REVIEW: The Ocean At The End Of The Lane

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman (Headline, £16.99

This book has been billed as a fairy story for adults – which might put some people off.

But if you want to be sucked into a brilliantly-imagined tale that terrifies and surprises – usually both – on every page, then maybe you should take the first test.

Can you believe an ocean could fit in a duckpond?

Our grown-up hero with no name, can’t. And he couldn’t as a boy when he first meets Lettie who lives down the road at a farm where time and the normal laws of science seem a little bit elastic.

The duo find danger close to home, where monsters – and sometimes that includes the boy’s dad – have invaded normal life and death is a reality.

Somehow both know it would be pointless to go to adults for help when Lettie and the boy have to fight off the most terrifying other-wordly killers.

Before he starts his tale, Neil Gaiman quotes Where The Wild Things Are writer Maurice Sendak: "... I knew terrible things. But I knew I mustn’t let adults know I knew. It would scare them."

And when you read this book, it’s the youngsters you’re at one with, not the adults.

Lettie says: "I'm going to tell you something important. Grown-ups don't look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside, they're big and thoughtless and they always know what they're doing. Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. The truth is, there aren't any grown-ups."

There’s a scene where the boy is tempted to leave the circle of safety the all-knowing Lettie has created for him by the sinister "varmints", disguising themselves as the boy’s own family to lure him out. And throughout the story, there’s a feeling that his adventures separate the boy from his family and make them feel distant. His dad in particular becomes a sinister figure – a theme Neil Gaiman has explored before.

And the way memories play tricks, or hide themselves, keeps you and the grown-up boy unravelling the story right till the last page.

It’s a fast-moving read (originally intended as a novella) and maybe, like me, you’ll wish you had longer to explore the Hempsotock women’s ever-changing farmhouse and its nooks and crannies.

Like Peter Pan, the book is an adventure that comes with a brilliantly-created fantasy world much more interesting than the grey, surface world of normal life. And it's got that same sense of regret.

And maybe that’s the trouble for our hero, whose apparently slightly aimless adult existence contrasts with his heroics as the seven-year-old boy Lettie tried to save.

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What’s the book about?

A funeral brings a man home to the place he lived as a boy where he went through a scary but mind-blowing experience that rocked his world – and still does. The memories flood back and he goes in search of the mysterious three women who may have saved his life.

Best line: This is tough because Neil Gaiman writes fantastic, memorable lines. Maybe it’s one of the things that makes him such a good writer for comics, but each page is packed with little phrases that could inspire a comic illustrator to create a fantastic picture.

"I wanted to go home to the home I had lived in before the opal miner had killed himself in our little white Mini."

So who is this Neil Gaiman anyway?:

He’s an English writer who lives in America with his wife, rock star Amanda Palmer – but also has a house on Skye. After a book written about 80s group Duran Duran, He first found success with his long-running comic book series The Sandman and novels (which became films) Stardust, Coraline. Then among the novels, comic books, film scripts etd, there’s his novel for adults American Gods and, for children The Graveyard Book. The last one won Neil both the Newbery and Carnegie medals – the first writer to get both, but just two among many won over his career. His book Neverwhere was turned into a BBC TV drama in the 90s, then a radio drama earlier this year, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and John McAvoy in a starry cast. He’s written two episodes for Doctor Who, the second shown in May featuring the return of the Cybermen. And he’s recently announced that in October – 25 years after the first issue of The Sandman came out – he’ll be publishing a new one, the prequel, The Sandman: Overture.

Neil Gaiman comes to Inverness Ironworks on Wednesday to talk about The Ocean At The End Of The Lane. Sadly if you fancied going, it’s sold out. But see the competition for two tickets in our whatson book section, closing date Monday 10am. The tickets will also take you to the front of the queue to have your book "and one other precious thing" signed by Neil himself!

his book has been billed as a fairy story for adults – which might put some people off.

But if you want to be sucked into a brilliantly-imagined tale that terrifies and surprises - usually both - on every page, then maybe you should take the first test.

Can you believe an ocean could fit in a duckpond?

Our grown-up hero with no name, can’t. And he couldn’t as a boy when he first meets Lettie who lives down the road at a farm where time and the normal laws of science seem a little bit elastic.

The duo find danger close to home, where monsters – and sometimes that includes the boy’s dad – have invaded normal life and death is a reality.

Somehow both know it would be pointless to go to adults for help when Lettie and the boy have to fight off the most terrifying other-wordly killers.

There’s a scene where the boy is tempted to leave the circle of safety the all-knowing Lettie has created for him by the sinister “varmints”, disguising themselves as the boy’s own family to lure him out. And throughout the story, there’s a feeling that his adventures separate the boy from his family and make them feel distant. His dad in particular becomes a sinister figure – a theme Neil Gaiman has explored before.

And the way memories play tricks, or hide themselves, keeps you and the grown-up boy unravelling the story right till the last page.

Like Peter Pan, this is an adventure that comes with a brilliantly-created fantasy world much more interesting than the grey, surface world of normal life. And the sense of regret.

And maybe that’s the trouble for our hero, whose broken love life and aimless adult existence contrast with his heroics as a seven-year-old boy.

QUICK REVIEW:

What's the book about?

A funeral brings a man home to the place he lived as a boy where he went through a scary but mind-blowing experience that rocked his world – and still does, when the memories flood back. He goes in search of the mysterious three women who may have saved his life.

Best line: This is tough because Neil Gaiman writes fantastic, memorable lines. Maybe it’s one of the things that makes him such a good writer for comics, but each page is packed with little phrases that could inspire a comic illustrator to create a fantastic picture.

“I wanted to go home to the home I had lived in before the opal miner had killed himself in our little white Mini.

So who is this Neil Gaiman anyway?: