The Ocean at the End of the Lane: A Novel

#1 New
York Times
Bestseller

From #1 New York Times
bestselling author Neil Gaiman, a haunting novel that explores the awesome
power of memory, friendship, and sacrifice―one of ten classic Gaiman works
repackaged with elegant original watercolor art by acclaimed artist Henry Sene
Yee

"A novel about the truths—some wonderful, some terrible—that children know and adults do not.” —Time Magazine
Returning
to his childhood home to attend a funeral, a middle-aged man is drawn back to a
place once alive with monsters and magic; to a past where the impossible is all
too frighteningly real . . .


A
haunting meditation on memory, wonder, friendship, and sacrifice, The Ocean
at the End of the Lane
, which was named “Book of the Year” by the UK
National Book Awards, is a groundbreaking triumph of storytelling as delicate as
a butterfly’s wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.

BUY THE BOOK

Published May 18, 2021

192 pages

Average rating: 7.21

547 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say Neil Gaiman’s *The Ocean at the End of the Lane* is a haunting, poetic tale blending childhood memory, imagination, and the supernatural. ...

Astacianna
Sep 30, 2025
7/10 stars
Mind bending. A journey through a child’s eyes that keeps you guessing about what’s real or fantasy or both!
Cobbie
Apr 19, 2025
6/10 stars
I just loved his voice. A few times while listening to this at work I was very creeped out and scared. It was a strange book. Reminded me of some of the nightmares/dreams I had as a kid where I was trapped at my babysitters house only it was a strange land.
Talleygirl
Mar 07, 2025
6/10 stars
What a weird book. Well written and highly imaginative. Shared memories, fantastical creatures, friendship and sacrifice.
kathie
Jan 11, 2025
6/10 stars
this has such good reviews. did i miss something big? this reminded me of a wrinkle in time, but i liked that book more. i read that this was originally a short story. i think i would’ve enjoyed that more because i enjoyed parts and themes of the book but somehow it just didn’t come together for me
Lisa P
Jan 10, 2025
8/10 stars
This was my first NG book and I didn't know what to expect, not knowing ahead of time that he's also the author of Coraline, one of my most favorite movies.

The tone/language of the book is hauntingly beautiful, like a dream... or a song. Without giving away much of the story, it weaves the reality of childhood/family trauma and coming to terms with that as an adult, with fantasy and creatures and magic. Loved this line from NPR's review of the book: "This is a novel that manages to balance frenetic action with wistful self-knowledge — never missing a beat."

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