Writing Style in STARDUST: Discuss

[Maggie]

Particularly in his novellas, like this one and Coraline, Neil Gaiman has a very British and very old fairy-tale method of telling the story. It's very . . . quaint.

As an author myself, I find there are pluses and minuses to this style. On the one hand, it's very timeless, and appeals to a wide age-range (which is why I asked earlier where readers had found this shelved). On the other hand, I feel like it sometimes distances the readers from the characters (who are often stylized in fairy tales).

So as a reader, do you feel like you connected emotionally with the characters in Stardust? How did the style strike you? Quaint? Timeless? Affected? Magical?

[Lisa]

The style was definitely was quaint (great word for it!) and timeless as in most fairy tales. It didn't really distance me from the characters that much because I did feel empathy for Tristan and for Yvaine and some others too, but I can see that the storytelling form could have had that effect. It did designate it as an adult/young adult/older kid fantasy book/fairy tale book. It's hard for me to tell about the age range factor since I enjoy books for every single age anyway. This one seemed way too gory for younger kids. I agree with this book being a young adult/adult book, for those that enjoy this sort of story. The reader really has to be iup for enjoying a fantasy book.

[Shannon]

Yes, quaint is an apt word - but mostly I found it to be very self-conscious. I can't describe it any other way, but he seemed to be both trying too hard to capture a Douglas Adams/Terry Pratchett style, and came across as somehow embarrassed by what he was writing. That's definitely the "vibe" I got from the story, and it made me very uncomfortable reading it. Like it was self-mocking.

But I've discussed Gaiman and this book with others and I know I'm the only person I've come across who feels this way, so I expect plenty of disagreement. Doesn't change my opinion though, because after reading Neverwhere I also got that impression, though maybe not quite so strong. Incidentally, I didn't get that from Coraline at all. He seemed more comfortable writing for a younger audience, as if that was an excuse.

It's definitely a YA book I think. I probably would've enjoyed it more at a younger age.

[Angie, YA lovin mod!!]

I never really got attached to any characters, I felt this is more of a story based on plot rather than character development. I really thought the book was magical. I didn't know the book was a YA book until this group picked it for the read this month, so I read it as if it were an adult novel.

[[deleted user]]

I felt like I could "see" the character when Gaiman described them but I didn't feel like I "knew" them, no personalities really. I also felt like he made everything happen fast, it happened then it was finished, period. It didn't even feel like much of a fairy tale with that ending to be honest. But I did feel like it was on a more young adult/children's level because of the lack of details/lenght/etc.

[Rebecca]

I'm a new member, so I hope it's okay that I'm commenting on a past book like this.

I found what Shannon wrote (message 3) about Gaimain's style being almost self-mocking, as if he were embarrassed to be emulating authors such Adams or Pratchett, to be an interesting point. I hadn't considered it like this before. In fact, when I have described Gaiman in the past, I have in fact likened him to Pratchett, but having a richer style and ever-so-slightly mellower humour.

I find it interested to see other people make the same connections between authors, but to see that connection so differently. I guess that's the fun of being in a book club.

[Angie, YA lovin mod!!]

You can always comment on old book club reads. As new member's join they may want to go back and read books we have already read and then start up a conversation on them again!