Sample
  • 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 (24,795 ratings)

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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: 35+ Quotes About Books That Truly Speak to Bibliophiles


Novels, memoirs, short stories, essay compilations, and more continue to shape who we are and how we view the world, no matter what format—physical book, ebook, or audiobook—we use to absorb and enjoy them. Books are pathways into different worlds and different lives, and one can never be truly bored with a good book. Celebrate your literary love with these quotes about books that will inspire you to dive into your next story.

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

Average customer ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    15,722
  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
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Still a great

More people should talk about this book. It seems to be a great SECRET. Even in avid reader circles.

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Stunningly Beautiful

I have never read or listened to a Neil Gaiman book before. I am overwhelmed by the amazing and imaginative journey I’ve just taken. I want to hug Mr. Gaiman for this gift. I have no doubt the characters in this treasure of a story will stay with me alway! And I will miss the beautiful, beautiful voice of Neil Gaimon in my ear ❤️ Thank you with all my heart!!!

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Things of the Heart

When one reaches an age when all that was, the places, homes, and persons are no longer, there is only a vast ocean of memory. Mr. Gaiman aptly shines a light over the surface and reveals the intricacies of the fluidity of time and our marks upon it.

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Very well written

The phrasing really immerses you in the world and captures the imagination. The story really speaks to you and explains a difficult theme in an extraordinary way. Will recommend to others.

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    3 out of 5 stars

I'm not sure this should be in the Horror section.

Wasn't scary, but it was different. The story kept me interested and it was different. The narrator did a great job and probably one of the biggest reasons I continued to listen after I realized it wasn't scary.

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Look No Further, You Just Found Your Next Book!

Neil Gaiman's imagination is amazing. I felt like I stepped into another world while listening to this book. I kept wanting to peek around the corner or into a closet to see what wonderment might be waiting there. The story is not really comparable to anything I can think of, maybe a little Alice in Wonderland kind of scary but fun fantasy sprinkled in here and there. But don't think this is a kid's book. Far from it. There is an affair, a suicide, a near murder, an evil nanny, a fabulous old farmhouse and very clever dialog to move it all along.
The narration added another layer of enjoyment, Mr. Gaiman switched from person to person flawlessly, each one voiced perfectly for the character he had created.
I almost didn't buy this book because it is under 6 hours. I usually don't like to spend a credit unless a book is at least 10 hours, but, I really liked the narrator (who is also the author) when I listened to the sample, so I gave it a try. I am so glad I did.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

magical moving story

I was captivated, finished in tears. it all touched me so deeply and inspired me. I have such gratitude my 90 year old mother told me about it.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Another unexpected story of Gaiman’s genius

I’m never disappointed with Neil Gaiman especially when he is the narrator. He fantastically entwines reality and fantasy into something that grabs my attention and won’t let go. He definitely makes me a better writer.

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New to bring read to...

Loved it!!! kept me interested thur the whole story.....Can't wait to check out more stories...

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Neil Gaiman as himself

This book was a lovely saunter down Gaiman's experience of the world, where gods are fallibly human and humans not necessarily so far from godlike. Thanks again for a lovely story.

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