ONTD Book Club discussion

Sorry guys! Tried to post this earlier, but my power/internet got knocked out by a storm.

Discuss!! I'm excited about this one!

I absolutely LOVED this story...Neil doesn't disappoint, tbh.

I just finished this one and I think it was good, but not great. I listened to the audiobook (and Gaiman does an amazing job narrating his), but it just... I think it was the framing device of looking back. It didn't feel like that adult part added anything to the story. The story itself was frankly HORRIFYING haha, I wasn't expecting to be that creeped out, but the fact that it was a little less supernatural than normal made all the creepy stuff creepier.

I read this yesterday and I wish I could read it again for the first time. It was such a good book and I got really psyched out by some parts. (view spoiler)[Especially the bit where Lettie tells him to stay in the faerie circle and all those things try to get him to come out. Also I think Ursula / the flea might be a new favorite villain. She was so creepy and the way she made the narrator's dad act with the bathtub . . . Just whoa. (hide spoiler)] I really loved the Hempstock women, Lettie in particular reminded me of Granny Weatherwax from the Discworld series.

Opening sentence of chapter 1: 'Nobody came to my seventh birthday party.'

Immediately made me think of The Graveyard Book!

This is my first only written by Gaiman book, I'm going to start it tomorrow and probably be finished by mid-week. I'm so excited since the reviews seem positive.

Just got the chapter 5. The worm in the foot freaked me out a bit. Also, the dead kitten was such a sad moment, but the kitten field was simultaneously amazing and truly odd.

I expected this book to be a drama and was surprised when I found out about the fantasy/ghost side of it. It was written vividly you can't help but end up in the story. Characters are strong and very interesting. However I do think this book should have been a short story not a novel.

Ezgi wrote: "I expected this book to be a drama and was surprised when I found out about the fantasy/ghost side of it. It was written vividly you can't help but end up in the story. Characters are strong and ve..."

I agree, it had a very short story feel to it. I think that's what gave the "unfinished" impression to me and why I didn't like the framing narrative as much as the actual story. I think it was a short story that was expanded into a novel.

And agreed again upthread about the worm. So vividly written it freaked me the hell out.

Mia wrote: " I think it was a short story that was expanded into a novel."

It was. In the acknowledgements he thanked the person who let him just expand the short story he was writing for them. (I finished the actual story before my commute ended, so I just kept on reading, which is how I wound up reading the acknowledgements)

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This was my first Neil Gaiman book, so I didn't know what to expect. I kind of thought it was a period drama as well so I was thrown for a loop when it turned magical. I actually did like how it was framed by the adult bits, especially (view spoiler)[ how he had forgotten, and then it became apparent he was going to forget again. I had been wondering how he could forget something so strange and frightening. I just wish we got to see Lettie come back from the ocean at the end instead of just being left to assume he'd come back again and again and again. I wonder if he'd be allowed to remember if she had come back? (hide spoiler)]

I really liked the way this was written as well; it sucked you in so easily. I finished in two days because I could hardly stop reading. Also, I felt like the supernatural elements were really imaginative and different from the standard assortment we normally see in books.

So I finished it. First off, since I was reading it in ebook format I had no idea that it was so short. I was shocked when I finished. Secondly, I have to agree with everyone upthread, it felt like it would have been an amazing short story but as a novel something just felt off.
I liked it, it was my first Gaiman novel, but I'm not nearly as taken with him as my best friend is. I liked it but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy all his novels.

I finished this the other night. I enjoyed it, but I could have done with a little more detail/less flashback. I just didn't really love that, but I guess it kind of made sense.

ia with the thoughts that the adult framing is a little much. I almost wonder if it could have done without prologue entirely. I think if we'd just jumpes into the main story the epilogue would have been more impactful. what do y'all think?

I agree. Having adult him at the in the house just at the end would have been amazing.

I also think "No one came to my seventh birthday party" would have been such a chilling opening line. I mean, with the context it still made me feel awful, but I think it could have had even more umph.

Caroline wrote: "ia with the thoughts that the adult framing is a little much. I almost wonder if it could have done without prologue entirely. I think if we'd just jumpes into the main story the epilogue would have been more impactful. what do y'all think?"

I definitely agree with this. I liked the framing because it added to the story for me, but now that you've mentioned it, the beginning was a bit pointless.

I'm late but I just finished this now and ugh. I feel like crying I don't even know why, did anyone else get that feeling? I guess it's the notion of death and going on but then the fact he didn't remember that he kept coming back...and seeing his cat again and not knowing it was his cat, and just ...I dunno his life seemed like it hadn't really gone anywhere. Maybe I'm just feeling really mortal right now but gosh I'm emotional.

And I agree with the removing the prologue but keeping the epilogue part but that's alright. I still really liked it. But I'm totally bummed right now from reading the ending at the same time.