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Ocean at the End of the Lane (Signed)
Ocean at the End of the Lane (Signed) | Neil Gaiman
A major new work from "a writer to make readers rejoice" (Minneapolis Star Tribune)--a moving story of memory, magic, and survivalSussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, 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, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.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. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.
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LiteraryinPA
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Pickpick

I understand why this is such a beloved book. Strange, beautiful, grotesque, contemplative… for a book that was under 200 pages, it will stay with me for a long time. 💗

Soscha I hate to even mention this as Gaiman is such a great & beloved writer but he‘s got some #metoo issues. I won‘t link but you can look that up. 😕 3w
LiteraryinPA @Soscha Oh no! I‘m really glad you mentioned it, though. I‘ll read up on it. 3w
Shemac77 Loved this book! 3w
Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes I love Neil Gaiman, but I didn‘t like this book. Maybe I need to read it again. 🤔 3w
64 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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rwmg
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Pickpick

An unnamed narrator attends a funeral in the area where he grew up and returns to his childhood home. There he remembers the strange events involving the women who lived on a neighbouring farm.

Menacingly creepy in places to the point where I wasn't sure whether I really wanted to go on and didn't know whether knowing or not knowing was worse.

Reggie I thought this was just an adult fairy tale. L liked it a lot. 3mo
31 likes1 stack add1 comment
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rwmg
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rwmg
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"It was only a duck pond, out at the back of the farm. It wasn‘t very big."

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

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DimeryRene
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Pickpick

I read this years ago and was due for a reread. It‘s so different than I remember! But I love the narration.

BekaReid One of my favorite NG books! I love revisiting this one every few years. 5mo
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BekaReid
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Pickpick

One of my dinner dates this week while traveling for work. Neil Gaiman is always a good choice, and this is one of my favorites.

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Rissreads
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Pickpick

I soooooo wanted to LOVE this book! I had such high expectations and I think that was the problem, It just didn‘t live up to all the hype for me. Something just didn‘t quite work. But I did enjoy it more as it went along. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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thegirlwiththelibrarybag
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Pickpick

I‘ve previously struggled to connect with Gaiman‘s books - so I‘ve been putting off trying this one for years even though it comes highly recommended and I admire the author (he‘s hilarious on tumblr) - and so I gave the audiobook a go and this was the NG book for me! I loved how it was bookended with the MC‘s adult self - with the majority of the story taking place when he was 7. The epilogue!!! Oof!

TheIntrovertedDodoBird Awesome review! I read this book years ago and still find myself thinking of it often. You might enjoy 8mo
thegirlwiththelibrarybag @TheIntrovertedDodoBird, I think I‘ll be thinking of it for years to come too. It has such a lot of beautiful sentences. Thanks for the recommendation, I‘ve been wondering if he‘s an author I‘m just going to prefer on audio? 8mo
TheIntrovertedDodoBird @thegirlwiththelibrarybag It truly has a profundity that follows you. It really does. It's very quotable. Gaiman is a bona-fide genius! You're welcome. I highly recommend Coraline and The Graveyard Book, too. Ooh, I've actually never listened to his novels in audio format, but I imagine they're incredible. 8mo
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thegirlwiththelibrarybag @TheIntrovertedDodoBird, the graveyard book and American gods were 2 that I tried and just couldn‘t connect with (this was awhile ago tho so things could be different now) I‘ve seen Coraline the movie, I forget that it started as a book. I quite enjoyed him reading it to me ☺️ (edited) 8mo
thegirlwiththelibrarybag @TheIntrovertedDodoBird, I‘ve only been listening to audiobooks regularly for about a year, but I‘ve found that I‘ve enjoyed listening to books/genres that I probably wouldn‘t have tried/gotten around to in print. 8mo
TheIntrovertedDodoBird @thegirlwiththelibrarybag I haven't gotten around to American Gods yet (my TBR pile is so long), but I truly adored The Graveyard Book. I would say Neverwhere and The Ocean at the End of the Lane have quite a similar feel, so you might enjoy it! And the illustrated edition is stunning! 8mo
TheIntrovertedDodoBird @thegirlwiththelibrarybag I'll have to try listening to the audio books of the novels I haven't particularly gotten along with. I hate to DNF a book, so this might just be my answer! 8mo
TheIntrovertedDodoBird I haven't seen the Coraline movie yet. I really must. I love the book! Does Gaiman himself narrate the audio books? 8mo
thegirlwiththelibrarybag @TheIntrovertedDodoBird, you should! For me I‘ve picked up memoirs and horror that I honestly wouldn‘t have even glanced at in print 🤓 I think he does narrate them, he did for Ocean anyway. I feel you on the long tbr 📚 8mo
TheIntrovertedDodoBird @thegirlwiththelibrarybag I struggle to digest memoirs and super heavy material sometimes, but somehow, I have never considered switching to audio format until now! Ooh. I'll definitely be trying Gaiman's audio books now. He has a storytellers voice. Yes, the bookworms malaise of a tottering TBR pile (and I keep finding myself returning to past favourites 😆📚). 8mo
thegirlwiththelibrarybag @TheIntrovertedDodoBird, I listened to Sam Neill read his memoir last year and it was great - but I wouldn‘t have even considered it in print 🤷🏻‍♀️ audio is definitely a good option for books that you are interested in but can‘t see yourself getting to anytime soon (I mostly listen to them at work). I‘m a rereader too 🤣 8mo
TheIntrovertedDodoBird @thegirlwiththelibrarybag I really want to try some of the classics, but every time I attempt them in print, I struggle to immerse myself in the prose, so this might just be my answer! Listening to them at work is a good idea. Ooh. I love rereading! I just can't help revisiting my favourite stories and characters. I recently finished my third reread of my favourite novel 😂. 8mo
thegirlwiththelibrarybag @TheIntrovertedDodoBird, I wish you luck! I started with shorter books (under 7 hours) and played around with narration speed (I like them to talk faster but not so fast that they sound like chipmunks). 8mo
TheIntrovertedDodoBird @thegirlwiththelibrarybag Thank you! Honestly, I'm curious about being narrated to at chipmunk speed now 😂. 8mo
thegirlwiththelibrarybag @TheIntrovertedDodoBird, it works for some people - but I‘m usually happiest at 1.5-1.7 (depends on the narrator) 🐿️ 8mo
TheIntrovertedDodoBird @thegirlwiththelibrarybag It sounds like fun, but it would definitely become irksome after a while 😂. Thank you! I'll keep that in mind when selecting my narration speed. I might finally try some Jane Austin on audio after finishing my current read now 🥰. 8mo
thegirlwiththelibrarybag @TheIntrovertedDodoBird, let me know how you find it 😊 8mo
TheIntrovertedDodoBird @thegirlwiththelibrarybag I will 😊. Happy reading 📚. 8mo
56 likes18 comments
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jackilynn
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5 out of 8 so far.

I am trying so hard to get the whole set but I keep getting sent the wrong covers. Just need Fragile Things, Smoke & Mirrors, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane to finish out the set.

Being a book collector & looking for specific covers/editions is hard sometimes.

19 likes1 stack add
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BarkingMadRead
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emz711 Yess! One of my faves 12mo
TheBookHippie I‘ve no idea what arrived but two things are now coming Saturday!!! What an adventure!!! 12mo
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TheBookHippie @BarkingMadRead okay, should be two things there now two boxes two different days 😅🤦🏻‍♀️😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 12mo
TheBookHippie Then two more 🫣🙄 12mo
BarkingMadRead @TheBookHippie there are two here now 😍 11mo
TheBookHippie @BarkingMadRead it‘s like a game 🤦🏻‍♀️😵‍💫😅🤣🤣🤣🤣 11mo
AllDebooks This book, this author 🩵 11mo
38 likes8 comments
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Balibee146
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Next up this has been languishing on my #kindle for years

Booksblanketsandahotbeverage I enjoyed this one but my mom @Pamgardens hated it, lol. At least it‘s a short story. 12mo
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keithlafo
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Pickpick

A masterpiece of storytelling, with enough emotional heft to break your heart, creepy passages that make your skin crawl, and characters you won‘t soon forget. Might be my favorite of Gaiman‘s books.

Darklunarose I really want to read this book! 12mo
18 likes1 comment
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Robotswithpersonality
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Mehso-so

Wistful. Horrifying and charming by turns. As I've come to expect from this author, there's inventive fantasy elements which come at the price of including images I sincerely hope won't show up in my nightmares. Can't help feeling there's something missing, maybe just wanted more time with certain characters, spent in the world built? Might just be a tone thing with Gaiman that doesn't match personal preference. ⚠️Suicide, body horror, child abuse

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RaeLovesToRead
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Today I went to see this at the theatre. The staging was incredible, and they had the WORLD'S CREEPIEST PUPPET MONSTER!!! 😱😱 Highly recommend.

I was hoping to read the book before the play, but I just haven't had time. Will read it soon, but need to find it first... 🤔

Embarrassingly, I have it in hardback, which shows how long I've been meaning to read it.

(Oh... and holographic bookmark merch 😊)

BekaReid So jealous! But glad you were able to see it! This is one of my favorite books! 1y
LaraReads How awesome! And such a good book! 1y
BarbaraJean Ohhhhh, a play of this sounds fantastic!! Now I'm really hoping they bring a production to the US someday... 1y
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Leniverse Really envious of that theatre experience! The book is great. I remember it had me teary eyed and upset while reading it on the coach, I had to put it away until I got home. 😆 1y
DaveGreen7777 You had me at “world‘s creepiest puppet monsters”!!! 😱😱😱 1y
RaeLovesToRead @BekaReid @LaraReads @BarbaraJean @Leniverse @DaveGreen7777 I'm looking forward to the book now. There were a couple of bits that got me in the feels. The Flea puppet was INCREDIBLE... it was controlled by like 6 people and was terrifying!!!! 1y
Branwen Wow! I had no idea this had been made into a theater production! 😱 So cool! 1y
70 likes1 stack add7 comments
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RaeLovesToRead
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#bookspinbingo for July @TheAromaofBooks 😁

Done from the train off the top of my head. I will substitute in random books if I finish any / there are repeats.

Update: JUNE!!!!!! It's for June!!!! Oh my days 😶‍🌫️

Clwojick I know the year is going by quickly, but it‘s only June! 😂☀️😎 1y
RaeLovesToRead @Clwojick Gaaaaaahhhhh omg you are right 🙈🙈🙈 1y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1y
52 likes3 comments
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JuliaTheBookNerd
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#150-225Pages 🌊💙 #MayMontage 🥳💐♊️

#BookNerd 🤓📚💙

Eggs The Gaiman Collection👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 2y
fredamans I chose the same. Wicked book! 2y
AvidReader25 This collection! 😍 2y
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KCofKaysville
Pickpick

A really good short fantasy mixed with chidhood memories.

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KCofKaysville
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Finally reading one that I missed a few years ago.

Zoes_Human Love this one! 2y
KCofKaysville @Zoes_Human Tnat‘s good to know! 2y
41 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Shawna
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I need to read this one!! 2y
Eggs I enjoyed this book 🖤📖💙 2y
fredamans My favorite Gaiman book! 2y
25 likes3 comments
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Jgacreations
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Mehso-so

It was ok. Not great not bad.

LoverOfLearning I felt the same! 2y
22 likes1 comment
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bookaddict30
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Pickpick

Rating: 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was my first time reading a book by Neil Gaiman so i wasnt sure what to expect but i have to say i did really enjoy this one more then i thought i would. The Characters were so interesting, intriguing and enjoyable to read about, Lettie and The Old Man were definately my favorites. Loved learning about their backstory.

pilardib Gaiman is one of my favorite authors! I recommend his books for children too. Coraline is great. 2y
bookaddict30 @pilardib That's great to hear 😊. Yes I loved Coraline when I read it a few years ago. 2y
12 likes2 comments
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bookaddict30
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Currently Reading
Genre: Fantasy
Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, 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, and her mother and grandmother.

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Tamra
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A repeat for me and it‘s just as wonderful. Still magical, enchanting, and creepy, but not in a cheesy way otherwise it wouldn‘t be for me. Gaiman is one of the few authors who can narrate well!

What‘s funny is I can hear the characters voices from Good Omens in it!

This is a great selection for an October read.💛🖤🧡

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bianka
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Mehso-so

‘nothing's ever the same," she said. "be it a second later or a hundred years. it's always churning and roiling. and people change as much as oceans.‘ ; 3.25/5

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NataliePatalie
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1. The Poughkeepsie Tapes!!! 😭
2. I don't read a lot of fantasy, but the first that came to mind was The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
3. Black, purple, orange! 🖤💜🧡

@Eggs @Blueberry #WondrousWednesday

Eggs Thanks for joining in 🖤💜🧡 2y
11 likes1 comment
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velocis
Pickpick

Short and sweet and a good novel to start with when getting back into reading. I've also started looking at this book in terms of how parts of it are put together from a writer's perspective because watching the sandman by gaiman on netflix inspired me enough to attempt to write something.

Billypar Glad you signed up - welcome to Litsy! If you're looking for users to follow, you can find other Reading Envy listeners from this post I made in honor of Jenny: https://litsy.com/p/ckEzSEdkUDRD There was also a bookclub I participated in with so many great people: #nyrbbookclub And the same goes for a group that organizes seasonal readalongs, currently doing one for Halloween #FearfulFall Hope you enjoy checking everything out! 📚📚📚 2y
5 likes1 comment
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ElizaMarie
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Pickpick

It took a little bit to get into, but once I did... I loved the story. Loved the fantasy and just loved the beauty of it.

#PennyAPage +2.37
#ReadMyRoom @AkashaVampie @jb72 @Bookworm54 @AsYouWish @CocoReads
#DoubleSpin #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaOfBooks

jb72 Great job! I really enjoyed this story too. 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
28 likes2 comments
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ElizaMarie
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💙💚 I really miss this! The other day I saw this child be just utterly excited in a restaurant. Like the best thing in the world! This joy is something I need to consistently remind myself that is all around us. 💙❤️

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ElizaMarie
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This is my #DoubleSpin ( @TheAromaOfBooks ) book :) I love Neil Gaiman, but... I have heard some mixed reviews on this one... Fingers crossed, this is something I will enjoy

ManyWordsLater This opened my mind to a new way of looking at the memories. 2y
TheAromaofBooks I have mixed feelings on Gaiman's writing in general. This one is still on my TBR, but he doesn't always work for me. 2y
See All 6 Comments
ElizaMarie @TheAromaofBooks, I get what you are saying. I have a love/hate (mostly love) relationship with Gaiman. This one I felt was done beautifully. But took me a little bit to get “into“ it. 2y
ElizaMarie @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Ooo, I can send it to you. Do you have a copy? If not, I definitely would love to pass this one along to you! 2y
ElizaMarie @ManyWordsLater Yes! I think there were a lot of beautiful moments in this book. 2y
36 likes1 stack add6 comments
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

This book is fantastical, bittersweet, creepy, and absolutely brilliant. Neil Gaiman‘s prose is beautiful and captivating. He‘s also one of only a few authors who narrate their own books well. I only regret having waited so long to read it.

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Bookworm04
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Pickpick
Andrew65 Great 👏👏👏 2y
38 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Bookworm04
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Anybody else ???

36 likes1 comment
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Kris10H
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Bailedbailed

I hate to say this, because I have a soft spot for Gaiman, but I just could not get through this. I put in a good effort, I think, and made it about halfway through. It gave me Coraline + The Witches (Dahl), but not in a good way. 🤷‍♀️

fredamans 😕 This is my favorite of his. 2y
17 likes1 comment
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bookishbitch
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Pickpick

Trigger warning for suicide. I've actually already read this. But I love Neil Gaimans voice as a narrator so here we are. This has some terrifying imagery. Supernatural horror for sure.

fredamans My favorite of his. 2y
Kris10H The description of pulling the worm out of the foot...🤮 I can handle most things, but 🪱... no. 2y
bookishbitch @Kris10H Yes! So gross! 2y
25 likes3 comments
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EmilieGR
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Pickpick

This was a beautiful little story. I enjoyed Gaiman‘s illustration of childhood and found the setting and era evocative.

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Branwen
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#AlphabetGame #LetterO
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Using another Gaiman book for this game! 😄📚💕 I liked this one a lot, though I wish it had been longer!

Kitta I picked this for O too! 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing 📚 2y
Branwen @Kitta That's awesome! 💕📚💕 2y
50 likes3 comments
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RobES
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Pickpick

I ended up really enjoying this; I was very unsure at the start, it is very surreal and I didn't really get it, but by the end I fully embraced it and loved it. In an odd way it portrays childhood as an adult looking back, not in a tangible way but in a misty memory way. It also isn't for kids, although I have passed it on to my 15 year old son as we are going to see the National Theatre production. I think it would be ok for a mature teen.

Nebklvr I still have questions about the ending 2y
RobES @Nebklvr me too!!! Did Lettie ever 'return'? Did he ever go back to the farm again??? 2y
Nebklvr Was it his funeral? 2y
RobES @Nebklvr ohhhhhh! I did not get that! 🤯 2y
Nebklvr Not sure i did either!! Just confused. 2y
25 likes5 comments
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Kitta
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I love Neil Gaiman and this was no exception! It‘s a beautiful dreamlike story about a man remembering his childhood.

#alphabetgame #letterO @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing! 📚 2y
13 likes1 comment
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RobES
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Road trip read ... really not sure what to make of this one .... 😕

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TheIntrovertedDodoBird
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Pickpick

To this very day, this quirky fable leaves me with a profound sense of inquietude. Gaiman dazzles with his hauntingly beautiful prose, deep-seated angsty theme & spine-tingling malaise. You'll sleepwalk your way through this book, transported into the unfathomable depths of Gaiman's brilliantly twisted imagination. Childhood is often penned as a beguiling, magical experience, but Gaiman defies this trope exquisitely. He's a bona fide genius!

Eggs Absolutely 2y
60 likes5 stack adds1 comment
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BarbaraJean
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“Nobody actually looks like what they really are on the inside. You don‘t. I don‘t. People are much more complicated than that. It‘s true of everybody.”

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JuliaTheBookNerd
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I Love all things Neil Gaiman 🥰

#ByYourFavoriteAuthor ❤️ #BookMoods 😊📚

#BookNerd 🤓💙📚

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Perfect 🖤📚 2y
Eggs 👏🏻👏🏻I love Neverwhere❤️ 2y
46 likes2 comments
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LoverOfLearning
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Mehso-so

Listened to this one on Audiobook pretty decent production I would say.

Overall not my ideal genre of book but it kept my interest. I definitely thought this book would be more of a mystery but it was more fantasy and plot building. A middle of the road type of book for me no major wow moments.

I think there's also a movie being filmed for this. I'd be interested in seeing it.

3.5 stars.

48 likes1 stack add
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LoverOfLearning
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What an odd book so far. I can't tell if I hate it or if I'll love it. I've never read a dark fantasy book before. But it's a short listen so I'll continue with it.

It tells the story of a man who returns to Sussex for a funeral and then finds himself driving "randomly" to the scenes of his childhood. He is drawn to the Hempstock farmhouse wherein, he remembers, there lived three generations of powerful and mysterious Hempstock women.

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NikkiKey94
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Pickpick

This was chosen by my book club this month and it was a fun quick read! It was my first book by Gaiman since I usually read thrillers but I did enjoy it. I am very open to reading others books by him!

15 likes1 stack add
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AvidReader25
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Pickpick

This one was way creepier than I remembered. But I love the way he perfectly conveys how childhood can feel overwhelming. We talk about how childhood is magical, but sometimes being a kid is scary. Things can feel out of your control & confusing. Gaiman captures that perfectly. Memories made in childhood make a deep impression and help shape us. Plus the Hempstock women are a delight. I hadn‘t realized how many of his other books they pop up in!

fredamans My favorite Gaiman book! 😊 3y
AvidReader25 @fredamans it‘s in my top three! 3y
fredamans @AvidReader25 What are your other two? 3y
42 likes3 comments
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actualdisneyprincess
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The next one as I continue my determined effort to conquer the piles of books I have bought. 😍 #theoceanattheendofthelane #neilgaiman

CaitlinR I love this book! One of the VERY few novels that I reread. 3y
Sharpeipup Where are you? That ceiling hints of a gorgeous building! 3y
actualdisneyprincess @Sharpeipup At work! I work in a library that was built in 1927! 😍 3y
actualdisneyprincess @CaitlinR I‘m SO enjoying it!!! 😍 Gaiman‘s writing style is just sheer magic. 3y
22 likes4 comments