Fairytale for adults (Stardust - Neil Gaiman)

Member Name: AbsintheFairy

Product:	Stardust - Neil Gaiman
Date:	25/05/09 (10 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Exciting story, unexpected twists, great style

Disadvantages: Anticlimactic when compared to the film

I've wanted to read Stardust ever since I went to see the film at the cinema, and finally got around to it the other day. Make no mistake, the book is very different from the film. There is sex and death, blood and violence. This is a fairytale for adults.

After watching the film, the book's ending might seem a little anticlimactic, but it makes for a more thoughtful tale. The villains in the book are much less one-dimensional than in the film, and you end up feeling pity rather than glee at their downfall. The book ends on rather a note of melancholy, which after the excitement and adventure of the previous events makes even more of a contrast.

The language is rich and evocative, and really brings out the otherworldliness of Faerie.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. In some ways it bears resemblances and parallels to fairytales of old; in others it adds original twists and new ideas. Whether you've seen the film or not (and I recommend you do, it's great), this is a really good read.

Summary: A really good fantasy read