In an instance I suspect is far from rare, I stumbled onto Neil Gaiman when I borrowed some of my brother’s Sandman comics… and then I kept following what he was doing which, as many of you know, has branched out to just about every storytelling medium from comics to TV to film to audio drama.
If you’ve enjoyed Gaiman’s work, you’ll probably have noted how much he loves to delve into the history and lore of behind whatever type of story he’s telling. You get the sense, from his writing, that his childhood — like many of ours — had the library as a focal point. It’s something that he himself has confirmed in interviews.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane takes a premise of a man returning to his home town for a funeral — something we feel we’ve seen in many a story — and then gives it some fantastical, magic realist twists, sprinkled with events inspired by the author’s own life. It’s a captivating read and, if you haven’t read it before, I think you’ll find it a page turner, especially if you’ve enjoyed Gaiman’s other works.
For a chance to dive into this and other stories, don’t forget to sign up for the giveaway before this coming Friday!
— Bjorn Munson, Artistic Director, JAT