Sunday, September 03, 2006
Blankets by Craig Thompson
OK, so I'm a few years behind on this one ...
This book is a very intense read. I sped through it in two emotionally draining sessions and don't feel fully recovered yet.
To make an autobiographical comic book about being a lonely boy outsider work needs a lot of skill and honesty on the part of the author. This book really works for me.
Blankets is the story of Craig's first love, a girl he meets at Christian camp. As a young man Criag's love burns very brightly, for drawing, for his younger brother Phil and for his friend Raina, but intense passions can cool, as Craig explains by calling on Plato's Allegory of the Cave in a truly frightening passage.
Craig draws like an absolute angel and his love for his family, friends and home state of Wisconsin drives the artistic direction of the book.
The book has an intense emotional truth which took me on a trip through my own youth. I'm eight years older than Craig and very happily married to my first love after a separation of twelve years. This book reminded me of what it had been like the first time.
In short, I can't praise this book enough. Read this book, lend it, read it again. This is as good as it gets.
This book is a very intense read. I sped through it in two emotionally draining sessions and don't feel fully recovered yet.
To make an autobiographical comic book about being a lonely boy outsider work needs a lot of skill and honesty on the part of the author. This book really works for me.
Blankets is the story of Craig's first love, a girl he meets at Christian camp. As a young man Criag's love burns very brightly, for drawing, for his younger brother Phil and for his friend Raina, but intense passions can cool, as Craig explains by calling on Plato's Allegory of the Cave in a truly frightening passage.
Craig draws like an absolute angel and his love for his family, friends and home state of Wisconsin drives the artistic direction of the book.
The book has an intense emotional truth which took me on a trip through my own youth. I'm eight years older than Craig and very happily married to my first love after a separation of twelve years. This book reminded me of what it had been like the first time.
In short, I can't praise this book enough. Read this book, lend it, read it again. This is as good as it gets.
# posted by Monkey Loft Nigel @ 10:35 pm 
