Books I Am Reading: Stardust by Neil Gaiman
I read Stardust ages ago and enjoyed it. But it was ages ago, like 2003 or 2004?, and I hardly remembered anything about it, except the Market every 9 years in Wall and the snowdrop at the beginning and the shop girl who is a bird and a guy (the same one who bought the snowdrop is how I remembered it) goes searching for a star who is actually a beautiful girl.
Lately, I'd been feeling like I ought to reread the book, for lots of reasons, and then lo and behold, my Secret Santa on LibraryThing picked it out for me. :)
So I've been reading it this last month, only it's been going slowly because instead of spending free time reading it, I've been reading manga or watching anime or playing KoL.
Right now, I've just reached chapter 6, and the star has run away from whatshisname the hero of the story, and he has been riding with Lord Primus on the coach for a little bit. I was wanting to talk about some things in the book, but to be honest, I've forgotten most of those things.
I do love the narration voice, though. It's very nice, kind of like a bedtime story. I also love that I can recognize bits and pieces of old fairy tales popping up in the course of the plot, like the lady in the scarlet kirtle. I don't really remember what that story was (and wasn't originally green, not red?), but it does seem familiar in that way. Also, the girl who is a bird and also a shop girl seems awfully familiar, but then again, maybe this is just a skill Gaiman has at echoing fairy tales.
Mostly, though, Stardust is better than I remembered it being. I've enjoyed the five minutes here and there that I've been able to sit and read it (mostly when I'm not at home with internet to distract me). I totally can't remember how it ends at all, except I think the main guy ends up marrying the star instead of Victoria? not really sure. So I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ties up.
Also from LibraryThing, I got a Member Giveaway book this week. It's called Thérése et Pierrette à l'École des Saints-Anges by Michel Tremblay. It's French, of course, and appears to be from a series of novels. I put my name in for the lottery because I want more French books to keep my comprehension skills up, and also I love series books, and this looks promising.
It's not very high on my to-read list, though. Ahead of it are The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya (which I've already read the fan translation for, but I got the Yen Press edition in November) and She by H. Rider Haggard, and some Eliza Haywood novellas I didn't get around to during my English women lit class. There are others, but these are the three that I think of the most.
In fact, I should probably write about the manga I've read before I forget that, too, and only have the nagging memory that I wanted to. I've been reading a lot of shoujo lately because, and I dunno why, I've been wanting romance stories. They're not entirely satisfying, which is kind of frustrating, and they're a little bit WTF, so I do want to write about that before long.
Lately, I'd been feeling like I ought to reread the book, for lots of reasons, and then lo and behold, my Secret Santa on LibraryThing picked it out for me. :)
So I've been reading it this last month, only it's been going slowly because instead of spending free time reading it, I've been reading manga or watching anime or playing KoL.
Right now, I've just reached chapter 6, and the star has run away from whatshisname the hero of the story, and he has been riding with Lord Primus on the coach for a little bit. I was wanting to talk about some things in the book, but to be honest, I've forgotten most of those things.
I do love the narration voice, though. It's very nice, kind of like a bedtime story. I also love that I can recognize bits and pieces of old fairy tales popping up in the course of the plot, like the lady in the scarlet kirtle. I don't really remember what that story was (and wasn't originally green, not red?), but it does seem familiar in that way. Also, the girl who is a bird and also a shop girl seems awfully familiar, but then again, maybe this is just a skill Gaiman has at echoing fairy tales.
Mostly, though, Stardust is better than I remembered it being. I've enjoyed the five minutes here and there that I've been able to sit and read it (mostly when I'm not at home with internet to distract me). I totally can't remember how it ends at all, except I think the main guy ends up marrying the star instead of Victoria? not really sure. So I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ties up.
Also from LibraryThing, I got a Member Giveaway book this week. It's called Thérése et Pierrette à l'École des Saints-Anges by Michel Tremblay. It's French, of course, and appears to be from a series of novels. I put my name in for the lottery because I want more French books to keep my comprehension skills up, and also I love series books, and this looks promising.
It's not very high on my to-read list, though. Ahead of it are The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya (which I've already read the fan translation for, but I got the Yen Press edition in November) and She by H. Rider Haggard, and some Eliza Haywood novellas I didn't get around to during my English women lit class. There are others, but these are the three that I think of the most.
In fact, I should probably write about the manga I've read before I forget that, too, and only have the nagging memory that I wanted to. I've been reading a lot of shoujo lately because, and I dunno why, I've been wanting romance stories. They're not entirely satisfying, which is kind of frustrating, and they're a little bit WTF, so I do want to write about that before long.
