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The Neverending Book
Win a free print copy of this book!
11 days and 08:41:24
10 copies available
U.S. only
There once was a book-loving king who lived in the Kingdom of—well, no need to get into details.
The story went something like this: One day the king called two men to his castle and said, ‘I love books. I think I’ve read most of them, but my eyes are so bad now that I can’t read. Still, I love books, and I want to hear stories about them. I command the two of you to travel the world searching for anyone who knows of unusual books. Come back and tell me their stories.’ The two men set out on their journey. A year later they returned. By then, the king could no longer so much as sit up in bed. Night after night the two men took turns telling him the stories they collected: tales of detective novels, romances, comedies, diaries, and quests. The Neverending Book is the story of the books they found and of what happened next.
The story went something like this: One day the king called two men to his castle and said, ‘I love books. I think I’ve read most of them, but my eyes are so bad now that I can’t read. Still, I love books, and I want to hear stories about them. I command the two of you to travel the world searching for anyone who knows of unusual books. Come back and tell me their stories.’ The two men set out on their journey. A year later they returned. By then, the king could no longer so much as sit up in bed. Night after night the two men took turns telling him the stories they collected: tales of detective novels, romances, comedies, diaries, and quests. The Neverending Book is the story of the books they found and of what happened next.
- GenresFictionBooks About Books
Kindle Edition
Published October 2, 2025
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1870 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 19, 2025
ARC for review. To be published April 21, 2026.
2 stars
Supposedly this is a big hit in Japan. I didn’t get it.
It starts off with a nice idea, an old, nearly blind king who has always loved books sends two of his subjects out into the kingdom to bring back stories of unusual books. And they do. The book is illustrated but most of the pictures don’t seem to relate directly to the stories.
Many of the stories are very childish, as if this is a book for kids, but I don’t think it is. I liked one of the tales, the longest one, but the rest just left me flat…they were kind of like knock knock jokes. Perhaps others will have a better experience.
2 stars
Supposedly this is a big hit in Japan. I didn’t get it.
It starts off with a nice idea, an old, nearly blind king who has always loved books sends two of his subjects out into the kingdom to bring back stories of unusual books. And they do. The book is illustrated but most of the pictures don’t seem to relate directly to the stories.
Many of the stories are very childish, as if this is a book for kids, but I don’t think it is. I liked one of the tales, the longest one, but the rest just left me flat…they were kind of like knock knock jokes. Perhaps others will have a better experience.
December 24, 2025
I quite enjoyed it.
It started with a quirky, whimsical vibe about the different kinds of books. As a reader and author, some lines within these silly-ish stories move you or make you cackle or have you nodding along deeply. And then there was the central story of two children and the shared diary that moved me to tears.
I'm quite divided about the ending but this was a lovely, cozy read
It started with a quirky, whimsical vibe about the different kinds of books. As a reader and author, some lines within these silly-ish stories move you or make you cackle or have you nodding along deeply. And then there was the central story of two children and the shared diary that moved me to tears.
I'm quite divided about the ending but this was a lovely, cozy read
February 12, 2026
Cute combination of art and words, but I lost interest around the Seventh Night.
October 2, 2025
The Neverending Book tells of a king whose eyesight is failing, and the two messengers he sends to collect stories of unusual books. Each tale is imaginative, touching, and occasionally hilarious, with some offering deeper reflection on life, connection, and understanding others. Shinsuke Yoshitake’s illustrations bring the stories to life, adding humour and charm. This book works beautifully for readers of all ages, making it a delightful celebration of storytelling, imagination, and the magic found in every book.
Many thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House, Naoki Matayoshi, Shinsuke Yoshitake and NetGalley for providing this advanced copy
Many thanks to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House, Naoki Matayoshi, Shinsuke Yoshitake and NetGalley for providing this advanced copy
November 29, 2025
4.5 stars overall
Well, this took me completely by surprise; I'd picked it up in a bookshop a few weeks ago and been underwhelmed by the artwork and put it back on the shelf, but on visiting Shrewsbury library I found it again and decided to give it a go - it starts innocently enough, telling a fable of a book-loving king, near the end of his life and wanting to know as much about the books in and beyond his kingdom before he dies, and so he commissions two men to go far and wide, for a year, and bring back tales of books. They do, and the rest of the book relates their 'There was this one book...' stories, as told to the king on his deathbed over the course of 13 nights. They vary in length from long paragraphs to multiple pages with spot illustrations and the longest, told on night 7, spans 38 pages. It is this one that is the heartbreaker, that starts with the line: 'There was this one book where no one dies.'
It takes all kinds of books to move the reader and move the world...
Well, this took me completely by surprise; I'd picked it up in a bookshop a few weeks ago and been underwhelmed by the artwork and put it back on the shelf, but on visiting Shrewsbury library I found it again and decided to give it a go - it starts innocently enough, telling a fable of a book-loving king, near the end of his life and wanting to know as much about the books in and beyond his kingdom before he dies, and so he commissions two men to go far and wide, for a year, and bring back tales of books. They do, and the rest of the book relates their 'There was this one book...' stories, as told to the king on his deathbed over the course of 13 nights. They vary in length from long paragraphs to multiple pages with spot illustrations and the longest, told on night 7, spans 38 pages. It is this one that is the heartbreaker, that starts with the line: 'There was this one book where no one dies.'
It takes all kinds of books to move the reader and move the world...
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received an electronic ARC from W. W. Norton & Company through NetGalley.
Quirky is a word that has been used in many reviews and I agree. The whole premise is interesting and sets up an odd set of short tales about a wide variety of books. However, it's a bit too disjointed for my taste. It's hard to classify this and I did end up placing it in the middle grades area.
Two men are charged by a dying king to find and bring back stories from all over. They accept and the search begins between the introduction and the first chapter. The rest of the book is made up of the stories shared each night. Some are one sentence; some go on for several pages. Some are touching, and some make no sense. Hence, fulfilling what the king required. By the last few nights, the stories have gotten longer and one in particular is heartbreaking. After the king dies, further information is discovered and the book ends exactly where it began.
Quirky is a word that has been used in many reviews and I agree. The whole premise is interesting and sets up an odd set of short tales about a wide variety of books. However, it's a bit too disjointed for my taste. It's hard to classify this and I did end up placing it in the middle grades area.
Two men are charged by a dying king to find and bring back stories from all over. They accept and the search begins between the introduction and the first chapter. The rest of the book is made up of the stories shared each night. Some are one sentence; some go on for several pages. Some are touching, and some make no sense. Hence, fulfilling what the king required. By the last few nights, the stories have gotten longer and one in particular is heartbreaking. After the king dies, further information is discovered and the book ends exactly where it began.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A king with failing eyesight sends two men out into the world to collect stories of the books he can no longer read; upon their return, the two men spend thirteen nights recounting the tales to the king.
The Neverending Book is a strange little book, made up of short vignettes about imaginary books. The fanciful tales alternate between whimsical, creepy, thought-provoking, and poignant. It reminds me a bit of Calvino.
Three and a half stars.
Received via NetGalley.
The Neverending Book is a strange little book, made up of short vignettes about imaginary books. The fanciful tales alternate between whimsical, creepy, thought-provoking, and poignant. It reminds me a bit of Calvino.
Three and a half stars.
Received via NetGalley.
December 31, 2025
Meh. I don't get it.
October 15, 2025
An unusual reading experience that left me with mixed emotions. Some of the minuscule tales were charming, but the more longer ones dragged on, making me lose interest. Overall, I think I enjoyed the idea of the book rather than the contents. It’s always good to try something different, however sadly in this instance, The Neverending Book wasn’t a triumphant discovery.
I received an early copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
I received an early copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
December 31, 2025
Strange, nice. Quirky. Different.
November 22, 2025
Hmmm… An intriguing book, for sure. Peppered with simple cartoons it comes across as a book about books, the same way as Italo Calvino once did a book about cities. So here is the book that floats up into the air, taking a townful of people with it, each hanging on to the person above. Here is the book that is just too dog-eared, but it stands to reason it's the most well-read one in the shop. Here is the book that smells of some peculiar aromatic memory the owner just cannot place, making it impossible to discard until they work out what the smell is. All of these are magical books, and I definitely liked the way they have been brought to light because a book-loving king has sent researchers out into the country to find all about the most unique volumes imaginable.
But then… The centre of this book is an extended chapter solely devoted to two books, two notebooks in fact, filled by a pair of school kids who at first don't get on then seem to become soulmates. This is OK, but it is a touch towards the twee and 'cosy' side of Japanese literature that is so popular with some people these days. And this chapter being the content of these books we really escape the feel of the rest of these pages where the books are matter-of-factly introduced. This intimacy – our contact with the words of these two books – is jarring, and upsets the apple cart too much.
Oh, and I disliked the artifice of the ending, which brings us to the title which brings us to the start. It doesn't work.
So on the whole this was a kind of whimsical, imaginative creation I'd seen before, but never about the things I spend so much of my days reading. Which means I really should have liked it more. Three and a half stars.
But then… The centre of this book is an extended chapter solely devoted to two books, two notebooks in fact, filled by a pair of school kids who at first don't get on then seem to become soulmates. This is OK, but it is a touch towards the twee and 'cosy' side of Japanese literature that is so popular with some people these days. And this chapter being the content of these books we really escape the feel of the rest of these pages where the books are matter-of-factly introduced. This intimacy – our contact with the words of these two books – is jarring, and upsets the apple cart too much.
Oh, and I disliked the artifice of the ending, which brings us to the title which brings us to the start. It doesn't work.
So on the whole this was a kind of whimsical, imaginative creation I'd seen before, but never about the things I spend so much of my days reading. Which means I really should have liked it more. Three and a half stars.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews