Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Stardust  By  cover art

Stardust

By: Neil Gaiman
Narrated by: Aisling Loftus,Alex Macqueen,Blake Ritson,Bryan Dick,Charlotte Riley,Frances Barber,full cast
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.33

Buy for $20.33

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Matthew Beard and Sophie Rundle star in a brand-new BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of the best-selling novel by Neil Gaiman, narrated by Eleanor Bron.

Challenged to retrieve a fallen star, Tristran Thorn leaves the sleepy English village of Wall and crosses into the land of Faerie and the realm of Stormhold. Locating the star, he discovers it is no meteorite but a young woman, Yvaine.

When Yvaine evades him and escapes, Tristran discovers he is not the only one in pursuit of the star: there are dark forces in this magical land, and he must find Yvaine before she falls into their clutches. As he does so, Tristran will uncover the secret to his own identity and a fate beyond his wildest dreams.

Directed by Dirk Maggs and Heather Larmour, and featuring over 35 minutes of unbroadcast material, this stunning new dramatisation boasts an extensive cast including Frances Barber, Maggie Steed, Nicholas Boulton, Blake Ritson, Bryan Dick, Charlotte Riley, Aisling Loftus, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Alex Macqueen, Matthew Beard and Sophie Rundle. There are also cameo appearances by Tori Amos and Neil Gaiman. Duration: 2 hours 30 mins approx.

©2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Discover The Sandman Series
and More From Neil Gaiman

What listeners say about Stardust

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    582
  • 4 Stars
    97
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    571
  • 4 Stars
    53
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    511
  • 4 Stars
    93
  • 3 Stars
    25
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another Brilliant Realization

It is, admittedly, hard to produce a bad show when you are faithful to great source material. And the source material is great. But so to is this production. The voice actors are wonderful at bringing their parts to life. The sound effects and the like are great. One can almost smell the marketplace. The producers had the sense to stay true to the source material and the result is a true winner. The only downside of any of these wonderful BBC/Neil Gaiman productions is that they seem to end too quickly.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A Wonderful Adaptation

I love Neil Gaiman's works with all of my heart. And in this heart, a special place is there for Stardust. I've read the novel, the graphic novel, watched the movie, and have now listened to the audio performance. It was simply marvelous. I wish the sky pirates had gotten more attention but I can overlook that easily. And thanks to the narrator (one of my favorite performances) the subtle details that made reading this story so enchanting were also there. Specifically, my favorite line in the whole book made it which featured an unlucky mouse on the search for the Nut of Wisdom. Gaiman's most fanciful tale found a fantastic place to land... Or crash rather. And if you're a fan of mature fairy tales, intelligent prose, and stunning full cast productions, then buy this now. If you're already a fan of Gaiman and especially of Stardust, I don't need to tell you that. You already own it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A wonderful adaptation

Given its run time of 2.5 hours, I was a bit apprehensive. Stardust is one of my favourite stories, and I wondered what they'd cut out in order to make it a sensible radio play.

But it was exceptionally well done. All the key scenes were kept in (including that ending), and the story is told in such a way that it felt whole and well paced.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Shimmer and Shine

Stardust is a charming and brief respite for all the epic fantasy series and doorstoppers crowding the genre. Like the book it is based on, this adaptation kind of sneaks up on you in a delightful way. All the best parts from the novel are here, and the elegant pace with which Gaiman and Maggs frolic through the story cause it to get stuck in my head like a fever dream of faerie that continues to haunt me years later.

I loved the adaptations Dirk Maggs has done of Gaiman's Neverwhere and How the Marquis Got His Coat Back, so I expect good things from him. And he delivers again here, assembling a delightful cast (more on them soon) and adapting the story effortlessly. My only qualm is that I found the opening somewhat needlessly wandering (unlike the book).

The cast here doesn't carry the star power of the Neverwhere adaptations, but since there's already been a big screen feature of Stardust, I feel like this lesser known cast is a nice match for the material. Sure, there are kings and witches and magic and unicorns, but at its heart Stardust is a quiet and brief fantasy adventure -- something we don't see a lot these days when it comes to classic or epic fantasy. This cast compliments the story pretty near perfect.

If you're a fan of the book or movie, this is a fun way to revisit this little story -- it's a quick one, but it might hang with you long after its over.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully narrated!

I didn’t expect this audiobook to be so beautiful and entertaining!

There is violence and murder in this story, so listener discretion advised.

Tristan was such a lovely character and the narrators went above and beyond with their acting abilities. This audiobook is the best one I’ve listened to so far! This story contains magic, mystery, and love, so I know it’s not for everyone. The author did an amazing job writing this book, but the narrators really brought the story to life. I absolutely loved it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

An absolute beautiful story and the performance is incredible. The voicing and production is exactly what I hear in my head when I read this.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Star-studded topaz beauty.

This full cast production simplifies the edges of the story, & is ultimately satisfying in the ending scene they kept from the book. Incredibly poignant & beautiful, a little sad. But that is how life is. You live for the small joys in between. I enjoyed this book throughly.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

brought to life!

So much better than the video version, enthralling and beautifully crafted, I didn't want it to end. Sigh, on to more Gaiman!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another hit from Gianna

Fantastically written and the voice acting was beyond!! It swept me away into the land of fairy for two fantastic hours

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Beautiful and Bittersweet Tale.

I loved the story. It made me feel nostalgic. The cast was really phenomenal. Neil Gaiman knows how to make you feel hopeful and terrified at the same time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!