• The Ocean at the End of the Lane

  • A Novel
  • By: Neil Gaiman
  • Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
  • Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (24,599 ratings)

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The Ocean at the End of the Lane  By  cover art

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

By: Neil Gaiman
Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
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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

Featured Article: The Best Neil Gaiman Listens of All Time


"I make things up and write them down"—that’s how Neil Gaiman has humbly described his work. And he must be pretty good at it too, because many, many people count themselves as fans. He’s written novels, short fiction, nonfiction, comic books, books for children, graphic novels, films, and audio dramas in genres from mythic fantasy to horror. With so many Neil Gaiman works to get through, here's what you won’t want to miss in audio.

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What listeners say about The Ocean at the End of the Lane

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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great!

I enjoyed it. It is, in fact a Quick work, No, finish it later. I love the voice!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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My favorite Gaiman novel so far!

absolutely charming with a world and a magic system that I've dreamt of but have never been able to grasp ... until now

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Superb and enchanting

Gaiman at his best. Engaging, heartfelt, true and even a little scary. A journey of childhood memory magic, beautiful and enthralling.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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God I Love Neil Gaiman

The man must be some kind of sorcerer to write the way he does. And to hear his own voice telling the story... it'll give you chills.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Forgotten memories and facing fears.

Its strange to reminisce about a childhood long forgotten. How many memories and events that I pledged to remember, now fed to the universe and replaced by void. How many bruises and kisses. How many fights and laughs. How many memories lost.
This book, like many others will eventually be forgotten in my memory but I hope what I learn about myself in this moment after finishing this fantastic story, I'm able to change my being for the better.
So, yeah. I recommend this. Then, Take a break. Reflect on your thoughts, good and bad. Figure out how you want to be moving forward. Then move forward.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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whoa...

I'm not going to spoil it. Just listen... you won't regret it! This journey is not what you'd expect...

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderfully creepy

This book is so amazing, I hardly have words for it. It's about a little boy who stumbles upon the madness magic and other-worldly beings. Despite that the main character is a child, this book is more of a YA/adult paranormal book. It is creepy and terrifying at times, but so, so good. Gaiman's imagination never fails to astound me. I would relisten to this again in a heartbeat.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Neil Gaiman Rocks!

This book is brilliant! And brilliantly performed by Neil Gaiman, whose voice is unique and wonderful. This story stayed with me for quite a while after I listened to it. One of my nightmares is in this book! I used to dream I had been captured by an evil being and no one else could see them, or believe that I was telling the truth, no matter how much I pleaded with them. Listen with headphones - not in the car if your car is noisy - you don't want to miss a single word!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Possibly my favorite Neil Gaiman book ever...

The Ocean at The End of the Lane is probably one of my Neil Gaiman favorites! If you enjoyed The Graveyard Book, then this is a must read. It took me back to my childhood, when magic was not only possible, but probable, and the world was a wondrous, mysterious place. Well narrated and not too dark..perfect!

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AMAZING

I was pulled so deeply into thus story I felt like it was my childhood. Like I was Jenny and Lettie. I want more stories like this one.

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