading For Pleasure Book Club…

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Neil Gaiman

Start date: August 1, 2014

Finish date: March 31, 2015

Discussion: Book Club Monthly Group Reads

Why we're reading this: This is our winner for our first Book Club group read Selection for the month of August. It is also the W…more
[close] This is our winner for our first Book Club group read Selection for the month of August. It is also the Winner of our Book club group read for March 2015.

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Book Club Monthly Group Reads

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What Members Thought

Feb 21, 2015 Candi rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

“I liked myths. They weren’t adult stories and they weren’t children’s stories. They were better than that. They just were.” So states the seven-year old version of our narrator in this strange, dark and surreal novel by Neil Gaiman. One of the questions I have about this book is whether it was intended for a young adult or an adult reader. The simple, but mystical narration reads like a young adult novel, but certain components made me think maybe it was really meant for an adult audience. But “I liked myths. They weren’t adult stories and they weren’t children’s stories. They were better than that. They just were.” So states the seven-year old version of our narrator in this strange, dark and surreal novel by Neil Gaiman. One of the questions I have about this book is whether it was intended for a young adult or an adult reader. The simple, but mystical narration reads like a young adult novel, but certain components made me think maybe it was really meant for an adult audience. But then again, perhaps it “just was”.

I think there were many things you could take away from this book, depending on your own imagination and childhood experiences. I personally look back at my own childhood with a somewhat less than vivid imagination, but still with a dream-like quality. This is how I felt when reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane; as if I was privy to the narrator’s sensations of his past being like a vaguely sensed and remembered melancholic dream. “The dream was haunting me: standing behind me, present and yet invisible…” How do we explain those hazy perceptions that we can’t quite recall? “A ghost-memory rises, here: a phantom moment, a shaky reflection in the pool of remembrance.” Do we put our own spin on certain things in our childhood that scare or confuse us, or even delight us? Do ponds become oceans, cruel adults become monsters, the deceased become terrifying ghosts, and special childhood friends become our champions and saviors?

This is my first Neil Gaiman novel and I enjoyed it. I was immediately drawn in at the beginning of the book, but felt a bit out of sorts during the middle section. I had a hard time allowing myself to be captured by the imaginative descriptions here but I certainly cannot claim these images were not creative. The last section of the book once again mesmerized me and left me wanting to know more. I felt for the lonely, bookish narrator, was disgusted by the worm, detested the “monsters”, and absolutely adored the three Hempstock women. I would like to know more about these otherworldly figures. I drew my own conclusions about these three, but we may all look at them a bit differently depending on what we as readers bring to the story. I would give this slightly peculiar but imaginative and thought-provoking book 3.5 stars and round up to a solid 4 stars. I look forward to reading my second Neil Gaiman in the future.
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Feb 01, 2014 Rosemary May rated it really liked it

Shelves: drama-fantasy

The Best Friends in Life... A dark-edged fairy tale for adults and lenghtned short story. I felt that the Ocean Is Meant to be a little more Explored. I am a long time fan of fiction written by Gaimanthe book is good. It entertains you, binds you and even makes you wonder for some time. However, even as I read it, I felt that I had read it all before..

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Dec 09, 2013 Elizabeth rated it it was amazing

Absolutely one of the best I have read.

It is story of all of us as we grow from a childhood. It is memories,fantasy, and dreams.

It is "Joyous and magical" and I would hope that everyone will read it. ...more

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