Stardust in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Dec 28, 2016 Nadine in NY Jones rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fairies, fantasy-and-sci-fi, saw-the-movie-b4-i-read-the-book, mythopoeic

As they traveled, the star cursed the day she had fallen to this wet, unfriendly world. It had seemed so gentle and welcoming when seen from high in the sky. That was before. Now, she hated everything about it, except the unicorn; and, saddle sore and uncomfortable, she would have even happily spent time away from the unicorn.

I was a little nervous to read this. I loved the movie, my kids and I have watched it a bunch of times, and a lot of reviews say the movie was better than the book. I u

As they traveled, the star cursed the day she had fallen to this wet, unfriendly world. It had seemed so gentle and welcoming when seen from high in the sky. That was before. Now, she hated everything about it, except the unicorn; and, saddle sore and uncomfortable, she would have even happily spent time away from the unicorn.

I was a little nervous to read this. I loved the movie, my kids and I have watched it a bunch of times, and a lot of reviews say the movie was better than the book. I usually love Gaiman but every once in a while ... I don't. So I wasn't sure about this.

I should not have worried! This book is (dare I say it?) PERFECT. Really. (It should be noted that this is a book for grown-ups, not for kids! that startled me a bit, since the movie is an all-around family movie ... granted, with some violence and grown-up jokes.)

Adventures are all very well in their place, he thought, but there's a lot to be said for regular meals and freedom from pain.

Still, he was alive, and the wind was in his hair, and the cloud was scudding through the sky like a galleon at full sail. Looking out over the world from above, he could never remember feeling so alive as he did at that moment. There was a skyness to the sky and a nowness to the world that he had never seen or felt or realized before.

Some of it is quite like the movie; the dialogue has the same feel. And this run of insults is worth remembering:

I shall turn your bones to ice and roast you in front of a fire! I shall pluck your eyes out and tie one to a herring and t'other to a seagull, so the twin sights of sea and sky shall take you into madness! I shall make your tongue into a writhing worm and your fingers shall become razors, and fire ants shall itch your skin, so each time you scratch yourself ...

Yes, it's not exactly like the movie. (Would you really want it to be, though?) It's neither better nor worse than the movie. It's quieter, more meaningful, more of a fairy tale. And the movie is, of course, a MOVIE with swash and buckle and flash and pomp and a big happy Hollywood ending and all that. What's really kind of fun is that the end is different. Not drastically different, but different enough.

And this final bit deserves to be quoted, because this is the only time I've known Gaiman to be actually romantic but it's kind of spoilery if you haven't seen the movie yet. (view spoiler) ...more

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Apr 09, 2020 Jessica Haider rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, book-to-film

3.5 stars. Not my favorite Gaiman.

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Dec 29, 2009 Carla rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: not-own, 2010

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 attention and ...more

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Jan 07, 2014 Elizabeth rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed this book. I read American Gods, and when this showed up for $2 on amazon, I snagged it. It's a fast read, with clever characterization and witty dialogue. The quest story is familiar, but Gaiman is so good at telling a story, it's not at all boring. When the star falls and becomes the girl, a file suddenly opened in my brain and I remembered seeing the film version with Claire Danes. I had completely forgotten about it. ...more

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Jul 09, 2009 Bekah rated it it was amazing

Loved it! It's very different from all his other novels - very clearly written with classic fairy tales in mind. I liked the ending a lot; I was a little worried at first, and it was slightly cliche but that's ok 'cause it was only cliche in the sense that it was true to fairy tale endings...now to watch the movie! ...more

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Sep 30, 2007 Nicole rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, fantasy

Gaiman is a very good reader. He does an excellent job with his fairy tale and the whole thing was a pretty quick listen. Glad I listened to this audiobook before seeing the movie.

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