Stardust
by Neil Gaiman
★ Top 25 book of 1999 · #12 on Best Books of 1999
In the English hamlet of Wall, young Tristran Thorn, smitten with the beautiful Victoria Forester, makes an impulsive promise to her. His vow sends him through the gap in the village's wall and into a thrilling adventure.
Best for: Readers who like fairy-tale style fantasy adventures driven by young love
Stardust is #12 on BookWard's Best Books of 1999, out of 52 1999 books that cleared our data bar.
What Stardust is about
In the English village of Wall, a high stone barrier divides the ordinary world from the realm of Faerie, and every nine years a market springs up on the far side. Young Tristran Thorn is the son of Dunstan Thorn and Una, a fairy, though he doesn't know it. To win the hand of the proud Victoria Forester, he promises to fetch her a fallen star.
The star turns out to be a young woman named Yvaine, and Tristran is not the only one chasing her. A trio of ancient witches want her heart to win back their youth, and the sons of a dying lord are searching for his pendant too. Written in the style of older English fantasy, with a wry, romantic touch, this is a fairy tale for adults and curious older readers, often found with Charles Vess's illustrations.
Stardust on the Best Books of 1999
Stardust came out in 1999. Of the 52 books first published in 1999 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #12 on our Best Books of 1999 list.
Why it made the list: 587 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (86 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1999 list
- The Pragmatic Programmer Andy Hunt, #10
- A Walk to Remember Nicholas Sparks, #11
- Artemis Fowl Eoin Colfer, #13
- The Code Book Simon Singh, #14
See all Best Books of 1999 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1998 Best Books of 2000.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 439 want to read it, 13 are reading it now and 135 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 3.9 out of 5 from 86 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 85 | 55% |
| Reader love | 50 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 56 | 20% |
Questions about Stardust
When was Stardust published?
Stardust by Neil Gaiman was first published in 1999.
Was Stardust one of the best books of 1999?
Stardust is #12 on BookWard's Best Books of 1999, out of 52 1999 books that cleared our data bar. 587 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (86 ratings).
Why is Stardust on the Best Books of 1999 list?
587 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.9 out of 5 (86 ratings).
More of the best books of 1999
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban J. K. Rowling, #1
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky, #2
- Wings of Fire A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, #3
- On Writing Stephen King, #4
- The Bad Beginning Lemony Snicket, #5
- The Coldest Winter Ever Sister Souljah, #6
See the full Best Books of 1999, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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