Stardust

Rating:
Summary: Short and sweet fairy tale
Review: Like reading a dream. The book flows wonderfully, blending a series of well-known myths, children's tales and YGMFL (your grandmother's folklore) into a very fine story that also reflects upon real life. It is a small book and a quick read, but I've found myself reaching for it and reading a few pages at random since it is so enjoyable; there are very few books in my library that I can say this about - most of my paperbacks I resell or lend out to friend never to see again, but not this one. Also, the shortness does not at all diminish the feeling of a journey and an adventure.

Rating:
Summary: Enchanting Fairy Tale
Review: This is a pleasant story about a lad who lives in a village which is at the border of Faerie. There, the rules are different: magic works, wondrous creatures exist and miracles do happen.

So the lad, on a whim of romance, promises a lass that he will bring back a fallen star which fell into Faerie. Problem is: the star is a living female creature and there are three or four other powerful entities which desire to capture her for their usage.

I could give more details but this would ruin the story. Perhaps I told too much with the star but that's to give you a taste of Gaiman's creativity. Overall, a good read and one worth experiencing.

Rating:
Summary: Charles and Neil, a worthy partnership.
Review: Get the illustrated edition of Stardust; I mean it. You'll regret not glimpsing the soft, feathery (noveau-esque) style of Charles Vess. I recently re-read this and was reminded of how superb it really is. It's his art that enhances the bittersweet charm of Gaiman's enigmatic fairy tale, breathes full life into and solidifies the oddness of the Faerie Realm.

The story is typical Neil, full of characters you're enthusiastic about and entry into a strange nether-world. It's his specialty. Readers of the Sandman series (or any of his other DC Vertigo stuff), novels and short stories/poetry, will get a basic understanding of Gaiman's preferred story structure. While Stardust may not be his most definitive book, it certainly is collection worthy.

Oh, and I really recommend the illustrated Hardcover version of Stardust; it has an attractive inlaid cover and beautiful concept art printed on the inner flaps. If you can find it, it's assuredly worth the cost!

Rating:
Summary: LOVED IT!...
Review: My second Neil Gaiman book did not disappoint. Tristran Thorn goes on a quest to find a fallen star and, boy, is he in for an adventure! Stardust is a fairy tale for adults. That's already, undoubtedly, been said. There is magic, treachery, pathos, witches galore, and all other manner of magical creatures great and small. What I loved about the book was the prose. It went down so smoothly that I read this book in a matter of hours. Now, I'm geeked-up to read AMERICAN GODS.

Rating:
Summary: A witty, clever, fun book
Review: This is a really great book. I would classify it as modern fantasy. The way that Neil Gaiman writes is fun, and never, ever ever boring. The book's protagonist is Tristran Thorn, from the town of Wall. His adventure through the land of Faerie is a wonderful one, although short. You could probably read this book in one or two sessions. It's not the most original story, but what it gives us is like being a kid again, but at the same time still being older. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes adventure and/or comical wit.

Rating:
Summary: It doesn't get better than this!
Review: It's an adult faerie tale, by one of the best writers of this (in my opinion, this or any!) generation. The imagery, as always, is astonishingly good, the characterizations are realistic without bogging you down... Gaiman is just the best there is, my friends. Have at you, you won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: well worth the money
Review: Neil gaiman is the master of telling stories and in his tale of romance and fantasy, he has outdone himself. This book makes you want to run off into the woods, marry a gypsy, and give your life to love. If you like tales of romance mixed with delightful bits of fantasy and imagination, get this book right now.

Rating:
Summary: Miracles & wonders
Review: "Stardust" came in as highly recommended by a friend who is a bookworm, & so I thought it must be great. The characters in Gaiman's story -- men, witches, elves, ghosts, talking trees & a bratty star --- had it been in another book written by another author would have been dark & scary. But Gaiman made this unique combination of characters in a fairy land truly enchanting. Now, not only Dunstan Thorn would benefit from a lifetime of miracles & wonders but the readers as well, who witnessed his & his son's, Tristran, hearts' desire.

Rating:
Summary: I hate to be the downer here...
Review: I really did not get drawn into this graphic novel. Believe me, I really wanted too. I loved both the Sandman series and Neverwhere by Gaiman. I have always enjoyed the illustrations of Charles Vess. Despite this, nothing really drew me to care about the main character in Stardust. There were, admittedly, some great moments. Also a plus were some really cool side characters. As for the plot, don't we all wish we could cross the gate into the land of Fey. And finally, wonderful ending, it almost made up for the shortcomings of the story in and of itself.

Overall, if you are a fan of the genre or Gaiman, this book is probably worth a read. However, there are a lot of other good things out there. For crossing over into magical lands, read the classic Lion, Witch and Wardrobe by C S Lewis or find out of print Joyce Gregorian Ballou books (the first to books in her only trilogy are for younger readers, but, interestingly enough, her last book is very adult). For a darker trip, Neverwhere by Gaiman rocks. Also, urban fantasy master Charles DeLint is another good option. For Graphic Novels, the Sandman series and Elfquest (the original 8) were 2 that I really enjoyed.

Rating:
Summary: Great But Unfulfilled Premise
Review: I love the ideas. A man chasing after a fallen star to claim the heart of his beloved is a great idea, and I really wanted to see it play out more. Unfortunately, the characters are highly wooden and everything seems to tie together much too neatly by the end (and much of it was highly predictable). Also, this Faerie world had wonderful potential for letting the imagination run wild, even if held within the confines of fairy tale type stories. Many of the bits I really enjoyed (like the tongue twister elf who aided him, or the secret castle society) were just not fully explored and exploited to bring a sense of fullness to the work. In comparison to Neverwhere, which seemed rough but very original, this comes off as fairly bland.

Where Gaiman is weakest is in the control of bare bones prose, especially with the dialogue. I can appreciate his desire to hold onto a sense of the fairy tale through simplistic prose, but it only came off to me as highly commercial and not at all artful. Much of it, in fact, reads like a treatment for a graphic novel, and it still needs to rely on strong images to help bring the full magic of the story.

It seems Gaiman's ulitmate purpose is to use the form of the fairy tale to tell us a slightly new type of story. Unfortunately, compared to other writers like Gregory Maguire with _Wicked_ or even himself with the Sandman and his short fiction, this work falls a good bit short.