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

It's very lite for Neil. Like die Gaiman.

Where does The Ocean at the End of the Lane rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

My collection is too diverse to compare.

Would you recommend The Ocean at the End of the Lane to your friends? Why or why not?

Only if they were a Neil fan. I think if they were not familiar with his work this would not be the one I started them with.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

It's not epic, but it is a good read. Perfect for a lazy long Sunday with tea.

A Beautiful Perfromance

Any additional comments?

I have mixed emotions about this book. At times I really enjoyed the story and the supernatural elements presented. At other times, I found it random and confusing to follow. I listened to the audiobook, and greatly enjoyed the author reading his own work.

Opened the Ocean in My Heart

Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller, and this book is no exception. I almost didn't choose this audiobook, because it was much shorter than I like, but, in retrospect, I found the story much richer than most books twice or three times the size! Thank you, Neil, for another wonderful and heart-opening adventure.

Amazing work by Gaiman!

If you loved Coraline, this book is for you! It is frightening, beautiful, magical and bittersweet.

Not what I was expecting... nonetheless I loved it

Not what I was expecting.... nonetheless I love it. It got me, move me... and made me wonder.

A wonderful story with suspense, intrigue, and a bit of humor thrown in.

What a beautifully written story. The prose was remarkable, bringing each character to life and giving them meaning. The parallels between fantasy and reality that I believe this book is trying to make the reader see weren’t lost on me. Sometimes as children we see and experience things that are conceptually beyond our years, yet have tremendous impact on the rest of our lives. This book describes that in a truly unique, beautiful, and entertaining way. Loved it.

Brilliant exploration of childhood fantasy.

When you were 7, do you recall the first fairy tale you ever heard? It made you smile, shudder, laugh, cry out, and feel alive with a world of unlimited possibility. This book does all that and more. Buy it, read it, be it, and for a few hours be 7 years old and full of wonder again.

Excellent !!!

An amazing story that takes you on an emotional ride through adult memories and realities in the eyes of a child. This book is deep and feels very personal. I highly recommend it!!

It just makes you think

I love Neil Gaiman, and particularly in audio book
His themes are similar, with often the outsider or innocent hero.
The hero is often somehow at the threshold, I loved the children's view of adults and I love that there are Hemstocks loose in the world
Having been through a view I find they often strike a chord at the right time for me

Great Story, Read by the Author

I am a big fan of Neil Gaiman, but I had never heard his voice before listening to this. His accent, pace, and tone throughout the book made for very enjoyable listening. I highly recommend this for people who usually listen to long books and are looking for a shorter novel.