The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Fantasy

Date of Publication: June 18^th, 2013

Memorable Quotation: “Memories were waiting at the edge of things, beckoning to me.” (pg. 7)

Lasting Impression: Neil Gaiman’s latest work is a beautifully written novel that soared in its message of childhood and what we see as reality but fell short in terms of holes in the storyline and an underwhelming ending.

Storyline: B+

Pace of Story: A

Characters: B+

Ending: C

Overall: B

Neil Gaiman is another of my favorite authors, with 2 of his best sellers, Coraline and American Gods, being in my top 10. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a lovely book but honestly, it did not enrapture me in the same way that his previously mentioned novels had.  The story is about a man from England, reflecting on a life-changing memory from his childhood by ‘the ocean at the end of the lane’ that has made him feel eternal regret. (The story is mostly told by his 7-year old self experiencing the memory, with only a few chapters in his adult voice.)

From the beginning, Gaiman’s storytelling gives you a great sense of comfort and familiarity, something that stays with you throughout the book.  The story starts off with a normality most fiction readers expect but when the boy meets the Hempstock women, everything changes.  They possess a magic that does not initially fit with the rest of the story, and yet it is needed to make this book unforgettable. (This is Neil Gaiman, after all, and what fun would his stories be without a hint of wonder and fantasy?)

There were two aspects of this story that frustrated me, though.  I wished he would have focused more on the Hempstocks and not so much on the boy (not to say he wasn’t important) because the brief snippets of history I was given about the Hempstocks as well a glimpse of their powers made me yearn for more, but was disappointed there was not.  The 2nd aspect was the ending.  It was not bad as it was not as strong as it could have been, bringing no closure to what happens to 2 of the 3 Hempstocks and the boy (now an adult), after the crazy events associated with the Ocean.

Overall I liked the story, especially when Gaiman revealed his twists on what his characters viewed as reality and when I was able to see the inner strength of each character but I felt there were many potholes throughout the story, fragmented things that could have been woven together to not leave me with so many unanswered questions.  If you are a fan of Neil Gaiman and/or like adult fairytales, I highly recommend The Ocean at the End of the Lane because who knows, maybe you too will be curious as to what secrets this ocean holds.

~Shelly-Beans