The Ocean at the End of the Lane

By: Neil Gaiman

Narrated by: Neil Gaiman

The celebrated modern classic from the number one best-selling writer.

THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 'BOOK OF THE YEAR'

AN ACCLAIMED WEST END THEATRE PRODUCTION

This is what he remembers, as he sits by the ocean at the end of the lane:

A dead man on the back seat of the car and warm milk at the farmhouse.

An ancient little girl and an old woman who saw the moon being made.

A beautiful housekeeper with a monstrous smile.

And dark forces woken that were best left undisturbed.

They are memories hard to believe, waiting at the edges of things. The recollections of a man who thought he was lost but is now, perhaps, remembering a time when he was saved....

NEIL GAIMAN.

WITH STORIES COME POSSIBILITIES.

©2013 Neil Gaiman (P)2013 Headline Digital

Critic reviews

"Neil Gaiman's entire body of work is a feat of elegant sorcery. He writes with such assurance and originality that the reader has no choice but to surrender to a waking dream," (Armistead Maupin)

"Some books just swallow you up, heart and soul." (Joanne Harris)

"Summons both the powerlessness and wonder of childhood, and the complicated landscape of memory and forgetting." (Guardian)

lovely as always

A gorgeous story and a great teller of tales. hearing it is even better than reading it myself

a great story

What made the experience of listening to The Ocean at the End of the Lane the most enjoyable?

The story was very exciting, gripping and fantastical but it did get a little repetitive by the end (yes, we know you are not going to let go of Lettie Hempstock's hand, you have said it 5 times now) And maybe it's something you wouldn't notice if you were reading it, however there was so much imagination you can let that go and absorb yourself into his world.

What did you like best about this story?

I love Neil's work, his imagination is spectacular and his story telling is beyond skilled, this is another of his great works of fantasy fiction.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I found the narration a little annoying, it sounds like he's reading to a circle of children gathered round a fire cupping a mug of warm milk. Which was nice at first but got annoying for the whole book.

A dark autobiographical fairytale of weirdness

Neil Gaiman is the writer and the reader of the audio book "The Ocean at the End of the Lane." The story comes to life through the eyes of a seven year old boy, possibly Gaiman himself. A lot of not-so-nice things happen to him but in it he discover an 'imaginary' world where reality and fantasy blur into a dark fairytale.

The listener is drawn into the story and you empathise with the boy from almost the start. It comes highly recommended.

Beautiful story about a boys childhood

Beautifully written and performed book. Did tend to be a bit long - winded at times, but overall, charming

Beautifully written and narrated

It was narrated by Neil Gaiman. His voice was so soothing and really was a lot of the experience. The book was very interesting, it was simple but at times unexpectedly terrifying. It was very nostalgic and I loved the way it was told, like a memory that one day pops into your head. The story was beautiful, one of childhood and alternate worlds, friendships, sacrifice and loss.

Absolutely Brilliant!

Within only a couple of minutes of listening to this book I felt like I had struck gold! There are writers and there are Writters. True storytellers who make it into an art form. Neil Gaiman has weaved a truly beautiful story and is the perfect narrator.
There are some Authors like George R. R. Martin and Robin Hobb for whom 5 stars just does not seem enough. Neil Gaiman is one of those authors. I highly recommend this book. For those who let this book slip by, will have missed out on something truly magical.

The ocean

Loved this book and the ocean that wasn’t really a pond. A really worthwhile listen!

I loved this book. Fast moving and interesting

I enjoyed this book so much I listened to it in one sitting. I usually just listen to audiobooks while I'm driving, but this book I put my earphones in and listened to it while doing my chores. I'm a big fan of Neil Gaiman books and this is one of his best!

Great story

Wonderful story loved the ending . It took me to a wonderful place in my imagination l loved it

Another beautiful and dark Gaiman book

What did you love best about The Ocean at the End of the Lane?

The voice of childhood filtered through the awareness of adulthood - a very fine line, but Gaiman gets it right.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lettie Hempstock, for her no-nonsense attitude

Have you listened to any of Neil Gaiman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I heard Gaiman read the first chapters of this at an event in Sydney, and knew I had to hear him read the whole thing. He has a lilting, mesmerising quality to his narration that draws you in. Even though he doesn't do full blown character voices, the small touches he gives to each character set them off perfectly. (though not entirely convinced by his South African accent!)