Audiobook: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Read by Neil Gaiman 

Synopsis: A brilliantly imaginative and poignant fairy tale from the modern master of wonder and terror,The Ocean at the End of the Lane is Neil Gaiman’s first new novel for adults since his #1 New York Times bestseller Anansi Boys.

This bewitching and harrowing tale of mystery and survival, and memory and magic, makes the impossible all too real...


My Thoughts: Anything by Neil Gaiman catches my attention but I usually don't find the time to read his works. When this book was chosen as a book-of-the-month over at my group, I immediately took advantage of it. However, I decided to listen to the audio after I realized that it was read by the author himself thinking that it would be perfect.

I was not too sure what to expect with this story. I have to admit that I had to listen to the first hour twice so I could understand what was going on. I did not realize that the plot began in the present and then went back into the past as the main character, who remained nameless, recounted the time when he was seven. Once I got the gist of the plot I came to realize that my attention to the story was not as I was expecting.

Everything was strange. It was obvious how talented Neil Gaiman is for how he described the fantasy world he created. The part about how Ursula came to protagonist's house and how she began to torment him, was very frightening. My heart pounded with the scene of the main character and the father in the bathroom. The imagery was very well done that I felt the main character's fears myself. The scene that got to me was the description of the worm and the foot; it had me gagging and cringing. I even had nightmares about it.

As excited as I was in listening to this book, I was not too impressed and it might have been because it was an audio. Neil Gaiman's voice was a delight at first. He somewhat reminded me of Alan Rickman's voice. It was nice to listen to for a bit but then I found myself drifting off a few times. The only time that I found myself concentrating was the middle when Ursula appeared. Gaiman really emphasized this part; his emotions were more evident during these scenes. The rest of the story sounded flat to me. I was expecting more, especially the ending.

As a whole, it was a decent production. I had nightmares with some of the imagery but I also found myself being bored. I was really hoping to fall in love with this book just like I did with his other works. At least I got to "read" another Gaiman book. I rate it: