Court
A young man discovering family history, over time, geography, events, and language. Well crafted story with many different relationships: Simon not staying with his girlfriend, the cousin's wedding, mix of close and not so close family. As well as the opportunity to grow closer, air grievances, reflect, and think about identity.
And I appreciated the art style as well as layout and stylistic choices. Great art.
3.5 or so
Parts were fascinating. There's a lot here: art, comics (and eventually graphic novels), American politics, celebrities, theatrical plays, screenplays, satire, children's books, famous publications, and on and on.
I might have enjoy it better had I taken the latter part at a slower pace, but my digital check out was expiring. Loved the art, thought some of the connections to familiar names were interesting. He did so much and I've also read some of his more recent works.
This is fantastic; great genre work, fun characters, good setting, little splashes of French. I love the friendly thief character and Bandette is charming, whimsical, cultured, and fun.
Also enjoyed the urchin stories at the end. I had to pause in reading Daniel's story for this line that I loved: “She frowned, but she did so in a way that she does, where the frown is like a drum roll for a smile.”
Paul Tobin you have my attention. Marvelous.
Very well done graphic novel; the paneling, the use of black paper, the mix of supernatural and everyday, the Hispanic influence and use of Spanish, the world building and characters were all done well. I think the way the main character identity as non-binary and use of they pronouns was very good.
Valente is so clever with lines like: ‘Prometheus flicks a lighter for Apollo's wobbly cig.'
Sisyphus with his marble.
And has such lovely prose throughout. Loved the premise. Fun combing of past and modern times, reminded me of Lore Olympus.
What I want to take away from it:“But did you ever ask her?”“Ask her what?”“If she wanted to come back.”“Why the hell would I ask her? Nobody wants to be dead. I did the right thing. For us. For her. You were there. It was heroic. I was selfless. I was strong.”“Were you? Or could you just . . . not accept that something pretty was taken from you? Did you know her? Or was she hot and rich and uncomplicated?”And“I see my love for you as though it hangs in a museum,” Eurydice says slowly. “Under glass. Environmentally controlled. It is a part of history. But I am not allowed to touch it. I am not allowed to add anything new to it. I am not even allowed to get close.” She puts a golden star into place without looking up. “Why didn't you turn around?” Eurydice whispers.Orpheus tells the truth. “I knew you were there, baby. I never doubted it for a minute.”Children yell and play in the neighbors' gardens, high-pitched giggles fizzing up into the streetlights. “You didn't know. You assumed I was there. Behind you. Like I'd always been there. Behind you. You couldn't even imagine that I might not do as I was told, that I might not be where you wanted me to be, the moment you wanted it. That was my place, and you assumed I would be in it. What in your life has ever gone any way other than as you wished it?” She glances toward the house, toward the demo still sitting where Sisyphus left it. “And now you have what you want from me. What you always wanted. I am no longer necessary. And yet. I am still here.”Such a good way to sum it up
I did rather enjoy this. I understand that it was a short book, but I wish that there were more American examples. I assume that there is a bias to think ‘oh no that hasn't happened here, so it'll never happen here.' I enjoyed [b:The Day the Klan Came to Town 57566660 The Day the Klan Came to Town Bill Campbell https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1620688457l/57566660.SX50.jpg 90152051], which covers a Klan march on a Pennsylvanian town in 1923, while I read this on my commute. I felt that the two books helped support each others' main messages.I am also unsure about how I feel about the oblique reference to the Trump Administration. I did appreciate the mentioning of Orwell's 1984.
I thought this was so well done and made me laugh.
From the author: ‘I started writing NOT A WOLF as a way to blow off steam when I was frustrated. When my day job felt like a slog or I was feeling lonely, I'd smash the caps lock key and post my frustrations. What started as an inside joke I'd share with a handful of friends came together as a story about a wolf who desperately wanted to be a human so that he could enthusiastically do all the things we complain about doing. That story eventually became this book.'
The characters were great.
Hank the friendly retiree, Britt the online date, Mike the boring coworker, Gary the ass from sales with his underlings Brent & Brett, Caleb the roommate, The Boss woman, The Executive, and all the animals as well: Kyle the wolf brother, The Queen of Bears, The Lord of All Birds, and the Insect Collective.
I loved when he ate the tiramisu, there's like three things he should not have had in there. There's also the adventure of taking the bus and the great work place commentary and how people can suck or be great.
Great collection of Old Nick and the Peddler, The Milkmaid and Her Pail, An Agreement Between Friends (about the rivalry between dogs, cats, and mice), Old Fire Dragaman (a Jack tale from Appalachia), Marjorie's Lui's Puss in Boots, The Frog Who Became an Emperor, The Crane Wife, Momotaro, and The Witch Baby.
Some examples are great, but I feel like the book misrepresents English. English will absorb some words from other languages, like most English speakers will understand some French words, eg beaucoup, oui, quiche, and even the acronym of RSVP. The book also uses quite a few Spanish words as examples, which I think are great, but often ‘j' is more like 'y', why wasn't that discussed?
Ewe, eulogy, pterodactyl, psychic, you, and why were some great examples, and I liked that they covered the Greek root for pterodactyl in the glossary.
I love alphabet books, I also love pointing out inconsistencies of language (there's an ‘l' in half, so weird).
Also it's my understanding that aeon is British and eon is American.