Stardust

Neil Gaiman

I actually "read" the audiobook version of this, which I think made a big difference for me. The...more

I actually "read" the audiobook version of this, which I think made a big difference for me. The story itself is well-told enough, but doesn't strike me as a riveting page-turner. If you like Gaiman's other stories, then I think it's a fair bet that you will like this one. I find that he has a penchant for stories where the characters don't have a lot of agency and things *just happen*, kind of like book-long Deus Ex Machina chains (often literally). This one, explicitly being a fairy tale for adults and thus not requiring any particular logic, definitely has that tone. However, his prose, as always, is wonderful and the world he builds is enchanting. What put this over the top for me and made it a very enjoyable experience, however, was his reading of it (Gaiman himself narrates the audiobook). He really infuses the story with life. Overall, I'd recommend this book and especially the audio version to fans of Gaiman's works in general and to those who like magic and whimsy in their stories. You might want to give it a miss if you like strongly-anchored plots driven by intelligent and strong-willed characters.   hide

Neil Gaiman is really one of the most imaginative writers I've ever read, yet, each book of his...more

Neil Gaiman is really one of the most imaginative writers I've ever read, yet, each book of his that I read disappoints me a little bit more. Perhaps it is my own fault that "American Gods" was so amazing to me that none of his other work can compare. "Stardust" is beautiful and a wonderfuly romantic tale with all the right endings, conclusions and reveals. However, it really is little more than a long fairy tale, because the laws of the fairy tale universe are all followed and there are little surprises and little plot twists that make the book super-exciting. It is a great read and a quick read (I read it in something like 5 hours or less), one of the most romantic books I've ever read and I am excited to see the movie version, but it is no where near Gaiman's best work.   hide

*SPOILERS* Read this on the train up on Friday. There's a number of significant differences to...more

*SPOILERS* Read this on the train up on Friday. There's a number of significant differences to the film: no Captain Shakespeare; a random furry guy that pops up throughout; the witch is rather less important as after failing to get the heart at the inn, she doesn't appear until the end, where she's become entirely ineffectual and wanders off home; Ditchwater Sal isn't killed; Tristan rules and then dies, leaving Yvaine to rule on her own. While a few of the differences are interesting enough, like the greater emphasis on the magical nature of Stormhold (fairytale references like The Lion and the Unicorn get mixed in), I have to say overall I actually prefer the film (though that had plenty of huge plotholes, the narrative was generally more gripping).    hide

I'm actually not reading this exact version (although this one is beautiful, with color pictures...more

I'm actually not reading this exact version (although this one is beautiful, with color pictures throughout. I'm on the lookout for it.) Amazon.com said that the version I'm reading is the teen edition. But I don't know what makes it a "teen" version, there's plenty in it that I'd rather not have any future teen of mine reading. I liked the movie a lot better. Gaiman has an amazing imagination, but his writing leaves a lot to be desired, in my opinion. His style is so strange. They say this book is a fantasy for adults, but the spots of bad language and the graphic pieces in the story are the only thing I see that make it for adults. I wish the style was deeper, and I wish the story moved a bit more slowly (like the part on the ship in the clouds in the movie, but it moved way too fast in the book. I wish I could have gotten to know the captain a lot better. I really liked that part in the movie because it took the viewer deeper into the story than any part in the book has so far.) And the characters are flat. I really liked Yvaine in the movie, and the chemistry between the two. But in the book, they're just so flat! I need to finish it, but I don't have too much hope for improvement in this book.   hide

One of my favorite things about books like Stardust and The Princess Bride is that they have the...more

One of my favorite things about books like Stardust and The Princess Bride is that they have the appearance of being a "typical fantasy novel" at first--boys going on quests for their Heart's Desire, unicorns, witches, fairies, etc.--but they gather up all the things that we love about that genre and take them to an entirely amazing level. From the first sentence of the book to the last I was in love with the prose and the storyline and the unbelievably believable characters, and I almost didn't want to read the book because I didn't want it to be over. But, now that I've finished it, I know that I'll read it over and over and over again, to relive that fantastic journey.   hide