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The Ocean at the End of the Lane

A Novel

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The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Written by: Neil Gaiman
Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
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About this listen

Audie Award Finalist, Narration by the Author or Authors, 2014

Audie Award Finalist, Fiction, 2014

Sussex, England: A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. He is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet sitting by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean), the unremembered past comes flooding back. Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie - magical, comforting, wise beyond her years - promised to protect him, no matter what.

A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. A stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.

©2013 Neil Gaiman (P)2013 HarperCollinsPublishers
Coming of Age Fiction Literary Fiction Mind-Bending Scary Heartfelt Feel-Good
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What listeners say about The Ocean at the End of the Lane

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Could not stop listening

it's just perfect. Amazing story, in a world that feels more real than real life.

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absolutely exceptional

Neil Gaiman is a truly classic writer and his reading of his own work is absolutely exceptional.

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Amazing

This is such a great story. I loved the book and the audio version

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Sci-Fi fairytale, not for kids or for old folks.

My guess this would be best suited for those of you that are into D&D or some other strange stories.
Mind you I'm 72 years old, bent and crotchety.

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1 person found this helpful

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looooove this book

THIS IS ONE OF MY MOST FAVOURITEST BOOKS! So happy I could listen to it while working!

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Gaiman being Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is among one of our greatest writers! He is beyond imaginative

If you've never had the pleasure of letting Gaiman spin you a yarn you are in for a treat! His style is a mish mash of Douglas Adams and Stephen King. The world's he builds are among some of literatures best and most interesting! Whether you are letting him take you on an adventure through London Below, through the backroads of America and our own faith structure, or simply just catching up with Morpheus and his realm of dreams; you are in for a treat!

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exceptional

I'm late to the party on this one but felt the need to comment nonetheless. such a great book, an instant classic. the narration from the author is perfect. he has a soothing, intriguing voice, and obviously knows these characters inside and out so he brings them to life like no one else could. I would love to see a film adaptation of this dark, strange and fantastical tale.

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Simply brilliant.

I adore how Neil Gaiman pulls you in with a seemingly simple story line that has such complexity in every single word he chooses. And his narration is perfect.

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fun and imaginative

The story was so interesting I enjoyed it to the end and of course wanted to know more...

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Lovely story

This is my second listen of this book and I am always enamoured with Neil’s imagination as well as his narration. He makes it easy to know who is talking, which is so helpful when listening to audiobooks. Each character has their own unique voice. The story is fantastically realistic in that it takes you on a fantasy journey that is rooted in the life of an average seven year old boy.

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