I thoroughly enjoyed this fairytale for adults. Fast-paced, witty, and full of the off-beat mystery of the realm of faerie, Stardust appealed to me in the same way Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell did. It’s no wonder Susanna Clarke and Neil Gaiman are friends. How I’d love to hear one of their conversations about their art.
This tale begins in Victorian England, in the village of Wall, so named for the wall that marks the boundary between the town and the enchanted lands. There is one opening in the wall, guarded at all times to protect the village children (or anyone else, for that matter) from wandering through and getting lost in the dreamlike lands beyond. But for reasons explained early on, Tristran Thorn ventures in after a fallen star, and finds himself involved in an adventure intertwined with two other stories. The account of his escapades beyond the wall and their ultimate resolution makes for entertaining, gripping reading.
It’s not surprising that Stardust reminded me of Susanna Clarke, for one of her short stories in The Ladies of Grace Adieu is a response to this one. By turns I was reminded of other authors and characters, too: the enchanted woods of Phantastes and The Hobbit, the stars dropping from the sky in The Last Battle, the animal nature within people in The Princess and Curdie, the by-all-accounts commonplace figure who pursues a grand destiny in Lord of the Rings. And so on. As his poem “Instructions” makes plain, this is an author well-versed in the conventions of the fairytale, using them inventively to further his own story.
When I come to the end of a tale like this, I marvel at the imaginative reach and the superb writing. I started American Gods earlier this year and didn’t like it, but this one I couldn’t put down and even left the lounge during my one free period at homeschool co-op on Friday to seek out a quiet place to read. (I ended up in the deserted baby nursery, nervous that someone would stumble upon me and think I was utterly weird and antisocial, but reading on, helplessly.) Stardust is my first real acquaintance with Neil Gaiman’s fiction, but I suspect it won’t be my last.
I have been itching to read a Gaiman book since we saw “Stardust” in the theaters. My 14 yr old saw that I was reading your review and told me that I will be glad I saw the movie first as it deviates from the book somewhat. She said both are very good.
I can be quite anti-social and don’t mind finding a quiet place to read.
I confess I didn’t even realize it was a movie. Just put it in my Netflix queue… I take your comment as a recommendation!
It sounds good! I saw the film version too, and enjoyed it. I’ve never read a Neil Gaiman book- perhaps this should be my first.
I’m sure the book and movie are different – does the book have a pretty goofy compenent to it? The movie definitely is laugh-out-loud at times, particularly because Robert Di Nero and Michelle Pfieffer are so dynamic in their characters! It was good. I’d love to read the book too!
Kacie, it had funny spots, yes. I’m curious now about this movie I’ve missed entirely.
Jeane, for me this was a good place to start. The other one I tried was much darker.
I’m adding this book to my TBR list, then I’ll see the movie.
I am so into hiding and reading these days …
I don’t think I’ve read Gaiman, but you’d think I would have because of books like Coraline, Sandman, or the Graveyard Book, since I am a fan of Edward Gorey, Poe and others like that.
I can say from your description of this story that it sounds very like Garth Nix’s books. I recommend those. Very good. Did you see the latest Roald Dahl movie – the Fantastic Mr. Fox? Pretty good. I’ll have to check out the Stardust movie and Coraline. I’ve missed both!
[...] DebD8. SuziQoregon (Sweetheart)9. Framed (This House of Sky)10. SuziQoregon (Hold Tight)11. Across the Page (Stardust)12. Framed (The NY Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance)13. Page Turner (The Reluctant Widow)14. [...]