Ben reviewed The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Nice visuals, thin plot
3 stars
Beautifully written and descriptive farm setting.
297 pages
Spanish language
Published April 7, 2014 by Rocabolsillo.
Hace cuarenta años, cuando nuestro narrador contaba apenas siete, el hombre que alquilaba la habitación sobrante en la casa familiar se suicido dentro del coche de su padre, un acontecimiento que provoco que antiguos poderes dormidos cobraran vida y que criaturas de más alla de este mundo se liberaran. El horror, la amenaza, se congregan a partir de entonces para destruir a la familia del protagonista. Su única defensa la constituiran las tres mujeres que viven en la granja desvencijada al final del camino. La más joven de ellas, Lettie, afirma que el estanque es, en realidad, un oceano. La mayor dice que recuerda el Big Bang.
It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed. Dark creatures from beyond the world are on the loose, and it will take everything our …
Hace cuarenta años, cuando nuestro narrador contaba apenas siete, el hombre que alquilaba la habitación sobrante en la casa familiar se suicido dentro del coche de su padre, un acontecimiento que provoco que antiguos poderes dormidos cobraran vida y que criaturas de más alla de este mundo se liberaran. El horror, la amenaza, se congregan a partir de entonces para destruir a la familia del protagonista. Su única defensa la constituiran las tres mujeres que viven en la granja desvencijada al final del camino. La más joven de ellas, Lettie, afirma que el estanque es, en realidad, un oceano. La mayor dice que recuerda el Big Bang.
It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed. Dark creatures from beyond the world are on the loose, and it will take everything our narrator has just to stay alive: there is primal horror here, and menace unleashed - within his family and from the forces that have gathered to destroy it. His only defense is three women, on a farm at the end of the lane. The youngest of them claims that her duckpond is ocean. The oldest can remember the Big Bang.
Beautifully written and descriptive farm setting.
A truly charming tale that kept me intrigued the entire time. Though a child of the 70s as opposed to the 60s I still saw enough in the joy of my childhood in Neil's world that the world touched my soul in wonderful ways.
A marvelous blend of fantasy and recollection. The tone is intimate and heartfelt, and thoroughly delighted.
I really loved the book. Really truly.
Magnifique. Je crois que je vais demander Neil Gaiman en mariage à la longue. Une superbe histoire, un glissement tout en douceur vers un autre monde pas si différent du nôtre et pourtant étrange, entouré de mystères. Tout en douceur, en poésie, un magnifique conte d'enfance. A lire absolument.
Unfortunately this book reminded me too much of Coraline for me to really enjoy it, although I would venture to say this one is the better of the two. It had a bit more of a grown up feel to it and I liked how the fantastical elements related more closely to traditional myths. I also liked how Gaimen and the main character are almost the same person, but not quite. Overall a good respite from the other book I am currently reading, Crime and Punishment, and an interesting book to compare to another recent read The Princess and the Goblin.
In short this book had so many beautifully descriptive sentences weaved together. I just loved it.
I don't know what is wrong with me and my taste in books. It started not long ago with The Luminaries. Everybody loved it... except for me. Then it was The Hundred Year Old Man, which was universally adored (but I hated it). I was so pumped to see that The Golem And The Jinni was getting fantastic reviews and was so excited to dive in, but it did absolutely nothing for me. Now, I see that Patrick Rothfuss (yes, Patrick Frickin' Rothfuss!) gave a glowing review of Neil Gaiman's latest (Neil Frickin' Gaiman!!!). And the book was... what, exactly? I really don't know. Maybe I need to give it time to see of it will grow on me. It seemed sort of boring, missing all do the soul that was in Coraline and The Graveyard Book. This really seemed like it should have been a short story. It was …
I don't know what is wrong with me and my taste in books. It started not long ago with The Luminaries. Everybody loved it... except for me. Then it was The Hundred Year Old Man, which was universally adored (but I hated it). I was so pumped to see that The Golem And The Jinni was getting fantastic reviews and was so excited to dive in, but it did absolutely nothing for me. Now, I see that Patrick Rothfuss (yes, Patrick Frickin' Rothfuss!) gave a glowing review of Neil Gaiman's latest (Neil Frickin' Gaiman!!!). And the book was... what, exactly? I really don't know. Maybe I need to give it time to see of it will grow on me. It seemed sort of boring, missing all do the soul that was in Coraline and The Graveyard Book. This really seemed like it should have been a short story. It was just a swing and a miss for me. At least there are about 7 billion other people out there who loved the book. Don't let me stop you from reading it. Statistically speaking, you'll probably love it.
I don't even know that I really feel that three stars is fair for this, but I'd just feel dirty giving two stars to Neil Gaiman.
Actual Rating 3.5
Beautiful, moving, evocative, utterly disturbing. Inexplicably brings to mind parts of my own half remembered childhood. Is it an ocean at the end of the lane, or just a pond?
A harrowing nightmare tale with heart told through the memories of the narrator as he sits by the ocean at the end of the lane near his childhood home. I loved being with the Hempstocks and I recognize them/her from earlier tales and ages. The cosmology is enchanting; I'd enjoy spending more time in this world. At the end, though, the book lifts up notions of worth and being "good enough" that made the story even more meaningful for me ... and perhaps also for you.