A review by annasbookjournal
Stardust by Neil Gaiman

adventurous funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

 After watching the movie, I was really excited to read the book (the movie was one of the most comforting and wholesome films I’ve ever watched). 
 
There were definitely some comforting bits (the hairy man helping Tristran for a long time, just because Dunstan helped him once many years ago, the captain of the ship giving them a hand unprompted). However, I didn’t remember this many gory details in the movie (maybe it’s been too long?). I read that Neil Gaiman purposefully kept them in so that people knew that this wasn’t a fairytale for children - it was a fairytale for adults! 
 
What I liked most about the book was the fact that, because of the way that Neil Gaiman writes, there seems to be inside jokes between the narrator and the reader. Something that only we know throughout the story. 
 
But the thing that made this book lose a whole star in the rating was the subtle, bad representation of women that I felt. All of the female characters were either there to be pretty and be the object of desire of a man, or if they were smart they were always an enemy (like the witch, who at one point is called “the bitch”). Even Yvaine, who is supposed to be the main female character, does not do anything to move the plot; it’s just Tristran who’s doing actions that make the plot go a certain way. 

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