Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

My Rating: ★★★★

Tristran Thorn lives in Wall, which is a small town where he’s lived his life as the odd one out. He doesn’t mind since it’s all he’s ever known. One day, Tristran works up the nerve to ask the woman of his dreams to marry him. This young lady is not interested in him, but she does jokingly take him up on his offer to marry him if he brings her back the star they watched fall from the sky. It is this moment that sends him on the journey he was destined to take past the stone wall into a land full of magic in wonder. It is here where he discovers himself and falls in love with a fallen star.

I saw the movie adaptation for the first time not long ago. One of my friends told me that it’s based on a book and I knew I had to check it out. I absolutely loved it! It’s rare for me to like a movie adaptation more than the book it’s based on, but the book is just as lovely but somehow just a smidge less magical. That said, the book does contain different magical elements that was fun to read as Tristran traveled. It’s also a little darker than the movie, which is pretty interesting but not surprising since it is a Neil Gaiman story.

I loved following Tristran on his journey and watch him grow as a person. He starts out as a stubborn but caring young man who is blinded by what he desires, which is how he ends up taking off to find a fallen star. By the end, he is a solid man whose eyes have been opened about the world as well as who he is and how his actions can impact others. I also loved Yvaine, the fallen star, who is outspoken, kind, funny, and an all-around delightful character. She’s also different from her movie counterpart because she’s a lot worldlier and is aware of what being knocked out of the sky means.

It was also interesting seeing all the magical creatures and elements once Tristran left Wall. There were magical animals, many different mystical beings, and of course, witches. Tristran himself is a mystical being, so it was fun to see him come into his own and unknowingly embrace parts of himself that he didn’t know existed. All in all, it’s a wonderful book and I highly recommend checking it out.