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  • Stardust

  • By: Neil Gaiman
  • Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
  • Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (11,323 ratings)

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Stardust

By: Neil Gaiman
Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
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Editorial reviews

Why we think it's Essential: How nice that Neil Gaiman writes fairytales for adults. And how lucky for us that he tells the story in his own cackling, drawling, hissing, and murmuring voices. My commute, exercise regimen, and 21st century urban existence vanished as I was drawn into Gaiman's story of quest, romance, murder, and adventure. This is not Mother Goose - this is a wondrous world of magic glass, witches, ogres, and unicorns that I didn't want to leave. ? Beth Anderson

Publisher's summary

In the sleepy English countryside of decades past, there is a town that has stood on a jut of granite for 600 years. And immediately to the east stands a high stone wall, for which the village is named. Here in the town of Wall, Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester. One crisp October night, as they watch, a star falls from the sky, and Victoria promises to marry Tristran if he'll retrieve the star and bring it back for her. It is this promise that sends Tristran through the only gap in the wall, across the meadow, and into the most unforgettable adventure of his life.
Fantasy fan? Don't miss more from Neil Gaiman.
©1999 Neil Gaiman (P)2006 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Eminently readable, a charming piece of work." (Washington Post)
"An original and well-written fairy tale....This is a refreshingly creative story with appealing characters." (Library Journal)
"The resolution is satisfying and complex, proving that there is more to fairy tales than 'happily ever after'." (School Library Journal)

Featured Article: Dream Big—Meet the All-Star Cast of The Sandman: Act II


Immerse yourself in the world of The Sandman right now with an unforgettable audio experience. The star power alone is worth the price of admission—the cumulative amount of awards that have been won by the cast over the course of their careers is simply staggering. The cast features some of the most talented and esteemed actors working today. So let's dive right into the who's who of The Sandman: Act II.

Discover The Sandman Series
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What listeners say about Stardust

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    8,124
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Story
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  • 3 Stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

great book

Enchanting story and I enjoyed it. I haven't really gotten into a fairy tale since I was a kid and hardly knew they had any for adults. I'm new to reading but this was a great book although I could live without a couple scenes which were somewhat obscene to me. I first got interested in the book when I heard they were making a movie out of it and I chose to read the book before the movie came out.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Delightful

Read by author Neil Gaiman, Stardust is poetry in prose. It is fairy tale full of literary and historical reference, sly wit and sparring dialog. Parents might want to know there is one short, tenderly described sexual scene at 41 min. This scene could be fast forwarded over for parents who want to share this amazing story with their younger kids.

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2 people found this helpful

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

Gaiman writes the best adult fairytales!

This really is a fairytale, but not a children's story. The content is definately for adults. But in the best sense of the idea, it is a story that is magical and revealing of the desires that most of us have to be more. Very enjoyable.

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2 people found this helpful

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

Just Great

For the most part I won't touch a book that's narrated but its author. Gaiman is the rare exception, he's just disappears into his role as narrator. Tonally he's exactly right for the book.

This is Gaiman in minor key, much smaller and less serious than something like American Gods or even Sandman. It's actually the style I like him best. Here he's creating a new fairy tale, or maybe synthesizing extant fairy tale elements into something new. It's a very simple story: in a fit of romantic pique a boy promises to retrieve a shooting star for the girl he's got a crush on. That promise takes him on a adventure he could have scarcely imagined.

Outlined like that it doesn't sound like the most original thing in the world, but it's just utterly charming. Evokative of every fairy tale you ever loved as a child, it's thrilling and triumphant, and sad and just utterly perfect. It even manages to take a few surprising turns along the way.

I've listened to this a few times and it never fails to delight me.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Neil Gaiman never fails!

Like the other reviews state, this is a fairy tale for adults, and a darn good one too! I usually avoid books narrated by their authors but Gaiman is one of a few (I can count them on one hand) authors whom I enjoy listening to. This was my first title by him and I groaned when I saw that he was narrating it (I have been burned by author narrations before!) but now I cant really imagine anyone else narrating it. He just does such a great job! The story is well thought out, you get a bit of everything-romance, adventure, magic, humor, etc, and all the characters are well developed. Its a pretty short listen, but packs a good punch. Add me to the Neil Gaiman fan club!

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1 person found this helpful

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

love Neil Gaiman!

I love listening to Neil Gaiman read his own stories, they are fun and different.

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

an adult fairy tale

The author narrates the story. He does a good job. It's great to hear how the author intends it to sound.

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

Excellent

This is a truly unique "adult fairy tale," and the story was superb. I'm sure going to be listening to this book more times.

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

stick with it

stick with it it pays off in the end. it is short after all. ok

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

a fun listen

perfect for a long car ride! a happy adventurous tale to make me feel like a kid again

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