Read More: The Neverending Story

Continuing my reading of young adult and children's literature, I decided to read The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. I had no idea until fairly recently that it was a book first. Would the book be even better than the movie? It was hard to believe that this would be the case, since it is one of the greatest movies ever, but I was excited to find out. At least until Elliot saw what I was reading on the bus and asked loudly, "You're reading that?" As if only a mentally disabled adult would be reading such drivel. After that I could feel the eye's of other passengers on the buses and trains reading the cover and staring at me with their awful judging eyes.

The first half of the book was the old, familiar story we all know and love with two minor, but oh-so-major differences. First, the world was Fantastica, rather than Fantasia. Fantastica is a much less appealing name. Whoever thought to change it, kudos to you sir or ma'am. Second, my heartbreak was not mended in the book. Artax did not come back to life. Normally I like a bit of death in my novels,  but only of people, not horses and other animals. In addition, there were a few scenes left out of the movie, but to no ill affect. If anything, the movie was better than the book, which is highly unusual. They did a great job figuring out what the different creatures would look like and they made them much more endearing, scary, etc. than the book did.

In the second half of the book Bastian gets stuck in Fantastica and must find his way back. He is given the power to make his wishes come true and reconstruct Fantastica, but there is a cost and he may get stuck there forever. Maybe this is what the Neverending Story 2 is about. I saw it once and don't remember a thing about it, except that it wasn't very good. The same goes for the second half of the book. I cared not a whit for this Bastian and whether he found his way back to his papa or not.

To sum this review up: skip the book, watch the movie.

- Megan Leigh