So many novels, so little time.

I'm going to do something a little different this time. Since I've gone through so many graphic novels lately, I feel as though I am still digesting their meanings and do not want to give them full reviews at this current moment. I can rate them, yes, but if I feel the need to review I will simply go back later and edit this post. For now, I'll just give you an idea of how much I liked them by supplying a rating and a few words of description.

Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki.
OVERALL RATING: 4.5

Beautiful, girly, dark; captures the essence of high school quite well.


Aya by Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie
OVERALL RATING: 4

Intricate, detailed artwork; story is interesting but not incredibly captivating.








Ice Haven by Daniel Clowes
OVERALL RATING: 5

Dark, funny; stylistically different and interesting; captivating in story and art.




The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel
OVERALL RATING: 5

Will keep you reading for quite a while (in a good way); soap opera-ish, but smarter.

Sacco

Tonight I finished reading War's End: Profiles from Bosnia 1995 - 96 by Joe Sacco. I read most of this graphic novel a few weeks ago before I moved to a new town and just now got around to picking it up again, but as soon as I opened it I immediately remembered where I'd left off. I find all of Sacco's novels to be that memorable because his story-telling abilities are so great; it's almost like you're watching a movie unfold, and even if you relate to one story more than another they each are uniquely captivating. It's chock full of frightening truths, of people in the midst of chaos who are constantly having to repair themselves and try to live as best as possible. His novels always invoke in me a sense of sympathy for the people in the stories. Most of the goings-on in his novels have happened either slightly before or during my early lifetime, and yet even still the stories seem very much alive. There's so much honesty; he's not hiding anything because it's gory and he's not hiding anything to protect anyone. It's all out in the open, and that is what I like most about Sacco. His artistic skills are incredible as well, but I've mentioned them before and won't go on about it again. Another gem by Sacco. Read it.

OVERALL RATING: 4

Two Satrapis and a Collection

After reading and adoring Persepolis, I wanted to get anything I could find by Marjane Satrapi. I loved everything from her style of art, to the way she tells her stories, to the actual stories themselves. I enjoy her perspective, which I see as realistic with a sense of humor, and her portrayal of friends and relatives. Chicken With Plums is the story of Nasir Ali Khan, her great uncle and fantastic musician, whose life is challenged by a serious turn of events. (I hope no one minds a vague description; I really dislike giving away too much plot in these reviews since they're really just for my own purposes of noting opinion and being able to go back and remember what books I've read!) His story has moments of heartbreak, happiness, humor, and sadness, as anyone's real life tale usually does. But to watching it unfold as told by Satrapi becomes an almost magical experience, because things are pieced together bit by bit until you finally come to understand the point at which Nasir Ali Khan has reached in his most current stage of life. Despite the overarching tone of sadness, it's beautifully done all around.

OVERALL RATING: 5

In American culture, one rarely gets a glimpse into the private lives of Iranian women. Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi is graphic and hilarious, sad and beautiful. "Controversial" as noted in a review on the back cover is probably another good word for it. I was happy to see Marjane's grandmother, who is both a know-it-all and comforting. The story is basically a collection of stories told by various women in Marjane's life. As they come together for a tea, each begins to reveal a look into her private love life. I really can't give away more than that without revealing too much of one story; they're best read all together. At times Embroideries can be uncomfortable, but it's nothing short of interesting for sure. It will leave you thinking "Wow..." no matter who you are!

OVERALL RATING: 4.5

Best American Comics 2009 of The Best American Series is edited by Charles Burns, Jessica Abel, and Matt Madden. This is the fourth book in the series of Bests. It gathers, obviously, the best of comics from various sources and compiles them into one book. I was happy to stumble across this at a used book store, and even more happy that it introduced me to a plethora of comic artists I hadn't yet heard of and reminded me of some I had. If you're just getting into graphic novels and you're not sure what you would like, this book would be a great way to find your answers. It has a variety of art and story-- plenty to choose from. There were certainly some I didn't like but I mostly enjoyed peeking into all of them at some point or another. And one of the nice features is that it's a collection of clips from different artists, so it invites flipping around instead of reading entirely linearly. I definitely have a new list of things to check out thanks to this. So get it, read it, love it! It's great.

OVERALL RATING: 5

Graphic Novels Galore

I found this one in my local public library and was intrigued not only because it was not the story of Alice, but because the artwork seemed so intricate and whimsical. I learned that Wonderland (book one in a series of three, written by Tommy Kovac and illustrated by Sonny Liew) is actually published by Disney Press, so many of the characters look quite similar to the Walt Disney interpretation of Lewis Carroll's story in the Disney movie Alice in Wonderland. I thought at first that I would like to have seen things in a non-Disney interpretation, but then I couldn't be too bothered by it because I actually do like older Disney artwork and this particular one is nostalgic for me. It's still got a touch that isn't exactly Disney when it comes to new characters, backgrounds, environments, etc. The story was a fun adventure, and while it included a darker twist, it would still be totally appropriate for children.

OVERALL RATING: 4.5

The cover art on this one has always intrigued me, and it's a graphic novel that I see absolutely everywhere, so I couldn't help but check it out as well. Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli is far from an Alice in Wonderland tale; it's almost entirely realistic in storyline and the art is far less whimsical and more simplified. However, this doesn't mean it's dry! I found this one to be one of my favorite graphic novels to date. While simplified, the artwork still has a very original personality. The way each character is drawn truly lends to the who they are as people and the way they behave. The color palette is limited to a few colors per environment, but each are expertly chosen to feel appropriate for that scene.

I also enjoyed the story as much as I did the art. Asterios Polyp is in interesting man, and you get to watch his life unfold in a way you know he wouldn't have predicted for himself. It's interesting to see the way he handles it, the way he and others around him grow or change based on the situations that occur. I'm a sucker for a good life story (fiction or non) with a pinch of unfortunate happenings, and this fits the bill perfectly.

OVERALL RATING: 5

Back into Graphic Novels

Long time no read! Graduating from college proves incredibly distracting from one's goal of leisure reading. But I'm back on the horse, so away we go!

When I read Mother Come Home, I became an instant fan of the art and storytelling of Paul Hornschemeier. He's honest and dark, and (if possible) does depressing stories well. When I found this small one by him in a nearby comics store, I picked it up quickly and without question. I found that Return of the Elephant is not far from the melancholy mood of Mother Come Home, and in fact may be even more grim. It's "short" but incredibly thought-provoking, and for the faint of heart I don't suggest daring to read it. But it evokes sympathy for a character one would typically feel very repulsed by; it's a mish-mash of feelings after finishing this one, for sure. The art, as always, is tremendously commendable despite the rather sad story. It will make more sense in my graphic novel collection once it gets larger, but for now I'm just going to tuck this one away in a drawer for safe-keeping... hm.

OVERALL RATING: 4

Holy childhood memories, Batman! Skyscrapers of the Midwest by Joshua W. Cotter is a combination of much non-reality paired with serious realistic traits, and to a lot of the realistic elements I greatly relate. I know that feeling of being endlessly frustrated with a younger brother who worships you, and even though you get mad at him all the time you don't hate him. I know the general rural-country feeling (including being baptized at a young age most likely because of peer pressure, then fearing eternal damnation because you knew you did it for the wrong reasons) and colloquialisms that result from the geographic area-- like my grandfather called his wife, my grandmother, "Mother" instead of her name or a more normal pet name like "honey," as an old man in one of the side stories called his wife. Beyond personal things, it depicts the main character, a little boy, and his family/friends/neighbors as cats. Human cats, I guess. This and other elements of fantasy, like robots, robot-cats, dinosaurs and so on make frequent appearances. It's sometimes difficult to separate fantasy from reality in this book, but this is how it goes when speaking of childhood. The main character is a nerdy little boy and you get all these funny glimpses into his various traumas and adventures, and more. It's a really complex, creative book and very enjoyable. OVERALL RATING: 4.5

So, I must be a sap for childhood tales of woe, because I really liked Chester Brown's I Never Liked You: A Comic-Strip Narrative. In this graphic novel, Brown recounts (as much as memories will allow) his childhood past. He's a gawky, awkward teen who according to the girls he knows, could be much better looking if he'd do something with his hair and wear better clothes. Little do they know, there are much deeper things going on in Chester's life. Even though he goes through all the usual teenage boy thoughts of getting with girls, he's got real struggles. His mother is mentally ill, and announces to her two sons that she is admitting herself into a mental hospital. He later depicts her in the hospital as shriveled and unlike her old self, unable to respond to her visitors with more than a few grunts. It's terribly sad, yet Chester barely feels a thing. It's an interesting point; sometimes in the face of real tragedy we are unable to have the appropriate feelings, especially in the cruel self-centered realm of the adolescent years. OVERALL RATING: 4.5

My significant other was reading through Guy Delisle's Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea at the same time I was, and described it quite accurately as "Sacco lite." (Light? Is lite just a newfangled, new-aged made-up spelling?) Delisle is an animator who finds himself traveling to North Korea to work on a project. His experiences there are incredibly limited, as he is not allowed to do many forms of travel without an escort. Everyone he encounters (with the exception of non-Koreans) has the same "brainwashed" mindset of being obsessed with their leader and former leader, Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il. (Forgive me if I forget which is which!) Everything is very sterile and pretty much every aspect of the North Korean's way of life is consumed with ways of serving the great leaders. It's certainly no detailed, truth-bearing Sacco novel, but it's funny and an interesting sociological report. Worth reading, but nothing to rush out and get. It's good if you find it though! OVERALL RATING: 4

Two more down the hatch!

I often fall in love with graphic novels, but how do you know when you want to make the super commitment of purchasing one when you're a struggling college student? I have decided to make a list of all my favorites at the end of the summer when I'm done with my graphic novel binge, and then based on the "connection" I felt to each one (quite arbitrary; connection does not necessitate actually relating to the main subject, as is exemplified with the novel Epileptic by David B.) I'll pick out a few that I want to add to my permanent book collection.

The reason that I bring this up is that after reading Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel, I feel that it will wind up in the collection of those novels that I wish to one day purchase. No, I can't relate to what it's like being a lesbian who grew up in a home of a dysfunctional family who runs a funeral parlor, but something about the narration of her childhood and her particular rationality with life matters reminds me in little specks of my own. The story, without being completely "relatable" to me personally, is captivating and entertaining, and simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking. I like a good sense of duality in a novel and I like life stories, especially when they're illustrated well and are written intelligently. I learned quite a few new words! Bechdel, by example of her father, is quite the literary junkie and has an expansive vocabulary not often seen in comic form. She also has a pretty good sense of humor for someone who grew up with death as a reoccurring theme in everyday life. It's a really good book, and one day I'm going to buy it! OVERALL RATING: 5

Sloth by Gilbert Hernandez is an unusual form of storytelling as compared to other books I've read so far. He begins with the story of teenager Miguel, who has recently awoken from a coma. One day, Miguel says, he simply did not wake up. And then a year later he did. The only defect left with him after being in a coma is a physical slowness. He and his two best friends are intelligent and talented, too much so for the suburban settings they reside in. He says that falling into a coma is a much better way to deal with life than most of their peers choose (ie. drugs, alcohol, bullying, etc.).

So, you get to what you think is a turning point in the story and suddenly a new story begins. His girlfriend/best friend is the one who has been in a coma. By the end of the book, his best guy friend is in a coma. Each of the characters take on the main plot of the original character. Why does Hernandez do this? I'm not sure, but it's interesting to see how perspectives change and sympathies shift when it's a sub-character that suddenly becomes the main character. I don't know if it's some sort of existential message, and I'm not particularly up to analyzing it that far. What I do know is that it's well-drawn, well written, certainly unique, and at times it's even spooky. I admit that I may not have fully grasped the point but at least I can appreciate what is an original! OVERALL RATING: 4.5

Ghost World by Daniel Clowes

I last read David Boring by Daniel Clowes and was not particularly moved, and throughout much of Ghost World I felt the same. I think part of what keeps bothering me is that the stories are determined to be so real but it isn't quite working.

The two main characters, two teenage girls named Enid and Rebecca, aren't really believable as teenage girls. They have a bad case of the "slightly too ___ for their age"; too witty, too jaded, and too aware. From being a teen rather recently (under 5 years ago) I can remember that we were all rather self-absorbed, and while we certainly had our fair share of angst and handfuls of mockery at the ready it never quite reached the level of these two, Enid in particular. They didn't contain enough stupidity to be believable teenagers, even though they certainly were frustrating enough. They cursed and did shitty things like make prank phone calls, sneak into sex shops, and make fun of waiters in a local diner. All of these things were teenagery enough but their personalities amidst all the activity makes them so unlikable! Enid bitches about and mocks everything while Rebecca winds up seeming like a pushover who isn't quite up to her friend's fake levels of coolness.

Somehow at the very last second (literally the last 3 pages) I found redeeming qualities in Enid, as though she had grown past her most annoying points. Sadly, you don't get to see the transformation but you're just given the inclination that it does happen.

While I have my reservations in saying I enjoyed the story, I did enjoy the art. It really makes a difference in my desire to read something if the art is respectable! I haven't seen the movie they made from this and I'm not sure I will, but if your thing is offbeat teenage girls trying to figure out life then this is probably for you. Maybe there's more than how much I've read into it, who knows, but for now it ranks average for me.

Much, much reading.

You know, while you're sick or working as a computer lab monitor you can really get a lot of reading done! I'll begin with Flight...

Through visiting various comic artists' websites over the years, for example the likes of Vera Brogsol, Clio Chang, and my personal favorite Jen Wang, I found out about the Flight series. I've always been interested and I was happy to discover that my library at least had Volume 2 on the shelves! I had mistakenly thought it a single story, but in actuality it is a collection of unrelated comics done by various artists such as the aforementioned.

In Flight, Volume 2 there is a great variety of subjects; a little something for everyone, really. There are monsters, adventures, talking animals, animal heroes, people heroes, futuristic scenes, space scenes, nature scenes, city scenes, love interests, family stories... really, everything! I enjoyed at least 90% of its content, and what I didn't like I just skimmed over because nothing goes on for too long anyway. My only gripe would be minor writing problems, in that some of the stories ended far, far too abruptly. But the art is all fantastic and worth viewing no matter what the writing is like. And if you're a comic nerd like me it'll give you leads to artists you now like but didn't know about before! So check it out because you're bound to like something in it. OVERALL RATING: 5

I've finally completed my Sacco reading, that is unless he has more books that I am unaware of. This one includes the same amazing illustration work as Palestine and Gorazde, but it is a little less weighty in content. However, it doesn't make it any less respectable or any less interesting-- in fact, it was refreshing to be able to read through a Sacco novel with greater speed while still maintaining all the seriousness in subject and details in drawings. I had no idea what the title meant so I won't spoil the surprise for anyone else by giving away specifics. I will say though that it again captures the essence of a war-tired area of people who become an anthropological study in comic form via Sacco's perspective. What would YOU do if your country went to war and everyone lost nearly all sense of rationality? It's hard to say what anyone would do in that kind of situation, but Sacco provides one example in this book. Sometimes this is how it goes when there's war, so don't be shocked when there's plenty of violence and abnormal behavior. OVERALL RATING: 4.5

Pathetic people abound, Summer Blonde is filled with stories that make you simultaneously pity and loathe the lead characters. It's a collection of fictional stories set in modern times about people who want love (or something) but just can't quite make it.

It's kindof one of those books that leaves you with a weird taste in your mouth. Are these people sane or sick? They seem so real and so unappealing.

However, the art has the opposite qualities from its main characters-- it's lovely and has great continuity from frame to frame, in an almost cinematic quality. I'd recommend it if you're up for a modern story with a not necessarily happy ending. OVERALL RATING: 3

Now HERE's a graphic novel I really enjoyed. (I feel that I should make a disclaimer: I thoroughly enjoyed Flight and The Fixer, but I expected to, and so this one may get written about more passionately as a result.)

While the author did live in Mexico, the story in the graphic novel is not autobiographical of her life. Although the story is dramatic, it seems entirely plausible, which I liked. Rarely does a work of fiction seem so real; realistic ones are definitely common but there always seems to be an element of falsehood present. You know it's false, therefore its fictional qualities seem more evident. But in La Perdida, Jessica Abel tells the story so well that I didn't realize it wasn't true until I looked at the author's name about halfway through the book.

The drawings have a quick, sketchy quality that reminded me of an unpolished version of Craig Thompson's book, Blankets. It bothered me at first that there was this sense of roughness to the visuals but it made the story seem so real, like it could have almost actually been her diary while she was in Mexico. OVERALL RATING: 5

I am in the middle of reading what I think is Daniel Clowes' most popular work, Ghost World, but I feel educated enough to make the statement that his style feels quite similar to Tomine's. I'm not quite sure whether or not I even liked the main character. He's pathetic, yet confident, but likable?

Anyway, I found it interesting a storyline enough to read the whole novel if that says anything. But I'm not sure I like this kind of fiction. Somehow, it lacks a sense of humor and a sense of reality, a sense of being genuine even if the characters are total scumbags. I know that Clowes is supposed to be a brilliant comic artist so I won't get clouded by not liking just one book. Read it for yourself, the art is great at least! OVERALL RATING: 2

Joe Sacco

While I have not exactly been burning through graphic novels lately with the kind of speed as I had earlier in the summer, I have still managed to make my way through some real gems.

My recent reads have included two numbers by the same author, Joe Sacco. Neither graphic novel comes without its fair share of recent history and horrors, and one could say they ask a lot of the readers. But I think they are well worth it even though they are quite the task to get through. The visuals are incredible-- his drawing style is perhaps the most detailed stylistic depiction I've seen yet, with incredible use of perspective. They're a lot to digest visually, but even moreso in content. To fully understand the extent of Sacco's journalistic investigations you must read the introduction and even, if you're like me and didn't know a lot of the details about Palestine (or the Bosnian War for the Gorazde book), then you'll need to do a bit of internet research to understand. Nothing a good Wikipedia entry can't catch you up on. What Wikipedia doesn't reveal though is the gruesome horrors and humiliations faced by people in Palestine, and also in Gorzade. I'll speak of them separately for a moment so as not to create confusion...

I knew generally of Palestine-- the location, the people, etc., but I didn't realize what terrors happen as a result of internal struggle and also happened around the time of the Gulf War. This book covers some testimonials of people from the Palestine area. It's Arabic people vs. Jewish people, and like always in life there are good and bad on both sides.

As for Gorazde, I had no earthly idea of the location, the people, the culture, or anything else until I read Sacco's book. At one time in a not too distant past, Serb, Croat, and Muslim people coexisted peacefully, but when Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic (who is now on the top of my "Worst Human Beings Ever in Existence" list) came into power, things fell apart under his attempt to consolidate power and extend his influence into other areas.

To say "things fell apart" for either Palestine or Gorazde is to put things quite lightly. The books are graphic and bloody, not shy with war imagery, but seem unreal because they are so laden with the terrible things people saw. Destruction, gore, death, war, backstabbing, lies, rape, murder, poverty, starvation... the worst things you can possibly think of, including to women and children, happened. I can't even begin to fathom what life for survivors would be like, how existence would seem after having seen such horrible things. It really made me wonder why power and greed can sometimes make man so blinded that he would completely destroy the dignity and existence of another human being to gain the means to his own end. How could you be so awful? How can that really exist? I know life isn't all sugarplums and fairies but, my god!

These books further served to remind me what a watered-down view of governments that text books provide in American schools, how those text books can make the Gulf War sound like nothing at all, like lives are cheap. It reminded me how little I think of my own government on a daily basis, and how I would probably hate every government on earth with every fiber of my body if I knew all the things they really did.

Anyway, if you're reading Sacco's books and you don't understand what life must really be like for these people, consider yourself lucky. I can't pretend to know lots on either situation having read two books, but I certainly feel enlightened. I wish people never had to be so wronged... these are some heavy books, but I would suggest them for anyone. Thumbs up to Sacco.

Percy Gloom by Cathy Malkasian

So, I'm really tearing through these graphic novels!

I continued my reading today with Percy Gloom by Cathy Malkasian, which I just thought "looked neat" by the cover. I was more than right! Percy Gloom is not lengthy in terms of text, but it is a very intricate little novel when speaking of artwork. Usually with a graphic novel, I can absorb the visuals with accuracy in a matter of a few seconds while I'm reading along, but this one is one you'll want to slow down on to absorb the beautiful art. The drawings have a soft quality to them and are detailed in a much different style than the other graphic novels I've been through lately. It has a very round feeling.

The story itself was sweet and funny, and although I loved it I think there could've been some extra padding in between "scenes." More story wouldn't have been necessary, but it would have added to suspense for sure. I don't want to give away details about this one because it's the kind of thing I'm glad I had no expectations for. This one definitely has to go on the "to own" list.

Stories of Sadness and Depth Beyond Measure

I'll begin by saying that both of the graphic novels featured in this post are particularly amazing and that you should go out and rent or purchase them immediately if at all possible. They have a lot of similarities not in drawing style, but in that they both face incredible darkness viewed through the imaginative mind of a child.

In Epileptic by French artist David B., he tells the tale of his childhood through adolescence, which is fully permeated with the struggles the family must face as the result of his older brother's epilepsy. He comes to know a great amount of pain and suffering at a very young age as he and his family make every attempt to "cure" his brother but ultimately fail each time. The way he deals with this never-ending battle is through an obsession with exactly that: battles. He constantly draws battles of a different nature, detailed war scenes with armor-clad soldiers fighting to the death. He does this as a way to understand, deal with, or sometimes escape the epileptic reality that constantly follows his family.

The art is beautiful and dark, and upon first glance I thought it reminded me of Marjane Satrapi's drawing style in Persepolis. Through a bit of research on David B. I found out that he was actually Satrapi's "mentor and teacher," according to a New York Magazine book review. The art is appropriately dark in most places and exceptionally intricate, and the story is truly captivating. As a reader you really want to see this family prevail and win the battle against epilepsy, against their struggles, against their sadness. A great book, indeed.

While David B.'s art reflect darkness through literally being dark and is also meanwhile a real-life reflection, Paul Hornschemeier's fictional Mother, Come Home is done in a muted color palette and has a much more somber tone instead. Yet both are, to me, the same level of incredible.

It's the story of a little boy whose mother was gravely ill and passed away, and of the little boy's father who is failing to cope well with the loss of his wife. The novel is short, so I won't give away more detail and spoil the story, but it's a very touching thing to say the least. The ending should be shocking and horrific, but in the context of it all it seems only natural. When you read it you'll see what I mean.

I think that I can safely say that these two graphic novels are among my absolute top favorites, and you couldn't ask for a better pair of art and content than what they individually contain. Prepare yourself for seriousness, but don't be afraid of the dark-- it's great.

The Rabbi's Cat I: The Bar-Mitsva by Joann Sfar

I found Joann Sfar on a list of inspirations to Marjane Satrapi, and since I liked Marjane's work incredibly I figured her list of artists couldn't be too much of a miss.

The Rabbi's Cat is told from the perspective of the cat, who in the beginning of the book eats a talking parrot and gains the ability to talk. What ensues beyond this is a series of adventures in the rabbi's (and his daughter's) life as narrated by the cat. Along the way the cat loses his ability to speak, and around this time he becomes more likable. From their journeys each character learns about life and their lessons range from being funny, to sad, to philosophic, to heartwarming.

I enjoyed the artwork because despite its scribbly nature it winds up becoming put-together and polished in book form. I think it also lends to expressiveness in being so scribbly. Overall I would have to say that I definitely liked it, thoroughly enjoyed it, but it fell just a little shy of being a 5. It's definitely worth reading but there was something not quite compelling in it enough for me. Perhaps I lacked a full understanding of the meaning because I don't know a lot about Jewish culture in the 1930s (or any time, for that matter). Anyway, I would definitely recommend it to anyone because even if you're unable to grasp the full depth, one can at least appreciate the art!

One! Hundred! Demons! by Lynda Barry

A lot of the graphic novels I've picked out to read have to do with someone's life, the present as they're writing the story and the past events of childhood that formed them. I don't know why this kind of thing appeals to me most, but I've begun to wonder if it's therapeutic in some way. They had it harder than you at times, they had it better than you at times; either way it's a miracle that they can remember so much of their lives and transfer it onto paper in a captivating way. I envy them in that much.

Today's graphic novel was One! Hundred! Demons! by Lynda Barry, and I have to say I enjoyed it! Her drawing style and storytelling was informal, playful, and funny. It wasn't quite the long, heartbreaking life story that some graphic novels turn out to be, but alongside her hardships resided a good sense of humor that made it worth reading. Try it, you might like it!

Craig Thompson

After reading the beautiful novel Blankets by Craig Thompson, I had to get my hands on his other works. I absolutely loved his drawing style in combination with the way he told stories.

Blankets, an autobiography, was so highly personal and introverted but yet completely "relatable," so I wasn't surprised to find that Carnet De Voyage, a travel diary, was also fascinating and entirely non-boring as well. You would expect a travel diary to be uninteresting and just a list of experiences a person had on their journeys, but it's more than that. Thompson has a wonderful way of packing feeling and thought into places where they may not ordinarily be available. It's not just "I went here and did this." I probably do no justice to it with words, so I am recommending it to anyone. Read it, love it. If you're like me, it will only make you want more!

In the spirit of wanting/needing more Thompson, I checked out his only other available graphic novel to date, called Good-bye, Chunky Rice. It is a fictional tale of a mouse and turtle, beloved friends who come to part. The turtle, named Chunky Rice, finds himself needing to go on a journey to find his true home, realizing perhaps too late that his real home is merely on his back (his shell) and also in the shared company of his friend. However, he boards a boat and goes on his way, and the story in between is similar to Blankets in that it's so incredibly lovable and sad. Even though it's a very cartoony style, it certainly is no story for children. It's much too weighty a story even in light-hearted visual form.

After reading the three Thompson creations I feel that I have a true appreciation for his storytelling and his abilities to pull you in and make you feel the story rather than feeling apart from it as you read. Les belles histoires, Craig. Beau.

Berlin: City of Stones by Jason Lutes

I hereby declare July "Graphic Novel Month" because it seems to be that all I want to do these days is make my way through more and more of them.

Berlin: City of Stones is part one of a series by Jason Lutes, and begins with two main storylines: one of Marthe Müller, an art student who develops a relationship with a journalist, and one of a family of working-class Germans on the breaking point because of differing political viewpoints. While it's all fiction, nothing about it is fantastic. It all seems quite believable and realistic in its entirety. The drawings too are realistic as comics go; there is of course stylization but nothing too dramatic. It was interesting in contrast to the comics I keep up with on a reuglar basis, all of which have pretty cartoony looks (American Elf, for example).

I found myself wanting to read all the way to the end, but I wound up thinking this was just out of a sense of commitment rather than an actual liking for the story. While it was vaguely interesting, I feel incredibly distant from this location combined with the time period (1910s and 20s in Berlin, obviously). Not only that, but I found myself unable to form a true interest in the characters. It was somehow difficult to relate to them, even to Marthe who was an art student who questioned the value of university teachings (as I have also been the past 4 years of my life). Maybe I need to finish the series to have a whole understanding of the story and a better "relationship" with the characters, but I'm not sure that I want to. I feel no obligation to complete it when all the while it seemed to be so distant.

It brings up an interesting point, I think. You can illustrate the hell out of something, writing about an important period and the lives of fellow humans, but it won't always be interesting to the reader. I'd rather read American Elf, even though it's just a diary of James Kochalka's life and may seem boring to others. I find it more relatable because there is a sense of humor (not so apparent in Berlin) and a bit of fantasy drawn into the everyday happenings of someone's life. So while Berlin may still be a great book valued by others and located at the top of many "Best Graphic Novels" lists, my feelings on it border on the line of neutral and dislike, and I don't feel bad about it!

Onto the next, eh?

Blankets by Craig Thompson

I saw this sitting on a featured shelf in the library and thought "That looks pretty. I'll give it a try." And what luck! It turned out to be amazing. I've been through a lot of graphic novels I had no intention of buying in the end, but this one I am definitely adding to my "must be purchased no matter what" list. Also, even though it is a pretty thick book, I got through it in a matter of a few hours. It's like candy you have to keep eating but then you realize you've gotten to the bottom of the box, and then you wish there were more.

This graphic novel is a highly personal autobiography of the author, Craig Thompson, from his childhood to his 20s. The artwork is absolutely magnificent, and if you're interested you should visit his website called Doot Doot Garden, because it too is great. I'd actually stumbled across his website a long time ago without knowing it was the same author of this book, which made for a cool realization once I googled his name.

But back to the book-- I can't praise it enough! I suppose whether or not you'd like it depends on whether or not you like graphic novels, and more specifically graphic novels that are about someone's life and not giant anime robots or Japanese school girls or something. His childhood had some truly saddening moments spattered with a few happy memories here and there. He didn't have the most horrible childhood you can think of but it certainly had it's terrible moments. Despite this, and despite being constantly picked on by his peers, he grew into a shy and sweet adolescent boy full of ideas. He had an ongoing struggle with religion because he grew up in a fundamentalist christian family, but as he grows he begins to find fault in the teachings and cannot bring himself to reveal to his parents that he is no longer religious.

I won't give away the rest of the story because it's very beautiful and real. If you've had a first love then you can tremendously relate to what he feels later on in the book. Read it for the art, or read it for the story-- either way, just read it! It's beautiful.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Recently I was researching movies to watch via Amazon.com, and I came across Persepolis. I had no clue what it was about, but the artwork looked amazing so I decided I should rent it. After viewing the movie, which was incredible, I was told that I should read the graphic novels. Quickly I made my way over to the library and did just that.

Persepolis: The Story of Childhood is one incredible journey to say the least. It is the autobiography of Marjane Satrapi, an Iranian born in 1969 who has grown up to see the modern political changes in her hometown Tehran. She witnessed the Iranian Revolution in 1979, among other violent results of an ever-oppressive government. She's so beautifully, and sometimes terrifyingly, honest throughout this tale of her life. It's an incredible story because she and her family perservere no matter what happens in Tehran, and they continuously face terrors with bravery. This is not to say that they are invincible; they are human-- rational but emotional, and they stick to their beliefs as best they can. I learned more about Iran and Iranians than I ever have (although this is just one family). It's horrifying to know what she found out as a little girl. There was grim news always, of friends and family who faced torture and death in opposition to the government, of the public which constantly turned against itself in fear. I can't even come close to imagining what a childhood would have been like in a country so wartorn. To remain so rational and honest as an adult despite the terrible things she knew is truly an amazing feat.

The second book relays the story of her years as a young adult, of being sent abroad to Austria by her family for safety's sake, and of the adventures and misfortunes of growing up. Obviously, she had a more rocky start than many people she came across.

She made friends, she lost friends, she faced the difficulties of puberty, she got to know love and the feeling that comes post-relationship when you find out the person is not as amazing as you once thought, she clung to her love of punk rock but didn't find herself completely able to relate to its culture.

I should probably do less recounting and just say that this story was amazing in both book and movie form. The art was great in both, the story was gripping in both, and it couldn't be more relevant to the current times (because of the resulting havoc of a recently staged election by the current Iranian government). I hope the near future holds good change for the Iranian people and I think you, whoever you are, should definitely read both graphic novels and watch the movie. And also read the news if you don't know what's going on in Iran. Awareness is important! DO IT!