The Neverending Story

“Human passions have mysterious ways, in children as well as grown-ups. Those affected by them can’t explain them, and those who haven’t known them have no understanding of them at all.”

In the Prologue, Michael Ende sets up his philosophy of humanity’s passions, noting that both adults and children are primarily motivated by their desires in life. This statement will come into play throughout the novel as Bastian learns to discover and moderate his passions. At first, his desires will be centered on himself, but as he matures, he will learn to focus his passions on loving others, which is a key component of his journey of self-discovery.

“If you have never wept bitter tears because a wonderful story has come to an end and you must take your leave of the character with whom you have shared so many adventures, whom you have loved and admired, for whom you have hoped and feared, and without whose company life seems empty and meaningless – If such things have not been part of your own experience, you probably won’t understand what Bastian did next.”

Here, the power of stories and the pull of The Neverending Story in particular is explained. This section gets to the heart of one of the novel’s central themes—the idea that reading can be immersive and meaningful and can have a profound effect upon individual experiences. Bastian’s experiences as a reader of the story will further highlight this philosophy as he ultimately becomes an agent who is free to act and influence the very story that he is reading.

“Staring at the title of the book, he turned hot and cold, cold and hot. Here was just what he had dreamed of, what he had longed for ever since the passion books had taken hold of him: A story that never ended! The book of books!”

The Neverending Story functions as an escape for Bastian. As the boy experiences loneliness, the trauma of losing his mother, and the need to fulfill his wishes for adventures and life beyond his school and home, the book becomes a coping mechanism that is all the more powerful because its very title promises endless fulfillment, and this promise ultimately leads Bastian to engage in an ever-more-immersive experience of the adventures within its pages.