stardust

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.

Rating:
Summary: Modern Fairy Tale Told By One Of Our Best
Review: This is the story of a man who is searching for a fallen star so he can deliver it to his 'true love'. This is an fun tale. Gaiman has such a unique voice, I guess it is one of those things that you reckognize and become attached to--like Stephen King's works.

There are various adventures working their way into the plot--they are all on a collision course, creating anxiety and a buisy climax. I really enjoyed it, and if you like any other work from Mr. Gaiman or the genre then pick it up and read.

Rating:
Summary: Fairy Tale for Grown-ups
Review: I loved reading fairy tales when I was a child, and I love reading them to my child now. Harry Potter is the closest I've found to a fairy tale that grown-ups will enjoy, but with this book (and others by this author) I've found a delicious fairy tale for the hungry adult reader.

This truly is a fairy tale for grown-ups. It begins, "There was once a young man who wished to gain his Heart's Desire. And while that is, as beginnings go, not entirely novel (for every tale about every young man there ever was or will be could start in a similar manner) there was much about this young man and what happened to him that was unusual, although even he never knew the whole tale of it."

There's a bit more to the story than that, and it isn't quite as simple as we're led to believe. Young Tristan Thorn from the village of Wall sets out with a mission and a certain amount of mystery about himself (that we're let into early on, if we pay just the slightest bit of attention).

Like Gaiman's hero in Neverwhere, Tristan is a good-hearted young man with the best of intentions. He promises to leave the village of Wall, where he has lived his whole life, to bring back a fallen star for the woman he loves -- in exchange, she will grant whatever he wants (which is, of course, marriage as he is a charming Prince type guy, the kind you find in fairy tales.)

What seems a somewhat simple adventure twists and turns into much more. Medevial times, fairies, unicorns, the moon, bad people (male and female) lead our hero on an exciting adventure and in the end he gets what he doesn't even know he wants.

This is a gentle fairy tale for adults by an excellent storyteller.

Rating:
Summary: a pretty fairy tale
Review: This book begins with the story of Dunstan Thorn, but it's really the story of his son, Tristan. Tristan is only half human, but he doesn't know that. His mother comes from beyond the Wall, and Dunstan could've loved her and chose instead to live a more normal life in the town of Wall. Tristan knows only that Victoria Forester is the most beautiful girl in the world. Although it's fairly obvious Victoria isn't interested in him, he believes that he will win her hand in marriage if he brings her the star they saw fall. In order to find it, he has to go beyond the Wall (something no one in his town has ever done). During his journey he meets many strange and often frightening beings and discovers that the star isn't quite what he thought it was.

This story has a lovely fairy tale feel, which I mostly enjoyed. However, because it was written so that it feels like a fairy tale, it has some of the same sort of drawbacks a fairy tale has. None of the characters are ever really developed that well. You get to know the characers just well enough that you can come to like them and maybe even care about what happens to them, but they don't feel as three-dimensional as I know Neil Gaiman could make them. Although that occasionally irked me, I found myself getting caught up enough in the story that, for the most part, I didn't care. Tristan was an idiot who managed to grow up as the story progressed, and I loved the star. The romance was a bit weak, but it didn't show up out of the blue. Although a lot of the story was predictable, Gaiman kept it interesting with a strange assortment of beings. The way he tied everything together was wonderful (although it almost felt TOO clever and nearly...cute - especially his solution to "a week when two Mondays come together").

Rating:
Summary: Catch a falling star
Review: I have heard of Neil Gayman through the 'Sandman' comics (seems the wrong word- let's call them 'graphic novels') although I have never read any - but I may do in the near future after reading 'Stardust'.

Tristan Thorn, of dubious parentage, enchanted by his love of Victoria makes a rash vow to recover a falling star in order to gain her hand; she in return makes a rash promise to marry him, if he should ever return with the prize from beyond The Wall (unlikely, she thinks).
Then follows pure fairy-tale, intricately woven and told in a flowing, familiar style that just keeps you flowing along with it.

It has witches, unicorns, magic, dark burrowing beings and light airy things, all wrapped up in unexpected twists and turns - and of course it all turns out happily ever after, as all the best fairy stories do.

I would be doing the future reader a disservice by revealing any more of the details; suffice to say that this is one of the most enchanting adult fairy stories that it has been my pleasure to read - on a par with 'The Hounds of the Morrigan'. I look forward to reading more of Mr.Gaiman's work.

...I have recently become more strict with my 'star' allocation. It seems logical that ***** should be reserved for those excepional, out-of-the-ordinary pieces of work - this gets those 5 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Stardust
Review: There's an unexplainable magick about this book. Almost as if stardust was in it's pages. This is one of the very few books that has actually taken me completely away from reality. I had no concept of time or of the goings on around me while reading this book. Humorous, adventurous, romantic, and magickal. A classic that must be recognized. Gaiman is a master storyteller.

Rating:
Summary: This Book is the Different Drum
Review: Stardust is a very different kind of fairy tale. It can be light and happy at times, but it really is a surprisingly dark and adult tale.

This book should be looked over before giving it or reading it to your children.

That said, this book is very original. It is well crafted and flows nicely. There are many unexpected surprises, and nothing seems familiar or remotely jaded. The story is about a young man whose life seems a bit dull. The only thing that happens that is remotely exciting in his town of Wall is a fair. The townspeople aren't even allowed to go out of the wall by their town (this is their town's namesake) ever except to see the fair, which is like a giant bazaar. Sound dull?

Well, it's not. The main character's life is soon turned upside down by his deciding to make a journey--a decision prompted by a strange twist of events in another world-- to outside the wall. Let the adventure begin! He journeys into a wonderful world where the rules are quite different from the life he previously knew. He meets all sorts of creatures whose significance is clear later, adding to the twisted, but not too complicated, plot. The characters he meets are oddball and colorful. The plot is intriguing. There is even romance which is real, believable, and endearing. It is a delightful read, though it can be a bit depressing at times.

This colorful book is certainly fascinating and satisfying, with a storyline that seems to ramble but all comes very neatly into place in its own time. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: A fresh approach to a classic genre
Review: Don't miss this one. Gaiman's writing effectively captures the style of the time covered, with great wordplay, humor and heart. It's a short, decidedly adult fairy tale, with rich, earthy characters and a plot that splits and turns and only gets better as it rolls along. The myriad ends are tied into a nice, tight bow by the final pages. Great stuff.

Rating:
Summary: Splendid!
Review: Stardust was my introduction to Neil Gaiman. Simply put, it is a beautiful and sad little book. If you ever want a quick read that will give the satisfaction of time well spent, here it is; you will not be disappointed.