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desiree930 's review for:
Stardust
by Neil Gaiman
I thought for sure this was going to be a five-star read when I first started this book. This is my first Neil Gaiman book. I’ve seen and loved the movie based on this book, and I almost always prefer the book, no matter which I experience first.
This is one of the few occasions I can say that I preferred the movie to the book.
What I liked:
1. I listened to this on audiobook, which I feel like is the best way to experience this book. It’s narrated by Neil Gaiman himself, and I love the lyrical style of his narration. His inflection and emotion comes through, and that kept me involved in the story, even when I had issues with the pacing and the plot.
2. This book led to one of my favorite movies. I absolutely love the film.
What I didn’t like:
1. The pacing was off for me. I was expecting since this was a fairly short audiobook that it would be fast-paced and fun, like the movie. But I found myself really getting bored at certain points. Wonderful narration can only go so far.
2. The characters/relationships aren’t well-developed. This is not only true of the minor characters, but also Yvaine and Tristran. I didn’t see any sort of romantic chemistry between these two at all. The section where I’m assuming they fall in love is glossed over in a couple of chapters. It felt very lukewarm and anti-climactic.
3. The ending. The way this book ended was so anti-climactic for me. There isn’t really any kind of showdown with the witch. She just accepts that Yvaine ‘gave her heart’ to Tristran and that’s it. After all she did and all the people she hurt to try to get it, she just gives up? Doesn’t make a lot of sense. It just felt very rushed.
4. Huge jumps in time. Tristran and Yvaine get stuck in the clouds and rescued by sky pirates. And months later they return to the ground. Their time on the ship is condensed to about five pages, of that. I hate to keep comparing this book to the movie, but that subplot with the pirates is one of my favorite parts of the movie and it’s almost non-existent here.
I think it’s safe to say I was disappointed in this book. Luckily, because it’s so different from the movie, I don’t think it’ll spoil my enjoyment of the movie itself. In fact, it may be time for a rewatch.
This is one of the few occasions I can say that I preferred the movie to the book.
What I liked:
1. I listened to this on audiobook, which I feel like is the best way to experience this book. It’s narrated by Neil Gaiman himself, and I love the lyrical style of his narration. His inflection and emotion comes through, and that kept me involved in the story, even when I had issues with the pacing and the plot.
2. This book led to one of my favorite movies. I absolutely love the film.
What I didn’t like:
1. The pacing was off for me. I was expecting since this was a fairly short audiobook that it would be fast-paced and fun, like the movie. But I found myself really getting bored at certain points. Wonderful narration can only go so far.
2. The characters/relationships aren’t well-developed. This is not only true of the minor characters, but also Yvaine and Tristran. I didn’t see any sort of romantic chemistry between these two at all. The section where I’m assuming they fall in love is glossed over in a couple of chapters. It felt very lukewarm and anti-climactic.
3. The ending. The way this book ended was so anti-climactic for me. There isn’t really any kind of showdown with the witch. She just accepts that Yvaine ‘gave her heart’ to Tristran and that’s it. After all she did and all the people she hurt to try to get it, she just gives up? Doesn’t make a lot of sense. It just felt very rushed.
4. Huge jumps in time. Tristran and Yvaine get stuck in the clouds and rescued by sky pirates. And months later they return to the ground. Their time on the ship is condensed to about five pages, of that. I hate to keep comparing this book to the movie, but that subplot with the pirates is one of my favorite parts of the movie and it’s almost non-existent here.
I think it’s safe to say I was disappointed in this book. Luckily, because it’s so different from the movie, I don’t think it’ll spoil my enjoyment of the movie itself. In fact, it may be time for a rewatch.