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

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.

A wonderful, enthralling, beautiful fairy tale

Any additional comments?

This book was fantastic. Neil Gaiman is amazing reading it. If you like "Howl's Moving Castle" or "Summerland" or are just looking for an enchanting and well-crafted story, do yourself a favor and get this audiobook.

wonderful words and performance

Another wonderful work by Neil Gaiman and even better since he is reading it. This is my 3rd novel by Gaiman and it drew me in just as much as the last two. This is my first audible book and I think that my next will be another narrated by Gaiman himself. I would highly recommend this book and would even consider listening to it again. :D

Magical

As always Neil weaves a deep, emotional magical story that absconds with your mind and leaves you wishing you could join the characters in their world.

Another wonderful world by Gaiman

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely. Already have. His characters are beautifully drawn. The story is magical but familiar. And Gaiman is brilliant at describing physical sensations, both good and bad.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Ocean at the End of the Lane?

The moment when the narrator is brought into Old Mrs. Hemstock's kitchen after he finally escapes from Ursula Monkton.

What about Neil Gaiman’s performance did you like?

As always, Gaiman captures his characters' emotion and tension. His voice is beautifully rich and resonant, and his pacing is perfect, just what one wants in a storyteller.

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

Hmm. So many good characters. Old Mrs. Hemstock made me laugh, but the narrator is endearing; he is a 7-year-old boy, and feels like one, but he also has a path, and issues that will shape the adult.

Neil Gaiman's Beautiful Fable

I absolutely loved this fable by Neil Gaiman. The tone of the entire story was magical and his performance kept me so entranced that I'd often forget where I was and if I was meant to be doing something. It's an absolutely lovely book and a lovely reading to enjoy.

fantastic

I really loved the Vivid imagery and the narrators reading was calming and amazing to listen to.