The Ocean at the End of the Lane: Quick Review


I just finished Neil Gaiman's book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane. This is my first Neil Gaiman book, so I won't be comparing the book to the rest of his catalogue.
Summary
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is about a man who returns to his home and slowly comes to remember his childhood, which he has completely forgotten. The tale is an esoteric experience about a spirit infecting the narrator and using him to enter the physical world.
Strides (Spoilers)
I'm not going to lie, there aren't many positives for my reading of this book. The central appeal in the book—a weird metaphysic—kind of missed the mark with me. I've been exposed to such ideas before, and there wasn't much to hold onto after that.
Done!
Missteps (Spoilers)
My overall feeling is indifference. I'm honestly not sure of what I want to even say. That said, I think there is a reason for that, which I wrote about on GoodReads. Here is the review, below:
I personally don't appreciate books with obscure plots, themes, and storytelling anymore. At least, this one didn't resonate with me. I no longer find these stories to be all that profound, to be honest. They are purposefully vague, and people unwittingly use them like Rorschach tests; they see what they want to see and pretend that their message is present within the text when it isn't. Perhaps this is an interesting parallel to the notion that there is more to reality beyond what we see (as it is touched upon in the book): in metaphysics, people are just making stuff up in ways that says a whole lot more about themselves than about the nature of reality.
You would think these are interesting ideas to consider, but I am already acquainted with the philosophical ideas and I usually prefer just reading about them directly without excess dressing (read: "story"). What my interests are isn't Gaiman's fault, of course, but I do think books that deal with these ideas should focus more heavily on plot and character to ground you and make the story aspect worth reading. Generally, I don't think idea (only) stories work. There has to be a heavy dosage of character, plot, or setting to justify the story in the first place.
Conclusion
This review is short and straightforward. I'm wavering between a lukewarm reaction and a poor reaction. I'll give it a 3/10.

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