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The Ocean at the End of the Lane
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
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Stardust
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester. One crisp October night, as they watch, a star falls from the sky, and Victoria promises to marry Tristran if he'll retrieve the star and bring it back for her. It is this promise that sends Tristran on the most unforgettable adventure of his life.
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loved it
- By joel d on 2023-04-22
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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Neverwhere
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Richard Mayhew is a young man with a good heart and an ordinary life, which is changed forever when he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk. His small act of kindness propels him into a world he never dreamed existed. There are people who fall through the cracks, and Richard has become one of them. And he must learn to survive in this city of shadows and darkness, monsters and saints, murderers and angels, if he is ever to return to the London that he knew.
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Great, but not a masterwork
- By Anonymous User on 2019-08-16
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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Smoke and Mirrors
- Short Fictions and Illusions
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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In Smoke and Mirrors, Gaiman's imagination and supreme artistry transform a mundane world into a place of terrible wonders - where an old woman can purchase the Holy Grail at a thrift store, where assassins advertise their services in the Yellow Pages under "Pest Control," and where a frightened young boy must barter for his life with a mean-spirited troll living beneath a bridge by the railroad tracks.
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disappointed compared to the other 2 Gaiman books
- By Beth Stephen on 2021-06-24
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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The Graveyard Book: Full-Cast Production
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman, Derek Jacobi, Robert Madge, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack - who has already killed Bod's family…
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A new and Avid reader/listen of all things Gaiman
- By Russell Collins on 2020-09-24
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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Trigger Warning
- Short Fictions and Disturbances
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In this new anthology, Neil Gaiman pierces the veil of reality to reveal the enigmatic, shadowy world that lies beneath. Trigger Warning includes previously published pieces of short fiction--stories, verse, and a very special Doctor Who story that was written for the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved series in 2013--as well as "Black Dog", a new tale that revisits the world of American Gods, exclusive to this collection.
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The performance lends it charm most importantly
- By Tyler on 2018-01-03
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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The Graveyard Book
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Nobody Owens is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place - he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their ghostly teachings - such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him.
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Brilliant
- By Allan Tetzlaff on 2023-08-08
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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Stardust
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester. One crisp October night, as they watch, a star falls from the sky, and Victoria promises to marry Tristran if he'll retrieve the star and bring it back for her. It is this promise that sends Tristran on the most unforgettable adventure of his life.
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loved it
- By joel d on 2023-04-22
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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Neverwhere
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Richard Mayhew is a young man with a good heart and an ordinary life, which is changed forever when he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk. His small act of kindness propels him into a world he never dreamed existed. There are people who fall through the cracks, and Richard has become one of them. And he must learn to survive in this city of shadows and darkness, monsters and saints, murderers and angels, if he is ever to return to the London that he knew.
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Great, but not a masterwork
- By Anonymous User on 2019-08-16
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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Smoke and Mirrors
- Short Fictions and Illusions
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Smoke and Mirrors, Gaiman's imagination and supreme artistry transform a mundane world into a place of terrible wonders - where an old woman can purchase the Holy Grail at a thrift store, where assassins advertise their services in the Yellow Pages under "Pest Control," and where a frightened young boy must barter for his life with a mean-spirited troll living beneath a bridge by the railroad tracks.
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disappointed compared to the other 2 Gaiman books
- By Beth Stephen on 2021-06-24
Written by: Neil Gaiman
-
The Graveyard Book: Full-Cast Production
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman, Derek Jacobi, Robert Madge, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack - who has already killed Bod's family…
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A new and Avid reader/listen of all things Gaiman
- By Russell Collins on 2020-09-24
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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Trigger Warning
- Short Fictions and Disturbances
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this new anthology, Neil Gaiman pierces the veil of reality to reveal the enigmatic, shadowy world that lies beneath. Trigger Warning includes previously published pieces of short fiction--stories, verse, and a very special Doctor Who story that was written for the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved series in 2013--as well as "Black Dog", a new tale that revisits the world of American Gods, exclusive to this collection.
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The performance lends it charm most importantly
- By Tyler on 2018-01-03
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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The Graveyard Book
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nobody Owens is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place - he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their ghostly teachings - such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him.
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Brilliant
- By Allan Tetzlaff on 2023-08-08
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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Fragile Things
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Here is a stunning collection of short stories by the acclaimed fantasy writer. The distinctive genius of Neil Gaiman has been championed by writers as diverse as Norman Mailer and Stephen King. These stories will dazzle your senses, haunt your imagination, and move you to the very depths of your soul. This extraordinary compilation reveals one of the world's most gifted storytellers at the height of his powers.
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Another Amazing Journey
- By Crystal Rivet on 2019-01-04
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition (A Full Cast Production)
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Ron McLarty, Daniel Oreskes, full cast
- Length: 19 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life. But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow's best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday.
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Excellent presentation of Neil Gaiman's classic
- By Jeff on 2017-10-25
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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The Neil Gaiman Reader
- Fiction
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman, George Guidall, Lenny Henry, and others
- Length: 27 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Spanning Gaiman’s career to date, The Neil Gaiman Reader: Selected Fiction is a captivating collection from one of the world’s most beloved writers, chosen by those who know his work best: his devoted fans. A brilliant representation of Gaiman's groundbreaking, entrancing, endlessly imaginative fiction, this captivating volume includes excerpts from each of his five novels for adults—Neverwhere, Stardust, American Gods, Anansi Boys, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane—and nearly fifty of his short stories.
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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Norse Mythology
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman fashions primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds; delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants; and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people.
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Fantastic!
- By Taylor Chafe on 2017-12-11
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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Neverwhere
- A BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisation
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Christopher Lee, James McAvoy, Natalie Dormer, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 48 mins
- Original Recording
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Beneath the streets of London there is another London. A subterranean labyrinth of sewers and abandoned tube stations. A somewhere that is Neverwhere....
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such a fine listen!
- By Gordon Semple on 2018-09-13
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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Good Omens
- A Full Cast Production
- Written by: Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
- Narrated by: Rebecca Front, Michael Sheen, David Tennant, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan.
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goes on a bit
- By Amazon Customer on 2022-08-04
Written by: Neil Gaiman, and others
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Coraline
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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In Coraline's family's new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close. The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage to another flat in another house just like her own.
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An experience I'll probably never forget.
- By AlexanderK on 2020-08-13
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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The Sleeper and the Spindle
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Julian Rhind-Tutt, Lara Pulver, Niamh Walsh
- Length: 1 hr and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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You may think you know this story. There's a young queen about to be married. There are some good, brave, hardy dwarfs; a castle shrouded in thorns; and a princess cursed by a witch, so rumor has it, to sleep forever. But no one is waiting for a noble prince to appear on his trusty steed here. This fairy tale is spun with a thread of dark magic, which twists and turns and glints and shines.
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Pretty Good
- By Jamie @ Books and Ladders on 2018-07-27
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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The Sandman
- Written by: Neil Gaiman, Dirk Maggs
- Narrated by: Riz Ahmed, Kat Dennings, Taron Egerton, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
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When The Sandman, also known as Lord Morpheus - the immortal king of dreams, stories and the imagination - is pulled from his realm and imprisoned on Earth by a nefarious cult, he languishes for decades before finally escaping. Once free, he must retrieve the three “tools” that will restore his power and help him to rebuild his dominion, which has deteriorated in his absence.
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Solid Gold
- By Stu F on 2020-07-16
Written by: Neil Gaiman, and others
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The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 1 hr and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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You ask me if I can forgive myself? I can forgive myself. And so begins The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains, a haunting story of family, the otherworld, and a search for hidden treasure. This audiobook is brought to vivid life by the characters and landscape of Gaiman’s award-winning story. In this volume, the talents and vision of two great creative geniuses come together in a glorious explosion of color and shadow, memory and regret, vengeance and, ultimately, love.
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one of my favourite audiobooks
- By Hilz on 2019-09-06
Written by: Neil Gaiman
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Lovecraft's Monsters
- Written by: Neil Gaiman, Ellen Datlow - editor
- Narrated by: Bernard Clark
- Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Prepare to meet the wicked progeny of the master of modern horror. In Lovecraft's Monsters, H. P. Lovecraft's most famous creations--Cthulhu, Shoggoths, Deep Ones, Elder Things, Yog-Sothoth, and more--appear in all their terrifying glory. Each story is a gripping new take on a classic Lovecraftian creature. Contributors include such literary luminaries as Neil Gaiman, Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Karl Edward Wagner, Elizabeth Bear, and Nick Mamatas.
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Awesomely grotesque!
- By Claire Lussier on 2022-12-07
Written by: Neil Gaiman, and others
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Stardust
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Aisling Loftus, Alex Macqueen, Blake Ritson, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
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Challenged to retrieve a fallen star, Tristran Thorn leaves the sleepy English village of Wall and crosses into the land of Faerie and the realm of Stormhold. Locating the star, he discovers it is no meteorite but a young woman, Yvaine. When Yvaine evades him and escapes, Tristran discovers he is not the only one in pursuit of the star: there are dark forces in this magical land, and he must find Yvaine before she falls into their clutches.
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Great Fantasy Story
- By Clara on 2021-03-31
Written by: Neil Gaiman
Publisher's Summary
Audie Award Finalist, Narration by the Author or Authors, 2014
Audie Award Finalist, Fiction, 2014
Sussex, England: A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. He is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet sitting by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean), the unremembered past comes flooding back. Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie - magical, comforting, wise beyond her years - promised to protect him, no matter what.
A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. A stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.
What listeners say about The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jenna Rideout
- 2020-06-19
Coraline for Adults
The synopsis for this book sounds like a contemporary fiction presented as a memoir, but I should have known better. Does Neil Gaiman ever write contemporary fiction? Of course not! This is Coraline for adults.
An ageing man travels back to his childhood home town and finds himself drawn to the farm at the end of the lane he grew up on. He's drawn to the duck pond on the far side of the farm. The closer he gets, the more he obeys the urge to come further onto the farm, the more he remembers a time from his childhood when he was seven. He had an adventure with an eleven-year-old girl named Lettie, but she'd been eleven for a very long time.
I'm writing this review immediately after finishing my first listen through the audiobook version, performed by Neil Gaiman himself, and I'm tempted to start it again. I'm kicking myself for not buying this book when it was brand new. I had it in my hands at Chapters, even! Well, better late than never.
I want to write more, but I don't want to give spoilers. I'll say I would classify this book as paranormal/dark fantasy, definitely adult, and perfect for any reader who enjoyed Gaiman's Coraline as a child and wants to read a grown-up story with the same feel.
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9 people found this helpful
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- X
- 2018-09-13
A Beautiful Voice
This is one of the most beautiful, haunting books I’ve ever read. Neil Gaiman’s narrative voice, along with his deep, dynamic reading voice work together to tell a story that will force the reader deep inside themselves, exploring ideas of love, loss, sacrifice, memory, childhood, and what it means to grow up.
I can’t recommend this book enough. Gaiman’s performance makes the audiobook one of the best ways to experience this story.
#Audible1
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7 people found this helpful
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- Keeks
- 2020-06-23
Peculiar and Intriguing
I purchased this book after absolutely loving Norse Mythology by Gaiman. I wanted this one specifically because he was narrating it himself and I was not disappointed! What a fantastical, disturbing story it was. Onto the next!
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5 people found this helpful
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- Tim C.
- 2019-11-08
Stunned
Absolutely amazing story. Will transport you to memories long forgotten. The book is the perfect length, coming in and being impactful without dragging on.
I would definitely recommend it.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 2019-07-09
exceptional
I'm late to the party on this one but felt the need to comment nonetheless. such a great book, an instant classic. the narration from the author is perfect. he has a soothing, intriguing voice, and obviously knows these characters inside and out so he brings them to life like no one else could. I would love to see a film adaptation of this dark, strange and fantastical tale.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Miranda Kowalski
- 2022-03-02
Love love love it
I loved this sooo much. The story and especially the narration by the Author. He is a born story teller! Would highly recommend this to anyone
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1 person found this helpful
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- scott travers
- 2023-09-10
simply a wonderful story
I have loved every book by Neil I have listened to. He has such a gift of writing in a way where each sentence is a delight. I love the way he uses words. And he narrates his work in a wonderful voice, engaging, soothing without being boring, never shouting to try and create power. the story creates the power. This novel evoked strong emotions in my heart and at many points made me reflect on the human condition without bashing me over the head with an authors message. A wonderful listen.
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- CS
- 2023-03-08
A beautiful book that is wonderfully narrated
The best way to experience Neil Gaiman’s stories is to have him read them to you. This book is especially wonderful read by the author.
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- Denise Brandon
- 2022-12-14
Unexpected
This is the first book I have read or listened to by Neil Gaiman and I was delighted. It was unusual and captivating. I will definitely be looking to read more of his work in the very near future.
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- Paul
- 2022-07-01
Amazing
This is such a great story. I loved the book and the audio version
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- Cynthia
- 2013-06-20
Shadows Dissolved in Vinegar
Neil Gaiman's "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" (2013) begins with a quote by Maurice Sendak, "I remember my own childhood vividly. I knew terrible things. But I knew I mustn't let adults know I knew. It would scare them." Sendak's quote is an apt warning.
"The Ocean at the End of the Lane" is about a child, but, as Gaiman has made clear, it is not a book for children. Gaiman takes the worst nightmares of childhood (I had forgotten them myself, but no more) and binds them together into a compelling story.
Remember stepping on something sharp and worrying for days or weeks that it would kill you? But not telling your parents . . . Agonizing about the possibility no one would come to your birthday party? Being locked in an attic? Clothes that come to life and grab you? Worrying that your father will truly get so mad at you he will actually try and kill you? The babysitter who is vicious to you but sweet to your parents? Those fears are all in "The Ocean at the End of the Lane," wrapped up in parental preoccupation, indifference, and bewilderment at the 7 year old boy who finds a savior in the remarkable Lettie Hempstock.
Lettie lives at the end of the lane, with her mother and grandmother, near a pond that is the ocean. The reason the pond is an ocean and the remarkable powers of the Hempstock women are, to some extent, reminiscent of Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time" (1988).
The story is intriguing on many levels, and Gaiman is an excellent narrator. I only wish I'd been able to listen to this curled up in a blanket with a cup of hot tea, instead of in my car, stuck behind a Cooper Mini for an interminable amount of time.
The title of this review is from a trade Lettie makes to get the tokens she needs to save her 7 year old friend. The eerie magic stuck with me.
[if this review helped you, please let me know by clicking Helpful.]
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1,134 people found this helpful
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- Angelien
- 2013-07-01
Feel like a kid again: powerless and terrified
I listened to the first two-thirds of this book while on a long drive, late at night, during a rainstorm. My little black-and-white cat was in her carrier in the passenger seat next to me. If there was ever a perfect environment in which to hear this book, that was it.
I can't give enough praise to Neil Gaiman for his performance here. In my opinion, the only person qualified to narrate Mr. Gaiman's books is himself. It's only fitting here, in any case, because I know the main character (unnamed) is sort-of semi-autobiographical.
Which brings me to my next point: regardless of the fact that the main character is a 7-year-old boy and I am a 29-year-old woman, I see so much of him in me. I was that kid who liked books more than people, believed adults to be both mysterious and all-powerful, and held faith that the world was full of magic and terror in equal proportions. Deep inside, I think I still am that kid, and that is what resonated with me most. We are all terrified 7-year-olds on the inside, hoping that someone is watching out for us because we really don't have as much control as we pretend to.
I cried during the epilogue. I couldn't help it. I was driving again, in the sun this time, on my way back home. There is one final realization the narrator makes at the end that both broke my heart and filled me with joy. I don't want to give away spoilers, but I hope that you'll know it when you hear it.
Please, please read this book. Or listen to it. Or better yet, do both. It's been a long time since I've felt this strongly about any book, but this is a masterpiece. You'll thank yourself at the end.
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243 people found this helpful
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- Bonny
- 2013-06-23
Good, evil, power, powerlessness, family, & more..
How I wish I was enough of a wordsmith to craft the review that The Ocean at the End of the Lane deserves. I won’t do it a disservice and recount the plot; just do yourself a favor and read it – right now. It’s full of good, evil, power, powerlessness, family, and extraordinary friends.
A small taste: “Nobody actually looks like what they really are on the inside,” Lettie tells the boy. “Grown-ups don’t look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside, they’re big and thoughtless and they always know what they’re doing. Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. The truth is, there aren’t any grown-ups. Not one, in the whole wide world … Except for Granny, of course.”
I’ve always thought of audiobooks as equivalent to “real books”; they are just being read to me. Some narrators add to my enjoyment of the story, some detract, and some should not be allowed to read books out loud to anyone. Neil Gaiman is in a class by himself, both as an author and an audiobook narrator. His brilliant narration of his books is just that – brilliant. I was surprised to read this on his blog, “I'm more nervous about the audiobooks than I am about anything else.” No need to be nervous, Neil! When I next encounter a magical being willing to grant me three wishes, one of my wishes is going to be for Neil Gaiman to read me stories as good as The Ocean at the End of the Lane every night.
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- M. Spencer
- 2013-08-06
Brilliant
It’s hard to put into words just how much I loved this novel. Neil Gaiman has an exceptional talent for writing what I like to think of as fairy tales for adults. He writes these stories that are so deeply imaginative and yet are so real, they just resonate with me like few other stories.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane was a simple, yet incredibly moving story. It was simply elegant storytelling. It took me back to my childhood and made me appreciate it in ways I never have before. It also made me insanely jealous of people that got to grow up in big, old houses on quite country lanes.
I listened to the audio of this novel and I have to believe that was the best way to experience it. Neil Gaiman is not only an amazing writer, but he really is a great narrator as well. I had hear him narrate The Graveyard Books so I knew what to expect, but I was still incredibly pleased with the result.
Honestly, this novel was just excellent. I would recommend it to anyone, not just science fiction or fantasy fans. Brilliant.
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- FanB14
- 2013-07-09
Fanciful Tale Falls Flat
Little British boy meets intriguing odd young Hettie and her mother on an old quirky farm. While dabbling in another world, oddities come to life bringing about dire consequences for all around.
Interesting shell of a world, lacks depth and backstory for characters. Gaiman is a wonderfully descriptive writer as with the family home where you can see yourself running down the meadow looking for a hole in the fence and smell and taste the blackberry jam in the porridge. Lacking are the threads to tie together all the fanciful ideas to draw you in. I didn't love the book, but parts were inventive, clever and found the ending rewarding. Having the author narrate is always pleasant as he/she can add expression in all the right places.
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- Dave
- 2013-07-03
Oh, the Wondrous Ocean!
The Ocean at the End of the Lane feels like none of Gaiman’s previous novels. It’s easily the most personal of his novels, tightly focused, and brief – like childhood remembered by an adult. It’s a story of memories as tangible as the sea – we know they happened, we even swam in it, but the waves continue to roll, and the landscape is seemingly ever changing. It’s memories as mythology, and it’d be cynical not to fall under it’s haunting spell.
It’s also a meditation on mortality, as told by a nameless narrator who has returned to England for his father’s funeral. Because of that, it’s impossible not to divorce our image of the narrator as Neil himself, giving this book a fantastical yet autobiographical sense – even moreso as an audiobook – which is part of the point. Readers and fans familiar with Gaiman via Twitter and his blog may remember reading about similar familiar events referenced in this book, although their memories will be distinctly different from what occurs in the story.
As one character says: “That’s the trouble with living things. Don’t last very long. Kittens on day, old cats next. And then just memories. And the memories fade and blend and smudge together.”
Memories should be cherished and treasured, like dreams, but perhaps they shouldn’t be completely trusted. And it’s what we do with those memories that count.
In spinning this story, Gaiman has woven himself into a new mythology all his own. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a reminder to adults of the wonders and mysteries of childhood, and encourages us to find those same pleasures as adults. It reminds us that just because we’re grown up, doesn’t mean it’s over, and we may still witness wondrous and mysterious things.
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- Talia
- 2013-08-07
Gaiman delivers an intimate masterpiece
If you're a Neil Gaiman fan, prepare to be surprised by the intimate tone of his latest book. Gaiman's story - magical, remarkable and dark - is perhaps his most revealing work to date.
As I read this book, I felt Gaiman was sharing bits and bobs of his own childhood, skillfully woven into the fictional narrative. The result was the feeling that I was reading a somewhat biographical account of his own life.
I will never be able to do justice to this story. All I can say is go read this book and be prepared to laugh, to cry and be given a glimpse into this amazing man's life.
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- Ryan
- 2013-08-14
The ocean we come from, and return to
This short novel will undoubtedly stand as one of Neil Gaiman's more beautifully written, poignant books. The protagonist is a middle-aged man leaving his father’s funeral for a visit to his childhood home, where the memories of his seven year old self still linger. There, he recalls strange, dark adventures -- a friend who seemed much older than her eleven years, travels between worlds, a kindly grandmother who is more than she seems, a babysitter who turns out to be a monster in disguise, and that the kind of monsters who remove monsters can be even more dangerous.
The dark fairy tale aspects, which won't be a surprise to readers of Gaiman's other books, feel both vividly original and hauntingly familiar, the stuff of universal childhood pretend worlds and nightmares. In this novel, though, it seems, he's intentionally blurring the lines between the fantastical and the real. One could easily read this story as an allegory for childhood imagination and the way it shapes the rest of our lives, even after we outgrow it. If so, I found a lovely sadness in that interpretation. As kids, we are both tormented and protected by things in our inner worlds, which give shape to an adult world that we don't yet understand, until we ourselves are pulled into that world's trials and temptations. Will our adult lives be worthy of our original selves? Will we remember the light of our inner friends, the cruelty and deception of our inner enemies? Will we ever again meet what we left behind?
I found the gentle, bittersweet way Gaiman reflects on these questions touching. The things we remember from childhood may, in one sense, only be a small, weedy duck pond, but, in another sense, they’re as big as an ocean, our foundational experience of being human.
And, of course, I can't neglect to mention how good Gaiman's reading of his own audiobook is. His throaty, enunciative voice is, well... him.
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- Mel
- 2013-06-27
Inside of us all, the child that remains
I love the beautiful and heartfelt reviews listeners have thus far shared; there is so much revealed in their responses. How could there not be if they experienced this book. I say experienced because if you just listen, if you don't at some point feel something inside of you open and resonate with Gaiman's tale, you missed a dimension of this book-- as much as if you missed the secret hidden 3D pictures in those once popular Stereogram books. (You can find some at www.eyetrick.com to see what I mean. I struggled with those dang things!)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is about more than just growing up or defining an adult world with a child's mind: it is about the process and mechanisms, the loss of innocence, becoming of this world. Gaiman maps this mystical, but very real dimension--as fearful as it is beautiful; primordially familiar--yet different for each one of us. The landscape is the experiences that as children we felt but did not have the sophistication to understand; the fears, the comforts, the effects we hadn't yet aligned with cause. A world where our favorite color, or feel, or taste might materialize in some form as a landmark or grounding we understood amidst the confusion of an adult world. Gaiman presents a pure and unfiltered portrayal of that world, which he captures brilliantly.
I've read very few of Gaiman's books because I don't usually choose fantasy. Those I've read were good, but still a little like a chocolate lover choosing vanilla. As I began reading this, I thought it more like Coraline, another read suited more for adolescents. It wasn't until the picture really came into focus that something resonated inside, and I stepped into this book. I thought back -- when the babysitter told me I'd stepped on a devil thorn and a blue line would start to climb up my leg, reach my heart, and I'd die...remembered my grandma's swing tied to a horse chestnut tree, and smelled the mint along the her ditch banks... I'm sure each reader filled in their own response, or landscape to this world. It all popped out in front of me; I saw, and felt, the genius in this book. Baudeliare said, "Genius is childhood recalled at will" If that is so, then Gaiman is definitely a genius that shares his brilliance with pen and paper, and reminds us that we were (or maybe are) once geniuses ourselves.
*Having Gaiman present his work is another aspect of magic. His voice lulls you into this world; it saves you when it is dark and threatening, it comforts you when it is frightening, and it holds a hint of a child that speaks to your own inner child. Just Wonderful.
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- Gregory
- 2013-07-14
WOW!! This was GREAT!!
I have listened to Audible for many years, yet never been moved to write a review. This book was so good that I have listened to it twice within one week. It starts off in the real world and then slowly takes us into a fantasy world that I did not want to leave. Well done!
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- Deziba
- 2020-11-10
Anothe great story from Neil Gaiman
Story of a unnamed 7 years old boy and Lettie Hampstock, 11 (but much much more in reality) living in the farm at the end of the lane, narrated by the author.
Full of immagination and deep thoughts which make you think a lot. As always with Neil Gaiman’s novels. If you like fantasy worlds existing within the real one (or within us?) told as a faded memory of a man returning to his childhood this novel will be for you. Thank you Neil for another great story.
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- isabelle
- 2016-07-10
Une histoire de passage...
Neil Gaiman m'a emmenée, at the end of the lane, où les contours du monde sont différents. J'ai pris la main du narrateur et j'ai partagé la violence des émotions de l'enfance, loin du conte de fée. Une histoire racontée avec toute la sensibilité de l'auteur.
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