Good heavens, this book is incredible.
I finished this book in a matter of literally two hours, because I loved it so, so much. I have very few words on this book, just because I don’t think I can explain adequately how incredible it is through any words made up to this point. But I’ll try.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is rather short for a novel – 170 pages. I can’t say for sure whether I would like it to be any longer. It isn’t any less of a book because of its shortness. It’s something like a thirty-pound box that holds only one cubic foot of space.
My mind was being consistently expanded/blown to pieces as I was reading. The book uses mythos, theoretical physics and philosophy and combines them near-flawlessly. It’s often a bit confusing, but it’s not meant to be fully understood. It is, after all, from the viewpoint of a child.
**SPOILER WARNING**
The only flaw I could find was the hint near the end that a certain character did not exist and had only been a figment of the main character’s imagination. This, I think, was an attempt to make a point about human memory. However, certain scenes in the book require that a third lady exist. It seemed like a bit of a last-minute decision that we’re not supposed to question. Strange.
**END OF SPOILERS**
Still, it’s absolutely incredible and I would recommend this to everyone who enjoys a good grown-up fantasy story.
Gabriel to Earth 