Neil Gaiman is by my definition a modern-day renaissance man. He writes books for adults, books for children, writes songs, graphic novels, comic books, and much much more. He truly is a writer capable of many things and writes with an imagination unparalleled. Published in 1998, Stardust, was the first solo prose novel written by Gaiman. “With Tristran’s next step he was standing beside a lake, and the candlelight shone brightly on the water; and then he was walking through the mountains, through lonely crags, where the candlelight was reflected in the eyes of the creatures of the high snows; and then he was walking through the clouds, which, while not entirely substantial, still supported his weight in comfort; and then holding tightly to his candle, he was underground, and the candlelight glinted back at him from the wet cave walls; now he was in the mountains once more; and then he was on a road through a wild forest, and he glimpsed a chariot being pulled by two goats, being driven by a woman in a red dress who looked, for the glimpse he got of her, the way Boadicea was drawn in his history books; and another step and he was in a leafy glen, and he could hear the chuckle of water as it splashed and sang its way into a small brook.”
Gaiman’s entire novel is filled with these descriptive passages. It’s absolutely amazing to read and be able to picture what you are reading in your entire head. Even though the above paragraph is one sentence, it doesn’t read as one sentence. My brain would take pauses as I was reading to create the images I was reading about. It certainly made the novel more enjoyable for me. (I’m guessing it would for other readers as well)
There are so many enjoyable characters in Stardust. Tristran has an amazing “coming of age” story that is written so well. For me I’ve sometimes read novels that the character just becomes an adult without anything really driving their maturity. In Stardust Tristran must take his childhood and his childhood learnings and use them as instruments that drive his march into adulthood. He must come to terms with his lineage and his emotions and use them all on his journey both from Wall to Faerie and from child to adult. On the other hand Yvaine, the star, must learn to deal with her new surroundings. As a fallen star she will never be allowed back into the sky and so must learn to live among the creatures/people of Faerie. While she starts off as a proud and angry star, she learns that not everyone “below” is after her; there are some that do have her best interests at heart. It’s Gaiman’s characterizations of these characters that make them so likeable and so enjoyable to read about. It’s been said that he has the sequel to Stardust in his head, waiting for the right time to write it down. For all of us, I hope that time comes soon.
5 out of 5 Stars
This is my first completed review for the Page to Screen Challenge
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Great review of Stardust! I agree with everything you said, and I’d like to add that I also enjoyed the little backstory that’s given about Tristan’s mother. It’s a very small (but ultimately important) part of the story, and I liked how that gave a fantastical flavor to a fairy tale type story.
Stardust is also a great “bridge” book between Gaiman’s kid stuff and his grown up stuff.
Thank you!! I do agree with you about the mom’s backstory! So small, but so important…
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Nice review! I read this after watching the movie. I kind of liked the movie more because I enjoyed the humor but I still thought this was an excellent fantasy novel. I am glad you liked it.
Hi Christina!! I had the hardest time picking which I liked more. Both the film and the book had aspects that made it better than the other. I’ve also been told that reading the graphic novel is another “must-do” in relation to Stardust. While I was reading I just kept wondering what visions Gaiman had going through his head as he was writing! I think I might have to give the graphic novel a try…
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