Stardust
by Neil Gaiman
Summary: Young Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria - even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that old stone wall, Tristran learns, lies Faerie - where nothing, not even a fallen star, is what he imagined.
From #1 New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman comes a remarkable quest into the dark and miraculous - in pursuit of love and the utterly impossible.
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Source: I purchased a paperback copy.
Review:
I should start by saying that the movie Stardust is one of my favorite movies. I saw it for the first time last year and I fell in love with it. I am also a huge fan of Neil Gaiman, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the book and fall in love with the story all over again.
This is a difficult review to write because, had I not been introduced to the movie yet, I would have loved this novel so much and given it 5 stars without a second thought. However, I can’t help but love the movie so much more and that has left me feeling somewhat conflicted about the book. My favorite parts of the movie were not part of the book and that was somewhat disappointing.
I do love the story line and I did love the book. It was unique, quirky, and fun. It was full of magic, love, adventure, and danger. It was the fairy tale sort of setting that I love about children and YA novels with an adult flair that I rarely find. It read like an old fairy tale, but the story is completely new and original.
I love how the adventure takes place in a neighboring town that is cut off by a wall. It's a unique way to introduce the land of Faerie. I absolutely love the way that the star is personified because it's something we never suspect or anticipate. It's probably the most unique twist you could ever put on any kind of fairy tale because we always think of stardust as rock or maybe even glitter, but never a person. The main idea and core of the story that I loved so much when I saw the movie is totally in the book, so that was refreshing.
I recommend the book, especially if you haven't seen the movie. It’s a phenomenal story and perfect for fantasy and fairy tale lovers. And if you’ve seen the movie, it is still worth a read because it is quite different. (In my opinion, the movie is just so much better, funnier, quirkier, and more entertaining, though.)
Labels: Fantasy, Review
