Where did Mr. Gaiman go wrong in The Ocean at the End of the Lane

[Richard]

I liked the non-epic style a lot. In fact, the intimacy reminded me of American Gods. Even if there hadn't been a big, SFX-style climax scene, I would have enjoyed it for the questions it forced me to consider. The stuff that goes into our heads when we're kids, often doesn't really show up again until we have the experience to understand it. Meanwhile, it just lays there, tweaking our feelings. Annoying.