My only criticism is that while the protagonist has ample character development, secondary characters aren’t given as much attention. I might just have to check out these other stories. While I haven’t read his other books, I do know that this one definitely has literary merit. I read other reviews indicating that he’s writing about a theme (growing up) he’s apparently visited and revisited numerous times, as if this is a valid criticism of the quality of the story on its own. This is my first non- Sandman graphic novel series Neil Gaiman book, and it did not disappoint. That line and the sheer loneliness of it has stuck with me for weeks after finishing the book. For example, no one came to his childhood birthday party, and there was a comment about fifteen empty folding chairs. I absolutely loved the way that Neil Gaiman implemented little asides and anecdotes within the narrative, which served to flesh out the main character and give us insight into his personality through showing and not telling. Written from a child’s perspective, Gaiman effectively provides the impression that the world is viewed through a child’s eyes without sacrificing quality of language or the impact of the story. There’s a strange magic surrealism to the story from the very beginning, all the way through until it becomes very clear that there’s something supernatural going on. This is novel is like a dark and slightly twisted version of A Wrinkle in Time.

While he doesn’t remember much about her, the story of what happened when he was a child is revealed through a flashback… When he’s there, he’s compelled to go to the house at the end of the lane, where the most peculiar girl, Lettie Hempstock, once lived. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a haunting and riveting tale of a man who returns home for the funeral of his father.

The ocean at the end of the lane genre