Oh lord, I had so much trouble reading this. The main characters were just so darn frustrating. I tried to sit down and read it straight through but I got so pissed off I just couldn't do it. By the end I was fairly okay with the characters and the people they had become but throughout most of the novel I had serious difficulty willing myself from panel to panel.
The girls in Ghostworld are just so immature. They refuse to show that they like or are interested in anything for fear that showing legitimate interest will cause them to be ridiculed. And so they mock everything and everyone just to make themselves feel better but it doesn't work, it just leaves them feeling more empty and confused about who they are and what they want to be. And I understand that, but having come out of a similar phase relatively recently, wherein I was trying to define myself and my likes and dislikes the characters were irritating on a deeply personal level, showing me what an idiot I had been and how obnoxious I must have seemed.
Despite its brevity, the novel is only 80 pages, there is a huge amount of story within a short amount of volume. Though perhaps story is not the best word as there is no traditional plot in any sense, rather the reader just gets a glimpse into the lives of two individuals and their interactions with the world with which they are trying to come to grips. The world of love and adulthood is looming and the protagonists are caught practically unawares as they are thrust into something for which they are completely mentally and emotionally unprepared.
Though they may be incredibly and intensely grating on the nerves the main caharacters of Ghostworld give a bit of an excellent insight into the mindset of a teenager coming of age in America and trying to come to terms with their place in the world.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea
Guy Delisle's autobiographical story about his own experience living in North Korea is a truly fascinating insight into a country about which very little is known as far as the day to day lives of its people.
Guy was sent to Pyongyang to supervise animation being produced there for his company. Like all foreigners he was assigned a guide to show him what he was supposed to see. North Korea is very controlling of the way their nation is perceived that they have required places all visitors must see, all of which celebrate the glory of their eternal president Kim Il-Sung and his son, Kim Jong-Il. The propaganda of the state surrounds everyone, all music is related to the party, positive slogans are posted on every wall and shouted at workers in construction sites and rice fields.
Guy's experience is presented matter-of-factly, with no real political spin. He just recounts what happened to him as it happened, though he is fairly appalled by the extent to which the North Korean population buys the crap they are fed by the government. They seem hugely moved by the shitty anthems to the glory of Kim Il-Sung, crying with national pride when visiting the friendship museum.
The Friendship museum is an interesting organism in and of itself. It is a gigantic bunker bored into the side of a mountain filled with gifts to Kim Il-Sung from various nations. It is as though they are trying to prove to themselves how important they are by showing how other nations “respect” them by sending them gifts. The people must constantly be reminded of the greatness of their homeland though displays of power and international strength. The museum is a moving experience for North Koreans, a sort of confirmation of their countries might in their own eyes, reinforcing what they have been told their entire lives.
Guy's experience in North Korea appears to be a fairly typical one in terms of the visits of foreigners in North Korea. You are shown what they want you to see and if you ask questions or try to do anything out of the ordinary you are politely but forcefully led away from the subject and brought to something approved by the party. The government in North Korea is watching, always watching, and if you make one false move you will be caught and you will be punished.
Guy was sent to Pyongyang to supervise animation being produced there for his company. Like all foreigners he was assigned a guide to show him what he was supposed to see. North Korea is very controlling of the way their nation is perceived that they have required places all visitors must see, all of which celebrate the glory of their eternal president Kim Il-Sung and his son, Kim Jong-Il. The propaganda of the state surrounds everyone, all music is related to the party, positive slogans are posted on every wall and shouted at workers in construction sites and rice fields.
Guy's experience is presented matter-of-factly, with no real political spin. He just recounts what happened to him as it happened, though he is fairly appalled by the extent to which the North Korean population buys the crap they are fed by the government. They seem hugely moved by the shitty anthems to the glory of Kim Il-Sung, crying with national pride when visiting the friendship museum.
The Friendship museum is an interesting organism in and of itself. It is a gigantic bunker bored into the side of a mountain filled with gifts to Kim Il-Sung from various nations. It is as though they are trying to prove to themselves how important they are by showing how other nations “respect” them by sending them gifts. The people must constantly be reminded of the greatness of their homeland though displays of power and international strength. The museum is a moving experience for North Koreans, a sort of confirmation of their countries might in their own eyes, reinforcing what they have been told their entire lives.
Guy's experience in North Korea appears to be a fairly typical one in terms of the visits of foreigners in North Korea. You are shown what they want you to see and if you ask questions or try to do anything out of the ordinary you are politely but forcefully led away from the subject and brought to something approved by the party. The government in North Korea is watching, always watching, and if you make one false move you will be caught and you will be punished.
Buddha
Despite it's title Osamu Tezuka's first volume of Buddha has very little to do with Buddha indeed. He is only mentioned a few times, and the references are to his birth at that. The main story follows a young monk, two slaves, and a pariah named Tatta. Rather than giving a biography into the life of Siddhartha Tezuka chooses to give an insight into his teachings and ideals.
The story begins by following a Brahmin, or monk, who is sent by his master to seek out one who would be a god or a king. In his quest the Brahmin discovers that the person for whom he is searching is from the lowest class, below even slaves, a pariah. But this pariah, Tatta, has the greatness to become a god or a king with his wisdom. He can take over an animals mind and command its body and speaks to them. Tatta sees all life as his equal, human and animal alike. Because he is of such low standing he has nowhere to fall to and so he sees himself as one of the animals. In his life Tatta has befriended a young slave trying to save his mother. Their village is attacked by a neighboring monarchy and Tatta's friends and family are killed. Chapra (the slave boy) winds up saving the enemy general and is adopted as his son. So the Brahmin, along with Tatta and Chapra's mother set out across the desert in search of Chapra.
Chapra ignores all ideals of Buddhism in his rise from slave to noble and thus his life is not as positive as it would seem to be. However Chapra is marked as a slave by a brand on his foot and so he can never truly escape his past. He is a slave and will always be a slave. You cannot be anything besides what you are.
And even as Chapra abandons his past his mother, Tatta, and the Brahmin continue to search for him, to rescue him. And along the way they face great hardships, the most poignant of which is when Tatta sacrifices himself to be eaten by a snake in order to make a trade wherein the snake would give some of its eggs to Chapra's mother and the Brahmin so that they may eat as a plague of locusts came and devoured everything around for miles.
Tezuka's style leant to this story is slightly off-putting at first but as you adjust you begin to see the poignant and expressive nature of the artwork. The story of Siddhartha, his life and his teachings, is a very important one in Asian cultures and Tezuka's telling of it is very clear and respectful, allowing non-Buddhist people to read and understand the story of the founding of the religion.
The story begins by following a Brahmin, or monk, who is sent by his master to seek out one who would be a god or a king. In his quest the Brahmin discovers that the person for whom he is searching is from the lowest class, below even slaves, a pariah. But this pariah, Tatta, has the greatness to become a god or a king with his wisdom. He can take over an animals mind and command its body and speaks to them. Tatta sees all life as his equal, human and animal alike. Because he is of such low standing he has nowhere to fall to and so he sees himself as one of the animals. In his life Tatta has befriended a young slave trying to save his mother. Their village is attacked by a neighboring monarchy and Tatta's friends and family are killed. Chapra (the slave boy) winds up saving the enemy general and is adopted as his son. So the Brahmin, along with Tatta and Chapra's mother set out across the desert in search of Chapra.
Chapra ignores all ideals of Buddhism in his rise from slave to noble and thus his life is not as positive as it would seem to be. However Chapra is marked as a slave by a brand on his foot and so he can never truly escape his past. He is a slave and will always be a slave. You cannot be anything besides what you are.
And even as Chapra abandons his past his mother, Tatta, and the Brahmin continue to search for him, to rescue him. And along the way they face great hardships, the most poignant of which is when Tatta sacrifices himself to be eaten by a snake in order to make a trade wherein the snake would give some of its eggs to Chapra's mother and the Brahmin so that they may eat as a plague of locusts came and devoured everything around for miles.
Tezuka's style leant to this story is slightly off-putting at first but as you adjust you begin to see the poignant and expressive nature of the artwork. The story of Siddhartha, his life and his teachings, is a very important one in Asian cultures and Tezuka's telling of it is very clear and respectful, allowing non-Buddhist people to read and understand the story of the founding of the religion.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
American Born Chinese
In “American Born Chinese”Yang takes three seemingly unrelated stories, the story of the Monkey King, the story of his own transition into American culture, and the story of Bobby and his cousin Chin-Kee and brings them all into one cohesive tale.
The book starts with a chapter in the life of the Chinese folk hero the Monkey King. The King wishes to be invited to a party with the other deities, but is not allowed in because he is a monkey and doesn't wear shoes. Because of this rejection the subsequent chapters with this character illustrate his attempts to conform to the other deities standards and how no matter how hard he tires he never really “fit's in.”
Next come the story of Gene Yang himself, though he is referred to as Jin Wang in the story. Jin is also trying to fit into a society that doesn't quite “get” him as he transfers from a school with a large Asian-American population to one where he is the only Chinese person in his class and is subsequently mocked on all fronts for cultural differences. Chapters on Jin show him attempting to assimilate into what he views as proper American society as he grows up and as two more Asian-American students join him at his school.
Bobby and his cousin Chin-Kee is an interesting story arc, and the one that seems to fit in least in the book initially as the other two, while perhaps not celebrating Chinese heritage do not outright insult it. The name Chin-Kee is just a thinly veiled version of chink, which is possibly the most insulting term that can be used for a Chinese person. Chin-Kee is also the stereotype of a Chinese person, uneducated, poorly spoken, drooly, and crass with buck-teeth and eyes so squinty he doesn't appear to have irises or pupils. Bobby on the other hand is the all-American teen, tall, muscular, plays on the football team, gets along with the girls. He is ashamed of Chin-Kee so much that he transfers schools every year after Chin-Kee visits.
As the novel progresses and each of theses tales unfold it is revealed that they are all reall just facets of one story. Bobby is really Jin and Chin-Kee is really the Monkey King, and the all must realize that they need to accept who they are for themselves and not try to conform to some kind of standard. Jin needs to accept his heritage and embrace his identity as a Chinese-American citizen.
The book starts with a chapter in the life of the Chinese folk hero the Monkey King. The King wishes to be invited to a party with the other deities, but is not allowed in because he is a monkey and doesn't wear shoes. Because of this rejection the subsequent chapters with this character illustrate his attempts to conform to the other deities standards and how no matter how hard he tires he never really “fit's in.”
Next come the story of Gene Yang himself, though he is referred to as Jin Wang in the story. Jin is also trying to fit into a society that doesn't quite “get” him as he transfers from a school with a large Asian-American population to one where he is the only Chinese person in his class and is subsequently mocked on all fronts for cultural differences. Chapters on Jin show him attempting to assimilate into what he views as proper American society as he grows up and as two more Asian-American students join him at his school.
Bobby and his cousin Chin-Kee is an interesting story arc, and the one that seems to fit in least in the book initially as the other two, while perhaps not celebrating Chinese heritage do not outright insult it. The name Chin-Kee is just a thinly veiled version of chink, which is possibly the most insulting term that can be used for a Chinese person. Chin-Kee is also the stereotype of a Chinese person, uneducated, poorly spoken, drooly, and crass with buck-teeth and eyes so squinty he doesn't appear to have irises or pupils. Bobby on the other hand is the all-American teen, tall, muscular, plays on the football team, gets along with the girls. He is ashamed of Chin-Kee so much that he transfers schools every year after Chin-Kee visits.
As the novel progresses and each of theses tales unfold it is revealed that they are all reall just facets of one story. Bobby is really Jin and Chin-Kee is really the Monkey King, and the all must realize that they need to accept who they are for themselves and not try to conform to some kind of standard. Jin needs to accept his heritage and embrace his identity as a Chinese-American citizen.
Maus
I'd heard a lot abut Maus leading up to my finally reading it, and it had been on my To Read list for a couple of years so when I finally got the two volumes I wasn't completely sure they would live up to my expectations. I needn't have worried however, as both lived up to any bizarre standard I may have formed for them in my brain, though they were different than I had expected.
Firstly, I didn't realize that Maus was told in two separate volumes, I thought it was just one book. So when I saw that I had to pick up either two volumes or the complete Maus I was a bit startled. I went for the two books option since that's the way they were originally published and also because that came out to be the cheaper option on Amazon. I love how the two books have similarities in their binding such as the image of the crowd on the inside of the cover, but these similarities are tweaked to fit the book to which they are attached, such as the crowd shot in “My Father Bleeds History” showing a crowd of Jews on the street in regular clothes of all different shapes and sizes versus the crowd shot in “And Here My Troubles Began” illustrating the mice in their uniforms in the death camps, each identical in their emaciated and terrified figures.
The telling of the story is also different than I had expected. I thought it would just be told as a Holocaust story from the pint of view of a Jew, I didn't realize that it was told from the author's point of view as he is told the story by his father. But I feel that the inclusion of the modern life bits builds up the story, makes it more relatable in a way. Everyone can understand having difficulty dealing with their parents and getting frustrated with things they do, so seeing the son's struggle and concern about his father helps the reader become even more emotionally invested in the tale being told.
The use of animals to represent the different nationalities lends a bit of a softening to the tale. Spiegelman still creates a sense of despair and horror, even using “funny animals” as his style, but the representations of nationalities as animals makes everything, in a way, more relatable. When we were children many of our stories centered around an animal protagonist, like Arthur the Aardvark or the Very Hungry Caterpillar. As children even the trivial plights of these characters seemed monumentally life-changing in our eyes and so we related more to them with the wide-eyed innocence that is childhood. Now, as adults, the funny animals style can be used to invoke strong emotions as we see a caricature of humanity playing out horrors and plights we can only imagine.
Most “scholars” believe Maus to have heralded in the legitimization of comics, but really it's just continuing and expanding on the long-standing comics tradition. Art Spiegelman was an underground comic artist before going “mainstream” per say with Maus. In underground comics, like those of Aline and Robert Crumb, difficult issues are addressed in an uncensored and unapologetic way and Art is just taking his experiences in the world of the underground and translating it into a sort of double biography for the masses. I say double biography because the volumes tell the reader just as much about Art as they do his father. Because it is told from Art's point of view we see his take on his father's life and his interactions with a man whom he never really understood.
Maus is very much a ground-breaking comic in terms of subject-matter and popularity, but within it is contained years of previous comic traditions.
Firstly, I didn't realize that Maus was told in two separate volumes, I thought it was just one book. So when I saw that I had to pick up either two volumes or the complete Maus I was a bit startled. I went for the two books option since that's the way they were originally published and also because that came out to be the cheaper option on Amazon. I love how the two books have similarities in their binding such as the image of the crowd on the inside of the cover, but these similarities are tweaked to fit the book to which they are attached, such as the crowd shot in “My Father Bleeds History” showing a crowd of Jews on the street in regular clothes of all different shapes and sizes versus the crowd shot in “And Here My Troubles Began” illustrating the mice in their uniforms in the death camps, each identical in their emaciated and terrified figures.
The telling of the story is also different than I had expected. I thought it would just be told as a Holocaust story from the pint of view of a Jew, I didn't realize that it was told from the author's point of view as he is told the story by his father. But I feel that the inclusion of the modern life bits builds up the story, makes it more relatable in a way. Everyone can understand having difficulty dealing with their parents and getting frustrated with things they do, so seeing the son's struggle and concern about his father helps the reader become even more emotionally invested in the tale being told.
The use of animals to represent the different nationalities lends a bit of a softening to the tale. Spiegelman still creates a sense of despair and horror, even using “funny animals” as his style, but the representations of nationalities as animals makes everything, in a way, more relatable. When we were children many of our stories centered around an animal protagonist, like Arthur the Aardvark or the Very Hungry Caterpillar. As children even the trivial plights of these characters seemed monumentally life-changing in our eyes and so we related more to them with the wide-eyed innocence that is childhood. Now, as adults, the funny animals style can be used to invoke strong emotions as we see a caricature of humanity playing out horrors and plights we can only imagine.
Most “scholars” believe Maus to have heralded in the legitimization of comics, but really it's just continuing and expanding on the long-standing comics tradition. Art Spiegelman was an underground comic artist before going “mainstream” per say with Maus. In underground comics, like those of Aline and Robert Crumb, difficult issues are addressed in an uncensored and unapologetic way and Art is just taking his experiences in the world of the underground and translating it into a sort of double biography for the masses. I say double biography because the volumes tell the reader just as much about Art as they do his father. Because it is told from Art's point of view we see his take on his father's life and his interactions with a man whom he never really understood.
Maus is very much a ground-breaking comic in terms of subject-matter and popularity, but within it is contained years of previous comic traditions.
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