Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Stardust was written by Neil Gaiman in 2005. The author is known for having written several fantasy novels and children's books, namely Coraline, which was made into a movie in 2009. This year he also wrote the manuscript for "Nightmare in Silver"; an episode of Doctor Who in which the goal was to bring back the horror of Cybermen. Knowing this about Gaiman, I was looking forward to reading the novel. However only having read Coraline at this point, and not exactly gotten impressed by it, I had my doubts. I tried to keep in mind that Coraline was written as a children's book, though, and gave the author a clean slate when opening Stardust for the first time.

The story takes place "in the sleepy English countryside at the dawn of the Victorian era." This setting is definitely different from many other fantasy books; typically fantasy novels are set in the medieval age, often in an entirely different universe. The effect of this is an introduction that makes you stay and want to learn more about the place where the story is set. The protagonist, Tristran Thorn, leaves his hometown, Wall, to catch a fallen "to gain his Heart's Desire." To do this, he will have to walk deep into the Faerie; a mysterious land full of magic and strange beings. As he continues his journey he finds out that he is not the only one who wants the star; he also finds out more about his own past.

The novel is never boring; with 200 pages in length, Gaiman is able to keep up the pace. The novel is also filled with beautiful descriptions of Faerie, making for an interesting read. Though the novel describes witches and unicorns, it has been done in a very unorthodox manner, not making me feel like I have read it all before. The novel is also full of surprises, which makes me want to continue reading when I reach the end of every chapter.


I give this beautiful novel 4/5. The narrative was perfect, and the characters were original, but the plot was far from perfect. Except for at the end, the plot will sometimes feel a bit cliché.
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, though!

- Charlie.