I fully expected to enjoy this book, but was sorely disappointed. Why, you might ask? (...) It's a rambling narrative set in a poorly explored and half-imagined world of fairy tale magic and Carroline witticisms. Please, let me explain.

The most specific criticism I have is that the plot meanders from one conflict to another without ever fully realising any real tension; instead of allowing the characters to overcome their own challenges, they are offered weak and easy "outs" from all of their difficulties (deus ex machina); or, in the case of the final and expected confrontation at the end of the book (that was slowly built towards throughout), the antagonist witch simply perishes before the protagonists are allowed to reach her and engage in any appreciable and entertaining skirmish.

Characters are too easily introduced and abandoned, settings are drifted through without rhyme or reason, conflict and comedy are whispered of and are gone... Every word in this book puts me in mind of an episodic story a grandparent might tell a young child at bedtime: the events of the previous nights' episodes are too readily forgotten; the details are fanciful and unimportant, grasped at in a desperate attempt to fill an evening; the ending obligatory, uninspired and uninspiring.

I urge anyone interested in Neil Gaiman to not be discouraged by this book or this review. He is a good author, and worthy of your attention. This particular tale though, is best left to gather dust.


A lyrical fantasy with pixie dust woven throughout   February 7, 2001
 22 out of 24 found this review helpful

Neil Gaiman is a brilliant writer and he certainly shows some of his best stuff in Stardust. Fans of Gaiman's Sandman series as well as Neverwhere will fall in love with Tristan and Star and the myriad of well drawn characters.

The plot is a mix of fantasy, romance and adventure - it has something for everyone. Stardust is destined to become a classic - sitting amongst the Narnia Chronicles, The Little Prince and others.

Beyond building a fantastical plot, the alternate world of Faeirie (beyond the Wall) that the reader can actually feel a part of and solid characters - Gaiman weaves these elements together to create a beautiful memory tinged with comic genius.

Tristan undertakes a quest for a fallen star to give to his love Victoria. She has promised to marry him if he can obtain one for her. Despite the impossibility of this request - Tristan sets out from his home in Wall to the land of Faeirie, across the enchanted meadow to seek true love. Along the way Tristan meets many friends and foes, witches, fairies, talking trees and much much more and in the process he learns a thing or two about life, love, his heritage and friendship.

Stardust is a unique blend and has something to appeal to every reader. He melds several plot lines together to form an intricate tale that I could not put down and can't wait to read again. This is a book to enjoy over and over again. If you liked Stardust you should try Neverwhere as well as Nicholas Christopher's Veronica and A Trip to the Stars.


Once you have seen the movie should you read the book? You bet.   August 20, 2007
 18 out of 20 found this review helpful

I would be one of those people who checked out Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess' "Stardust: Being a Romance Within the Realms of Faerie" because they really enjoyed the movie "Stardust." When I went to my local comic book store to pick up this week's comics I notice they had this elegant hardback edition of "Stardust," which I took to be a sign that I should pick it up instead of trying to track down all of the issues on eBay. So each night since seeing the movie I have been reading a couple of chapters of the book before turning out the lights, because it seemed the sort of thing that should be read in bed (actually, it seems like it should be read to somebody, but then the narrative flow of Gaiman's text would be broken up every time you had to show the person who was being read to the illustrations by Vess).

One of the nice things about reading the book after seeing the movie, instead of the other way around, is that instead of bemoaning what has been altered, added or deleted you get to enjoy seeing the entire world of Faerie envisioned by Gaiman and illustrated by Vess. As soon as you start reading Chapter 1, "In Which We Learn of the Village of Wall, and of the Curious Thing That Occurs There Every Nine Years," you are aware of the differences, because Dunstan Thorn does not have to sneak past the two guards (not one) that guard the gap in the wall in order to meet the personal slave of the witch-woman who owns the stall where flowers are sold. So there are myriad differences between the book and the movie revealed in each and every chapter.

In fact, many of the things that I liked most about the movie are not in the book. That is not to say or even to suggest that this is a bad thing, because movies and illustrated novels (which is what this book is and not a comic book) have decidedly different approaches when it comes to what is visually important. The big moment in the movie was exactly what I wanted to be (indeed, I had turned to my wife and whispered that I wondered what would happen if the fallen star got really, really happy), and what happens in the original story is radically different but equally appropriate to the path that Gaiman and Vess had stacked out for their characters.

The inevitable question would be which is better, the novel or the movie, but everybody knows what the answer to that question usually is in such cases. However, what is important is that those who enjoy one should be able to enjoy the other. If you have seen the movie and liked it, then you should check out the book. If you have read the book, or the original comic books, then you should go see the movie. There will be those who will be disappointed by one given the other, and some will be touched or moved by either, but that is their loss.

My familiarity with Gaiman's work has been pretty spotty. I have only seen a couple of issues of "The Sandman," a couple of years into the telling of the tale, so I could not really appreciate what was going on. But I have read his novel "American Gods" and his alternative history comic book series "Marvel 1602." "Stardust" is different from those other works, but you can get a sense of how this is just another corner of Gaiman's imagination. Equally important are the illustrations by Vess, because they help reinforce the idea that even if it is set during the time of young Queen Victoria in the land across the pond that this is indeed a faerie tale. If anything, both the book and the movie reminds us of what that means.


a fairy tale gone terribly wrong to make an exotic story   June 13, 2000
 16 out of 16 found this review helpful

At first when I read the summary on the book jacket, I thought it would be like one of those old, cheesy Victorian romance fantasies that drag on and on about love and lace. I put it back onto the shelf. A few weeks later, I picked it up and checked it out, and couldn't put it down. It began slowly, but described the setting with intriciate, and interesting, detail. The verbs and adjectives screamed 'read on, read on.' I was so intrigued by the reality of the Faerie market and the interconnecting stories. What I loved most about this book was its wit. Tristran Thorn is the perfect bewildered hero, and the star is a kickass original heroine. The several 'bad guys' have their own feelings and thoughts, and I thought the Lord of Stormhold and his sons was humorous. Every aspect of this book was creative, which is surprising for something that is so alike to a fairy tale. If you liked this book at all, read 'Neverwhere'; it's unlike 'Stardust,' but with the same wit and style.


WARNING: SOME EDITIONS MISSING ILLUSTRATIONS!!!   December 7, 2004
 16 out of 17 found this review helpful

First, let me say that this story is beautifully written and can probably be enjoyed fully with one's imagination to serve as illustrator.

HOWEVER, this book was originally published by DC Comics as a picture book and absolutely stunning illustration was provided by Charles Vess. Vess has a long and prolific history of illustrating many of Gaiman's comix. It is a REAL SHAME not to purchase a copy with those illustrations. BE CAREFUL -- this website doesn't do such a terrific job of making clear which edition is which. The original is on this site in the edition published by DC Comics with the full title "STARDUST: Being a Romance Within the Realms of Faerie." It's hard to tell for sure if any other editions here have the Vess illustrations. The trade paperback edition definitely has NO ILLUSTRATION AT ALL.