Reviews

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

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joyreadsinnc's review against another edition

3.0

It was very different, but good. Several times during the book I thought - why am I reading this? (just because it is not my type of book) But then I continued on through to the end and was thankful that I finished the story. It is an easy and fast read, so it is good for short trips or when you don't have a lot of time.

cleothebengal's review against another edition

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5.0

It feels like home, childhood, falling asleep in the backseat of a car and feeling safe with your mom or dad driving. A nice, lovely one from Neil.

scomer19's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

mathman329's review against another edition

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2.0

2023 Book Review - Book No. 2: “The Ocean at the End of the Lane” by Neil Gaiman (audiobook narrated by Neil Gaiman)

Date started: 1/12/23
Date finished: 1/18/23

Rating: ⭐️⭐️(would recommend reading if you like storyteller’s reading their own tales, pastoral settings, and reminiscing)

Spoiler free review: This book is the first in a long time that has earned a 2 star review, something I didn’t really see coming. I was excited to listen to this after having really enjoyed Neil’s narration on “Neverwhere”, and Neil’s narration is once again a highlight here. Unfortunately, Gaiman’s performance isn’t enough to truly carry this story to loftier heights. In the end, it came close to 3 stars, but writing this review confirmed the 2 star rating.

The primary issue, for me, is the protagonist, who goes unnamed and spends the near entirety of the book recounting the past. Unlike Richard Mayhew of the aforementioned “Neverwhere” or Shadow Moon of “American Gods”, the protagonist lacks the depth of character I’ve become used to with Gaiman’s lead actors. The fact that he never completely progresses leads him to become stagnant and one of the least interesting parts of the story. Some could argue I’ve missed the point of the story and his character; it’s not that I missed the point, I just didn’t like it all that much. The fact that it also took nearly half the book to finally get going didn’t help, either.

The Hempstock women are the clear stars of the tale, but they too fail to carry the story very far. The ambiguity of who they are could certainly lead one to mild annoyance, and they often approach being humorous, but not for long. They reminded me of characters from “Good Omens”, Gaiman’s work with Terry Pratchett, but with far less comedy. It undoubtedly would be more interesting to see the story from their POV’s than our protagonist.

Ultimately, the biggest knock against this book is that it simply didn’t live up to my expectations compared to his other works. Even “Good Omens”, which I didn’t love, had parts I enjoyed far more. As I read, I knelt hoping for something to grab me the way Gaiman’s other books have. Unfortunately, this fell a bit flat and left me wanting not exactly more, but something different.