Scan barcode
khylababyla's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I endlessly love Niel Gaimens work and this one was definitely not a disappointment.
A quick and sweet fairy tale where a seemingly plain young man embarks on a fantastical journey through the magical Fae Lands.
Self-discovery and what is one's true purpose are major themes of the book.
A quick and sweet fairy tale where a seemingly plain young man embarks on a fantastical journey through the magical Fae Lands.
Self-discovery and what is one's true purpose are major themes of the book.
danijoy's review against another edition
4.0
This is such a quaint, beautiful piece of storytelling. I can imagine reading this book to my future children as I tuck them into bed. I did, however, find that it took me a bit to get into the story. As an adult reading the book for the first time, I found the decisions and actions of the characters to be nonsensical. But by the latter half and especially the final chapters of the book, I realized what this story is (from my perspective): a telling of what it’s like to transition from adolescence to adulthood (with a bit of magic thrown in).
eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
If there were a competition of all the ridiculous reasons to go on quests, Tristran Thorn would get at least a consolation prize.
We start the book by finding out how Tristran was born (shady shit was done to his father). He lives in the town of Wall, which, every nine years, has a market with faeries and, therefore, has a doorway to the land of faerie.
When Tristran turns seventeen, he fancies himself in love with a girl named Victoria. And one evening, as he's making all these dumb promises of things he can get her from all over the world if she'd kiss him, a star falls from the sky. Victoria mockingly says that she wants him to get her that specific star. And there starts a ridiculous journey through the unknown (to Tristran) lands of faerie to find and bring back the fallen star.
And... while I don't appreciate Tristran pestering a girl who's clearly not interested, it's a unique idea for sure. And the journey itself is a lot of fun. Though Tristran's part of the story was the least interesting to me because I just don't like Tristran. He can be selfish, stupid and kinda boring, and even imagining him as Charlie Cox (y'all should watch Daredevil) didn't help. By the way, I haven't watched the movie yet, but I plan to.
Thankfully, Tristran's not all that the book has to offer. There are several side stories, all featuring people looking for the star for various reasons, and they're all very interesting. I especially loved the ones about the seven brothers. I loved seeing the paths of these characters cross, and how seamlessly Gaiman intertwined the different stories and transitioned between them.
Then there's the star who is quite unhappy about being kidnapped by a moron, but I liked her, along with several other people we briefly met along the way.
The book is also beautifully written with prose that's simple but evokes whimsy and exudes charm. It definitely helped capture the feeling of reading a fairytale. The tone of the book is light, except for a few impaled heads. But you know, you can't really have a fairytale without murder.
Overall, this was a good read. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, but that's mostly because I don't like Tristran. Other than that, I had a lot of fun with the book, and I'd recommend checking it out.
We start the book by finding out how Tristran was born (shady shit was done to his father). He lives in the town of Wall, which, every nine years, has a market with faeries and, therefore, has a doorway to the land of faerie.
When Tristran turns seventeen, he fancies himself in love with a girl named Victoria. And one evening, as he's making all these dumb promises of things he can get her from all over the world if she'd kiss him, a star falls from the sky. Victoria mockingly says that she wants him to get her that specific star. And there starts a ridiculous journey through the unknown (to Tristran) lands of faerie to find and bring back the fallen star.
And... while I don't appreciate Tristran pestering a girl who's clearly not interested, it's a unique idea for sure. And the journey itself is a lot of fun. Though Tristran's part of the story was the least interesting to me because I just don't like Tristran. He can be selfish, stupid and kinda boring, and even imagining him as Charlie Cox (y'all should watch Daredevil) didn't help. By the way, I haven't watched the movie yet, but I plan to.
Thankfully, Tristran's not all that the book has to offer. There are several side stories, all featuring people looking for the star for various reasons, and they're all very interesting. I especially loved the ones about the seven brothers. I loved seeing the paths of these characters cross, and how seamlessly Gaiman intertwined the different stories and transitioned between them.
Then there's the star who is quite unhappy about being kidnapped by a moron, but I liked her, along with several other people we briefly met along the way.
The book is also beautifully written with prose that's simple but evokes whimsy and exudes charm. It definitely helped capture the feeling of reading a fairytale. The tone of the book is light, except for a few impaled heads. But you know, you can't really have a fairytale without murder.
Overall, this was a good read. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, but that's mostly because I don't like Tristran. Other than that, I had a lot of fun with the book, and I'd recommend checking it out.
amanda1793's review against another edition
5.0
I love that this is a "fairytale for grown ups." In fact, I'm glad I read the book this way to experience what Gaiman had wanted readers to experience whilst reading this novel.
Beautifully written, fast paced and enjoyable. I would recommend this for sure!
Beautifully written, fast paced and enjoyable. I would recommend this for sure!
elizabethzepeda's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
bittersweet_symphony's review against another edition
4.0
I must echo the sentiment shared by others that the film is better than the book. Although the film is more engaging as a whole, the novel keeps a few strong elements, particularly the narrator's tone. Gaiman really masters the fairy-tale writing style, and contemporizes is.
Stardust is a charming ride, and hits a solid mythological note, using the gap in the wall as a clear separation between the ordinary world and the extraordinary wherein the hero is changed. Tristan is a hopeless romantic, but endearing character. Yvaine's ironic grounded nature makes her a great complement to his dreamy-eyed antics.
Gaiman gives us an interesting world, but I definitely wanted more. More story. More details. Just more. 300 pages was not sufficient.
It also ended on a smooth, sagging climax. Rather than have all the dangers coalesce at one great point of tension, he tightens up the loose ends is a slow series of rather flat events. The reader is left with a pleasant feeling, but no emotional rush, wondering if they ever really took a journey through Faerie at all.
Gaiman is still a master, in my book.
Stardust is a charming ride, and hits a solid mythological note, using the gap in the wall as a clear separation between the ordinary world and the extraordinary wherein the hero is changed. Tristan is a hopeless romantic, but endearing character. Yvaine's ironic grounded nature makes her a great complement to his dreamy-eyed antics.
Gaiman gives us an interesting world, but I definitely wanted more. More story. More details. Just more. 300 pages was not sufficient.
It also ended on a smooth, sagging climax. Rather than have all the dangers coalesce at one great point of tension, he tightens up the loose ends is a slow series of rather flat events. The reader is left with a pleasant feeling, but no emotional rush, wondering if they ever really took a journey through Faerie at all.
Gaiman is still a master, in my book.
avxri's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
sarah_mitra's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0