Stardust by Neil Gaiman Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Stardust
Book Review: Be careful what you wish for...
Summary: 3 Stars
I have never been big on reading love stories, but how can you pass up an opportunity to read a love story deemed as one in a life time?
Well, now that I read Stardust, I sort of feel like I could have waited a life time to read it.
Don't get me wrong, Stardust offers some wonderful descriptions and imagery of the very enticing journey through Faerie; but, the reason I picked up the book was not to journey through Faerie, but to journey through the growing love of Tristran and Yvaine.
They spend so much time away from each other that when they finally confess their love, it seems awkward and hardly believable even in a world with fairies, witches, and hairy little men! No offense, but who starts talking about having children even before you have your first kiss? Creepy....Even when they are together Yvaine is either sleeping, or Tristran is finding food. The only dialogue we get between them is when they were stuck in a cloud. It was rather unforuntate.
I feel as if the book spent the whole time discussing everyone else in Faerie, but Tristran and Yvaine.
There were a lot of characters and fascinating ones too, but they were never fully written to develop their on page character. Gaiman should have completely left out the lilim and focused his attention on Primus and Septimus. Knowing Spetimus' character he would have cut out Yvaine's heart if he knew she was a star, so either way, she was definitely in danger.
However, the ones Gaiman did focus on had some strange character shifts too (of course, in my opinion). For example, Lady Una was intoxicating at the beginning of the book. She portrayed the fairytale temptress, but pure at the same time, if that makes any sense. By the end of the book, she was just plain annoying. It didn't seem like the same "Una."
Even Mr. Tristan Thorn was disappointing. Throughout the book, I can't recount how many times he mentioned how he looked forward to returning to Wall to become a farm boy, but when he finally learns who he is, which he even claims is "liberating" and "exhilarating" he doesn't want to honor his "responsibilities." Strange.
I saw the movie too, and I'm not one to say movies are ever better than their "makers," but I believe that the movie STARDUST exceeds the book. A word of advice for those who wish to read the book after seeing the movie, "be careful what you wish for."
Book Review: Beautiful story for all ages
Summary: 5 Stars
I enjoy reading fantasy books, but I'm careful in selecting them since I don't like those that are too juvenile. My fears were completely unfounded with "Stardust" as this is a beautiful story that "works" on many levels and is suitable for all ages. I was drawn to the characters, most of who have both redeeming and unpleasant qualities that make them believable.
I have the paperback version which is very portable but I now wish I had bought the hardback since this is a book I'd like to keep and pass down to others.
Book Review: Cat Club review: [...]
Summary: 3 Stars
Disclaimer: The following review is written in reguards to younger fans, parents of younger fans, or people of traditonal morality who might wish to read the book in order to point out some possible concerns in a book which otherwise appeals to both children and adults.
There are some books you'd love to whole-heartedly recommend but, because of some unfortunate fact or other, can't. Sometimes you can do so with a disclaimer ("One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is a great book but it has a lot of swearing."). Others the bad outweighs the good so while even though you want to tell everyone you know about the funny or clever or beautiful parts you feel you shouldn't. Unfortunately Neil Gaiman's Stardust is one such book.
Stardust is the story of a likeable young man in love with a beautiful, disinterested young woman. He travels into the fairy lands in search of a falling star for her. However, many others would like this star (or at least a piece of her), so when Tristran finds the star to be pursued and also very much alive, all havoc breaks loose until the ends are all cleverly tied together and a not altogether unexpected but still deeply satisfying happily ever after is achieved.
Neil Gaiman presents a beautiful but gritty fairy world which I would recommend heartily except for two scenes which are inserted it seems just to drive the book to an R rating. Both are necessary for plot but handled much too much to be easily read over. In other words, you don't come away unsullied. I suppose I could just make note of the three pages to skip . . . but then wouldn't it be easier just to buy a book that wouldn't require such holes?
Book Review: Cliched, cliched, cliched
Summary: 2 Stars
*Mild spoilers alert*
One of the things I always say about this book is that it is the most extraordinarily okay book I have ever read. It isn't bad, but it isn't particularly good, either. It is just completely and sincerely okay.
The fact of the matter is, the only thing that keeps it out of the bad category is Gaiman's talent. The author does have a way with words, and develops some amazing imagery. That being said, the story itself is cliched and predictable. From the very moment I read "Tristran Thorn, Tristran Thorn, soon to meet his true love's scorn," the story was over for me. And of course Tristran then met a girl who scorns him. The "obstacles" Tristran and Yvaine face are obstacles that they are obviously going to overcome and simply leave the reader bored rather than interested to read more.
The truly frustrating part was that there were tantalizing glimpses of true talent and innovation, that I desperately wished Gaiman had developed (such as the sky pirates) but they were gone as quickly as they had come and the story was back to another "adult fairy tale" cliche.
Gaiman is clearly a talented man, but Stardust does not leave me wanting to read anything more by him. If I could predict the end of this one almost from the beginning (this one, that everyone seems to love and that was made into a movie) why should I bother reading another?
Book Review: Could have been a great YA book
Summary: 4 Stars
This was a fun, quick read with a pretty original story. If he hadn't have put the sex scene and some of the gore in, though, it would have been a perfect YA book. I'm not one to tell someone how to write, but between the stuff that made this book clearly an "adult" book, it read exactly like a young adult book.