The Ocean at the End of the Lane (SPOILERS)

Oh it's definitely semi-autobiographical, without a doubt. It certainly has that feel to it, and I think you're spot-on for his reasoning behind not naming the character (though it also works to make the boy feel more like the everyman than he otherwise might, and put the reader in his shoes, as if reliving our own mystically-hazy childhoods).

god I love this book just so, so much. I haven't read it since shortly after it dropped, which I want to say was early summer 2013 (?), which seems a long-ish time ago by now, so I can't pull quotes or speak uber-intelligently about the specific bits that I loved the most at the moment (i'll have to give it a re-read this month), but it came out when I was smack-dab in the middle of my self-imposed Year of Gaiman, which in actuality ended up becoming more like a solid 18-20 Months of Gaiman, in which I read all of his novels, short story compilations, and the first third or so of Sandman, and nothing but. Ah, those were good times. And of all of those books and stories, Ocean may well be just about my favorite. I love almost all of his stuff, Anansi Boys, 'Murican Gods, Coraline, Stardust, the aforementioned Sandman of course, Good Omens, Smoke and Mirrors, The Graveyard Book (SO underrated, that one), but Ocean hit me the hardest, I think. I wept like a wee babe reading that book; brilliant stuff.  I'm looking forward to dipping back into that world.

I really love this book. I live 5 minutes away from Ocean at the end of the lane, Neil Gaiman hails from Portsmouth and had a road named after him a couple of years ago. Was lucky enough to see him unveil the street sign and then do a reading from it in the evening. Looking forward to this podcast.

Here's the blog link to Amanda Palmer's post about this particular book:

blog.amandapalmer.net/20130618/

Seriously, after reading this book again, it's higher up on my list of favorite books. Short, simple, and very emotive.

Here are some great discussion questions to think about for tonight:

1. It would be easy to think of the Hempstocks as the "triple goddess" (the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone) of popular mythology. In what ways do they conform to those roles? In what ways are they different?

2. The narrator has returned to his hometown for a funeral (we never learn whose). Do you think that framing his childhood story with a funeral gives this story a pessimistic outlook, rather than an optimistic one?

3. Because the narrator is male and most of the other characters are female, this story has the potential to become a stereotypical narrative where a male character saves the day. How does the story avoid that pitfall?

4. The story juxtaposes the memories of childhood with the present of adulthood. In what ways do children perceive things differently an adults? Do you think there are situations in which a child's perspective can be more "truthful" than an adult's?

5. One of Ursula Monkton's main attributes is that she always tries to give people what they want. Why is this not always a good thing? What does Ursula want? How does Ursula use people's desires against them to get what she wants?

6. Water has many roles in this story—it can give and take life, reveal and hide. How does it play these different roles?

7. One of the many motivators for the characters in this story is loneliness. What characters seem to suffer from loneliness? How do adults and children respond to loneliness in different ways? In the same ways?

8. On page 18, the narrator tells us that his father often burnt their toast and always ate it with apparent relish. He also tells us that later in life, his father admitted that he had never actually liked burnt toast, but ate it to avoid waste, and that his father's confession made the narrator's entire childhood feel like a lie: "it was as if one of the pillars of belief that my world had been built upon had crumbled into dry sand." What other "pillars of belief" from childhood does he discover to be false? How do these discoveries affect him? Are there any beliefs from your own childhood that you discovered to be false?

9. When the narrative returns to the present, Old Mrs. Hempstock tells our narrator, "You stand two of you lot next to each other, and you could be continents away for all it means anything" (p. 173). What does she mean by this? Why is it "easier" for people, our narrator especially, to forget certain things that are difficult to reconcile?

10. Though the narrator has a sister, he doesn't seem to be particularly close to her. Why do you think it is that he has trouble relating to other children? Why do you think his sister is not an ally for him?
(Questions issued by the publisher. )

I had a massive lump in my throat for the last 50 pages of the book.
2. For me it wasn't pessimistic or optimistic. I felt the narrator was deeply sad and that sadness was becUse he didn't absorb the lessons the Hempstocks tried to teach him. But for the reader, there is so much hope as our eyes are opened to all the magic in the world. We still have a chance to absorb the lessons. Now, if only the book was clearer on just what those lessons were...

5. Ursula Monkton is one of the scariest villains ever. I was absolutely terrified of her, not in her true form, but when she took her human form, I was reading this at night whilst my husband was asleep next to me and I was so terrified I stood up and turned on all the lights in our bedroom. What scared me the most about her was that she was so evil and NO ONE could see it! She controlled all his loved ones and turned them against him and no one believed him. She seemed all powerful, and that really scared me.

6. My grandad always talked about the power of water, especially large bodies of water. He always said water is the main conductor of pure life and pure energy, he was a big believer that water could cure you and that showers cleansed not only your body, but your soul. I grew up in front of the ocean and to this day nothing soothes me as much as being near water. In Brazil, some religions have a goddesses of water, Iemanja for the ocean and Oxum for the river. Every New Year's Eve, it is tradition to give gifts to the goddess of water, as you thank her and make wishes. The funny thing is, most people do this, regardless or not they are of that religion. I did it every year and I still grow flowers into rivers as a way of saying thank you or making wishes.
Anyway, all this rambling is to say that water is a hugely powerful thing. It can take and give life, but it also is the source of life. I loved that Lettie lived in the water, towards the end of the book, and that water was restoring her to life.
Can you think of other stories, myths or traditions that have to do with water?

Hi everyone,

I think I'm the only person who just doesn't see what the hype is about this book. I liked it I guess but I felt like it was a really long blurb. The beginning was great but then I think the author included too many side plot points that were unnecessary ie. the kitten/cat, the cleaners. I would have liked the opal miner and his death to play a more significant part and (please don't kill me here ) I think Ursula wasn't needed either. i also think more conflict between the adult and his recollections would have added more depth as well. I read this coming off the amazing experience I had reading the Miss Peregrine series (my favourite series ever) and perhaps had different expectations. Did anyone else get a strong Stephen King vibe with description of the town? I'd love to see if anyone was left a bit deflated from this book? It just had too many non-detailed ideas for my liking.