Another review? The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Magical realism at its finest, by the man with an imagination the size of the Grand Canyon.
I came into reading this novel almost by accident. I have only read American Gods by Neil Gaiman - a gift from a student teacher I had come in and watch my classes as part of his University course (thanks Bailey).
As some of you may know, I am currently travelling. Just under four months into a six month trip. This has left me with reading from a Kindle, rather than physical books. Great for travel, but I prefer the real thing.
Anyway. We’re in Canmore in Alberta, Canada, and stumbled across a bookshop, with an attached second hand books area. I’m an advocate for buying second hand books - it is cheaper, better for the environment and generally supports local businesses rather than fueling and greasing the wheels of the Amazon machine.
And it was here, in this tiny, shoebox of a second hand bookstore, that I came across Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane. A first edition, no less. And at $14 CAD, a steal, in my eyes.
This book had been on my ‘to read’ list, but I had forgotten everything about it.
I didn’t read the blurb.
I just grabbed it.
Paid for it.
And sat down in a small leather chair, in front of the gas fireplace in my AirBnB, snow drifting down like coconut flakes on one of mum’s sweet recipes, and a coffee in my hand.
What a ride it was. I smashed through this book in less than 24 hours. So, time to get started on the review:
PLOT
The plot is the hard carry in this novel. It is engaging, fast paced without doing too much. It dangles the bait and snags you. The hook seems to wiggle a bit, but it tightens and locks itself in place at the end of every chapter.
The concept itself is excellent. A true magical realist novel, in a world where only few can claim that genre. And even fewer can pull it off like Gaiman does in this novel (only Murakami comes to mind).
It follows the story of a man who returns to his childhood hometown after years away and visits the farm where he once played. There, memories of incredible events flood back. As a seven-year-old, he had befriended Lettie Hempstock, an unusual girl who lived at the farm. Though he had no other friends, he was grateful for her company. When a lodger at his house takes his own life, it triggers a series of events that unleash terrifying magical beings into the world—one even infiltrates his home, endangering all he holds dear. But Lettie is no ordinary girl, and she promises to help him, no matter how daunting the challenge.
The plot generates heavy emotions. Fear, being the major one. And calls into question what it truly is to be human, and how memories can be fickle and folly things.
Setting and Character
I’ve lumped these together as, apart from a few areas, the setting and characters are rather unremarkable.
It is set in Sussex, England. And, apart from some small magical realist elements, such as the pond / ocean at the end of the lane and the forest where Lettie and the protagonist venture, it is quite mundane. Whilst Gaiman’s style is evocative and the descriptions are beautiful, there isn’t much else to comment on here.
Maybe having just read Tress of the Emerald Sea (review here), I was somewhat spoiled by the fantastical setting of Sanderson’s work.
The characters, whilst interesting in some parts, are somewhat let down by the protagonist and narrator. He is simply, well, boring. He is unremarkable, a touch snooty and a bit of a whinger. Granted, what he goes through isn’t great, but show some grit, son!
He did, however, have one of the best pieces of dialogue, in regards to calling out his dad, I think I’ve read. And, had the character developed more from this, and into this style of character, I’d be way more on board with his struggles:
“Does it make you feel big to make a little boy cry?”
Oof. Get him.
But, unfortunately, I could not really get on board with the protagonist.
Lettie, on the other hand, and her family, are remarkable. Deep and interesting. Gaiman gives you just enough of a taste of them to really want more.
Ursula, the housekeeper (we’ll keep it at that) is also well constructed.
But the rest - his dad, his mum, his sister, are all just shallow characters with no real feeling to them. His mum is nothing, his sister is an annoying brat and his dad is one of the most despicable non-antagonist characters I think I have read.
Style
If you’ve never read Gaiman’s work, you are in for a treat. He writes beautifully and poetically. And The Ocean at the End of the Lane is no exception. It reads more like an epic poem, or an extended fable. It is full of mythology and darkness, yet it shines lights on the power of friendship and trust.
Final thoughts
If you are in for an engaging read that keeps you on your toes, then this is for you. Don’t come looking for depth in the characters or the setting, apart from a select few from each, as you won’t find it.
This would have been 5/5 for me, had the protagonist been a bit more likeable, and the other characters not as shallow.
4/5 for me, and still a book I recommend picking up.