“A philosopher once asked, “Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?” Pointless, really…”Do the stars gaze back?” Now, that’s a question.” – Neil Gaiman, Stardust
The truly special thing about books is how they make you feel.
This book, as the first of Neil Gaiman’s that I ever read, rapidly ascended my list of favorite books from the moment I picked it up. Gaiman is known for his fantastical writing and unconventional world building throughout all of his books, something I did not know until one of my dear friends told me I would like his writing. Boy was he right. Stardust encapsulates a world where faerie is both simple and also a never-ending complexity. There are rules to follow, but those can be broken and moved about, and every person is initially seen as good or bad, but that isn’t always the truth.
This story follows the main character, Tristran Thorn, as he attempts to win the heart of a girl from his hometown- the same hometown that is named Wall for the ancient old thing that surrounds it. Nobody leaves Wall. Ever.
Except, apparently, Tristran. When he realizes Victoria (his long-time crush) will give him her hand in marriage, he offers to fetch her a falling star. She thinks little of this, since, you know, nobody leaves Wall.
The very next day, Tristran set off over the wall and into the world of Faerie in order to retrieve the star and win Victoria’s heart.
While Tristran is searching for the star for his love, there is a group of ancient witches (the Lillim) who want to retrieve the star and cut out her heart in order to become young again. Oh, did I mention the star is actually a girl?
Also, the three remaining sons of the Lord of Stormhold are looking for the star, since their dying father’s topaz necklace is what knocked her out of the sky and now she is inextricably tied to it.
That’s a lot of people looking for this star, whose name is Yvaine, in case you were wondering.
As you might expect, chaos ensues. A lot of chaos.
Tristran is the first to find Yvaine, and their plotline follows one of a classic fairytale… kind of. Yvaine hates Tristran at first. She blames him for all her problems and is justly upset with him for trying to kidnap her and take her back to Wall. Eventually, though, the two fall in love and build a life together.
The witches do not get Yvaine’s heart, and even though they do catch up with her and Tristran at the end, there is no point in trying to take her heart, as it is no longer her own. Tristran has her heart (a little fairytale play on words brought to you by Mr. Gaiman).
The three remaining sons of Stormhold all end up dead, and it is revealed that Tristran is the only rightful heir to the throne left. Tristran and Yvaine leave to explore Faerie for a long time, until they return to rule together. But even Tristran cannot outlive a star, and so the book ends with Yvaine ruling Stormhold.
The book ends with Yvaine gazing at the night sky, and she is alone, except for the fact that she will always have the company of the stars.
Now is when I present you with the songs that reminded me of this chaos and magic-filled book in the best way possible:
I discussed in a previous post my love for Florence + The Machine, and how their sound has this kind of dark, mystical feel to it. I chose this song first because, A) Cosmic Love just sounds like Tristran and Yvaine’s relationship, and B) This song sounds like a mystical tale set in the land of Faerie.
The believe this song is the first orchestral-only song I have chosen to be on a playlist- that is to say, there are no lyrics here for me to explain and connect to the book. Just pure feeling my friends.
Even if you decide to put aside the fact that this song has the word “stars” in it (I certainly did not put it aside in my decision making), you can listen to the harmonies and lyrics and understand why it fits this book so well. The women who sing this song, The Wailin’ Jennys, put together outstanding three-part harmonies which allowed them to create a lot of depth in the song, something not heard very often.
Cody Fry is someone I’ve mentioned before, but there is something about his compositions being played live that just hits your heart in a different place. The lyrics of this song include “I used to hear a simple song, that was until you came along” and “you took my broken melody, and now I hear a symphony”, which both remind me of Tristran’s storyline and how he was so dedicated to a girl he thought he loved, until he met Yvaine.
I know what you’re thinking (maybe). Another Taylor Swift song? Yes. There will always be another Taylor Swift song with me. The concept of this song is that these two people in love were always meant to be together, anyhow they were connected from the start. Sound familiar?
Anyway, thanks for coming on this fantastical journey with me, and I hope you enjoyed this (whether or not you decide to read this book).
“Have been unavoidably detained by the world. Expect us when you see us.” – Neil Gaiman, Stardust