09-02-2013, 04:59 PM | #1 |
Wizard
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The Ocean at the end of the Lane - review wanted
Has anyone read this, and can answer one basic question for me about it?
that is, is it melancholy and/or depressing? It's the October choice for my book group, but I have to be *very* careful about what I read - a wrong choice can affect my mood for days on end, and I can't afford that. I've read through the one-star reviews (most of them seem to have trouble with the fact that it's a fairy tale, not something that's an issue for me), but I still can't tell whether it's going to have a happy ending or not. PM me if you don't want to post spoilers here - but yes, I would appreciate spoilers. |
09-02-2013, 06:28 PM | #2 |
Grand Sorcerer
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Have you checked it out on Goodreads? Always a good site for reviews. Check it out here http://www.goodreads.com/
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09-02-2013, 06:30 PM | #3 |
Now what?
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Well .... I started reading it very enthusiastically .... the story of the bookish child resonated strongly with me ... then stopped when I reached
Spoiler:
I too am strongly affected by what I read, and will drop a book rather than continue on to see if it gets better or has a happy ending. |
09-02-2013, 06:44 PM | #4 |
monkey on the fringe
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09-02-2013, 06:49 PM | #5 | |
Now what?
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Quote:
Spoiler:
so I won't label it gratuitous .... just something I couldn't personally handle. It may have been necessary to contrast with the magic the child found at the farm down the lane. Other readers may not find it so .... N.B. I am a life-long fan of Neil Gaiman, and up till now, have read all of his works (yes, even Sandman), and understand that a recurrent theme in many of his YA books is a child in a frightening or threatening situation, and how they deal with it (Coraline, Graveyard Book, etc.), but this is the first Gaiman title I was unable to finish. To be honest, it depressed the hell out of me. Last edited by poohbear_nc; 09-02-2013 at 07:02 PM. |
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09-02-2013, 07:07 PM | #6 | |
monkey on the fringe
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Quote:
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09-02-2013, 09:17 PM | #7 |
cacoethes scribendi
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To answer your specific question " is it melancholy and/or depressing?", I would say that the book definitely has a melancholy feel, I would not say that it was depressing.
Gaiman writes well in this, as he always does, so his descriptions can be very affecting - as testified by poohbear_nc. In relation to that, I did not find the representations at all gratuitous, however I did come away from the novel feeling like I'd just read something from Stephen King (and note that he has recently done an extended interview with King). (Note: I do like King's writing too, so this wasn't a problem for me.) I liked the book, but it doesn't make it to favourite status. ETA: I'm not sure why people think of it as a fairy tale. Fantasy, yes, but nothing like the fairy tale feel of "Star Dust" - I love that book. Last edited by gmw; 09-02-2013 at 09:20 PM. |
09-03-2013, 08:49 AM | #8 |
Wizard
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I even found the end of Star Dust to be sad - I actually liked the movie version much better than the book.
Well, I thank you all for your descriptions. I think this is one book for Book Club that I'll give a pass to. We're supposed to be discussing it at ConClave (a small local SF convention) modeling how our book club works, and talking about book clubs in general - I can do that, but I don't think I can handle this book. |
09-03-2013, 03:33 PM | #9 |
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I liked it. It was very short, but absolutely kept my interest. I wish it had been longer.
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10-10-2013, 05:35 PM | #10 |
Wizard
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Well, I finished it today, and I don't think I could have stood it had it been longer.
It was beautifully told, and no, I don't think there was anything gratuitous about the abuse, and the boy did, indeed escape through his own cleverness. It had the same kind of half-melancholy ending that the book Star Dust had - more bittersweet than I tend to like. And parts of it reminded me of a Doctor Who episode. but I think I won't read too much more Gaiman. For one thing, his writing style influences my own too much, and not in a good way. |
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