The Ocean at the End of the Lane

A Novel

By: Neil Gaiman

Narrated by: Neil Gaiman

Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Finalist, Narration by the Author or Authors, 2014

Audie Award Finalist, Fiction, 2014

Sussex, England: A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. He is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet sitting by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean), the unremembered past comes flooding back. Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie - magical, comforting, wise beyond her years - promised to protect him, no matter what.

A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. A stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.

©2013 Neil Gaiman (P)2013 HarperCollinsPublishers

Haunting and engaging. Great book.

Any additional comments?

I liked this book from start to finish! I usually listen to lengthy books because I like the charactor development the length allows. This was a marvelous exception. Wonderful imagination from the author and I loved the characters. Well worth the read.

Another masterful tale by Gaiman!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Ocean at the End of the Lane to be better than the print version?

I think when an author like Neil Gaiman is also a brilliant narrator, it definitely adds to the story to listen to it being told.

What about Neil Gaiman’s performance did you like?

Gaiman has a wonderful reading voice, and is a brilliant story-teller. You can feel assured that when he narrates his own story, you are hearing it in exactly the way it is intended.

Any additional comments?

This story is engaging and unique. It easily takes the listener into the world of the characters and provides for an entertaining experience.

It's just about Life, the Universe and Everything

What did you love best about The Ocean at the End of the Lane?

Neil Gaiman is able to tie the ordinary and commonplace to the fantastic and mind boggling.

What other book might you compare The Ocean at the End of the Lane to and why?

In some ways it is similar in tone with Coraline.

What about Neil Gaiman’s performance did you like?

His voice is made for reading stories, comforting and sometimes ominous.

Who was the most memorable character of The Ocean at the End of the Lane and why?

Old Mrs. Hempstock was by far the character I wanted to know more about. There are hints of who she may be (or what?), but like the narrator we can only guess.

enchanting!

lovely story. grabs the inner child imagination and brings you into this full magic world

Neil Gaiman reading Neal Gaiman

What's not to love? He is the perfect story teller of adult fairy tales in all ways. There's always this sense of magic that that creeps out from the story and into my world. And I love that.

I was going to say it was too short but it's not really. It's just the right size. Thanks Neil.

Absolutely Wonderful

I loved this book! The author takes us back to our childhood's worst fears, and yet shows the beauty of friendship and self sacrifice for another. It reminds me of the feeling I had while reading "Harry Potter," that is; magic is real.

Delightfully Bizarre

This was absolutely not what I expected... to be honest, I am not quite sure what I was expecting, but I can tell you it was NOT THIS!

It was like a quirky, trippy, strange dream; almost a nightmare! A strange fantastical adventure through the imagination of a 7 year old that keeps you guessing and is far from predictable!

I think this was the most surprising book I’ve read all year!

The Ocean….

Any additional comments?

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is written and narrated by Neil Gaiman. The unabridged audiobook is a short one, just over 5.5 hours of listening. The book was released several years ago, ergo there are thousands of reviews. It is, after all, a Neil Gaiman novel. I purchased as an Audible Daily Deal because … well, it is, after all, a Neil Gaiman novel.

Not much I can add to the mix, so some brief opinions. I liked this book. It is typical of Gaiman’s excellent writing - lyrical, poetic in places. Gaiman also simply tells a story - not paying much attention to current publisher conventions or mantras regarding the use of particular parts of speech - like adverbs. He writes from the heart, says what he wants to say … and readers are sucked in. I particularly liked the fact that Neil Gaiman is the narrator. The story is presented in the way he intended, no guessing regarding the reading or inflections.

This is a coming age, fable, fairy tale. But also a perspective of friendship, loyalty … the ability of a child to interpret and wonder - and the distant view of an adult reminiscing. I’m sure young adults would like, but The Ocean is also something a seasoned writer or adult reader would enjoy.

What I didn’t like? Nothing that I can think of…..

Like all Gaiman books, be prepared to let your imagination stretch and enjoy the ride.

Another amazing book from Gaiman

Wonderful story, makes you think and also has the tone, characters, and storyline Gaiman is so incredibly skilled at building.

Enchanting

I was entranced by this story, and the exquisite writing, from start to finish. A memorable experience.