Review: Stardust

Rating: 4 Stars

Stardust by Neil Gaiman follows Tristran Thorn as he sets off on a quest to find a fallen star; and not just a random fallen star, but the one that his beloved Victoria Forester saw falling!

Tristran Thorn, born under strange circumstances, and brought up in the very boring and sleepy English town of Wall, has been in love with Victoria Forester ever since he can remember. Now seventeen, he wants to marry her and make all his dreams come true. Miss Forester, however, is not of the same mind. While out walking with Tristran one night, she sees a falling star, and since Tristran is making foolish promises at the time, she asks him to get her that particular star if he really wants to marry her.

And so it happens that Tristran sets out to locate this star and ventures to the other side of the wall that borders his town. Everyone knows that what lies on the other side is enchanted and magical, hence the need for the wall and the guards protecting the opening in the wall.

As an ardent Neil Gaiman fan, it is superfluous to say that I loved this book. I’m not a fan of fantasy, yet when Gaiman paints his worlds, I see them with my mind’s eye and start believing in these magical lands. Stardust is about another such place, where every character you meet, no matter how minor, is vivid and alive. Yet, Gaiman is not one for much detail. You will not see pages and pages of characteristics and appearances, which is why he appeals to me so much. I just need to know the basics, the rest I can imagine for myself, and I know that my imagination will be different from everyone else’s, and that will make my experience of the book unique to me!

There are many memorable characters in this book, my favourite being the seven sons of the Eighty-first Lord of Stormhold, and the Lilim. With unicorns, talking trees, talking animals, ships that travel on clouds, and the Fellowship of The Castle, this book is typical Neil Gaiman. I loved it, and no I don’t want to watch the movie. Sorry.