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Stardust by Neil Gaiman
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Stardust By Neil Gaiman Release Date: Buy it Today! Harper Perennial
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Stardust is the adventure of one fallen star and a boy who never quite fit in, because his mother was from the other side of the wall. The wall has always separated the town of Wall from the fairy lands, and young Tristran Thorn ventures through the hole in the wall in order to find a falling star for the prettiest girl in the village. Soon he realizes the difficulties of this quest as he gets lost in the woods, finds the fallen star (a rather annoyed and injured young woman), is attacked by a witch, turned into a mouse, and ends up in a cloud. Other characters like the ghosts of the Lords of Stronghold, witches, a little furry man, and a bewitched princess populate the tale, creating a fun and fascinating story.
Nursery rhymes and stories hold a greater meaning than Tristran ever thought possible as he journeys through this strange land. Magic seems to go back to words, with spells containing conditions and intentions of the heart also shaping the way the story plays out. Description and characters are certainly a high point of the book, and Gaiman tells a story that is easy to imagine.
Oddly enough, the book is an adventure book that seems to contain very little fighting and the climax seems weak because of this. Things turn out the way they should, but it’s more through cleverness than action, and I’m not sure how I felt about that. It might be the fact that the movie had a great final battle, so the book simply felt too easy at the end. On the other hand, I do applaud the author for cleverness in the ending and dealing with the witch who wants the star’s heart.
Seeing the movie first might not have been the best move. The book and movie share many similarities, but also contain quite a few differences. Most of the changes are because the novel deals a lot with the magic of words and intentions, where the movie is a much more physical piece. Because I saw the movie first, the visuals of the movie stuck out more clearly in my mind. I also liked the sense of urgency in the movie (he had to get back before Victoria’s birthday in a week), whereas the book tended to meander, and it took Tristran several months to return home. Plus, Captain Shakespeare wasn’t in the book, and I think he was possibly my favorite character.
Action 3 1/2 – This was my greatest regret. The book sets up plenty of conflict and action, but it always feels like Gaiman wimps out at the end and resolves the conflict in a benign way that seems a little too easy.
Romance 4 – I would have preferred a bit more romance, but the main characters seemed to fit together well, and they had many months for a romance to develop. It follows the traits of some older books though, where the main characters kind of go “Hey, I like you!” at the end, without the cute shippy moments that I tend to enjoy most.
Characters 4 –The main characters are all interesting and fun to follow, but some of them meander in and out of the story without much impact.
Overall 4 – Overall this was a fun, enjoyable, and solid book. It was witty and intelligent, and I would certainly recommend it to others.
Extras:
First off, Neil Gaiman has written quite a few books. My first introduction to him was a short story from his collection Smoke and Mirrors, a story called Snow, Glass, Apples, a retelling of Snow White from the witch’s standpoint. His other books include: American Gods, Neverwhere, Coraline (which I’ve reviewed), Anansi Boys, and Good Omens (co-written with Terry Pratchett). His most commonly known work though, is his comic book series Sandman. The art might not be much, but the story is supposedly spectacular.
Another book you might enjoy after reading this one is Howl’s Moving Castle, as it also contains fairy tale elements crafted into an original story. In fact, there are a lot of similarities between the books, though most of those would be spoilers. Oddly enough, the same poem is used in both books, one as the outline of a spell and the other as the preface to the book. That poem is Song by John Donne.
Once on a Time is another “adult fairy tale” that I’ve previously reviewed, where the author set out to write a fairy tale for adults to enjoy as well as children.
Plus, there is the previously mentioned Stardust movie, which I briefly reviewed after seeing.
Parents:10+ This is more of a fairy tale for adults, but there isn’t much questionable content for the younger reader. I do feel that older teens and adults will enjoy it more, as it focuses on words and beauty instead of action.
I absolutely love Stardust. It is an amazing book and very well written. I recommend it to everyone.
I also recommend Maria V. Snyder’s Poison Study and Magic Study books. They are for a more mature audience.
Maria Snyder is an amazing author. She had me captured in from cover to cover in her books, never wanting to put them down. Her characters are realistic with flaws while the setting and plot are fantasical. Both Poison Study and Magic Study are filled with action and excitement. With every turn of the page new magic is revealed. Maria Snyder is a captivating author. You wont want to miss these books nor will you want to miss out on the excitement of her upcoming novel Fire Study.
I am definitly interested in reading Poison Study and I started it once, but put it down after I realized there was a third book coming out. Probably as soon as the third book is out (later this spring I think) I’ll start on them agian. I really don’t like reading a book when I know it won’t be finished at the end–that there is a sequel coming out soon. Still, I would like to read them and I’ve only heard good things about them.