Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess' Stardust

by Neil Gaiman

Charles Vess (Illustrator)

Written by Neil Gaiman Art and cover by Charles Vess Don’t miss this new softcover edition of the classic tale written by New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman (THE SANDMAN) and illustrated by Charles Vess, released to coincide with the major motion picture starring Robert DeNiro and Michelle Pfeifer! In a Victorian-era tale of magic and romance, young Tristran Thorn falls in love with the town beauty and must go on an incredible coming-of-age journey in order to capture her heart. Living in the small countryside town of Wall, one night Tristran vows to his beloved to retrieve a fallen star that they witnessed crashing down from the heavens. Now to gain his love's hand, he must leave behind his home and embark on a journey that will define the meaning of true love. Told through breathtaking painted illustrations, this fairytale for adults is a true masterpiece in storytelling.

• ISBN10: 156389470X
• ISBN13: 9781563894701
• Publish Date: 1 July 1999 (first published 26 November 1998)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 4 April 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: DC Comics
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 224
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781563894701

Reviews

[alindstadtcorbeax]

Star Rating: —> 5 Stars

Goodness I love me some Gaiman. I love me some STARDUST!

This was as magical as any great fairytale should be, & so, so, so much more. Stardust is one of my forever favorites... it is so expertly written that you are left enraptured the entire time you read it, every single time you read it. This book really is, as you would expect from Gaiman, a marvel.

✨

[abookishblether]

Another re-read from my younger years, which I enjoyed. The audiobook elevated the experience as it was a full cast production. I really enjoyed the performances and the story while being short has proven to be memorable as I could still remember the plot fairly well after 10 years.

[leahrosereads]

5/3/18
Re-read and re-loved.

8/23 - 8/26/2014
A quest to find a fallen star. Really, I didn’t need to know anything else, but that, to want to read this novel. I was not disappointed in what I read.


STARDUST follows Tristran Thorn, a lad who is in love. In stories like this, is there ever any other type of protagonist? His one true love, Victoria Forester, has told him that if he can retrieve the star that they saw fall, then she would give him whatever he desires. And like any young man in love, he pounces on that opportunity, because what he desires most, is Victoria’s hand in marriage.

And so his journey begins.

The reader gets to see not only Tristran’s journey, but several other characters’ as well, including a wicked witch who wants the fallen star for herself and heirs to a throne, needing to prove themselves (and take out their competition) and find an heirloom that would show their rights to the throne.


When Tristran finally finds his fallen star, he discovers that it’s not an inanimate object, diamond like and exquisite, but a young girl who’s quick to temper and despises him for his quest. However, Tristran wants Victoria, so he bind the Fallen Star to him, and makes his way back to his town.

They’re adventures are just getting started, because the evil witch still wants the Fallen Star, and the heirs to the throne are on a similar journey, but for very different reasons.

Tristran must protect his Fallen Star (whether she likes it or not) and get them safely to his home.

It was one magical adventure, and I really loved it, through and through.


While there was a lot of predictability to this story, it didn’t take away (at least for me) the fantastical adventure that Tristran went through. Overall, I really loved STARDUST, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading other novels by Neil Gaiman.


I would definitely recommend this to anyone who’d want a quick, fantasy read where good beats evil, and the main character discovers himself and grows into a hero.

[mitabird]

3.5 stars

[wcs53]

I really enjoyed this book. It took me ages to get around to reading it, but I'm glad that I finally did. I had heard mixed things about the book, but it didn't disappoint me in any way. At one point I thought it was going to be fairly predictable, but in the end there were some interesting twists that made it not so. As usual, Gaiman included some very strong characters and he described the world of the book so well that it almost seemed that at times I was there also. If you enjoyed The Graveyard Book or The Ocean at the End of the Lane, then this one is for you. If you haven't read anything by Gaiman before, then this would be a good place to start.

I haven't seen the movie version of this yet, but I'll need to seek it out now and see how it matches up to the book. I'll also need to get around to reading the unread Gaiman books on my shelf such as American Gods and Neverwhere.

[thepunktheory]

Book vs. Movie:
As I mentioned before, the movie is amazing. It's one of those films that are simply magical without being a big cliché. The characters quite different from your usual fairy-tale stuff. They got together and A-list cast to portray all of them!
What I enjoyed most about the adaptation is the humor. It's not an outright comedy film, but there are some very funny remarks along with a lot of situational comedy.
So, you can guess I was pretty excited to get my hands on the book. But to be honest, I was slightly disappointed. Gaiman's world isn't nearly as colorful or magical as the adaptation is. (That came as a surprise to me - usually it's the other way round)
Furthermore, the movie's plot is actually very close to the novel but there are some additional scenes. Thus, some things simply make more sense and have more depth than in the book. (I never thought I would ever write those words)
But what disappointed me the most was that Neil Gaiman's piece of work lacked almost all the humour I cherished so much about the film! There are a few funny remarks but the novel is by far not as charming as the adaptation.
Don't get me wrong here, Gaiman's book isn't bad. It is a nice and decent read. However, I had hoped for a bit more after such a lovely movie.

This time I have to say that the adaptation outshines the novel all the way. It's far more magical, colorful and definitely funnier!

[adamfortuna]

A few years ago, the Stardust movie floored me. It was one of the most surprisingly great stories I'd heard in a long time. In wanting to learn a little more about the world, I decided to check out the book. To my surprise, the movie really did the book justice. There are marginal changes, but nothing serious. Like the movie, it had me enthralled throughout.

[KitsuneBae]

My first Neil Gaiman book and it didn't disappoint! Despite its shortness, Stardust managed to stir a lot of feelings in me. It's certainly a nostalgic ride!

[boghunden]

I read this at Dewey's Readathon, fall 2013. What a mistake that was! And here's why: The writing was absolutely amazing and beautiful. Only problem was that it took some time getting used to and I also had to take a lot of breaks to think about it and let it sink in.

This is a modern fairytale, and when you mix that with the beautiful writing of [a:Neil Gaiman|1221698|Neil Gaiman|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1234150163p2/1221698.jpg], you get this:


That being said, I felt like the beginning was a bit slow, and I would've liked for it to pick up a little faster. At the same time, I didn't really enjoy the story of the brothers, so that's a negative as well.

Now, this being a fairytale, you know how it'll end, but that's okay. It's what makes them special, right? Happily ever after etc.

[chymerra]

https://readwithme2018.com/2018/07/19/throwback-thursday/