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The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Neil Gaiman

Start date: October 15, 2013

Finish date: October 31, 2013

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What Members Thought

Nov 21, 2016 Trisha rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"I do not miss childhood, but I miss the way I took pleasure in the small things, even as greater things crumbled..."

What an absolutely stunning book. It has a very nostalgic feel of an adult looking back over his childhood and remembering things that were. But it's also the look back with the eyes of an adult - and not being 100% sure that what you remember with the lens of a child is true.

First, I did this as an audio book and it was read by Neil Gaiman. Amazing. Nothing is better than the a ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Aug 09, 2015 Catsalive rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015, 2023

6/4/23: We all remember things differently & childhood memories are even more fallible than most. Told from a 7-year-old's point of view, I can imagine being absolutely terrified by some parts of this tale as a child, & equally fascinated by others. The part with dad & the bath, oh my! The bogeyman in this is Ursula Monkton, only giving people what they want - there's a chilling thought.

If the Varmints tore out his heart, what did Lettie Hempstock have to recover from, who has the most to regret ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 14, 2014 Maria rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. It's a story that kept me hooked and was so well written that I could imagine the scenes playing out before me. The author is a great storyteller with a wonderful imagination. This story seems to be all about how memories are unreliable and how reality and fantasy easily become blurred when looking back on childhood events, and life in general. Gaiman's fantastical tale is one that will make you think.

The narrator is a forty-something man revisiting his childhood hom ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jul 03, 2016 Kim Degener rated it it was amazing

Loved this book!
This was my first experience with Neil Gaiman, and I'm so glad I chose the audio book version. The simplicity of the telling added to the horror of the story. Narrated by the author, I enjoyed this so much, I could have powered through in one go if I didn't have other responsibilities. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jul 20, 2015 Rachel N. rated it really liked it

The narrator is a man home in England for a funeral. he decides to visit his old neighborhood and ends up at the Hempstock farm at the end of the lane where he grew up. While there he remembers strange events that occurred when he was seven years old. I found the book a bit slow to start but once odd creatures started showing up the book sucked me in. I wish the book was longer because I'm sure there's a lot more Gaiman could write about the Hempstocks. ...more

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