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New York Times Bestselling Author

Give the gift of STARDUST!

Young Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria—even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that old stone wall, Tristran learns, lies Faerie—where nothing not even a fallen star, is what he imagined.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman comes a remarkable quest into the dark and miraculous—in pursuit of love and the utterly impossible.

Review

“Eminently readable–a charming piece of work.” — Washington Post Book World

“Strange . . . marvelous. . . . Stardust takes us back to a time when the world was more magical, and, real or not, that world is a charming place.” — Philadelphia Inquirer

“A wonderful novel . . . A pleasure to read.” — Denver Post

“Marvelous adventures . . . magical and fun.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Thrilling. . . . Stardust reads like a mix between L. Frank Baum, the Brothers Grimm, and a Tim Burton movie script.” — Dallas Morning News

“Beautiful, memorable . . . A book full of marvels.” — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“The multitalented author of The Sandman graphic novels and last year’s Neverwhere charms again, with a deftly written fantasy adventure tale set in Victorian England and enriched by familiar folk materials.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred)

“Sparkling, fresh, and charming. Superb.” — Booklist

“A charming comic romance.” — Dayton Daily News

“Delightful...a strange yet wonderful story.” — Grand Rapids Press

“His finest work yet...Sometimes sparse, sometimes witty, often lyrical...prose as smooth as 12-year-old scotch.” — St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“[A] tale about love, danger, friendship, magic, and adventure . . . a short novel that delivers big-time satisfaction.” — Detroit Free Press

“A wonderful tale . . . mythic.” — Denise Hamilton, Romantic Times BOOKclub

“[A] beautiful book, and most of all, perfect for all ages.” — Desicritics.org on STARDUST

--This text refers to the hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

Catch a fallen star . . .

Tristran thorn promised to bring back a fallen star. So he sets out on a journey to fulfill the request of his beloved, the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester—and stumbles into the enchanted realm that lies beyond the wall of his English country town. Rich with adventure and magic, Stardust is one of master storyteller Neil Gaiman's most beloved tales, and the inspiration for the hit movie.

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Stardust

By Neil Gaiman

HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Copyright ©2006 Neil Gaiman
All right reserved.
ISBN: 0061142026

Chapter One

Fairy Tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten
-- G.K. Chesterton.

Coraline discovered the door a little while after they moved into the house.

It was a very old house -- it had an attic under the roof and a cellar under the ground and an overgrown garden with huge old trees in it.

Coraline's family didn't own all of the house, it was too big for that. Instead they owned part of it.

There were other people who lived in the old house.

Miss Spink and Miss Forcible lived in the flat below Coraline's, on the ground floor. They were both old and round, and they lived in their flat with a number of ageing highland terriers who had names like Hamish and Andrew and Jock. Once upon a time Miss Spink and Miss Forcible had been actresses, as Miss Spink told Coraline the first time she met her.

"You see, Caroline," Miss Spink said, getting Coraline's name wrong, "Both myself and Miss Forcible were famous actresses, in our time. We trod the boards, luvvy. Oh, don't let Hamish eat the fruit cake, or he'll be up all night with his tummy."

"It's Coraline. Not Caroline. Coraline," said Coraline.

In the flat above Coraline's, under the roof, was a crazy old man with a big moustache. He told Coraline that he was training a mouse circus. He wouldn't let anyone see it.

"One day, little Caroline, when they are all ready, everyone in the whole world will see the wonders of my mouse circus. You ask me why you cannot see it now. Is that what you asked me?"

"No," said Coraline quietly, "I asked you not to call me Caroline. It's Coraline."

"The reason you cannot see the Mouse Circus," said the man upstairs, "is that the mice are not yet ready and rehearsed. Also, they refuse to play the songs I have written for them. All the songs I have written for the mice to play go oompah oompah. But the white mice will only play toodle oodle, like that. I am thinking of trying them on different types of cheese."

Coraline didn't think there really was a mouse circus. She thought the old man was probably making it up.

The day after they moved in, Coraline went exploring.

She explored the garden. It was a big garden: at the very back was an old tennis court, but no-one in the house played tennis and the fence around the court had holes in it and the net had mostly rotted away; there was an old rose garden, filled with stunted, flyblown rose-bushes; there was a rockery that was all rocks; there was a fairy ring, made of squidgy brown toadstools which smelled dreadful if you accidentally trod on them.

There was also a well. Miss Spink and Miss Forcible made a point of telling Coraline how dangerous the well was, on the first day Coraline's family moved in, and warned her to be sure she kept away from it. So Coraline set off to explore for it, so that she knew where it was, to keep away from it properly.

She found it on the third day, in an overgrown meadow beside the tennis court, behind a clump of trees -- a low brick circle almost hidden in the high grass. The well had been covered up by wooden boards, to stop anyone falling in. There was a small knot-hole in one of the boards, and Coraline spent an afternoon dropping pebbles and acorns through the hole, and waiting, and counting, until she heard the plopas they hit the water, far below.

Coraline also explored for animals. She found a hedgehog, and a snake-skin (but no snake), and a rock that looked just like a frog, and a toad that looked just like a rock.

There was also a haughty black cat, who would sit on walls and tree stumps, and watch her; but would slip away if ever she went over to try to play with it.

That was how she spent her first two weeks in the house -- exploring the garden and the grounds.

Her mother made her come back inside for dinner, and for lunch; and Coraline had to make sure she dressed up warm before she went out, for it was a very cold summer that year; but go out she did, exploring, every day until the day it rained, when Coraline had to stay inside.

"What should I do?" asked Coraline.

"Read a book," said her mother. "Watch a video. Play with your toys. Go and pester Miss Spink or Miss Forcible, or the crazy old man upstairs."

"No," said Coraline. "I don't want to do those things. I want to explore."

"I don't really mind what you do," said Coraline's mother, "as long as you don't make a mess."

Coraline went over to the window and watched the rain come down. It wasn't the kind of rain you could go out in, it was the other kind, the kind that threw itself down from the sky and splashed where it landed. It was rain that meant business, and currently its business was turning the garden into a muddy, wet soup.

Coraline had watched all the videos. She was bored with her toys, and she'd read all her books.

She turned on the television. She went from channel to channel to channel, but there was nothing on but men in suits talking about the stock market, and schools programmes. Eventually, she found something to watch: it was the last half of a natural history programme about something called protective coloration. She watched animals, birds and insects which disguised themselves as leaves or twigs or other animals to escape from things that could hurt them. She enjoyed it, but it ended too soon, and was followed by a programme about a cake factory.

It was time to talk to her father.

Coraline's father was home. Both of her parents worked, doing things on computers, which meant that they were home a lot of the time. Each of them had their own study...

Continues...
Excerpted from Stardustby Neil Gaiman Copyright ©2006 by Neil Gaiman. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

Neil Gaiman is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for children and adults whose award-winning titles include Norse Mythology, American Gods, The Graveyard Book, Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett), Coraline , and The Sandman graphic novels. Neil Gaiman is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR and Professor in the Arts at Bard College.

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

Amazon.com Review

Stardust is an utterly charming fairy tale in the tradition of The Princess Bride and The Neverending Story. Neil Gaiman, creator of the darkly elegant Sandman comics and author of The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish , tells the story of young Tristran Thorn and his adventures in the land of Faerie. One fateful night, Tristran promises his beloved that he will retrieve a fallen star for her from beyond the Wall that stands between their rural English town (called, appropriately, Wall) and the Faerie realm. No one ever ventures beyond the Wall except to attend an enchanted flea market that is held every nine years (and during which, unbeknownst to him, Tristran was conceived). But Tristran bravely sets out to fetch the fallen star and thus win the hand of his love. His adventures in the magical land will keep you turning pages as fast as you can--he and the star escape evil old witches, deadly clutching trees, goblin press-gangs, and the scheming sons of the dead Lord of Stormhold. The story is by turns thrillingly scary and very funny. You'll love goofy, earnest Tristran and the talking animals, gnomes, magic trees, and other irresistible denizens of Faerie that he encounters in his travels. Stardust is a perfect read-aloud book, a brand-new fairy tale you'll want to share with a kid, or maybe hoard for yourself. (If you read it to kids, watch out for a couple of spicy sex bits and one epithet.) --Therese Littleton

From The Washington Post

"Eminently readable---a charming piece of work."

From School Library Journal

YA?An old-fashioned fairy tale full of mythic images, magic, and lyrical passages. The town of Wall has one opening, which is guarded day and night. On one side of the stone bulwark is England; on the other, Faerie. Once every nine years, the guard is relaxed so that the villagers can attend a fair held in a nearby meadow. There, as a young man, Dunstan Thorn is seduced by a strange woman, and not quite a year later a child is left at the wall. His name is Tristran Thorn. When he grows up, he falls in love with Victoria Forester, and to win her affection, he vows to bring to her the fallen star that they see one night. The star has fallen in Faerie, and though Tristran soon finds her (for in Faerie a star is not a ball of flaming gas, but a living, breathing woman), he has a hard time holding on to her. The sons of the Lord of Stormhold also seek the star, for it is said that he who finds her can take his father's throne. In addition, the oldest of three evil witches seeks the star, for her heart can grant youth and beauty. While the bones of the story?the hero, the quest, the maiden?are traditional, Gaiman offers a tale that is fresh and original. Though the plot begins with disparate threads, by the end they are all tied together and the picture is complete. The resolution is satisfying and complex, proving that there is more to fairy tales than "happily ever after."?Susan Salpini, Kings Park Library, Burke, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Gaiman, author of Neverwhere (LJ 6/15/97) and the graphic novel series The Sandman, has created an original and well-written fairy tale. Young Tristran Thorn has grown up in the isolated village of Wall, on the edge of the realm of Faerie. When Tristran and the lovely Victoria see a falling star during the special market fair, Victoria impulsively offers him his heart's desire if he will retrieve the star for her. Tristran crosses the border into Faerie and encounters witches, unicorns, and other strange creatures. What he does not know is that he is not the only one searching for the fallen star. This is a refreshingly creative story with appealing characters that manages to put a new twist on traditional fairy-tale themes. Appropriate for almost any age and a good bet for the medium-to-large public library.
-?Laurel Bliss, New Haven, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Tristran Thorn falls in love with the prettiest girl in town and makes her a foolish promise: he says that he'll go find the falling star they both watched streak across the night sky. She says she'll marry him if he finds it, so he sets off, leaving his home of Wall, and heads out into the perilous land of faerie, where not everything is what it appears. Gaiman is known for his fanciful wit, sterling prose and wildly imaginative plots, and Stardust is no exception. Gaiman's silver-tongued narration vividly brings this production to life. Like the bards of old, Gaiman is equally proficient at telling tales as he is at writing them, and his pleasant British accent feels like a perfect match to the material. Gaiman's performance is an extraordinary achievement'if only all authors could read their own work so well. The audiobook also includes a brief, informative and enjoyable interview with Gaiman about the writing of the novel and his work in the audiobook studio.
Copyright© American Library Association. All rights reserved

From Kirkus Reviews

The multitalented author of The Sandman graphic novels and last year's Neverwhere charms again, with a deftly written fantasy adventure tale set in early Victorian England and enriched by familiar folk materials. In a rural town called Wall (so named for the stone bulwark that separates it from a mysterious meadow through which strange shapes are often seen moving), on Market Day,'' when the citizens ofFaerie'' (land) mingle with humans, young Dunstan Thorn makes love to a bewitching maiden and is presented nine months afterward with an infant son (delivered from beyond the Wall). The latter, Tristran, grows up to fall in love himself and rashly promise his beloved that he'll bring her the star they both observe falling from the sky. Tristran's ensuing quest takes him deep into Faerie, and, unbeknownst to him, competition with the star's other pursuers: three weird sisters (the Lilim), gifted with magical powers though still susceptible to the snares of age and time''; and the surviving sons of the late Lord of Stormhold, accompanied everywhere by their several dead brothers (whom they happen to have murdered). Tristran finds his star (in human form, no less); survives outrageous tests and mishaps, including passage on asky-ship'' and transformation into a dormouse; and, safely returned to Wall, acquires through a gracious act of renunciation his (long promised) heart's desire.'' Gaiman blends these beguiling particulars skillfully in a comic romance, reminiscent of James Thurber's fables, in which even throwaway minutiae radiate good-natured inventiveness (e.g., its hero's narrow escape from agoblin press-gang'' seeking human mercenaries to fight ``the goblins' endless wars beneath the earth''). There are dozens of fantasy writers around reshaping traditional stories, but none with anything like Gaiman's distinctive wit, warmth, and narrative energy. Wonderful stuff, for kids of all ages. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Wall is a whole night's drive from London. The town is named for a rock barrier on its eastern side, with a narrow break in it through which a meadow, a stream, and a forest are apparent, and over which two townsmen always stand guard to prevent entry, except for a few days every nine years. That is when there is a fair in the meadow, put on by people who aren't strictly human, one of whom, in the middle of the nineteenth century, seduces 18-year-old Dunstan Thorn. Nine months later, a baby is delivered to newly married Dunstan, its name written on a card pinned to its blanket: Trystran Thorn. Stardust is primarily Trystran's story. When he is 17, he pledges to fetch for his beloved, the star that has just fallen on the other side of the wall. Of course, first he has to be allowed on the other side, but that proves easy when Dunstan whispers something to the guards. Then Trystran's adventures really begin, for on the other side is Faerie. Once there, Trystran discovers he knows the locations of places he cannot remember ever having heard of before. He knows exactly where the star has fallen, too, and readily finds it--or, actually, her. Nothing thereafter is as easy for Trystran, much to any reader's delight. Gaiman gently borrows from many fine fantasists--for starters, from Andersen, Tolkien, Macdonald, and, for the framing device, Christina Rossetti in her "Goblin Market" --but produces something sparkling, fresh, and charming, if not exactly new under the sun. Superb. Ray Olson

From AudioFile

In an enchanting fairy tale for adults, Tristran Thorn sets out to fetch a fallen star in order to win the heart of his true love. But the star turns out to have a personality all her own and leads Tristran into adventures and discovery. Gaiman captures the magic and ethereality of his own work with a light touch and tender tone. He infuses the minor characters with larger-than-life accents that stop short of over-performance while imparting depth and wonder to the story's protagonists. One senses the book flowing through his voice and his pen, as though he were telling it for the first time in this performance. The effect works perfectly. R.L.L. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Review

'In prose that dances and dazzles, Gaiman describes the indescribable: the eerie colours, ravishing scents and dangerous laughter of Faerie' -- Susanna Clarke --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Publisher

American Library Award Winner
Mythopoeic Award Winner
World Fantasy Award Winner - Best Artist --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

New York Times Bestseller "A twisting, wondrous tale full of magic that only Neil Gaiman could have written.

" -- Chicago Tribune From #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman, a beautiful and enchanting tale of love, adventure, and magic―one of ten classic Gaiman works repackaged with elegant original watercolor art by acclaimed artist Henry Sene Yee One of Neil Gaiman's most beautiful and enchanting tales, Stardust is the story of Tristran Thorn, a young man who promises the woman he loves that he will bring her back a fallen star. But there are others who seek the star, for their own reasons. And then there's the star herself . . . A beloved fairy tale infused with humor, magic, adventure, and romance, Stardust is a timeless work that demonstrates the writer's bold, elegant and infinitely wondrous imagination.