Books and Movies

I am availing myself of the hotel’s free wi-fi here in Portland, Oregon. We drove down on Thursday, leaving at the unholy hour of 4:30 am. I shouldn’t complain, though, since I slept for almost the first four hours of the trip. After stopping for breakfast in Pasco, Washington, we crossed over into Oregon and drove I-84, along the Columbia River Gorge. It is truly a beautiful drive - Josiah calls it the “sand mountains” because the hills across the river look soft like velvet or suede.

We stopped at the fish hatchery at Bonneville Dam, and had sandwiches, then continued on to Portland, where we spent the evening with Kevin’s brother, sister-in-law and mother. Had some very interesting conversations about the upcoming election, since Kevin’s family are all McCain supporters, and even though Kevin and I are registered Republicans, we will be voting for Obama.

We spent the next day at my aunt’s house, visiting with her family and my grandmother. I haven’t seen her in about five years, and she has aged so much. It makes me sad.

Today, we spent four and a half hours at the Tae Kwon Do tournament; the kids did so well. Natalie got three 2nd places; Noah got two 1sts and a 3rd; Jonathan got a 2nd, a 3rd, and a 4th. More important than their medals was the fact that they were all good sports, respectful to their fellow competitors and happy to be there. I was very proud of them.

Needless to say, I haven’t had much time to read. I did have a little time this afternoon by the hotel pool, while the kids were swimming. Company of Liars is intriguing; I wish I had some uninterrupted time to really get into it - I’m still only around page 100.

I have been doing some other reading, though, of a genre that is fairly new to me - the graphic novel. I thought I’d dedicate this Sunday Salon to the graphic novels I’ve read - and enjoyed - recently.

The first two graphic novels I read were The Complete Maus and Persepolis, parts 1 & 2, and I was amazed. I don’t know what I expected. I never read “comic books” as a kid, other than Archie, Betty, and Veronica - not exactly great art, though a lot of fun. Maus and Persepolis are autobiographical graphic novels, and the illustrations and text make for a completely unique reading experience.

My 9-year-old, Jonathan, isn’t a voracious reader. He reads for school, and he reads at least 45 minutes of free-reading - a novel of his choice - but he doesn’t pick up books to read for pleasure outside of school time. Or he didn’t, until I bought him this:

I’ve had Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer sitting on the shelf for a couple years, but so far none of my kids have been tempted to pick it up and crack it open. I thought I’d get the graphic novel for Jonathan, and it was a complete hit. He actually took the book to bed with him! Since then, Noah and Natalie and I have all read it and also liked it. I think I will still read the novel aloud to the kids at some point, because I felt like I missed a whole bunch of the story. It was a fun read, though, and I liked the artwork very much.

When I told my friend Michelle how much Jonathan had loved Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel, she loaned us this:

Mouse Guard, Volume 1: Fall 1152 by David Petersen is a medieval adventure full of brave, resourceful, and fierce mice. Jonathan devoured it. Noah is reading it now. I haven’t read it, but I can tell you that my boys have given it the highest praise, and the artwork is beautiful. Jonathan was ecstatic to hear that the sequel is coming out in December.

Michelle also loaned me:

Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert is a new take on the Marvel characters: the Fantastic Four, Spiderman, Nick Fury, Daredevil, Dr. Strange - they’re all transplanted into the world of Queen Elizabeth. Due to a quirk in time, they’re appearing almost 400 years before they were supposed to, and it’s causing the world to descend into chaos. They have to find a way to fix it, all while running from the Inquisition, the leaders of which have branded them “Witchbreed.” This was a fascinating graphic novel, and the artwork is brilliant. I’ve never read any of the original Marvel comics - though I’ve seen almost all of the films based on the characters - and so this was completely new to me. I’m a new fan of Neil Gaiman, though, and that’s what convinced me to give it a try.

I’m currently reading:

Hatter M: The Looking Glass Wars, Volume 1 by Frank Beddor, Liz Cavalier, and Ben Templesmith. I loved the novel The Looking Glass Wars, and this graphic novel is a companion, telling the story of Hatter M as he searches for Alyss, who has been lost in the real world, and needs to go back to Wonderland to take her rightful place as the new queen. This graphic novel is more - well, graphic. I would recommend the novel to most kids age 10 and up, but the violence in the first volume of the Hatter M graphic novels is much more adult. I’m not very far into it, so I’ll have to let you know what I think of it when I’m done. I’m not as thrilled with the artwork in this one.

So far, the graphic novels that I’ve enjoyed the most have been the ones that were designed to be graphic novels - not adaptations of a previous book. Maus and Persepolis and 1602 all stand alone and complete. As I read Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel, I found myself wanting more. I’m pretty sure my experience with Hatter M will be similar.

So, have you read any great graphic novels? Any I need to put on my ever-growing wish list?

Don’t forget to read my review of Capote in Kansas, as well as an in-depth interview with the author, Kim Powers.

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