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    The Neverending Story
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    The Neverending Story
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    The Neverending Story
    Audiobook13 hours

    The Neverending Story

    Written by Michael Ende

    Narrated by Gerard Doyle

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In this classic fantasy novel from author Michael Ende, small and insignificant Bastian Balthazar Bux is nobody's idea of a
    hero, least of all his own. Then, through the pages of an ancient,
    mysterious book, he discovers the enchanted world of Fantastica, and
    only Bastian himself can save the fairy people who live there.



    Shy, awkward Bastian is amazed to discover that he has become a
    character in the mysterious book he is reading and that he has an
    important mission to fulfill.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Audio
    Release dateMar 26, 2012
    ISBN9781452676302
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for The Neverending Story

    4/5

    2,861 ratings102 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I’ve always been a bookworm, so when this film came out and I discovered it was based on a book, I had to read it. I was 9 when The Neverending Story came to the big screen and 10 when I read book for myself. Rereading this now, I see where so many of my deepest held beliefs about books, reading, and readers come from and for that, I will always be grateful to Michael Ende, Bastian, Atreyu, Falkor, the Childlike Empress, and Mr. Coreander. This is a heartbreaking and heartwarming fantasy tale with big life lessons. It could also, if I’m brutally honest, be about 100 pages shorter without losing much. There’s a reason why the filmmakers only used about the first half of the book for the original film. The pacing comes to a screeching halt after about page 190 and it drags for quite a while, but the ending makes it all worthwhile. You have to experience the full tale to appreciate the lessons learned. I miss the characters already.
    • 5/5
      Amazing story!Bastian is a little boy all to himself. since his mother died his father doesn't seem to have time for him anymore. The other kids at school pick on him. He is the chubby unliked kid. But when he stumbles into an old book store and steals an interesting book from the shopkeeper he decides to run away to the storage attic in his school to read the book. Little does he know that this isn't any ordinary book. Bastian is about to get more than he bargained for!Ah the memories... I loved this movie when I was a kid. I still love it today as an adult. Reading the book was a very interesting experience for me. As I got to reminisce about the memories of the movie I also got to learn the scenes and characters that were left out of the movie. The book seems to take on a bit of a different story and has lots more depth to it which is usually the case. although the book has the same feel as the movie does. in reading the book I now know why the author was so upset about the ending of the film. The film ends almost literally in the middle of the book and has so many more adventures to tell. Perhaps they should have made the rest of the book a sequel instead of the sequel they made. Although elements of the book do show up in the first sequel. I loved reading this book and looking back on my childhood years. This is definitely a book that I recommend to anyone young or old. As long as you have an imagination you will love this book!
    • 5/5
      The Neverending Story is great. If you love reading, and are ever sad when you get to the end, this book is for you.
    • 5/5
      "The Neverending Story" takes you to a world of fantasy.The story starts out with a boy named Bastian stealing a book from a bookstore and hiding away in the school attic to read it.He is swept away into an enchanting world called Fantastica following Atreyu to try save Fantastica from The Nothing.This book pulls you into a beautiful imaginary world, capturing childhood's magic in a special way.
    • 4/5
      Having grown up on the movies, I was very confused when the "conclusion" occurred halfway through the book. Then I realized the book had been divided to make the first *two* movies in the series. While I greatly enjoyed my travels with Atreyu and Falkor, I was a bit surprised to find how much more I enjoyed part two than its movie equivalent.
    • 4/5
      A boy finds a book that transports him into the world it describes, so that he can save it.A fun, inventive story with an excellent beginning and an excellent ending, but which does get to be a bit much in the middle - too many silly creatures and crazy adventures, really.
    • 4/5
      Part of why I love this book is the movie. Part is because I have the most gorgeous American edition, delightfully meta, the book is just like the book is described in the book, with Auryn on the cover and print of red and green, with giant illuminated letters.The first half of the book is the story in the movie - Bastian steals a book, and as he reads it he comes to realise that he is the hero who can save the dying world. The second half... I have never really understood. It's a bit of an analogy. Bastian is told 'Do What You Wish', but his wishes destroy his memories of who he is. Until eventually, because of his friends, he finds the Water of Life, and is filled with joy, and realises he is 'the very person he wanted to be' just as he is, and hat all joy in the world is one and the same, the joy of love.
    • 3/5
      Eighth-and-a-half during the twenty-four hour readathon; finished it up this afternoon, once the readathon was over. You'd think I'd want a break, but no, not I. Just an early bedtime.

      I think perhaps I came to The Neverending Story too late. I think I would have been absolutely enchanted by it as a younger child, but I already knew so much about it and had heard so many people doting over it that it couldn't help but be a bit of a let down. I've never seen the film, and this was the first time I read the book, but I already knew so much about it...

      I did love quite a lot about it. The fairytale feel, and some of the scenes were beautiful... I love the characters of Atreyu and Falkor, and I liked some of the stories that grew up around Bastian when he was in Fantastica. I liked the Child Empress.

      But Fantastica is not an utterly magical place to me, not like places I learned to go when I was quite a bit younger: Narnia, Earthsea, Avalon, Sherwood Forest... Which makes me sad, a little. I wish I'd read it then.
    • 3/5
      I was thrilled to discover that one of my favorite movies growing up is an adaptation of this book! I read the book in record time, and immensely enjoyed reading about the adventures of Atreyu and Bastian. Falkor (as seen in the movie) always reminded us of our beloved childhood dog, so I particularly enjoyed his character in the book. The first half was more appealing to me than the second half, in which Bastian visits Fantastica, perhaps because Atreyu was always my favorite character, and I felt more drawn in to his portion of the story.
    • 4/5
      Mixed EmotionsThis is a brilliant classical fantasy novel, the story of a boy sent on a quest to save his world, linked inextricably with the involvement of the boy reading about the hero's journey. The intertwining of the two is cleverly written so that neither interrupts the flow of the other. However, then the reader becomes a part of the story of the world about which he's reading, something in the style and quality of the writing changes... and for me as a reader, whether this was a deliberate device employed by the author, this proved to somewhat dampen the enjoyment of the story I had experienced during the first part of the book.The first half of the book - the part upon which they based the movie of the same name - is fast paced, beautifully described and evocative, where the characters seem so real they easily pull you into the story. It is a fast read, one which you can't put down.The second half of the book slows to a crawl, with sedentary and didactic lessons in morality couched within the admittedly striking visual descriptions, but it's hard going, even though - as emotionally invested as the reader becomes in the lives and events of Fantastica - you want to keep reading to the end. In spite of this, I would still recommend to anyone to read this book, if only for the inspirations kindled, and the delights shared through the early parts of this book.
    • 4/5
      A classic fantasy story for anyone who loves reading and writing. The movie simply didn't have time to do this book justice, though it certainly came close. The first half of the book follows Atreyu through Fantastica in his quest to locate someone from outside of the realm and save the princess. This half of the story is beautifully told, the visuals are quite stunning and he characters are true individuals and very well thought out. As you read you want to explore all of the individual untold stories, you want to close your eyes and experience all of the described places for yourself, capture them somehow within you. The writing truly pulls you in as a part of the story.The second part of the book follows Bastian in his journey through Fantastica and though he meets some of the same characters, they seem somehow different and distant. The writing itself, along with the character types and visuals have also changed somehwat, though they are still striking, they seem not quite equal to what was before. Perhaps this is because this is truly a separate plot and so the change in writing style is an emphasis on the fact that this is a separate story, something made individually by Bastian as he continues on his journey. Whatever the reason, this part seems slower than the other and a little more of a learning lesson than an exploration of new places and ideas. By the end of the book a writer will have many inspirations and a reader will want desperately to explore even more of this universe. People who love libraries should have this book within their collection. It is simply a must.
    • 5/5
      This book was even more amazing than the movie and has a lot more story to tell.
    • 4/5
      I loved the first half of the book, which was fun and magical but with some important messages underneith. The second section of the bok was good, but came across as much more preachy.
    • 4/5
      Lots of adventure, fun characters, and magical lands intertwined with life lessons. Bastian Balthazar Bux unknowingly embarks on the adventure of a lifetime when he steals the Neverending Story and cuts school to read the book. A very thought provoking junior fiction fantasy novel which I'm sure would uncover more meaning each time it is read.
    • 4/5
      I've loved the movie of The Neverending Story since I was little, and the book was just as good. While the plot of the 1st movie is a little under the half of the book, I think that in order for Bastian to have a complete story the second half of the book is necessary. To be completely honest, the second half of the book is much better than the second movie and it gives a much more cohesive story. All in all I give the first half of the book 3 stars and the fourth star is for the second. In parts I just really couldn't stand Bastian, but then again, that was probably the whole point; that you can't just have everything you want because you'd never really appreciate anything you have, or in the end you have to know who you are in order to get what is truly important. Actually there are any number of life lessons to be gleaned from the pages of this book. This is just one of those stories that everyone should read at some point in their life, regardless if you liked or even saw the movies.
    • 4/5
      For fans of the original movie and possibly part 2 (a pretty poor film given the brilliance of the first) I highly recommend this book. It covers both films but with heaps more detail and with new characters and settings. For those not interested in the movie, there is every possibility you will not gel with this story. The book is probably aimed at the young adult age group so could be considered a little 'light' by avid fantasy readers. Overall I thought it was pretty decent.
    • 5/5
      One of the coolest books ever. Especially the "party edition" with its two color inking. And it dares to ask that still unanswered question -- "Why don't characters in books need to go to the bathroom?"
    • 4/5
      I thought this book was great. The story is written as if it were a child's fairytale, which plays into the beauty of it and gives it more character. The world comes alive very well and the imagery is really wonderful and it's such a fanstastic colorful world. We can see the characters change as they go through their journey. I thouroughly enjoyed it!
    • 4/5
      Translated by Ralph Manheim, this classic of children's fantasy literature could not go unread on my bookshelves any longer. It is, in many ways, the high point of fairy tale fantasy with a reader avatar, containing both the story of Atreyu, the hero of the Fantastica as he tries to save the Childlike Empress from death, and Bastian, reader of Atreyu's story and eventual reshaper of Fantastica. It's a book that speaks to the heart of every avid reader, and to everyone who's ever longer for even a moment within their favourite fantasy world, or indeed anyone who's merely longed to bring about good change within this world.Aside from placing a heavy emphasis on the powers of imagination, creativity, and love, The Neverending Story is rife with allegory. From the world beginning in darkness until Bastian essentially says, "Let there be light," to the concept of the Childlike Empress having enormous power but choosing to do nothing with it and yet always being a part of everything, it's easy to see Christian religious comparisons being drawn all over the place. But here's the thing: it's done well. It's done subtly, and you're not beating your head off a wall every time you see a new one. Which is, to be blunt about it, better than some books I could name that try to throw in religious allegory.The message that "absolute power corrupts absolutely" is one of the less cubtle messages of the story, especially in the last half. Bastian gets the power of AURYN and wishes, and in creating a new world, he loses bits of himself, all his memories of who he was before wishes he didn't even know he wasn't satisfied with changed him into something else. He reshaped himself, and an entire world, and by the end Fantastica has pulled a "be careful what you wish for" trick on him because the decisions he made in kindness and mercy turn out to have monumentally screwed some things up. Finding a balance between the status quo and change is never easy, but that's exactly why having the power to do anything you wish is dangerous, especially when you lose all of what you were before.I wasn't very fond of Bastian, though. As a character, he was very flat. The only time he seemed to have personality at all was when he went mad with power, and even then the personality was stereotyped. He had no depth to him, but not even in the way where he's meant to be an everyman, the kind of blank slate that everyone can, in some way, relate to. Even babies have more personality than this guy showed. I don't know if that was the fault of the translation, the original author, or even if he was supposed to be this way, but he fell flat. I enjoyed reading about Falkor more, since he at least had definable, and less mercurial, personality traits.But still, in spite of its faults, this was a book not to be passed over. I think just about everybody has seen the movie, but the book, as happens in most cases, far surpasses it. Pick this one up if you haven't already, and treat yourself to a classic that won't be dying for many years yet!
    • 2/5
      Such high hopes dashed..... I remember the movie, I love the movie. The book....well....Michael Ende attempted to sue the movie producers when the original film was being put together because he said it deviated too far from his tale (and the film ended at the halfway point of the book). In my opinion, he should have PAID the producers because they created a story that was much better than the author's vision. key characters in the movie were barely noted in the book and in fact, noting them in the book so briefly actually interrupted the flow of the story.In the book, I grew the loathe Bastian - even earlier than Ende meant for the reader to dislike the protagonist. I also started to wince every time I read "But that's a different tale to be told at a different time," (or something similar to that). I've read a bit of the Arabian Nights, I didn't need to see a second treatment less artfully done. Like his character Bastian Balthazar Bux, Michael Ende may have a higher opinion of himself and his art than his talent warrants.I also believe the movie producers made the right decision in not covering the second half of the book....it really dropped it from bad to worse.
    • 4/5
      Bastian is a fat, ordinary boy, who is always picked on by his fellow students and ignored by his father. Escaping a band of bullies, Bastian slams into a books store. Inside is a grumpy old man is reading a strange book with two snakes curling around each other eating each other's tails -- The Neverending Story. Drawn to the book, Bastian steals it when the man's back is turned. He runs to the attic of his school and begins reading. As he follows a young hunter's journey to save the Childlike Empress, Bastian is surprised to discover that he is drawn more and more into book itself, into a world that is very much real.I always loved the movie as a kid and I still love it now. I wanted to hang out with Atreyu, the hunter, and ride Falcor, the Luck Dragon. I wanted to visit this dangerous beautiful world in which a childlike empress was in charge of everything. I even liked the subpar sequel with the super cute Jonathan Brandis as lead.As is to be expected the book has far more subtlety and depth than the movie. Though I was surprised to find that both movies were adapted from the book with the end of the first movie being the midpoint of the book.The childlike empress is much so much more in the book, closer to the spiritual soul of Fantastica. She loves everyone and everything equally, including those considered evil by other, because all has a purpose and a place to her. Atreyu is even more steadfast and brave, and Falcor is beautiful and far less creepy.Bastian's journey throughout The Neverending Story becomes more of a spiritual quest in the book than the simplified adventure that the movies (especially the sequel) present. He does have many grand adventures, but as he looses his memory, he loses a part of himself. He rises and falls, does grand deeds and fails, and in the end he must find his way back home.This is really a brilliant story, and I wish I had had the chance to read it before seeing the movies that affected me so much and left such an imprint on my mind. I still the love the movies for what they are and as a part of my childhood nostalgia, but the book is amazing. I almost wish it really was never ending.
    • 5/5
      I am giving this book a five star rating for two reasons. The first is the story. Michael Ende does wonders with this story. He brings the world of Fantastica alive in his writing. We went through the trails of Atreyu's flight at finding a cure for the Child-Like Empress to Bastian's time in Fantastica. Overall, the writing was very good. He keep me interested in the book till the end.The second reason was because of Bastian. Michael Ende shows in his writing of Bastain in Fantastica that even when you are a child and given everything you want that it is nothing without that one magical ingrediant. It takes losing everything that makes you special to realize that you were just fine the way you are. This is a must read for anyone young or old, because I believe in that one magical ingrediant and live by it everyday.
    • 2/5
      I am shocked and appalled, but it appears that THE NEVERENDING STORY has joined my very short list of movies that outdid the books.The book covers two linked but different plots: Atreyu's quest to find Bastian to give the Empress a new name, and Bastian's quest to rebuild Fantasia then find his way home. Unfortunately, Atreyu doesn't do much besides wander around, get into trouble, and get rescued; specific incidents are much less dramatic in the book than in the movie. Bastian, while he acts much more than Atreyu does, makes himself a nonsympathetic character so quickly and for so long that by the time he's redeemed at the end of the book, I didn't think he deserved it.I truly hope that most of the trouble is with the translation and not with the writing.
    • 5/5
      Loved this book as a child, and read it again as an adult and loved it again! Couldn't get enough of the magic in these books. Spent hours reading Edith Nesbit's, most of Edward Eager's, and many others including the master, Tolkien's. Best books of my life; they taught me so much about love, loyalty, family, responsibility, good and evil, etc.I hope children today are reading these books.
    • 2/5
      I agree completely with mybookshelf 's review. The first half of the story about Atreyu was wonderful fantasy. However, the second half about Bastian left me so annoyed with the character that I wished he would be killed so I didn't need to read through all his whiny selfishness. In it's way, the Bastian story was needed to get to the resolution but it took so long, I felt like I was reading through molasses in winter. I forced myself to finish the book and have no plans to see the movie. One time exposure to this story is enough for a lifetime.
    • 3/5
      Well, first off I must say that I enjoyed the first half of the book more. This is not to say the second half was no good, just that it was not as exciting. Atreyu was a pathfinder on an quest to save Fantastica while Bastian, whether he knew it or not, was a lost boy with a great deal of imagination and power. There is an urgency to Atreyu's story which is missing in Bastian's wanderings. If you do not know the story, Bastian's travels will appear simply like aimless meandering until the mystery of his disappearing memories is explained.
    • 3/5
      This book was ho-hum for me. I think because I was 7 when the movie came out, and I absolutely loved it on screen. Reading the book as an adult just didn't do it for me. Several times I just kept thinking "no, that isn't how it goes!" It's amazing what an impact movies have on us as youngsters. I think if you have the opportunity to read the book first that it would be more enjoyable, because it is a great story. For me, one of the few times that I liked the movie better.
    • 5/5
      This feels almost like a primer for reading Gormenghast, but with more than a hint of Alice in Wonderland. It's lucid, yet dreamlike. Far darker than the film, especially the second book.
    • 4/5
      A wonderful world of fantasy and imagination.The Neverending story fascinated me as a kidand still is one of my favourite books.
    • 5/5
      Having seen the movie when I was a kid, I became curious about the book after hearing the movie portrayed only half the story. While the movie ended at a logical point, it only portrays one face of the coin. The second (non-delineated) half relates the tale of Bastian's exploration of Fantastica. I was ready to critique the first hundred pages after he names the Empress for being rather aimless, until Atreyu points out exactly this problem and it was revealed to be a key aspect of the story.Clearly metaphor is at work in this novel, but it's open to interpretation. The novel might be defending the value of imagination, or of fantastical literature more specifically. The first half seems to extol the virtues of reading it, while the second explores the virtues of exploring and/or creating it. Maybe it's all of the above. The satisfying ending serves as an opposing bookend for the beginning, bringing the tale full circle. If you enjoyed the movie and its theme then you owe it to yourself to read this novel, and especially if you consider yourself a fan of fantasy literature.