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Miranda Reads's Reviews > The Ocean at the End of the Lane
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
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I really, really wanted to like this book...but like so many Gaiman novels, it fell flat. Like pancake-flat.
Maybe this one is a dud because we follow the least-interesting character in the entire book.
Honestly, I couldn't be the only one who would've preferred to get the perspectives of the witches. Or the worm-creature? Or even the spiteful cat.
Why Gaiman chose such a young, bland character to be his main, I will never know.
Sure...there's a hint of this, a dash of that but nothing really comes to fruition, only frustration.
This (in part) because our main character is so young and naive that he really can't do much. Sure he can duck away for a minor adventure but never anything longer than an afternoon.
While there's many hints given about the mystical world and it's otherworldly characteristics ... yet nothing concrete is explained. EVER.
Sometimes a little mystery is needed and sometimes, just explain it already.
Neil Gaiman always has the craziest, wildest, awesomest ideas...and 4/5 times they just absolutely fall flat to me.
It's like...I like the idea/concept better than actually reading the book.
That being said, I do enjoy how much his main character loved to read. Every time he talked about books, I was like preach!
Audiobook Comments
Despite all my whining and complaining, the one thing I cannot fault is this audiobook. Neil Gaiman read it himself and wow. Stunning audio. He could read a Walgreen receipt (heck, even a CVS/Pharmacy receipt) and I'd listen with rapt attention.
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Maybe this one is a dud because we follow the least-interesting character in the entire book.
Honestly, I couldn't be the only one who would've preferred to get the perspectives of the witches. Or the worm-creature? Or even the spiteful cat.
Why Gaiman chose such a young, bland character to be his main, I will never know.
I was a normal child. Which is to say, I was selfish and I was not entirely convinced of the existence of things that were not me, and I was certain, rock-solid, unshakeably certain, that I was the most important thing in creation.Perhaps this one is a dud because while there were many parts that caught my attention, nothing was fleshed out enough to hold me to this book.
Sure...there's a hint of this, a dash of that but nothing really comes to fruition, only frustration.
This (in part) because our main character is so young and naive that he really can't do much. Sure he can duck away for a minor adventure but never anything longer than an afternoon.
“Oh, monsters are scared," said Lettie. "That's why they're monsters.”Possibly this one was a dud because after nearly 200 pages...nothing is explained.
While there's many hints given about the mystical world and it's otherworldly characteristics ... yet nothing concrete is explained. EVER.
Sometimes a little mystery is needed and sometimes, just explain it already.
Neil Gaiman always has the craziest, wildest, awesomest ideas...and 4/5 times they just absolutely fall flat to me.
It's like...I like the idea/concept better than actually reading the book.
That being said, I do enjoy how much his main character loved to read. Every time he talked about books, I was like preach!
“I lived in books more than I lived anywhere else.”
Audiobook Comments
Despite all my whining and complaining, the one thing I cannot fault is this audiobook. Neil Gaiman read it himself and wow. Stunning audio. He could read a Walgreen receipt (heck, even a CVS/Pharmacy receipt) and I'd listen with rapt attention.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
October 18, 2017
–
Finished Reading
November 7, 2017
– Shelved
Comments Showing 1-50 of 95 (95 new)
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Angela's Booked
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rated it 2 stars
Dec 22, 2017 03:36PM
Yesss the witches' perspective would have been so great! (Also, the cat died and animals should NEVER die in books. It's unforgivable). Plus, too many ideas and were just weird together (worm in foot that becomes human, talking circus tent, etc.)
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Right. All the ideas were certainly interesting but they didn't quite fit. It's like he threw darts at an idea board and wrote about whichever ones stuck...
Great review, Miranda! I felt the same way about this book ;)
I had the same experience like you with this book. I wanted to like it, but couldn't.
Alexandra wrote: "I had the same experience like you with this book. I wanted to like it, but couldn't."Have you read any Gaiman novels that you did like?
just finished that one! I liked it :)
I thought the ending was a letdown too. Sorry you didn't like it very much. The narrator didn't seem to know what he was doing and seem incomplete so it made sense that the story would appear like that at times. I personally liked the fantasy aspects of it but agree it would have been better if parts of the story had been flushed out more.
Rachel wrote: "I thought the ending was a letdown too. Sorry you didn't like it very much. The narrator didn't seem to know what he was doing and seem incomplete so it made sense that the story would appear like ..."Exactly my thoughts. It has so much potential..but that ending was so meh.
I always have trouble getting into his books for some reason. The only one I've ever truly connected with is "Coraline" which I adore. I try to read anything else by him and I think, "why can't this be as awesome as Coraline?"
Avalon wrote: "I always have trouble getting into his books for some reason. The only one I've ever truly connected with is "Coraline" which I adore. I try to read anything else by him and I think, "why can't thi..."Ohmygosh. Preach.
Read this one and just couldn't get into it. For me it's that Gaiman produces masterpieces or books that just flat out suck. Your review pretty much sums up how I feel about this one. Great throughout review as always!
I found this book quite bland myself. What is one of his books that you actually liked?
I picked this book up at the beginning of last year and I trudged through almost 100 pages, and just stopped. I didn't care. I was bored. I wanted to like this, but.... it didn't click with me. :/
I couldn't get into it either and gave up just after the kitten was killed. Glad I didn't continue because your review does make it sound very much "not for me".
Dammit, I’ve got this book because, well.......it’s a Neil Gaiman. I really don’t want to ruin my love affair 😕
Ohh, I'm sorry you didn't like this one. It's one of my favorite books by him. I think I was in a really kooky mood when I read it though. LOL!
Omg. I don’t like the fantasy genre at all yet I thoroughly enjoyed this book!!! My take on it is vastly different from the majority. For me it was a book about a sensitive 7 year old boy who had a really difficult (even traumatic) year. His memory of that year was very very vivid and his emotional response to that year was captured in the mystical element of the book.
So for example the pond was just a pond but in his mind it was a vast ocean.
The girl drowned in the pond. But in reality she just moved to Australia.....her moving so far away was like a death of this special friend and very tragic to him.
The mother of the girl...very interesting! I don’t think there were actually two women living there. That mother represented two people to him. A living mom and a mystical healer because in ththe end that mystical healer is the one who made him feel better and killed all the dark stuff around him. I think she (the grandmother) died sacrificing herself to save him right? Well all that happened there in my mind is that once he was rescued from his darkness and deamons (depression) he no longer needed that magical grandmother and so all he saw was the living mom. The lady his dad had an affair with was no witch. But of course that’s how he saw her. The cause of the sadness that came upon him. The vomiting If coins. He didn’t really vomit coins. He just was acutely aware of the economic hardship around and the incessant talk about money and that worry about money disgusted him or make him ill.
For me it was very insightful about how simple “adult events” can impact a young child who does not understand what is going on. He cannot fully comprehend these events and no adult is really taking time to explain them to him. So he conjures his own interpretation of the events using his very 7 year old imaginative mind.
Well I agree with you for the most part because this is such a short story for him so most of the details that you and I both wanted just didn't make the cut I guess... the shortness of this story and the cover really appealed to me though because the cover is gorgeous and the fact I could sit down and read it in a day as long as there were no interruptions (fat chance) was a huge plus! But the end result, you get to meet these 3 intriguing witches and their brief but strong family history and get swept into this battle over the boy's family while that evil shadow twists their reality but like you said...you get just enough to keep turning the pages and hoping to get your answers as they build but it end. For me it was like a 3 1/2 out of 5 stars
Olivia wrote: "Read this one and just couldn't get into it. For me it's that Gaiman produces masterpieces or books that just flat out suck. Your review pretty much sums up how I feel about this one. Great through..."Thank you. I wish this one was better executed :(
Brittany's wrote: "I found this book quite bland myself. What is one of his books that you actually liked?"Hmm, i like Coraline, Stardust and American Gods
Opal wrote: "I couldn’t even finish this book :("Ouch! Though, i totally get it
Samantha Nicole wrote: "I picked this book up at the beginning of last year and I trudged through almost 100 pages, and just stopped. I didn't care. I was bored. I wanted to like this, but.... it didn't click with me. :/"Felt the same. The audiobook made it a bit easier to finish - Neil Gaiman is an excellent narrator
Carro wrote: "I couldn't get into it either and gave up just after the kitten was killed. Glad I didn't continue because your review does make it sound very much "not for me"."Ugh. The kitten scene. Totally forgot about that until now. I should knock off another star for that
Tanya wrote: "Dammit, I’ve got this book because, well.......it’s a Neil Gaiman. I really don’t want to ruin my love affair 😕"El. Oh. El.
Mackey wrote: "Ohh, I'm sorry you didn't like this one. It's one of my favorite books by him. I think I was in a really kooky mood when I read it though. LOL!"Perhaps i need to reread it when I'm kookier then :p
Natasha wrote: "Omg. I don’t like the fantasy genre at all yet I thoroughly enjoyed this book!!! My take on it is vastly different from the majority. For me it was a book about a sensitive 7 year old boy who had..."
Whew. That is far more analysis than i put into this one. I almost want to reread to see how that all fits!
Karma wrote: "Well I agree with you for the most part because this is such a short story for him so most of the details that you and I both wanted just didn't make the cut I guess... the shortness of this story ..."Yes. Totally agree!
Exactly my sentiments. Nothing was explained. I have lots of questions which were left unanswered after I finished reading the book. And although I like the book and enjoyed reading it, I hated that a lot of things didn’t make sense because again, nothing was explained. No back stories or things like that. The three farm women spoke as if we all understood what they mean. Of course in the POV of a seven year old, perhaps it didn’t matter that they talked non-sense. So yes, I agreed that it could’ve been better if the story was told by another character instead of the seven year old boy. I was dying to know more about the three mysterious ladies.
Jho wrote: "Exactly my sentiments. Nothing was explained. I have lots of questions which were left unanswered after I finished reading the book. And although I like the book and enjoyed reading it, I hated tha..."Agreed. I just wanted to know what happened!!
I have just finished this and I totally agree with your comment about things NEVER being explained. That being said, I did enjoy it, but I felt it could have been a lot better!
Daniel wrote: "I have just finished this and I totally agree with your comment about things NEVER being explained. That being said, I did enjoy it, but I felt it could have been a lot better!"
Exactly! It had soooooo much potential
I have just ordered another one of his books - 'The Graveyard Book'. I enjoyed TOATEOTL despite the obvious flaws. Hoping this one is even better as I REALLY want to love it!
His books are definitely something i tend to check out from the library opposed to buying blind :pBut, that being said, Neil books are generally pretty good :)
Oh... I get your points but I love the story so much. The writing is great (I don't expect anything less fron Neil Gaiman) and the story was so beautiful and atmospheric. What's your favourite Neil Gaiman book?
I have never been able to get into Gaiman. I mean, he's clearly talented, but his works just don't connect with me.
I am surprised and not surprised by this reaction. When I first started this book, I definitely had buyer's remorse and wondered what I got into. But once I got deeper into the story I have to say that I definitely got hooked.However, I'm like you where sometimes I like the idea more than the actual novel. For instance, I did not like Neverwhere. It had a lot of great things going for it, including a decent pace, but the world itself was a complete turn off for me.
Well I think it's cool you tried to give this one a shot!
yeah, I agree, Miranda! I was not a fan and actually so disappointed with this one
This was my 1st Gaiman and I was hooked, loved it!
Allison wrote: "Excellent, honest review."Thank you!
Mackenzie wrote: "I personally loved this book, but I completely see where you are coming from! What I recall more than the characters or the story line was the atmosphere. Somehow for me this little book captured t..."I agree with all you said. It definitely captures the feeling of childhood... but i feel like it could have been so much more
Vanessa wrote: "Oh... I get your points but I love the story so much. The writing is great (I don't expect anything less fron Neil Gaiman) and the story was so beautiful and atmospheric. What's your favourite Neil..."The writing was fabulous! My fave is probably Coraline - or American Gods.
What about you?
Adam wrote: "I have never been able to get into Gaiman. I mean, he's clearly talented, but his works just don't connect with me."He always has amazing ideas... they just don't always pan out :(
Wilmar wrote: "I am surprised and not surprised by this reaction. When I first started this book, I definitely had buyer's remorse and wondered what I got into. But once I got deeper into the story I have to say ..."It definitely worked in terms of atmosphere and creativity... but i just couldn't truly get into it. Glad you ended up liking it.
j e w e l s wrote: "yeah, I agree, Miranda! I was not a fan and actually so disappointed with this one"Are there any Gaiman novels that you like?
Debi wrote: "This was my 1st Gaiman and I was hooked, loved it!"Glad you enjoyed it!
