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Kevin Ansbro's Reviews > The Ocean at the End of the Lane
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
by
by
Kevin Ansbro's review
bookshelves: contemporary-fantasy, escapism, quintessentially-english, metaphysical, awesome-premise, adult-lite, urban-fantasy, gorgeous-covers
Mar 01, 2016
bookshelves: contemporary-fantasy, escapism, quintessentially-english, metaphysical, awesome-premise, adult-lite, urban-fantasy, gorgeous-covers
This book is ALIVE
Neil Gaiman's axiom-twisting novel reads like a modern-day fairytale.
The Ocean At The End Of The Lane was recommended to me by so many Goodreaders that it became impossible to ignore.
New to Gaiman, I was quickly surprised at how easily he retains childhood memories and then scatters them into the furrows of his work.
The narrative flowed smoothly and reading became effortless, which is always a good sign: the author has a lean writing style and hyperbole was kept to a minimum. The genius was in its simplicity.
The story is told from a bookish (and unworldly) boy's perspective, leading me to imagine that this is Gaiman himself (the boy's name is never announced, so that's my daft assumption).
His nemesis, Ursula Monkton, has a surname that seemed so out of sync with her Christian name that I immediately assumed it to be a crafty anagram of the author's own choosing (it wasn't), though a quick shuffle of this name within an anagram finder did come up with 'Non-mortal'.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite it being adult-lite.
I felt transported back to my childhood again, a middle-aged man enjoying Brothers Grimm once more.
Gaiman's writing style is, for the most part, understated, but it does become amplified and fanciful when required.
Despite being left wondering if this was a children's book that adults could read, or an adult book that children could read, I had such a blast reading it.
It was altogether quirky, quaint and magical, but (er, sorry to say) I'd rather have read it when I was a child.
Hence the two-star deduction. Sorry Gaiman fans! : (
I'm wondering if previous readers of this book can help me?
At the beginning of chapter three, the narrator has won twenty-five pounds on the Premium Bonds. His mother puts this into his Post Office account. He then announces that he is 'thirteen pounds and eleven shillings richer than he was before'.
Am I missing something? I'm either being incredibly stupid, or there's a glaring error in this passage? (More likely the former).
If anyone does know the answer, could they please enlighten me? Thank you very much.
Neil Gaiman's axiom-twisting novel reads like a modern-day fairytale.
The Ocean At The End Of The Lane was recommended to me by so many Goodreaders that it became impossible to ignore.
New to Gaiman, I was quickly surprised at how easily he retains childhood memories and then scatters them into the furrows of his work.
The narrative flowed smoothly and reading became effortless, which is always a good sign: the author has a lean writing style and hyperbole was kept to a minimum. The genius was in its simplicity.
The story is told from a bookish (and unworldly) boy's perspective, leading me to imagine that this is Gaiman himself (the boy's name is never announced, so that's my daft assumption).
His nemesis, Ursula Monkton, has a surname that seemed so out of sync with her Christian name that I immediately assumed it to be a crafty anagram of the author's own choosing (it wasn't), though a quick shuffle of this name within an anagram finder did come up with 'Non-mortal'.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite it being adult-lite.
I felt transported back to my childhood again, a middle-aged man enjoying Brothers Grimm once more.
Gaiman's writing style is, for the most part, understated, but it does become amplified and fanciful when required.
Despite being left wondering if this was a children's book that adults could read, or an adult book that children could read, I had such a blast reading it.
It was altogether quirky, quaint and magical, but (er, sorry to say) I'd rather have read it when I was a child.
Hence the two-star deduction. Sorry Gaiman fans! : (
I'm wondering if previous readers of this book can help me?
At the beginning of chapter three, the narrator has won twenty-five pounds on the Premium Bonds. His mother puts this into his Post Office account. He then announces that he is 'thirteen pounds and eleven shillings richer than he was before'.
Am I missing something? I'm either being incredibly stupid, or there's a glaring error in this passage? (More likely the former).
If anyone does know the answer, could they please enlighten me? Thank you very much.
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Reading Progress
March 1, 2016
– Shelved as:
to-read
March 1, 2016
– Shelved
Started Reading
May 6, 2016
– Shelved as:
contemporary-fantasy
May 6, 2016
– Shelved as:
escapism
May 6, 2016
– Shelved as:
quintessentially-english
May 6, 2016
– Shelved as:
metaphysical
May 6, 2016
– Shelved as:
awesome-premise
May 6, 2016
–
Finished Reading
May 10, 2016
– Shelved as:
adult-lite
October 5, 2018
– Shelved as:
urban-fantasy
July 18, 2019
– Shelved as:
gorgeous-covers
Comments Showing 1-50 of 100 (100 new)
message 1:
by
Trish
(new)
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rated it 5 stars
May 06, 2016 09:19AM
I think my mother would have NEVER let me read this as a child. *lol* Then again, she wouldn't have known what it is since she's not a reader. *evil grin*
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Trish wrote: "I think my mother would have NEVER let me read this as a child. *lol* Then again, she wouldn't have known what it is since she's not a reader. *evil grin*"Thing is, Trish, I have read scarier books when I was aged ten! Maybe it's a British thing? That said, I thoroughly revelled in the outlandishness of it all. : )
I wish I would have had access to books or someone to tell me what to read (like a librarian recommending things) but I hadn't. Which is why I'm now catching up. And I think one ought to have read this as an adult (maybe twice for good measure?) in order to get certain things a ten-year-old might not have completely understood (like the father's affair)?
Let's see if the pictures load better here (somehow they didn't display right in the PM I sent you).
My favourite:
As I said, all fan art. By some seriously talented people.
Kevin wrote: "Trish wrote: "Let's see if the pictures load better here (somehow they didn't display right in the PM I My favourite:
As I said, all fan art. By some seriously talented people.""
Great artwork, Trish!
Thanks for sharing!
: )
Wonderful review, Kevin :) Thanks for the link. I tried to look for it earlier, but it's still marked as "to-read" on your shelf. Talk about being late to the party, almost 100 of my friends have already read this book!
Amanda wrote: "Wonderful review, Kevin :) Thanks for the link. I tried to look for it earlier, but it's still marked as "to-read" on your shelf. Talk about being late to the party, almost 100 of my friends have a..."Yes, I was very late too, Amanda.
I really liked the book, but my wife started reading it and announced, "Surely this is aimed at kids?"
It does seem to polarise opinion! : )
Great review, Kevin! As for your question, I'm as stumped as you are. Premium Bonds wins aren't subject to taxation, so it's not that... Maybe his mother charged him a handler's fee? :-)
Paul wrote: "Great review, Kevin! As for your question, I'm as stumped as you are. Premium Bonds wins aren't subject to taxation, so it's not that... Maybe his mother charged him a handler's fee? :-)"I'm pleased that you're stumped too!
I read that page over and over. It must be a mistake, surely?
Would love to be proved wrong!
Ha. I thought it was taxation or some other sort of fee and never questioned it. Maybe you should ask NG himself (over on Twitter he frequently answers questions).
Because he spends the difference on blackjack and fruit salad sweets.
*lol* It might have actually been sweets we just never read about.
'Screw you guys! I'm gonna go build my own theme park... with blackjack... and hookers! In fact, forget the theme park!'
Sabah wrote: "I've read a lot of reviews about this novel and the majority have been definitely fore not against but yours is wonderfully passionate in tempting and directing me to look at this again. A wonderfu..."Thank you, Sabah.
I enjoyed it, but Mrs A (who is much more of an avid reader than me) really wasn't a fan! : (
Well, I loved it and I'm also always right so go read it, Sabah! ;P
Excellent review, Kevin. I am thoroughly intrigued! This one's going high on my TBR. : )
Sam wrote: "Because he spends the difference on blackjack and fruit salad sweets."Hmmm, you are probably right, Sam, you genius!
It doesn't mention that he buys the sweets (I just checked), but maybe it's inferred?
Thank you very much! : )
Anne wrote: "Excellent review, Kevin. I am thoroughly intrigued! This one's going high on my TBR. : )"Thanks, Anne.
Also read all opposing reviews for an informed decision.
It does polarise opinion: Mrs A said that she wouldn't give it any more than two stars, but then she is more adult than I am! : )
Sam wrote: "Because he spends the difference on blackjack and fruit salad sweets."Hi Sam,
I'm afraid that there's still a flaw in that idea.
The difference of eleven pounds and one shilling would have bought him a whopping 10,608 sweets!
Kevin wrote: "Anne wrote: "Excellent review, Kevin. I am thoroughly intrigued! This one's going high on my TBR. : )"
Thanks, Anne.
Also read all opposing reviews for an informed decision.
It does polarise opin..."
Thank you, Kevin, I will have a look at the reviews. :)
I think it's as much Neil Gaiman that intrigues me. I've read posts and articles about him here and there, an interesting man and artist, but haven't read any of his work yet.
Speaking of Gaiman's childhood, this short video (1:30 min) of Neil speaking about his childhood was on my FB last week.
Thanks, Anne.
Also read all opposing reviews for an informed decision.
It does polarise opin..."
Thank you, Kevin, I will have a look at the reviews. :)
I think it's as much Neil Gaiman that intrigues me. I've read posts and articles about him here and there, an interesting man and artist, but haven't read any of his work yet.
Speaking of Gaiman's childhood, this short video (1:30 min) of Neil speaking about his childhood was on my FB last week.
@Anne: Is this where he confesses to having been a bully and almost crying from shame? Because that was very emotional for me to sit through!I think he is a great man and I'm glad I finally started reading his books (in fact, by now, the only ones I haven't read yet are his short story collections).
Trish wrote: "@Anne: Is this where he confesses to having been a bully and almost crying from shame? Because that was very emotional for me to sit through!
I think he is a great man and I'm glad I finally starte..."
I think you may be thinking of someone else. Neil wasn't a bully, rather he was bullied. The first thing he says in this little snippet is "I definitely got bullied as a kid." Then he goes on to encourage kids to embrace/celebrate their differences. :)
I think he is a great man and I'm glad I finally starte..."
I think you may be thinking of someone else. Neil wasn't a bully, rather he was bullied. The first thing he says in this little snippet is "I definitely got bullied as a kid." Then he goes on to encourage kids to embrace/celebrate their differences. :)
Yeah, he was bullied but in this one video (I'm looking for it right now) he also confesses to have been part of bullying (spitting) and being ashamed: #
Trish wrote: "Yeah, he was bullied but in this one video (I'm looking for it right now) he also confesses to have been part of bullying (spitting) and being ashamed: ..."
thanks for that, it looks like the same interview. :)
thanks for that, it looks like the same interview. :)
Anne wrote: "Trish wrote: "Yeah, he was bullied but in this one video (I'm looking for it right now) he also confesses to have been part of bullying (spitting) and being ashamed: ...."@Trish and @Anne,
What Neil says so true. Trying to be the same as everyone else will only get you so far.
Don't be beige!
Kevin wrote: "Anne wrote: "Trish wrote: "Yeah, he was bullied but in this one video (I'm looking for it right now) he also confesses to have been part of bullying (spitting) and being ashamed: ..."
chartreuse, the colour of new buds in the spring, is nice ...
which, btw, are finally arriving, 1-2 weeks late, in southern Ontario. coldest April ever!
chartreuse, the colour of new buds in the spring, is nice ...
which, btw, are finally arriving, 1-2 weeks late, in southern Ontario. coldest April ever!
Kevin I like your review of this book. When I read it (recommended by a friend) I was unfamiliar with the author and YA, so I was out of my comfort zone the whole time. I think knowing what I was getting into might have helped me appreciate it more....or not.
@Anne: Well, it was the same interview for te Bystanders campaign. The spitting story is just harder to find on youtube than the other bits (they cut it up). But that story goes to show how strong the pull can be on kids.
Kevin wrote: "Sam wrote: "Because he spends the difference on blackjack and fruit salad sweets."Hi Sam,
I'm afraid that there's still a flaw in that idea.
The difference of eleven pounds and one shilling would..."
Maybe then the whole thing is meant to show us he's an unreliable narrator?
☯Cathrine wrote: "Kevin I like your review of this book. When I read it (recommended by a friend) I was unfamiliar with the author and YA, so I was out of my comfort zone the whole time. I think knowing what I was ..."
Trust me, Cathrine, YA is totally not my thing either, I'm a middle-aged man!
I read this book out of curiosity because everyone kept gushing over it.
It was beautifully written, but I would have enjoyed it more were I a prepubescent schoolboy.
I shall return to more adult reads from now on!
Tuba wrote: "What a wonderful review!"Thank you, Tuba.
That means a lot, considering how highly I rate your reviewing skills!
What a truly excellent review! This is the kind of book that I would've loved reading as a child, since I began to gravitate toward scary, darker reads at a pretty young age. I wholeheartedly agree that this book, while an entertaining (to varying degrees) read for adults, was not necessarily aimed toward that demographic, but would've/should've been targeted to a more YA-esque audience.
As for the error, I'm inclined to agree with the point that Sam made that it likely goes to him falling into the unreliable narrator category.
Donnelle wrote: "What a truly excellent review! This is the kind of book that I would've loved reading as a child, since I began to gravitate toward scary, darker reads at a pretty young age. I wholeheartedly agr..."
Thanks, Donnelle, totally agree.
Gaiman definitely has a rare talent. The concept of the little pond having no boundaries was pure genius!
Thank you for your recent (amazing) review of my book, Donnelle. I shall give it the credit it deserves after breakfast!
I wholeheartedly agree about Gaiman - he's a singular talent (much like yourself). Thank you for the amazingly kind words, Kevin. I'm so glad that you liked my review!
I think everyone needs to decide for themselves what they read. I often hate labels like "for adults" or "for boys". Why should we need them?!
I don't think it's about taking the decision away from someone via labeling a piece of work. I think it's just a matter of figuring out what overall demographic could possibly be the better or best target for a story. Labels such as the ones being discussed don't matter on the face of it - people are going to find and enjoy the books that best suit them. However, speaking as someone who used to catalog books for a library, I can say that determining demographic targets like this can be immensely helpful when it comes to helping people find and choose what to read, what authors to try, etc., particularly in terms of individuals who are new to a genre, don't read much, are trying to expand their reading horizons, etc. As such, I don't consider these labels or tags as a bad thing, per se, since they can be used to guide those who may need them, or they can be disregarded by others - such a readers like myself who read works in all genres and targeted to all age groups - who are simply looking for books to enjoy, regardless of who may or may not have been the intended target audience.
Well, Neil Gaiman should have / be his own genre. *lol* His works usually don't fit a category anway. ;PI, however, have unfortunately made the experience of people being prevented (or, in some cases, almost prevented) from finding a suitable book because of such labels. Also, depending on the labels, people are very arrogant about certain books (German libraries for example usually don't have superhero comic books - some have Lucky Luke and such Eurpean creations but are condescending even towards those).
I totally agree about Gaiman - he is most definitely a genre unto himself. That's a great point: there are occasions when labels have downsides. In addition to comic books, I've experienced people going into a bookstore or library looking for an author or certain book, and shying away from it once they found it was technically, say, a romance or fantasy, or geared toward teens, etc. It never failed to disappoint me when a reader allowed himself or herself to be dissuaded from picking up a potentially wonderful book merely because of some sort of stigma that was attached to its labelled genre, demo, etc. I guess the hope is that labels, tags, and categorizations help more than they hurt.
Wonderful review, Kevin. You've made me want to give Gaiman another chance. I've often found it hard to get into his books in the past, but maybe it's time to try again. I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised.
Angele wrote: "Wonderful review, Kevin. You've made me want to give Gaiman another chance. I've often found it hard to get into his books in the past, but maybe it's time to try again. I'm hoping to be pleasantly..."Thanks, Angele!
Please note that I did mention that it is adult-lite.
I would have preferred the story to have been nastier and more spiteful! That said, Gaiman is wonderfully inventive.
Donnelle wrote: "In addition to comic books, I've experienced people going into a bookstore or library looking for an author or certain book, and shying away from it once they found it was technically, say, a romance or fantasy, or geared toward teens, etc."Yup, totally agree. That is very sad. Which is why last year I started purposefully reading things I had never tried before - and it worked out great so far!
Kevin wrote: "I would have preferred the story to have been nastier and more spiteful! That said, Gaiman is wonderfully inventive."That's just it: in my opinion he was very nasty and spiteful - just in a more subtle way. Yes, I'm fangirling again, sorry. ;P
Kevin wrote: "I really liked the book, but my wife started reading it and announced, "Surely this is aimed at kids?""Interesting review, Kevin. I keep meaning to read my first Gaiman, but never quite get round to it. I'm still unsure about this one (maybe you should get Mrs A on GR to write her own reviews!). But "Alive" is powerful praise.
Superb review, Kevin! I haven't read Gaiman yet so I may start with this! And very cool anagram discovery. Can I call you Sherlock now?!
Glenn wrote: "Superb review, Kevin! I haven't read Gaiman yet so I may start with this! And very cool anagram discovery. Can I call you Sherlock now?!"You can call me whatever you wish, Glenn! : )
At the risk of upsetting the innumerable Gaiman fans out there, I would like to emphasis my own hyphenated watchword, adult-lite, which I've used to describe the spirit of the book.
But then I am a middle-aged man who doesn't read YA.
He is an imaginative writer with his own idiosyncratic style and I'm pleased that I dipped my toes into his ocean.
Cecily wrote: "Kevin wrote: "I really liked the book, but my wife started reading it and announced, "Surely this is aimed at kids?""Interesting review, Kevin. I keep meaning to read my first Gaiman, but never q..."
I keep telling Mrs A that she ought to go onto GR.
She was the one who spotted the glaring error at the start of Chapter Three, and she has much better book reading instincts than I do (you'd get on, you two).
And if she ever decides to write a novel, I'm sunk! ; )
Oh, and she would've only awarded this book two stars. Ouch! Tough critic.
It might be quite a neat idea to post His 'n' Hers reviews, or for me to attach Mrs A's alternative star rating to each of mine.
Kevin wrote: "It might be quite a neat idea to post His 'n' Hers reviews"That might be great fun - for everyone else. It might not make for marital bliss, though.
Hi Kevin, I thoroughly enjoyed this book too. Great review! You summed it up well: "quirky, quaint and magical".
