Customer Rating: Summary: The movie was actually better Comment: I will be honest - this is not Gaiman's best work. Mind you, I am not trashing him. I love his Sandman series, and have several of his novels... American Gods, Neverwhere, Smoke and Mirrors and loved them all, this one was lacking.
I will admit that I watched the movie first before I read the book, but it was startling to see that the movie had wonderful scenes in it that were not here in the book. The pirates, for one. I had been hoping to have a fun scene with them in the book, but they were practically nonexistent.
I was also disappointed with the ending and liked the one in the movie better. I am very glad that these scenes for the movie was added, because if they hadn't, it would have been a less satisfying movie. The book felt rather bland to me, to be honest.
Sorry, Mr. Gaiman. But this isn't your best work. That doesn't mean I will stop reading other books you write, though, because you have written quite a few excellent ones. Customer Rating: Summary: Stardust in my heart Comment: Read this a while ago, and the story is still fresh in my mind Every time I read it, I have such a a great visit to the town of Wall and behind the wall. There is magic in this story. I have yet to find a Neil GAiman book I dislike- and his style is so varied. I actually am a fan of the movie as well, and followed Gaiman's adventures in script writing and movie making from his blog. Customer Rating: Summary: charming fairy tale Comment: I'd started reading this one years ago, then put it down for some reason, and my daughter picked it up. She's nagged me on and off ever since to read it.
Stardust is a fairy tale, with all that implies. There's an impossible quest, true love, things that aren't what they seem, and the triumph of Good and cleverness over Evil.
Tristran Thorn, the product of a human father and, unbeknownst to him, a fairy mother, ventures into Faerie to capture a fallen star and bring it back to win his true love Victoria. He finds the star, which turns out to be in the form of a girl. He encounters a variety of obstacles, including a witch who wants the star's heart to restore her youth and a set of brothers who take sibling rivalry to new heights, who'll stop at nothing to get the jewel the star has with her.
There's really not much more to say. If you liked fairy tales as a child, you'll like Stardust. It's charming and evokes the wonder and excitement of those childhood tales without being condescending or overly sentimental or sweet. Customer Rating: Summary: I don't speak Spanish Comment: I guess I should of read the fine print better. When It arrived and I opened it up, I was disappointed that it was in Spanish, not English. I bought this for my Mother. I had seen the movie, and thought the book would be even better. Learned my lesson the hard way.
Buyer beware. Customer Rating: Summary: Cliched, cliched, cliched Comment: *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?
