Years ago, after I’d finished The Sandman series, I wanted to see how Neil Gaiman fared in the world of fiction, without the visual component of comics. The first novel of his I read was Stardust - which concerns the “pursuit of love and the utterly impossible.” Now the film adaptation looms near, and so I resolved to experience the tale as it was intended, with illustrations by famed fantasy artist Charles Vess. I can safely say that, fond nostalgia aside, it still retains all its charm as my initial reading - more, even, thanks to Vess’ art.

Tristran Thorn is a rather ordinary lad in the rather ordinary village of Wall. One night he sees a star fall from the heavens; if he can retrieve it, he will win the heart of his lady-love. He thus ventures out into Faerie, full of wonder and danger as it is. As Fortune would have it, Tristran isn’t the only one interested in the star’s fate. It is a hard journey he undertakes, for the sake of love.

Stardust is less of a nod to the fairy-tale tradition than it is a graceful, flourishing bow. In a break from Gaiman’s other works, the magic and creatures are more conventional than the sort he usually employs; so too has he altered his style to very directly mimic the lush, highly descriptive manner of olden tales. Even so, his own personality can’t help but come through, so there’s a healthy mix of sentimentality, humor, and overt violence.

Tristran is not completely ill-suited to his task, but he’s far from a graceful knight; he defeats threats with as much luck as anything. The star — for she is a lady — constantly thwarts his efforts, making it plain she is neither damsel nor in distress. Gaiman makes no apologies for playing somewhat fast and loose with the archetypes this kind of story is bound to have; his antagonists have recognizable motives you can, to some degree, empathize with, and the characters encountered along the way are mostly helpful but not entirely static.

The prose is carefully crafted, depicting a world that allows for both tragedy and triumph, magic and humdrum, to coexist, if precariously. The plot moves along at a brisk clip without ever dragging. And even with so many nuances and subplots threaded through, Gaiman knits them all together in the end to show you he knew what he was doing all along.

Vess’ illustrations bring to life the enchanted lands Gaiman describes. His colors are soft but vibrant, his line work bold but not exaggerated. Nearly every page is graced with the fruits of his labor; they complement and enhance the narrative without overshadowing — or being overshadowed by — it.

As much as I hate to admit it, Stardust isn’t for everyone. As a love story full of magic, it can seem saccharine. And though it has more texture than a typical fairy tale, it’s not as deep as other, character-heavy stories. Still, it’s a spellbinding jewel of craftsmanship, an uplifting tale made all the more delightful by the impressive art. I hope the film captures a scrap of the magic at work in the book. If not, the original source will still be around, waiting to draw the next person into its world of the impossible.

Grade: A