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Stardust

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Stardust by Neil Gaiman is a charming fairy tale that follows the journey of a young man named Tristran Thorn who ventures into the magical land of Faerie to retrieve a fallen star in order to win the heart of his beloved. The story is filled with fantastical elements, whimsical characters, and a blend of adventure and romance that captivates readers. Gaiman's writing style is described as flowery yet not overly ornate, with an ability to portray the extraordinary as commonplace while maintaining a sense of wonder throughout the narrative.

Tristran's quest leads him to unexpected twists and turns in Faerie, encountering witches, magical beings, and a variety of perils that challenge his character and resolve. The book weaves together traditional fairy tale tropes with unique and quirky aspects that set it apart from standard fantasy quests, offering readers a delightful and enchanting story that explores themes of love, bravery, and the importance of keeping promises.

Characters:

Characters range from the endearingly naive to the intriguing, with a mix of strong personalities like Yvaine and not-so-memorable protagonists.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is engaging and enchanting, characterized by lyrical prose that balances whimsy with depth.

Plot/Storyline:

The story follows Tristran Thorn as he embarks on a quest to retrieve a fallen star for the girl he loves, discovering the complexities of love and magic along the way.

Setting:

The setting is a blend of the ordinary and the fantastical, with Wall serving as a gateway to a richly imagined Faerie realm.

Pacing:

The pacing fluctuates, with an initially slow start that accelerates, leading to an engaging but sometimes abrupt conclusion.
Mr. Charles Dickens was serializing his novel OliverTwist; Mr. Draper had just taken the first photograph of the moon, freezing her pale face on cold paper; Mr. Morse had recently announced a way of t...

Notes:

The story is set in a small town in Victorian England called Wall, which is next to an enchanted forest.
The protagonist, Tristran Thorn, is half Faery and embarks on a quest to fetch a fallen star.
The fallen star turns out to be a woman named Yvaine, who is not what Tristran expected.
The book is a fairy tale for adults, containing themes of love, adventure, and self-discovery.
It includes elements such as witches, pirates, and a dying king's competing sons.
Neil Gaiman's writing is often described as whimsical, magical, and humorous.
The novel's style resembles classic fairy tales with a modern twist, mixing humor with darker elements.
The book features a unique ending that differs from the movie adaptation, which many readers prefer.
The book has inspired a graphic novel adaptation and is also known for its beautiful illustrations by Charles Vess.
Stardust was published in 1999 and has since gained a cult following, being recognized as a modern classic.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include some mild violence, adult themes, and implied sexual situations.

Has Romance?

The book features a prominent romance as its central theme, detailing the love story between Tristran and Yvaine.

From The Publisher:

Now a major motion picture-this charming fairy tale by the #1 New York Times bestselling author, weaves a magical story set long ago in the tiny English village of Wall, a place where things are not quite what they seem.

Go and catch a falling star . . .

Tristran Thorn promises to bring back a fallen star for his beloved, the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester-and crosses the wall that divides his English country town from another, more dangerous world of lords and witches, all of them in search of the star. Rich with adventure and magic, Stardust is one of master storyteller Neil Gaiman's most beloved tales.

"Eminently readable-a charming piece of work."

-Washington Post Book World

"Beautiful, memorable . . . A book full of marvels."

-Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Ratings (302)

Incredible (47)
Loved It (126)
Liked It (86)
It Was OK (31)
Did Not Like (11)
Hated It (1)

Reader Stats (596):

Read It (318)
Currently Reading (7)
Want To Read (167)
Did Not Finish (2)
Not Interested (102)

6 comment(s)

Incredible
2 weeks

I adored this fairy tale with a storytellers vibe. It felt old but also fresh and heartfelt, and a bit melancholy, which I don’t usually like, but I liked in this book.

 
Loved It
3 months

Magical worlds + Love + Adventure = Neil Gaiman!

Gaiman has certainly created another happy, magical world, detached from real world, just like [b:Neverwhere|14497|Neverwhere|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348747943s/14497.jpg|16534].

Story begins in the Victorian English village of Wall, a place that is detached from the outer world. Every nine years, a market is held where miraculous things are sold and bought. Dunstan Thorn , a village farmer is fallen into the charm of a sales girl at a witch caravan and Tristan Thorn is born. Raised without knowledge of his birth, Tristan falls in love with a local beauty, Victoria Forester.

Tristan vows to do anything for her hand in marriage and Victorian, in a whim of playfulness asks for the fallen star that she saw a few moments ago. Tristan, in love, sets out on the quest, but he is not the only one who is on this quest! Old witch queens , Throne seekers are also his competitors.

A charming love story of magic, moon and charms,adventures, we meet different magical creatures, some mean, some lovely which one can just dive in to.

 
Loved It
3 months

Absolutely charming and delightful. Read the whole thing with a big smile on my face. Sweet and funny and gooey.

 
Did Not Like
5 months

All his writing has misogyny built in, further confirmed by the rl whisper network saying women should never be alone with him - sadly unable to protect everyone.

 
It Was OK
7 months

Read this after watching the movie and expected a great story. It was only half there. There are SO many threads that just got dropped. Like started ideas and characters that just don't go anywhere. The movie was amazing. Truly a good story. The book needed to be finished.

 
It Was OK
7 months

Many years ago, as a teenager, I watched a movie based on this book, and I liked it very much. So, I have been planning to read the book for a long time. Therefore, my expectations were very high. A bit too high, I'm afraid. It is a good book, but either not entirely for me or I wasn't in the right mood.

It is quite possible that the latter is true. Because I found myself quite often not following this story too closely. And it's not because I remembered the plot of the movie particularly well. I don't know why it happened. It's not that this book is boring. I was just losing my focus too often.

Which is why this story didn't enamour me as much as I expected. It was fine. I don't have many things to say about it. It's hard for me to say what I didn't like and what I particularly liked about it. Undoubtedly, it is an interesting story and highly creative.

This is my first book by this author, but his vivid imagination certainly interested me, even if this book was not a hit. I will undoubtedly consider his other books.

 

About the Author:

Neil Gaiman is the creator of The Sandman comic book series and the bestselling author of the novels Neverwhere (1995), Stardust (1999), the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning American Gods (2001), Coraline (2002), Anansi Boys (2005), The Ocean at the End of the Lane (2013), Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett, 1990) and a retelling of the Norse myths: Norse Mythology (2017). His short story collections include Smoke and Mirrors (1998) and Fragile Things (2006). His screenwriting credits include the original BBC TV series of Neverwhere (1996), Dave McKean's first feature film, Mirrormask (2005), two Doctor Who episodes, and Good Omens (2019).

 
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