About this title: A strange book draws a lonely boy named Bastian into the doomed world of Fantastica. It seems that only Bastian can save Fantastica from the dragons, giants, monsters, and other terrors that haunt the land. Will Bastian be able to succeed at this dangerous quest?
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: G. K. Hall & Company
Date Published: 1983
ISBN-13:9780816137077ISBN:0816137072
Description: Good in good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. 580 p. Contains: Illustrations. Ex-Library expected imperfections. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Puffin Books
Date Published: 1993
ISBN-13:9780140386332ISBN:0140386335
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Very minor corner curling. No other flaws. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 448 p. Audience: Children/juvenile. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Puffin
Date Published: 1985
ISBN-13:9780140317930ISBN:0140317937
Description: Acceptable. Overall below average used book. May have highlighting, underlining, notes, price sticker on cover, or be an ex-library book. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Date Published: 1984
ISBN-13:9780140074314ISBN:0140074317
Description: A wonderful copy with some minor edgewear to the cover. Book has tanning or browning due to normal aging process. -, Trade PaperBack, Very Good / read more
Description: Acceptable. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date Published: 1984
ISBN-13:9780140074314ISBN:0140074317
Description: Quadfileg, Roswitha. Good. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 377 p. Contains: Illustrations. Intended for a juvenile audience. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date Published: 1984
ISBN-13:9780140074314ISBN:0140074317
Description: Quadfileg, Roswitha. Good. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 377 p. Contains: Illustrations. Intended for a juvenile audience. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date Published: 1984
ISBN-13:9780140074314ISBN:0140074317
Description: Quadfileg, Roswitha. Good. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 377 p. Contains: Illustrations. Intended for a juvenile audience. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date Published: 1984
ISBN-13:9780140074314ISBN:0140074317
Description: Quadfileg, Roswitha. Good. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 377 p. Contains: Illustrations. Intended for a juvenile audience. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Puffin
Date Published: 1993-01-01
ISBN-13:9780140386332ISBN:0140386335
Description: Good. CONDITION IS GOOD+. Light overall wear on cover. Pages very clean, binding very tight. Ex-libris sticker inside front cover. (mmpb-E) read more
"It is a bit tricky to review the plot of The Neverending Story because it is a story about itself. It opens with a boy named Bastian discovering a book called The Neverending Story. This book that Bastian finds is not exactly the book I am now reviewing, but Bastian's book does contain the the book I am now reviewing within it. That means each book (my book and Bastian's book) contains the other within it, and together they are The Neverending Story. Confused yet?
As the paradox unfolds, the reader is introduced to the appropriately named Fantastica, the land of human fantasy. Everything ever imagined and every fictional story ever told is part of Fantastica. But Fantastica has a problem: piece by piece it is ceasing to exist. This phenonmenon is called "The Nothing" and we are told that unless something is done to stop The Nothing, it will consume and destroy all of Fantastica in the near future. Who and what can stop such a thing? The answers to that are essential secrets of the story, so you'll have to read it to find out.
Of course, the real secrets of the story are not about Fantastica itself, but rather what Fantasica represents - namely the relationship that human beings have with stories and imagination. Is it good for us to spend hours reading books and escaping into another world? Or is it dangerous? Is the function of fiction to tell us lies about the world? Or is there some truth to be found in fiction? As an attempt to answer these questions, The Neverending Story is masterfully done - fantastic not just in the imagination put in it, but in the symmetry of its paradoxical tale. Unfortunately, for exactly the same reasons, it is also an extremely bizarre work. Extremely. I do not recommend it for anyone who prefers conventional reading. However, I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in testing the limits of the impossible - or just anyone who wants to know what value imagination has.
It is also the possibly only book you'll ever read in which you are a major character."
"I actually really wanted to like this story. I had read all these great reviews on Amazon and couldn't wait to finish The Grapes of Wrath to start reading this. In the end, I ditched Grapes of Wrath and began this with a half-finished book on my shelf anyway.
Even though there were some good lessons and Michael by no means lacks any creativity, there wasn't anything about this world that captivated me. Usually when I read fantasy, I can't wait to discover more about the world and the end typically leaves me hungry for more about the world's story. But, while the book was entertaining enough during the actual read, I didn't feel any regret upon finishing it because, well it was finished and that was that. There wasn't that wish that it really WAS a neverending story.
Of course, this opinion is probably partially due to the fact that I enjoyed the first half of the story much more than the second half. The second half wasn't bad by any standards, but it was... odd? I don't know. I think there is a part of me that expects a certain basic formula in reading fantasy. Oftentimes in fiction, things happen because it's just life. In fantasy though, things happen because of something ELSE. There's a goal that needs to be achieved, a world that needs saving, and the second half just didn't have it.
I'd still give it a shot and read it because there are some clever lessons, but I wouldn't place this too high on your reading list."
"The Never Ending Story by Michael Ende is a terrific fantsy book. I enjoyed it very much. My only complaint is that it seems to drag on for far too long. This made the story confusing becuase I had seen the films and had not anticipated the way the story continued past the original film's ending. For some people this could be a bonus. But for me it was a detraction. Througout most of the second half of the book, I just found myself wishing it would end. But I guess if it did, it wouldn't truly live up to its title.
What I admire most about The Never Ending Story is the wonderful fantasy creatures and beings that appear within its pages. In my opinion, The Never Ending Story is the most creative and imaginative book I have ever read. It's simply mindblowing the kinds of zany and exotic biings that Ende conjurs up out of his wild imagination.
I am still enamored of this book, but I must admit that I still prefer the 1984 Wolfgang Petersen film. To me, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and this book is a clear example of that.
Still, I recommend this book to all children and fantasy fans, especially that it's a classic."
"Although I saw this movie when I was a child and thoroughly loved it, it never occured to me that it might be based on a novel. So when I was gifted this book, it came as a complete surprise. The book read almost exactly like the movie which was both a surprise and a pleasure. It was when I almost half way through the book, but nearing the end of the story as I knew it that I started to get nervous.
And I discovered I was right to do so. Some of you might remember the movie 'The Neverending Story 2'. I do. It was an amazing disappointment. Never would I have believed 'The Neverending Story 2' was actually based upon the second half of the novel. I wish it wasn't the case. The second half of the novel, while not as bad as the movie, was still disappointing. Bastians descent as he loses his memory and improves his physical condition comes completely out of nowhere and as near as I can tell is a function of AURYN. Why such a thing would happen makes no sense and why they would put a child in that position without any warning also makes no sense. It makes the Childlike Empress seem like a horrible cruel thing to do that. Suffice to say, this is one story that I actually prefer the Hollywood version of."
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