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It lacked for me that subtle excitement, that propensity for the unexpected that my favorite fantasy books just seem to exude almost from page one. Fantasy literature is my favorite genre; has been for many years. Though the quest was indeed a noble one that does have some dramatic and touching moments, I found the writing was somehow geared for a definitively younger audience than myself. and I must admit that these are the type of tales to which I've become addicted.'The Neverending Story' was OK-ish, however, it was tame, too tame for my tastes. In all honesty, this is one of those books that I have difficulty understanding the huge popularity it has achieved. I've cut my fantasy teeth on Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings', Asimov's 'Foundation', George R.R.
If your looking for battles, deceit and treachery, the chilling unexpected etc. So when I finally got around to reading this book, after perusing some of the 5 star reviews, I was very much looking forward to a great fantasy/adventure.This is the tale of a young boy (Bastian) and a quest that takes him into the fantasy world of a book that he is reading.It is a story that is generally well written, but despite having some good qualities, I just could not get into the 'flow' of this story. I hesitantly admit that I found myself actually skimming some parts (not a good sign) because I was bored and uninterested in what was happening to the characters within this tale.Conclusion:A fantasy story with qualities reminiscent of a faerie tale; meant, I believe for the kinder, gentler and probably younger, fantasy lover. Martin's 'Ice and Fire' series, Erikson's 'Malazan' saga, also the likes of Bakker, Abercrombie and J.V.Jones, just to mention a few. These aforementioned authors tend to pull no punches when it comes to gory battles, horrific acts and clandestine plotting etc. then look elsewhere.
Also somewhat difficult to rate; I can understand a 5 star rating if you loved this book, but to me.2 to 2 1/2 Stars.Ray Nicholson
This book was for a younger group of readers. It would have been a great book if I was a bit younger.
Great book for all ages.One caveat though.If you love the movie then the book may confuse or even frustrate you. The movie ends at about the halfway point of the book. If you haven't seen the movie I recommend reading the book first.
Bastian uses reading and making up stories as an escape from his life. The book was great. This is the story of ten year old Bastian. Bastian finds that in this new world he is able to be the person he always imagined himself being. The story actually became quite a bit darker in the second half and the movie would never lead you to believe that. One day, running from bullies from school, Bastian finds himself hiding in a bookstore. I have loved the movie version of this book since I was a kid, so needless to say I was looking forward to reading it.
After that, the story was all new to me. Bastian's mother died, his father is grieving and not paying him any attention, and he gets bullied all the time by kids at school. I was quite surprised to find out the movie only covered the first half of the book though. There he discovers a book called "The Neverending Story" that transports him to another world literally. But, is that the person he really wants to be. I thought it was neat that my copy of the book is written in red when the story is taking place in the human world and in blue when the story is taking place in Fantastica. I did start losing interest in the last few chapters, but all in all, it was a pretty good read.
But their two worlds, as Bastian comes to discover, are connected.By now, most people coming to The Neverending Story for the first time will already be familiar with the 1984 Wolfgang Petersen film. Bastian evolves from an unlikable child with low self-confidence to an arrogant bully to a villainous tyrant, and it's a gutsy move on Ende's part to take Bastian as far down that path as he does.Ende touches lightly on a number of mature themes, including life and death, morality, love, belief, and desire. This book chronicles the adventures of the child hero Atreyu, who embodies all the virtues that Bastian does not, as he attempts to save the world of Fantastica from total destruction. The Neverending Story (Die unendliche Geschichte) is a 1979 young adult fantasy novel by Michael Ende, translated from the original German by Ralph Manheim and illustrated by Roswitha Quadflieg. On the whole, The Neverending Story is an entertaining and highly imaginative fantasy that will appeal to fans of the genre of all ages, even if its brisk pace holds it back somewhat. Bastian is the only character who receives significant development (Atreyu has the monomyth pattern stamped all over him; he is a two-dimensional, archetypal hero to the core), and Ende does some surprising things with him.
There is material here for numerous books, but all packed together, it reads like a whirlwind, and often feels like the literary equivalent of looking out the window of a high-speed train, moving from one fantastic situation to another without a pause to soak in the scenery (or have a little character development).
The movie covers the first half of the book, and The Neverending Story II is only loosely based on the second half.
The text is presented in two colors: one for scenes on Earth and one for scenes on Fantastica.
In our world, Bastian, a fat, unpleasant, unloved bookworm of a child, steals a book called The Neverending Story from a shop.
Again, though, one wishes he had spent a little more time developing them, which would have given the book a deeper and more lasting impact.The book itself is artistically done and well-presented.
Ende has created dozens of imaginative lands and creatures - perhaps too many, as the reader is taken through them all so quickly that few are able to make a lasting impact.
This is probably The Neverending Story's biggest flaw.
The book is divided into twenty-six chapters, each with its own illustrated frontispiece featuring the first letter of that chapter's text (they go from A to Z, in order) and that chapter's events.
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