Usually, I don't really like fantasy books. But "The Neverending Story" is not just a story, it is an ingenious literal masterpiece. Once you have this book in your hand, you simply cannot put it down - I've read it in less than five hours.
What makes this book different from other fantasy novels is the sense of realism in conveys. You can almost feel yourself slipping into the world of Fantastica with Bastian, leaving the grey boring real World behind...
The amazing thing is that "the Neverending Story" is one of the most far-fetched, bizzare stories I've ever encountered. But somehow, once you begin reading, you are willing to set all your disbeliefs aside.
It could be just Ende's stroke of genius, or perhaps there is still a bit of magic left in our World.