Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Publication Date:  February 1, 1998
Publisher:  William Morrow Paperbacks
Pages:  250
Series:  Stand Alone
Genre:  Fantasy
Synopsis:  Hopelessly crossed in love, a boy of half-fairy parentage leaves his mundane Victorian-English village on a quest for a fallen star in the magical realm. The star proves to be an attractive woman with a hot temper, who plunges with our hero into adventures featuring witches, the lion and the unicorn, plotting elf-lords, ships that sail the sky, magical transformations, curses whose effects rebound, binding conditions with hidden loopholes and all the rest.



Review:  I think it is safe to say that 2015 has been the year of Neil Gaiman, and to conclude such a spectacular year of reading, I finished with none other than Stardust.

As with every single Gaiman novel, Stardust captures magic and creativity on page.  It is reminiscent of classic fairy tales in its style of writing, and just as whimsical.  It is, without a doubt, a genuine fairy tale for adults.

She says nothing at all, but simply stares upward into the dark sky and watches, with sad eyes, the slow dance of the infinite stars. 

However, even more true to the fairy tales you grew up with, this novel is just as one-dimensional and lacking in depth as a traditional Grimm's or Hans Christian Anderson story.  It is an utterly believable and tangible world of fairies and magic and fallen stars, but none of it is explored to the extent it could have been.

Adventures are all very well in their place, but there's a lot to be said for regular meals and freedom from pain.

The plot progresses at a languid pace at times, and at others events transpire in a flash. This is not a complaint, however, since I felt each fit the current situations quite well. The few individual story lines advance in their own, but all interconnect on the main adventure throughout the course of the novel in increasingly clever ways, as is the trademark of a Gaiman novel. 

Have been unavoidably detained by the world. Expect us when you see us.

The characters I found to range from curious to one-dimensional, the latter unfortunately lying with the main character, Tristan Thorn.  A silly boy on a silly quest who encounters stranger and far more intriguing creatures along the way.  This includes the fallen star herself, a peculiar little hairy man, and the other protagonists:  three brothers claiming their right to rule, a dark witch with an even darker goal, and even a unicorn and sky pirates.   

Stardust is infused with the whimsy and character of a classic fairy tale, but is exponentially more enjoyable and filled with twists and turns that reflect the skills I have come to expect from Neil Gaiman.  All I can say is, although it is clearly one of Gaiman's earlier works, it is worth reading.