I read this book for the second time recently and it is simply put, an adult children’s book.
A nameless main character narrates the
story, which isn’t something I remember coming across. I like stories to be
personal, like you know the person or can picture the person in order to get a
connection, but it wasn’t necessary here because Neil Gaiman draws you in from
moment one “It was duckpond, out at the back of the farm. It wasn’t very big.
Lettie Hempstock said it was an ocean…”. You immediately get a vivid picture in
your head of a vast field with farm animals, living together in harmony with a
little tiny pond at the end of it. You immediately start asking questions like,
who is Lettie and why does she think the pond is an ocean? What wondrous
stories does she have to tell about the ocean? Why does it feel like this is
going to be a significant part of the story – why?!
The book actually starts with the narrator
revisiting his childhood village as an adult, where he comes across someone he
once knew many years ago which leads to them talking and reminiscing about when
he first moved there and what transpired after. I really don’t want to give the plot away as my telling of it wouldn’t do this book justice, but it tackles
many subjects that many children have to deal with at an early age: the
awkwardness of trying to figure out who you are, a sad and often troubled
upbringing, parental failures, sibling woes, little (if any) friends, and an
overactive mind that helps you escape it all.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane had me thinking a lot
about how I felt at that age (the narrator is seven) and how confusing I found
life and wondering if anyone else felt the way I did. It touches on those
subjects with such ease and care, and I did nothing but root for the narrator
and his friend Lettie and her family whom have a magical mystery about them
that unfolds beautifully as the story builds. A suicide starts off this the
dark adventure, and circumstances have the narrator and Lettie fighting dark,
scary and mystical powers that enter the human realm looking for them.
The ocean plays a significant part of the
story, and although I won’t reveal in what capacity, it has the narrator
exploring reality and how events can shape the decisions we make for ourselves
and for those around us. It’s quite poignant and has a resonance few books I’ve
read recently have managed to achieve.
But what I love about this book is the
friendship between the narrator and Lettie. Lettie has an unrelenting faith in
her friend and promises him that she will look after him and protect him no
matter what. The characters bounce off each other really well and you can’t
help but think about some of your own best friends at that age and how feeling
so lost can be eased a little knowing you have someone on your side – I think
that’s something we all look for at every stage of our lives. They go through a
lot together and face many obstacles, but their friendship remains until the
end.
Again, I won’t tell you too much and
certainly won’t tell you how it all ends, but reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane as an adult will transport you to your
youth when anything and everything was possible, where there were adventures on
every turn, and if you were lucky, a friend to hold your hand every step of the
way.
