[books 2013] The Ocen at the End of the Lane

[inulro]

36. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Finished my pre-publication copy last night, and it only took me this long to read because of how wiped out I've been. It's not long, and I couldn't put it down.

It's partly Neil's usual kind of fantasy thing, but parts of it are really quite scary in a way you don't expect. The anti-Mary Poppins childminder is particularly frightening.

I like the characters that are neither witches nor goddesses, but "just are".

The epilogue packs one hell of an emotional punch.

Lots of thoughts, none of which are coherent enough to set down, except that it may be time for my every-decade rereading of Sandman in the whole (and I might even treat myself to Absolute Sandman as I suspect some of the original comix - I have them all from A Game of You - are too fragile to read these days). Was thinking a re-read of this, and all of Gaiman's novels, might be in order. Right after the re-read of Iain Banks' complete works, which given the amount of time I have to work with is never going to happen either.

Comments

[girfan.livejournal.com]

Loved this book-it wasn't what I expected at all. As you say, scary in parts, sad and it made me wonder how much of the book was taken from his childhood (probably next to nothing, but who knows). Even people who are not fans of Gaiman should read this.