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Dec 17, 2009

L.h. rated it:

Dear Mr. Gaiman,

Damn you. Damn you straight to hell. You've written beautiful faerie stories in your plainspoken postmodern prose, and left my own projected frontiers woefully trodden. It has nothing to do with your brilliance. Had I been born before you I would most likely be the one writing clever novels about fallen stars and sly gods. I would've, I swear!

But instead, I was born forty years too late, and your Faerie, Neil, -do you mind if I call you Neil? Your Fa More...

9 comments like (162 people liked it)

Feb 06, 2008

Jen rated it:

A friend gave me this book and I decided to read it before going to see the movie, since I'd heard so many rave reviews of the film. If the movie hadn't been my carrot, though, I never would have made it through the first chapter, let alone the entire story. Let me say that I adore the fantasy genre (check my book list), so this is not outside my interest. However, in attempting to write a "fairy tale for adults" Gaimon completely missed the mark. Apparently his idea of what makes a st More...

29 comments like (89 people liked it)

Feb 15, 2008

Kathryn rated it:

Since I saw the movie before I read the book, I must preface my review with that fact since a comparison between the two was inevitable and, moreover, greatly influenced my opinion of the book. I loved the movie! I liked the book. Unlike most book-to-film adaptations, however, I felt that the movie had more character development and more details; and, indeed, more heart and more humor. I cannot objectively consider the merits of the book because I missed so many aspects of the movie-story as More...

15 comments like (28 people liked it)

Aug 20, 2011

Kat rated it:

Quick question: how many Daleks does it take to conquer Neil Gaiman?

Answer: I don't know - since I am a blasphemous wench and have never seen a Doctor Who episode. Nor do I actually know what a Dalek is and what it does.

To add to my nefarious ways, I'm also not a Gaiman fan (though not for lack of trying!)

Clearly, whilst I am a scifi fan - I'm not the RIGHT kind of scifi fan!

It's rather like two Star Trek fans meeting on the street:

" More...

18 comments like (21 people liked it)

Mar 19, 2009

Amang rated it:

Dalam salah satu wawancara, Neil Gaiman pernah berujar bahwa Stardust adalah novel prekuel dari sebuah cerita yang mungkin tidak akan pernah dituliskannya. Oya? Sebuah prekuel? Wah... setelah selesai membacanya aku pikir Neil Gaiman perlu berpikir ulang untuk menuliskan kelanjutannya. Entahlah, mungkin dengan melanjutkan kisah-kisah fantastis Tristan Thorn dan Yvaine berikutnya...

Sebelum berandai-andai lebih jauh, ada baiknya kembali ke niat awal untuk menuliskan review sederhana ten More...

39 comments like (13 people liked it)

Sep 22, 2009

Ben rated it:

I can only do fantasy novels every so often; I much prefer literature. Still, I find it important to read these things on occasion, because they provide such an excellent escape: that leap into worlds that are nothing like ours; the way they enable our going beyond ourselves and render us capable of expanding our consciousness; the way they can temporarily alter us in ways non-fantasy novels are incapable. We could all use that kind of escape once in a while.

And Stardust was great More...

10 comments like (9 people liked it)

Nov 02, 2011

Nikki rated it:

I just finished rereading Stardust, this time in the illustrated edition. The art is all by Charles Vess, and it's gorgeous. He has his own style, but the art is all accessible and pretty. I particularly liked the illustration of Tristan and Yvaine kissing, on page 202, and the design of Lady Una. I like the way he's portrayed all of the characters, really. It brings them to life in a lovely way, and the art is arranged nicely -- not distracting from the story, but adding to it.

I've al More...

15 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jul 25, 2011

Patrizia rated it:

Mai giudicare la bontà di una torta dalla lista degli ingredienti! Magari ci sono proprio tutti quelli che ci piacciono di più, ma poi quando, già con l'acquolina in bocca, diamo il primo morso ci accorgiamo con delusione che i vari ingredienti non sono stati ben dosati: l'impasto non ha la giusta consistenza, il ripieno è insipido, la granella sa di stantio e l'unica cosa che si salva è la decorazione (ma, ahime, non è commestibile!)
Così se dovessi giudicare Stardust dagli elementi dell

More...

5 comments like (3 people liked it)

Oct 12, 2008

erry rated it:

STARDUST

Semalam aku pergi ke dunia fantasi. Dunia yang hanya ada dalam mimpi dan imaginasi. Peri, elf, penyihir serta makhluk makhluk dan tanaman aneh yang tak pernah kulihat sebelumnya. Tempat yang penuh dengan makhluk-makhluk ajaib, tempat-tempat eksotik dan benda benda unik. Sihir, penyihir, mantera, jimat, kekuatan gelap, mitos dan kekuatan cinta.

Di dunia mimpi aku seakan bisa menyaksikan perjuangan seorang pemuda dunia nyata yang mencari bintang jatuh demi pujaan hat More...

2 comments like (3 people liked it)

May 05, 2008

Kevin rated it:

I am becoming something of a Neil Gaiman fan. It started, as much has these days, with my Kindle. I was browsing for some inexpensive books that I could read and stumbled upon Stardust. And just to prove how clueless I can be, I didn't realize this had been made into a movie until after I had finished reading it. I was vaguely aware that the movie had come out but I just never made the connection between the book and movie in my mind (more about my reaction to the movie later.)

I enjo More...

0 comments like (8 people liked it)

Oct 15, 2007

John rated it:

I saw the movie first, and read the book second.

Gaiman does a great job of convincing readers that the world of Fairie could and does exist. And like all good fantasy, it's clear that the borders don't stop with his pages. Indeed, that the movie expands on aspects like the three witches and the lightning pirates, where the book spends barely any time at all, shows that there's many more stories to tell in the world of Fairie.

Gaiman is out to make an adult fairy tale, and More...

0 comments like (7 people liked it)

Oct 10, 2007

Dini rated it:

Finally finished this book after six days and an array of distractions.

It was an enjoyable read! A true fairy tale with all the wonder, adventure and magical creatures--and a lot of humor as well. The story tells about the faerie world which is only separated by a wall from the human world. The young, innocent hero Tristran Thorn decides to venture to the other side of the wall in search of a falling star to win the heart of his loved one. But little did he know that some others are More...

4 comments like (7 people liked it)

Nov 02, 2011

Callista rated it:

I'd been curious about the story, and a friend loaned me the illustrated version. The story took a while to grow on me. Victoria is awful, and Tristan is a sap for wanting her. Yvaine's tetchiness is certainly understandable, and I don't like how Tristan treats her at first. The royals are a bunch of backstabbers, and the witches are horrible. The whole thing is definitely the dark side of a fairy tale. And I did not appreciate what happens to the unicorn. (I can't help it; my inner little girl More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Nov 02, 2011

Todd rated it:

This is a great, simple little story. A lot of people in the reviews here seem to be upset that it lacks "umph" and "meat," and suggest books to read instead, so that you can get your share of meaty umph. And, if you're looking for meaty umph, I really think you should follow their advice. Some recommend Jonathan Strange, which you should read anyway. But Stardust never sets out to be anything like Jonathan Strange. It's a fairy tale for adults. It's light-hearted, you can re More...

2 comments like (3 people liked it)

Nov 12, 2011

Sarah rated it:

There is not a lot I can say about this book. It is an adult fairy tale unlike anything I have read before. I loved the movie, but could easily draw parallels between that and The Princess Bride movie. Yet if I compare the books, Stardust is miles above The Princess Bride (which I love). After hours of thought, the only book that has generated any degree of the same emotion when I read it is Nick Bantock's Griffin and Sabine, and even that does not compare. I think I am done with fiction for a w More...

4 comments like (3 people liked it)

Mar 12, 2011

Catherine rated it:

I have a new dream. When I get Ghita's story published, I would like a Neil Gaiman blurb on the cover, please.

I've been reading Gaiman's blog and following him on Twitter for ages, as I tend to do with authors who have been recommended to me. If I like them, I tend to eventually try their books. I'd read a couple picture books of Gaiman's before but this was the first novel I tried.

Stardust was, for me, just delightful and pretty darn close to perfect. It's the kind of More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Nov 02, 2011

Purplycookie rated it:

This edition of "Stardust" was the first I've read & truly loved of Gaiman's works. It touched the child in me & got me interested in the fantasy genre once more. What's more it's graced with Charles Vess's exquisite 175 illustrations -- delicate, colorful, ethereal, and full of little details and shadowy corners. He captures every shred of the magic that Gaiman's words are able to conjure, and a little bit more than that.

What is intriguing is the proposition that some time More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jun 19, 2008

D_Davis rated it:

A conventional fairy tale that adds little to the genre. I have the illustrated version, and the best parts are the drawings by Charles Vess.

Why Gaiman is such a popular author amongst genrehounds will forever be a mystery to me.

He is a great comic book writer, but as a novelist I find him to be mediocre at best. His prose is trite and often too quaint, and I feel as if his writing lacks something when removed from the pictures of a comic book.

The adoration More...

13 comments like (6 people liked it)

Feb 08, 2008

Seth rated it:

It's been a long time since I'd read anything near the neighbourhood of Truly Enjoyable as Stardust. This was truly a treat. It was also well-written enough that pretty much everything I've read since just seems like a pale imitation of good writing. I'm going to need to read a lot of crap over the next month and wash my mind's ears of Gaiman's work here so that good writing once again sounds good—instead of the practice in hackery it currently seems.

Gaiman's writing is always pretty More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 20, 2007

Res rated it:

The one where a young man goes to Faerie to bring back a fallen star for his indifferent true love.

I was lukewarm about the movie, which inspired me to re-read the book.

Two of the finest things in the book are the sense of Faerie's breadth and depth, of all the stories happening in the corners where you only get the smallest glimpse of them, and the feeling the book has for the passage of time and the way it wears away old enmities and old loves.

The first t More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 21, 2011

Kim rated it:

"There was once a young man who wished to gain his Heart's Desire."

So it begins. Fine. Yep. These are the stuff fairy tales are made from-blahblahblah. Sure thing. What else you got?

I really don’t get the point of this novella. I mean, yes, I see that there once was a man who made a journey to capture the uncapturable (a fallen star) for the woman that he loves. Wait. Does he really love her? Do I really care? I spent half the book thinking his n More...

3 comments like (4 people liked it)

Feb 26, 2009

Jenn rated it:

It's hard to believe that the same guy who wrote half of Good Omens wrote this book. The writing style seems to be completely different, with chuckle-enticing parts few and far between.

The story is basically about a young man who's obsessed over a girl in his village. She promises "whatever he desires" if he will fetch her a star they saw fall from the sky. The rest of the book is about his journey to find the star and then bring it back.

First off, I just have t More...

4 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 05, 2009

Melanie rated it:

My first Neil Gaiman - why have I not read everything Neil Gaiman until now? I'm utterly, totally, eternally in love with this book, and I'm glad that my introduction was narrated by the author. His narration - a bit wry, a lot affectionate - allowed me to do my part: to imagine the towns, the forest, the mountains, and every character, whether human, animal, or creature.

I love faerie tales that are written for adults - The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris comes to mind, as do More...

2 comments like (5 people liked it)

Apr 02, 2009

Ally rated it:

Ok, so maybe I'm a little too willing to give out 5 stars - I've always hated trying to give things a numerical rating (I hate surveys and self evaluations at work, and anything else that makes you rate on a scale)

BUT - I was pleasantly surprised (though I shouldn't have been considering this is Neil Gaiman's work) with how the novel is both the best of what the movie was (and the movie is close enough to it - for a movie) and even better.

(I read one review a while back t More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 04, 2011

Simona rated it:

Non c'è altro da dire: tutto ciò che c'è di magico e fiabesco è in questo libro. Emozionante, unico, magnifico... dalla prima all'ultima parola.

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jul 24, 2011

Asgoasgo rated it:

Ottima storia, forse non sfruttata in modo adeguato?! Mi ha lasciato un pò il sapore di fiaba per bambini...peccato perchè la trama avrebbe meritato uno stile di scrittura più ricercato.

Cit.: "— Ad ogni modo — disse Cecilia Hempstock, cugina di Louisa — è già stato sposato. Io non vorrei mai sposare uno che è già stato sposato. Sarebbe come se a domare il tuo pony ci avesse già pensato qualcun altro. — Per quanto mi riguarda, quello potrebbe essere l'unico vantaggio nello sposar More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 02, 2011

JG (The Introverted Reader) rated it:

Young Tristran Thorn (who's birth is maybe not as...aboveboard...as Victorian society would like) is desperately in love with Victoria Forester. He screws up his courage one night to ask her to kiss him or marry him or just--something! He is met with laughter. In desperation, he offers to slay dragons and bring back treasures for her, each adventure more outlandish than the last. Finally, as they see a shooting star, he offers to bring back the fallen star for her.

She accepts.
More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 17, 2010

Whitelady3 rated it:

I've recently seen the movie version and found it hilarious, so I hurried to the library in order to get the book as I was in need of readings to cheer me up. I had been told that the book was not as fun as the film and that there were differences, but even so I picked it up prepared to enjoy it.

I think my error was seeing the movie first. As I said, I found it hilarious and some characters, being represented by great actors like Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer, attracted my at More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 19, 2010

Liz (Consumed by Books) rated it:

I loved this book. Despite the fact that it took me a while to get through, when I picked this up, I was engrossed by Gaiman's plot and prose. I felt that this was the ultimate fairy tale, but with a bit of Gaiman added to make it stand out, namely a couple of aspects that were vaguely horror-esque.

It's hard for me to review this book, because I honestly wouldn't change anything about it. I thought Gaiman's writing, prose and descriptions were absolutely beautiful. Dare I say t More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 21, 2008

Haley rated it:

It is my experience that the movie versions of books are usually not as good as the book itself. So after watching the movie, I thought I was in for a real treat.
but I was wrong.

In Gaiman's defence, this book was written in the style of an old adventure story or Grimm brother's tale- not so much description or character development. But while that sort of writing may work for a short story, It gets old in a full-length book. (though I'm glad it was a book- otherwise we wouldn' More...

2 comments like (11 people liked it)