- In your blog, list any books you’ve read but haven’t reviewed yet. If you’re all caught up on reviews, maybe you could try this with whatever book(s) you finish this week.
- Ask your readers to ask you questions about any of the books they want. In your comments, not in their blogs. Most likely, people who will ask you questions will be people who have read one of the books or know something about it because they want to read it.
- Later, take whichever questions you like from your comments and use them in a post about each book. Link to each blogger next to that blogger’s question(s).
- Visit other Weekly Geeks and ask them some questions!
Oh, Dewey, your timing is perfect! Because I have this book I’ve been wanting to review and I just have no idea how to start.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned my total lack of interest in graphic novels. Then I thought I better put my money where my mouth was, and try actually reading one. So I picked up a copy of the graphic novel version of City of Glass, by Paul Auster. I thought this would be a good entrée into the genre, since I had read the original novel already. See? I could compare the same story, told “graphically” and told in prose.
Well, it was years ago that I read the original novel and I had forgotten what a strange, disturbing, avant-garde book it was. Heck, never mind the graphic novel aspect; I wouldn’t know where to begin to write about the original. Let’s see… there is stuff about mistaken identity. The author shows up as a character in his own story. There is stuff about the nature of language and the Tower of Babel. There is stuff about insanity and child abuse. And it’s all weird. Weird, and bleak and confusing. And strangely riveting.
Soooooo, how do I review this graphic novel? Can you suggest some questions to help me out? If you read graphic novels, what things do you think about when you review them?
16 Comments
How do you think the visual art and text complement each other? Was reading this similar for you to seeing a movie of a book that you’d previously read?
Were there any surprising juxtapositions between the text and the art that gave you pause for thought?
I’ve never read a graphic novel before. Would this be a good place to start? If yes, why? If not, why not and which GN would be a good starter novel?
Is a picture worth 1000 words?
I was very excited to see a graphic novel of City of Glass - my question for you is given the choice would you rather read the graphic novel or the original novel? And why?
How does this compare to the original novel (I know it’s been a while, but try…)? After reading this, would you read another graphic novel?
I’m still trying to figure out what a graphic novel is. Or isn’t. So…make sure you help me with that part.
As a first time graphic novel, did you feel properly introduced to the genre? Is it more of a general graphic novel with specific heroes or was it a more complex story? Have you decided to read any more graphic novels in the future? How do you feel the art style compares with the writing style? Is one art form stronger than the other?
What I’d be curious to know is if the illustrations helped further the “post-modernish” stuff in the book? Did they complicate the story in interesting ways or just make it confusing to read? I have a hard time with graphic novels because I get lost in the images; did you experience that problem?
Great questions. What I was going to ask has already been asked… Let me try anyway: When I read a book, the action in my mind is realtime and always moving. As in a movie, there is great flow of movement, yes? Since I’ve not yet attempted a graphic novel yet, either, my impression is that the static pictures will SLOW the story down. Your thoughts, please.
Yes, great questions already! I’ve never read a graphic novel either and am a bit leery about them. What can you tell me to help me get over this nervousness I have?
How is a graphic novel different from a comic? Is reading a graphic novel a bit like watching a movie in that you’re seeing an interpretation of what another sees in the text versus what you might have seen if you had just read the text?
Wow, so much to think about. Thanks for the great questions! I will write a post in response within the next few days.
Hello Julie! I really want to ask a good question but for the life of me I can’t remember which part of the trilogy City of Glass belongs to. Hmmm, did I phrase that right? I read and enjoyed The New York Trilogy years ago as well but like you I can’t seem to find the proper words except to say that it was both a joy and at the same time a disturbing read.
I think I didn’t help at all. Hahaha. So goodluck! Was the graphic novel as thought-provoking as the novel itself or something actually got lost in translating the medium into comics?
i’ve not tried any graphic novels yet. I would like to know how they compare to text only novels in all the same aspects of storytelling. Thus I’m going to go ahead and leave the same set of questions I’ve been leaving elsewhere.
I’m interested in the technique and art of storytelling itself so anything along that line would interest me. My questions are for any or all of the fiction titles in your list:
How was Point-of-View handled? Was there a single POV character or did it alternate among two or more. Was it always clear whose eyes and mind were filtering?
How was language used to set tone and mood?
Was the prose dense or spare? Were sentences generally simple or complex?
How was metaphor used? Were associations fresh or did they tend toward cliche? Did they add to your understanding of the theme?
What was the central or organizing theme?
How does the title relate to the story? Was it fitting?
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BTW I’m hosting a book giveaway this week. Four copies of Still Summer by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Four chances to enter until Saturday 3PM PST.
I’m relatively inexperienced with graphic novels… I’ve read Maus & Maus II, Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere (it’s imperative that you read the novel first, I think; the graphic novel is an adaptation of Gaiman’s novel by other people), and The Sandman. I asked for The Sandman series for Christmas a few years ago and when my family found out what it was, my parents said, “Jena, our MA-in-English daughter, wants comic books?” But I’d highly recommend Gaiman’s The Sandman–fantastic characters, magnetic plots, amazing premise…
One thing I noticed about The Sandman was that several artists were involved, and I found it jarring when different people drew Morpheus–it got harder to focus on what was going on. Of course, these were initially published as comic books–so the serial comics published as graphic novels–is it fair to qualify them as graphic novels, as they weren’t meant to be read all in one sitting? (Of course, then there’s the argument that in Dickens’s time, novels were published serially…)
I also love considering all the levels of allusion (which Gaiman is really good at).