Stardust

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Manufacturer: Neil Gaiman
Brand: Fantasy
Brew: Audiobook
Steeping Time: 2 hours 32 minutes
Tea Service: Personal Choice
Strength:

Synopsis: Young Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria—even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that old stone wall, Tristran learns, lies Faerie—where nothing not even a fallen star, is what he imagined.

Like many, I saw the film Stardust long before I knew it was a book.

The second I realized Stardust was born on the pages first, by Neil Gaiman no less, I needed it. And lucky for me, it was available on Libby as an audiobook right that instant. I had a few options to choose from, and I gravitated toward the BBC’s full-cast dramatization. I’m not sure if this was the right choice in the end, but I must say, it was wonderful to listen to.

The story is brought to life beautifully by the cast of actors. I have no complaints at all about the performances. Every person did a great job of speaking well and clearly, and I had no trouble understanding them. But I sometimes had trouble trying to figure out who was speaking. The best example of this is when the king is on his deathbed and all of the brothers are talking, including the dead ones.

Because they turned it into more of a radio show performance with different actors playing every role, the dialogue tags were largely removed. Since I was already familiar with Stardust, I didn’t have too much of a problem going with the flow, but I couldn’t tell you what brother said or did what because they all blended together for me after the first minute.

It left me feeling like perhaps I hadn’t truly read (or listened) to the book, but it didn’t change how much I enjoyed the story.

Stardust will always hold magic for me. It’s a take on a classic fairy tale, but not the soft and happy versions that we get from Disney. Stardust definitely harkens back to days of dark, twisted tales meant to frighten, full of threats and high stakes around every corner. Not everything is sunshine and roses. Things are bleak at times. But that’s what makes it such a great tale. Wrapped up in all of this mayhem and chaos is a love story for the ages. Amidst all the darkness and danger is a beautiful world at work.

The journey of Tristran and Yvaine captivated me.

From one danger to the next, Stardust follows a quick pace. The multiple storylines of everyone trying to capture Yvaine are blended beautifully, and I found it very easy to follow. I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the pacing immensely. My only complaint is that I wanted more. Perhaps this will be an ongoing theme with me and Neil Gaiman, as the only other book of his I’ve read, The Graveyard Book, left me feeling the same way. I loved it. But I felt like I didn’t get enough.

Maybe that’s a testament to Gaiman’s writing, though. He builds such wonderous worlds, and the time I’m given in them is never enough. Tristran and Yvaine’s mad dash through the wilds of Faerie could have been stretched out hundreds of pages more and I’d have devoured every single one. Their world of magic calls to me, and I’d happily walk amongst the pages forever.

Have you read Stardust? Leave a comment and let me know what you thought about it! Want to read it for yourself? Click here to get a copy of your own. Or listen to BBC Radio 4’s version here.
Cheers,
Lydia