Stardust Isn’t Your Average Fairy Tale
By Neil Gaiman
William Morrow 30.00 283 pages
The idea for Stardust came to author Neil Gaiman when he saw a falling star and wondered what would happen if it actually landed on earth. Just like that Stardust was born. It tells the story of Tristran Thorn, the half-fairy child of a humble farmer in the town of Wall. One night, Tristran sees a star fall, and vows to the woman of his dreams he will bring it back for her. He crosses into Fairy to bring the star back, but when the star turns out to be a woman named Yvaine, everything changes. Soon the two are being chased by evil witches and treacherous brothers. They are offered help along the way, but everything is not as it appears.
Finding excellence in Neil Gaiman’s writing is no challenge. With works like Sandman, American Gods, Anansi Boys, Coraline, and dozens of short stories, Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller. Stardust is no exception. The most significant, positive aspect of Stardust is the way characters develop. Tristran begins the story as a heart-sick, one-track minded kid. Slowly, as he accepts help from others and learns about himself, he develops into a man. The changes are so gradual in all the characters the reader feels they are growing right along with them.
There are no problems with this book. From the superb writing inside, to the beautiful binding outside, Stardust is great. Some readers, who are reading this book after having first seen the movie version, will find some major differences. The changes don’t affect either one, but some readers may get frustrated.
The 15th anniversary of Stardust is a beautiful edition of a fantastic book. Whether a long-time lover of Neil Gaiman, or just starting out with his books, Stardust is an excellent to anyone’s library.
Reviewed By Andrew Keyser
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