Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (5 points)

For this week's reading, I chose to read Neil Gaiman's Ocean at the End of the Lane. The novel took a while for me to get hooked, as every page was a new concept out of left field. However, I enjoyed the story once it picked up, and how it played on a piece of mythology I haven't seen in a while: women in threes. In multiple types of mythologies and religions, there exists a trio of powerful women - the Moirai, the Graeae, the Norns, the three Morrígna, and many more. Some portray them all as old women, others show them as the maiden, the mother, and the crone. In Gaiman's case, he chose the latter of the two, the three appearing as the mysterious and intriguing Hempstock women.

It was incredibly refreshing to have read this representation of the three women. Oftentimes, they are shown as crazy old ladies, or untouchable goddesses with perfection beyond belief. Gaiman chose to humanize them in the Ocean at the End of the Lane; he shows it through their kindness and care towards the lonely boy. Lettie befriends him and ultimately saves his life, the mother weeps for both children, holding them close at the end of the novel, and Gran basically treats him as if he were her own grandchild. It was a beautiful contrast to the awful things that the boy was experiencing - a good show of the silver lining in the darkest of times.