The Sword and Laser discussion
What Else Are You Reading?
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The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
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Isaiah
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Jun 20, 2013 02:52PM
Read the whole thing the day it came out. Well, listened, which was awesome, as Gaiman is a fantastic reader. Has anyone else read it or done the audiobook? What did you think? I thought it was incredible, myself. Though I am a Gaiman Geek, from Sandman to American Gods, I love everything he has written. Anyway, great book, I strongly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet.
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I've started to listen to it and am really enjoying it. Unfortunately I was trying to listen while my dad was driving my car in an unfamiliar area, so I had to stop and make sure be didn't wreck my car. ;)
I just bought/read it a few days ago, I liked it a lot, but… I felt I was missing background. I assume the ladies are the triple goddess (of whom I know nearly nothing), and I don't know who the creatures from beyond the borders are, if indeed they are of mythical origins. Perhaps it didn't bother me as much in American Gods because I knew more of the background, or it was simply fleshed out more, but I felt like I was missing something as I finished the book.
Isaiah wrote: "Though I am a Gaiman Geek, from Sandman to American Gods, I love everything he has written. Anyway, great book, I strongly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet. "I haven't read it yet, but am curious. Where would you put it on the scale of his works, then?
Darren wrote: "Isaiah wrote: "Though I am a Gaiman Geek, from Sandman to American Gods, I love everything he has written. Anyway, great book, I strongly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet. "I haven'..."
Actually, I still liked American Gods better, but I'd say I liked it about as much as Stardust or Anansi Boys.
In tone and feel, it reminds me a lot if Stardust. Which is a-ok in my book. :)
I really loved this book. The child's viewpoint, from the supernatural elements to his interactions with his dad were really superb.For those that will get this reference, this book does what August Derleth tried to do in response to HP Lovecraft's writings, but it is as much a success as Derleth's were a failure (IMHO).
Alex wrote: "I just bought/read it a few days ago, I liked it a lot, but… I felt I was missing background. I assume the ladies are the triple goddess (of whom I know nearly nothing), and I don't know who the cr..."Just thought I'd comment with something Neil Gaiman himself said about the 3 women. I was at a talk he did in London about the book and he said that they aren't particularly based on anything. They are not Gods, they are not witches, they are something older than all that, something from his imagination. I think that is true for the majority of the book. Though some of it is bound to have seeped in from mythology I don't think anything in this book is too specific and needs background knowledge, like American Gods does.
Picked this up at the event on Monday and have just finished it. I really enjoyed it, especially the way it all came together at the end. I really enjoyed how vivid all of the different scenes were. There were really colorful and so clear in my head.
I just finished this and felt like it was perfect. I feel that way about many of Neil Gaiman's books, something about the way he writes really speaks to me. I am going to make a bold statement and say this is one of my favorite books ever, I liked it that much.
I got my copy signed by him. Waited in line for two and a half hours. It was completely worth it. Gaiman really captures a child's voice very accurately.
I really enjoyed it. A lot of it felt like his kids books, but I like those too. It's super short by my current standards (under 200 pages). Two hours is nothing to wait for him, I think when I saw him it was more like 6, you could tell he was exhausted from so many hours of signing but he kept going. I like that he'll usually keep signing as long as people who've been waiting all day are still there.
Read this the day it came out. It was very enjoyable (am I the only one getting some Brideshead Revisited vibes from it?)...but I don't see what a lot of the fuss is about. Reviews are calling it his greatest book? How? It is brilliant, charming, and incredibly honest. But it's not a "greatest novel yet!" It's a quiet gem, the sort of thing that people will accidentally discover and fall in love with decades from now, when Neil is gone but Sandman and American Gods have become classics. It's an endearing, reassuring book. Not a powerful, knock your socks off book.
Rob wrote: "Not a powerful, knock your socks off book. "I am sockless.
The Graveyard Book hit me emotionally right at the end. This book got to me right in the middle of the story with some lovely observations about the perceived powerlessness of childhood. Not a major work, but a must for Gaiman fans.
