The Neverending Story

I read The Neverending Story aloud to the kids this winter. Debbi gave it to us years ago, but we just hadn't gotten around to reading it until now. It was so much better than I expected that I almost regret waiting, except I think it was the perfect time for our family. All the kids were actually old enough to appreciate a fairy tale that's much more than just an adventure story.

It's really two hero myths, one after the other. The first half of the book is Atreyu's adventure, which we read along with Bastien, a geeky boy who “borrows” the book from a bookstore and reads it all day and night in the attic of his school. We and Bastien enter the magical world of Fantasia on the brink of destruction. Brave young Atreyu is the hero they need to discover how to save the world. His adventure follows pretty much the same paths as the movie, but with more richness of course.

About half way through the book we, Atreyu, and Bastien learn that the Childlike Empress, upon whose life the life of Fantasia depends, can be saved simply by receiving a new name. The catch is she can't receive that name from any Fantastican. Only a human can give her a new name.

Now, the story would be pretty complex and satisfying if it ended here, with Bastien finally finding the courage to call out her new name and enter and save Fantastica. Author Michael Ende has already given us plenty to think about—the nature of time, space, and existence; the inexorable bond between imagination and reality; courage; the power of despair and of faith and sacrifice. And along the way we've met a bunch of fascinating characters.

But this is only half the book. Where else can we go? Many places. With Bastien on his own hero quest. Bastien does what probably any kid, and lots of adults, would do with the magical wish-granting amulet given him by the Childlike Empress: he makes himself into all the wonderful things he's always dreamed of being: handsome, powerful, incredibly strong, known for his generosity, beloved by all. Fantastica is rebuilt by Bastien's wishes. But the more he wishes for himself, the worse things get. It's only his friends' amazing determination that saves him, and the rest of the story is Bastien's journey toward his true, best self and his one real wish.

It's this part of the quest that I think offers the richest rewards for readers who persevere through Bastien's frustrating, whimsical, destructive selfishness. “Up until then he had always wanted to be someone other than he was, but he didn't want to change.” With Bastien, we discover this paradox: it's better to be who we really are, and to be that we have to change. As Bastien journeys from selfishness to compassion, each stop is an unforgettably powerful allegory. I'd love to tell you about each of the places he visits, but you should really just make the journey with Bastien yourself.