North Yorkshire Library Service Book Group discussion

Post your thoughts here once you've read The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Good pick and I'm glad I read it. It kind of encapsulated my reaction to some previous Neil Gaiman books I've read. I really liked American Gods, but struggled with Neverwhere and Stardust. Ocean at the End of the Lane kind of fell between the two. As a collection of scenes, images, moments it was very powerful. I agree with the review from Mr. Docx (Docx? Really?) - the “bath drowning” scene was particularly, disturbingly memorable. The details that he embellished were so spot on - that image of the tiny tight knot that the father’s tie ends up with was almost tangible and so evocative of anger and constraint. The foot worm was gruesomely visceral. I also like experiencing someone else’s distinctive imagination when what they create is something I’d never have thought of. The giant canvas thing was bizarre and utterly nightmarish.

What I found problematical may be my reactions to the genre. Fantasy isn't something I naturally gravitate towards, but from the little I've read it often feels like a collection of elaborate and imaginative scenes rather than a narrative that progresses directly from actions and behaviours. Monster thing appears… fight monster thing… magic thing turns up… etc… So I have difficulty really connecting with the characters, and I did feel this here. It was interesting to read that the book began life as a short story. It did feel a little stretched to me, lacking a narrative drive that may have been there in a short story form. I also never felt quite sure if I was reading a children’s story or an adult’s story. But maybe I'm just too welded to rigid genre expectations to enjoy this sort of book completely.

But I did enjoy reading it a great deal and this - “I said, ‘It’s funny. For a moment, I thought there were two of you. Isn't that odd?’ ‘It’s just me,’ said the old woman. ‘It’s only ever just me.’ ‘I know,’ I said. ‘Of course it is.” - was just great.