Stardust (1999)
Stardust is a 1999 adventure stories book written by Neil Gaiman.
In the village of Wall, a gap in an old stone barrier is the only crossing into the land of Faerie, and it is guarded year-round. To win the heart of a girl who barely notices him, young Tristran Thorn promises to fetch a star they watch fall beyond the wall. On the other side he learns the star is not a lump of rock but a wounded, sharp-tongued young woman, and she is not the only one hunting her. Neil Gaiman writes a grown-up fairy tale of witches, lost princes, and a road that keeps surprising the boy walking it.
Quick answers
What is Stardust about?
In the village of Wall, a gap in an old stone barrier is the only crossing into the land of Faerie, and it is guarded year-round. To win the heart of a girl who barely notices him, young Tristran Thorn promises to fetch a star they watch fall beyond the wall. On the other side he learns the star is not a lump of rock but a wounded, sharp-tongued young woman, and she is not the only one hunting her. Neil Gaiman writes a grown-up fairy tale of witches, lost princes, and a road that keeps surprising the boy walking it.
When was Stardust published?
Stardust was published in 1999.
Who made Stardust?
Stardust was written by Neil Gaiman.
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- Companion guide: The Adaptation Shelf: YA Books on Screen, the Triumphs and the Trainwrecks
A few thoughts on Stardust
The Princess Bride is the natural companion, a romantic adventure that winks while it swoons. Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle shares the whimsy, the wandering, and the falling-in-love mid-quest. And the 2007 film adaptation brings Wall and Faerie to the screen with the same mischief and heart.
A whimsical grown-up fairy tale where the road keeps surprising the hero
Tristran Thorn's quest for a fallen star turns into a road full of witches and surprises, told with Neil Gaiman's tongue firmly in cheek. The Princess Bride treats its own fairy tale with that same warm wit, Howl's Moving Castle wanders through an equally strange, tender world, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt sends its hero down roads just as unpredictable, and Avatar: The Last Airbender shares that same fantastical spirit.