Stardust

The best books are those that I finish with a certain sadness, because the story is done and I will never experience it for the first time again.

I want to live in this book. I want to go to magical markets, and kiss mysterious shopkeepers and ride clouds and barter with grumpy witches.
I want to be friends with Tristran, the only man that deserves rights and I want Yvaine to insult me colorfully.

I loved this book and it was too short and I will now go and watch the movie and hope it's as good as the book (it probably won't be)

This is the first Neil Gaiman book I've read, and I am disappointed. The story was unoriginal, the style was cutesy (except for the sex and gore) rather than whimsical, and his Faerie was strangely undefined–it was a hodge podge of odd landscapes and characters that were conveniently there so that the protagonist could have a sort of threatening adventure, but it didn't seem to have a life and logic of its own. This just felt like lazy story-writing.

Volledige recensie hier:
http://charami.com/2017/04/10/gelezen-in-maart/

Stardust is een dun boekje, maar zo ongeloofelijk rijk aan zowel opbouw van atmosfeer als verhaallijn. Een bijzonder mooi, modern en volwassen sprookje dat ik aan iedereen die eens uit zijn saaie leven wil ontsnappen kan aanraden. Een boekje om te koesteren en steeds opnieuw te lezen.

I think I'm one of few people who prefer the book to the film (re: this particular book/film). I still loved the film, but I preferred some parts of the book. For example I preferred the ending to the book, than the ending to the film. Even though I watched the film first and read the book second (and third...).

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.

I love Neil Gaiman, but this was definitely my least favorite of his books so far. The style and tone just didn't work for me, which is a shame because those are sometimes Gaiman's strengths. The prose was still really good, but I couldn't connect with any of the characters or story. Mostly I was just waiting for it to be over. But I listened to the audiobook, and Gaiman is a brilliant narrator, as always.

Because it's Neil Gaiman, and everyone should read one Gaiman book at some point. This book begged to be read aloud, and I almost wish (now this is a shocker) that I had the audio version. The narration is simple yet intriguing and complex; I want to read it again just to figure out how he was able to convey so much with so little. Which is exactly why you should read this book. Long sentences and over-the-top vocabulary are gimicks easily pointed out...they hide bad plots and expose worse execution. Gaiman's simple narration is a quick read, yet, there are important themes discussed.

Originally posted at http://worderella.com/2007/07/book-stardust/

3.5-3.75ish. Very good but not great. Kinda feels like the ending was written hastily to get the book done more so than completing the story. As others have said, there's not much of a climax and the ending is just sort of there. Great storytelling, as always, but I feel like there was so much more story to tell.

this was a cute, short read. there were bits that were harder to get into (like with the witches and the storm dudes (i forget their names lol)) but whenever it was Tristran interacting with other characters, it was pretty entertaining. he and Yvaine are very cute together.

i found it kinda disappointing that this was a “folktale meant for adults” because it felt like the bit that really made it “adult” was the sex scene in the beginning

Neil Gaiman is an author I want to like so badly. I get why people like him. He’s clearly a very talented writer with a great sense for pacing, characters and imagery. He’s almost the textbook definition of a good author except calling him that feels like an insult to him because he’s also a remarkably creative man with very cool ideas that he is easily able to incorporate into his stories.

And yet I’ve now read three books by him and I can’t say I have greatly enjoyed any of them. Stardust has all the makings of a good fantasy story and Gaiman is obviously a good enough author to write a competent fantasy novel. As fantasy is my favorite genre that means I should be all over this book but I merely like it when I was expecting to adore it. I’m not sure what it is about this book or Gaiman in general that makes me lower on him than a lot of other readers but the story just doesn’t click. It’s still a very good book written by a guy who knows what he’s doing but nothing more than that.

It was a whirlwind of a read from start to finish. There wasn't a shred of prose that didn't belong, the plot was quick in nature and engaging, and there were a multitude of interesting things happening. I do enjoy how Sir Gaiman provided everything with a positive conclusion and finish; all questions are answered that you might have, all of the bases are covered.

That being said, I did find myself wishing for a bit more ... Full disclosure, however, that I've been spoilt with having seen the film before reading the novel, and for the most part, things matched up! But what the film changed or expanded on, I have to agree with: more time taken on their journey to interact with others, the final “showdowns” with the villain/s ( no spoilers here, ladies and gentlefolk. ), certain deaths, etc. I think in the ending chapter or so, is where things fell flat for me. It was all a bit too easily resolved? I mean, she's a falling star, and? The conflict just ends? Hm.

Admittedly, after such a magical and engaging adventure, it ending like that ( no spoilers! ) was a bit disappointing. Call me hopeless or optimistic, but I do like happier poignant endings. All that to be said, I still recommend it! Especially if you want a relatively quick read, where you do come to care for the characters and wanting to know what happens to each of them, alongside a fast-paced plot.

Short review: Gaiman is one of my favorite fantasy authors. There are very few authors that can write fairy tales for grown ups and have them not be complete rubbish. Gaiman writes fairy tales that I wish would not end. This is a Farie story. A boy go across the wall into Farie in order to retrieve a fallen star to win the heart of the girl he loves. Nothing goes as he thinks it should, but being a fairy tale, there is a happy ending. I have not seen the movie, so I have no idea how it compares, but the book was great. I listened to the audiobook, Gaiman read it himself, and he is a great narrator! Highly recommend it.

Full review on my blog at http://bookwi.se/stardust-gaiman/