Thursday, July 8, 2010

graphic novel binge

As shocking as it was that I finally finished a book day before last, it doesn't compare to the shocking events of yesterday...when I finished two! Both graphic novels. And then I started a third. Yep, another graphic novel. Got me thinking how awesome it would be to just indulge myself in a big old comic binge. I have so many I'm dying to read right here in my very own house. I know I must start putting together Annie's literature course here (I've already procrastinated a few days longer than I meant to). While we're using a lecture series, which should mean much less work on my part, I still have many, many books to get read. I'm thinking it might be cool to focus on that reading, with massive amounts of graphic novels thrown in. So much for my summer reading plan of finishing up all the books I have started. Maybe I can come up with some mixture of all three. Or maybe I can stop worrying about it and just see what transpires. ;)

Well, we headed to B&N last night. Mostly to be somewhere with AC. Our third day of temps in the 90s had our house up into the mid-80s...and what can I say?...we're complete pantywaists when it comes to the heat. Anyway, while sitting there in the cafe, I ended up reading The Nobody by Jeff Lemire. I didn't mean to...I picked it up to read the first few pages to see if I wanted to buy it, but I got so sucked in that I couldn't put it down until I'd finished all 144 pages. According to descriptions, it is a loose retelling of H.G. Well's The Invisible Man. But I can't compare, as I've never read Well's classic. But I can say I very much enjoyed this book...with its themes of loneliness and loss and identity and paranoia. It won't make my top three reads of the year, but it was definitely worth my time.

At home, I finished up the last 68 pages of Arabian Nights (and Days). I think I said earlier that this wasn't my favorite in the series. But then, they can't all be my favorite, can they? The last two chapters took a detour (though a relevant one, and one that I can tell is going to connect to the main arc). At first I wasn't sure about this storyline, but I ended up loving it! (Sad to say, I really didn't like the art in these last two chapters though. A totally subjective call there--just not my style.) Had the next volume been sitting there, I undoubtedly would have picked it up immediately. However, I was just too lazy to get out of bed and get it from the library, so instead...

I started reading The Stand: American Nightmares (the second volume in the graphic adaptation of Stephen King's novel). Read the first 27 pages, before the need to sleep just overpowered me. I find it incredibly hard to judge this graphic novel series. I'm enjoying them a lot! But I've read the novel so many times now that I'm just automatically filling in all kinds of little details. I honestly cannot judge how different my reading experience might be if I wasn't so familiar with King's original book.

2 comments:

  1. I ordered you V for Vendetta...and that was very sweet of me. Now you can get another graphic novel done!

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  2. Rich,
    Why yes--that was very sweet of you! (And I'm not even sighing as I say that. :P) Thank you!!!

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