The Neverending Story

Read the second half; I think the thing that's so dissonant is that as soon as Bastian triumphs (which never feels really earned imho) midway thru the book, he just becomes an entirely different person. Yes, that's the plot of the second half, in that he literally unlocks new infinite powers and literally forgets who he is: I think the author wants this to be a kind of built-up reveal. But he's actually an asshole as soon as it starts, it's not a reveal at all. Maybe this is what Ende is doing? Like, hey the poor fat kid who gets bullied for being creative, and runs away from his problems, was actually also a selfish jerk? IDK man.

Noted on August 17, 2026

My dad gauges all sad things in fiction against 'Bambi's-mother-dying-sad' and 'ET-dying-sad'. For me, my benchmark is Artax-in-the-Swamp-of-Sadness-sad.

Noted on August 10, 2026

It's still a bit dissonant from the movie in *vibes* but not as much as I remember. But the EVENTS of the movie happen really quickly in the book, and the entire movie's plot is accomplished halfway through the book.

Noted on August 10, 2026

The movie adaptation occupies such a prominent place in my imagination; I must've watched it dozens of times, and I was exactly at the right age for it to have a huge impact. I remember it being suspenseful and fun and scary and heart-breaking and I had a crush on the Empress. I picked up the original book and read it in college or high school, and remember being so shocked and disgusted that it was so different! It came up in conversation last week and so I picked up a library copy.

Noted on August 10, 2026