Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Julia Reviews The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Title/Author: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Publisher/Year Published: 2013 by William Morrow Books
How I got this book: I borrowed it from a friend
Why I read this book: We have a book club at work and this was the July choice!
Rating: 2.5 stars

Summary: via Goodreads
Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, 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, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy. 
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.
I have read one other Neil Gaiman book in my life (The Graveyard Book which I loved), and I think it is important for me to start there. The problem with Gaiman is that is he super awesome and famous (a rough problem to have I guess) but it gives these high expectations to his books. I really liked The Graveyard Book and I've checked out Stardust for a car ride later today, but I just could not connect with The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

My favorite quote from book club was that this book at the same time felt too long yet underdeveloped. There were times I wanted to know more (everything with the Hempstock family) and times where I just didn't think anything was happening. It has this strange story like feel to it where you kind of expect something to be left up to the imagination, but I think the wrong parts were.

There were times in this story where I was quite freaked out (the nanny) and other times where I was enchanted (the kitty). But overall it has the feel of a short story stretched out into a novel, though it still only clocks in at a hundred fifty pages and some change.

If you are new to Gaiman, I would not recommend this be your first book. If you are a fan, you may like this. If you need a book for book club, I will say that this was a book that had a lot of different reactions that were really interesting to talk about. It ran the gamut on if people loved it or hated it and sparked really interesting discussion points. So I guess it is up to you if you want to take an afternoon to read this. Based on the reactions though, I would get it from the library first :)

Questions for Gaiman readers out there, what would you recommend be the first book in his back list for new readers to try? I'd say the Graveyard Book (since it is the one out of two that I've read and liked).

23 comments:

  1. If you loved 'The Graveyard Book' you will adore 'Coraline'. Gaiman is so excellent at writing for children. I started my Gaiman-reading with 'Stardust', which I thought was a simple and lovely fairy-tale.

    I do not think, one should start with 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' either. Not because it isn't good (it is my favorite book of his and I adore it), but simply because it is a very intimate story, that makes more sense if you know Gaiman's writing better. In fact, he himself has said that it is the closets thing to a autobiography he will ever write; an unreliable retelling of his own childhood.

    That said, I obviously loved the book. For me it was a sincere tale of childhood traumas and uncertain memories; a deep examination of how we forget and remember, and how we become who we are. It was a very personal and beautiful read for me.

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    1. Yeah it was all of those things for me too, but it just didnt click. It's like that feeling where you know you are hearing a really good song and you appreciate the concepts, but its not something you want to listen to. Urgh that is a bad analogy but it is the best I have at the moment. We discussed our wide range of reactions at book club too and those same thoughts came up. I am glad that you like it :)

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  2. I adored NEVERWHERE and definitely recommend that one. (I did really enjoy OCEAN.)

    Honestly, though, I think Gaiman kind of has a range of titles that have the potential to appeal to a number of different kinds of readers, so I don't think there's one best book to start with necessarily - I think it's kind of dependent on the individual reader. CORALINE is really dark and charming and appeals to kids as well as adults. NEVERWHERE is pretty straight up urban fantasy. STARDUST is basically a fairy tale. GOOD OMENS (co written with Terry Pratchett) is my husband's favorite and is a more humorous read than most of Gaiman's work.

    ANANSI BOYS is the only one I don't recommend starting with - it's connected to AMERICAN GODS (which I've not yet read) and though it can be read alone, I think fans of AG can appreciate it more.

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    1. Honestly, though, I think Gaiman kind of has a range of titles that have the potential to appeal to a number of different kinds of readers, so I don't think there's one best book to start with necessarily.

      I really agree with this. I had a coworker who on our work book club forum ask which Gaiman she should read next if she didnt really like Ocean, and she got SO MANY answers. I am listening to Stardust now and I think she may like that based on what I know of her reading preferences.

      I've heard a lot of good things about American Gods.

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    2. American Gods is really good, but it is pretty big and dense, so I think it helped me personally to have read some of his other books first.

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  3. Since I haven't read a Gaiman book yet, I think I'll start with the Graveyard Book (as you did) or Stardust and then read this one if I like those. Thanks for the heads up!

    Sara at The Page Sage

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    1. I am actually listening to Stardust on audiobook now and its narrated by Gaiman. He is excellent at narrating it and I know that he is pronouncing the words and characters right (since he wrote it lol). I am only like almost halfway through (I had a 4hr road trip... with the ride back home tomorrow), so I can't say if it is great or not.. and I have already seen the movie (though it was years ago) so I can't give my thumbs up down or sideways yet. But Graveyard Book hit home with me!

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  4. I'd also recommend starting with The Graveyard Book. I enjoy his books for children/teens a lot more than his adult novels. And I think they're better as audiobooks; he's a great narrator.

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    1. I just had a 4hr car ride and I brought Stardust to keep me company. He is such a good narrator! If I ever notice my thoughts wandering because of an asshole driver or a toll booth, I am rewinding(if that is what you do on a CD..) like mad because I don't want to miss a word. I've seen the movie years ago though so I know the basic premise, or at least remember a small bit of it, so I am pretty sure I'll like this one :)

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  5. I'm reading this right now (as a huge Gaiman fan). I'd say The Graveyard Book is an excellent first time read. And then maybe Coraline or Stardust.

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    1. I hope you like it! I think Gaiman fans may connect with it more... but there are people on here (and IRL) that I have talked to that said it was their first Gaiman and they loved it so *shrug* I claim to predict nothing.

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  6. I recently read this as my second Neil Gaiman (also after The Graveyard Book!), and although there were some great elements, I didn't connect with it either. I wanted to know more too!

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    1. Great minds! now you have to listen to Stardust as your next Gaiman to keep the streak alive lol

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  7. I love Neil's work and I actually ended up loving this one. But he tends to give a barer narrative with his adult titles, which I love, but know isn't everyone's cup of tea. I would say Coraline and Neverwhere are my personal two favorites!

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    1. Yeah, and I get the barer narrative thing, it's just the places I thought were bare needed more and the places that had a lot, I thought needed less.

      I did, however, do a little inside joke that i am in on dance when I was listening to stardust today and one of the girls was named Daisy Hempstock :)

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  8. I loved this...and it was my first Gaiman.

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    1. The more I think about it and read about the varying opinions, the more I think that this book was both sides of every coin. Glad you liked it though :)

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  9. I am not really Gaiman fan, but I think his American's Gods is amazing. I read it last January and I have started to look for his other books. This one was translated in Indonesia last month, I might try this one...later when I get my Good Omens after Eid holiday :3

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  10. The Graveyard Book was also my first Gaiman book, but I think people should definitely start with Neverwhere. It's for an older age group than The Graveyard Book, and it's very clever. The characters also come off as more developed and the mythology is really interesting. Plus, there is an amazing BBC4 radio show made from the book that was incredible. I haven't read Ocean at the End of the Lane yet, but I look forward to it. Funny thing about Gaiman is that I don't feel like any of this books are similar to each other so it's fun to always get something a little different.

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  11. Aww, sorry you didn't enjoy it quite as much! I know what it feels to be expecting too high of an author/book. This was actually my first Neil Gaiman book and will definitely not be the last ;)

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  12. Hello,
    I don't understand english very well but I'm practicing with you revviewr. Sorry for my mistakes.
    I haven't read any books by this author and if I read something I thing I should read The Graveyard Book if I see this book in spanish.
    Thanks for your reviers,
    Katnis ^^

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  13. I tried to read The Graveyard Book a few years back, but couldn't get through it. I've had Stardust sitting on my shelf for ages, picked up at the used bookstore, but I've never even cracked the book open.

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  14. Really like the cover to this book, nice image. On my wish list.

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