• 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 (24,615 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: 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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    4 out of 5 stars

excellent listen!

enjoyed every minute. great imagery and I character building.. loved listening to this audio book.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another great book by an amazing narrator

I totally recommend this book, Neil is an amazing narrator, such a pleasure to listen to his book narrated by himself!
The book is a fairy tail for everybody, very deep and insightful.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful

One of the best I've listened to. Loved it so much. Neil is a great reader and his voice really pulls you into the story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Adult fairy tale at it's finest!

In the vein of the original Grimm's fairy tales, Neil Gaiman brings us a story of terror, tears, and wonder.

Neil Gaiman's imagination is superb. I absolutely loved this book and Neil Gaiman's reading of it, because then you know exactly what he was thinking and wanted to be presented by the story and his choice of words.

My two favourite lines of the book...
"Nobody actually looks like what they really are on the inside"
"If I looked inward I would see only infinite mirrors staring into myself for eternity"

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing!

Neil Gaiman is seriously the best narrator ever! The story was captivating and I enjoyed every magical moment of it!

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Awesome!!!

Any additional comments?

The Ocean at the End of the Lane was my introduction to Neil Gaiman, who is my current favorite author. I listened to the Audible version and loved it. Gaiman’s narration is spellbinding. It’s like listening to the best bedtime story ever. The Ocean at the End of the Lane has a fairy tale quality, but is definitely an adult story.

Told in flashback format, the middle-aged narrator looks back at his childhood while visiting for a funeral. The story is suspenseful and dark, yet deeply moving. It evoked memories of childhood longings and fears. Gaiman’s writing and narration were totally engaging. Even though a seven-year old boy was the main character, I loved the Hempstock women. Their strong maiden, mother and crone characters were central to the story for me. There was a lot of suspense and several major twists. The Ocean at the End of the Lane was a great introduction to Neil Gaiman and left me wanting more!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

I am smiling!

I was not expecting whitches. I was not expecting that a 7-year old boy would make me wonder during the day, looking forward to reading / listening another piece of this fairy tail. Neil Gaiman's voice is just perfect for this brilliant whimsical story!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great story...but too short!

What made the experience of listening to The Ocean at the End of the Lane the most enjoyable?

Very much enjoyed listening to the author reads his own story. A great story teller

Any additional comments?

The story ended much too quickly for me.

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Love it!

I love to hear Neil Gaiman’s book. Specially when he reads them. It is a treat to have the author tell your their story. Feels more real, such a wonderful work of Art.

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Like listening to melted chocolate.

Classic Neil Gaiman reading Neil Gaiman. As with the rest of his work, I cannot imagine anyone else's voice attached to it. Couldn't put it down.

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