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Discussion Posts: Stardust Post Category
Discussion Period: November 24 – November 30, 2007

Discussion Questions:

1. Stardust is preceded by John Donne’s “Song,” which begins: “Go and catch a falling star…” Why has Neil Gaiman chosen to begin his book with this poem? How is it relevant to the story that follows? How does it help to establish the mood of the book?
2. How would you explain the fact that the characters in the novel take the existence of Faerie for granted while contemporary readers find it more or less impossible to believe in such a place? What changes have occurred between Victorian Age and our own that might account for this disbelief?
3. How does the accident of seeing a star fall from the sky spark the plot of the novel? How does this event bring together the main characters and major actions of story? What different meanings does the star have for those who pursue her?
4. Tristan tells Primus, “I am the most miserable person who ever lived.” To which Primus replies: “You are young and in love…. Every young man in your position is the most miserable young man who ever lived” [p. 152]. In what ways is Tristan’s situation both extraordinary and typical? How is he like every other young person in love?
5. Lady Una wonders if the witch Semele “transforms people into animals, or whether she finds the beast inside us, and frees it” [p. 216]. She adds that she has given it much thought but has come to “no conclusions.” Which do you think it is? Do you think we all have an animal inside us? Does society force us to keep that beast concealed? What is the significance of the transformations that occur in Stardust?
6. What kinds of behavior are exhibited by the range of characters we encounter in Faerie? Do these characters, magical as they are, have clear counterparts in the world we inhabit? In what ways can Stardust be read as a commentary on our own time?