The last few chapter of Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane really brought everything together. I think one of the things I like about Gaiman’s writing is that he paces events and character development well. Specifically, I feel as though the pacing is slow enough where it allows the reader to speculate on what happens, but also fast enough where we don’t have to wait long for gratification. The description Gaiman uses within the last chapters is also really great. I found myself loving the mysterious/fantastical elements he incorporates into the bucket scene and even giving a parallel between Lettie and Ursula using the sail-cloth imagery. I was also pleased with how the narrator’s character arc developed. The narrator definitely loses any shred of childhood he had during Lettie’s “death”, but the Hempstock’s ability to gift him his childhood back is a device that allows the story to begin. I think the major question of Gaiman’s work revolves around the idea that “ignorance is bliss”, which it seems to be. As soon as the narrator remembers, he also forgets and moves on with his life. It’s a tale that reminds us to continue living and that the our future is the greatest gift of all.