Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli

This is one of the best graphic novels that I have read in a while. It tells the story of Asterios Polyp, a famous architect who had it all: a prestigious academic career as a university professor; fame; a beautiful wife. But after indulging for years in self-absorption, his life begins to unravel. After his apartment in downtown Manhattan burns down in a fire, he decides to turn his back on his former life and start anew as a mechanic in a small town. The ensuing transformation and redemption of Asterios is captivating.

Besides an interesting story, what I really enjoyed about this graphic novel was the artwork. At face value the latter point may seem redundant, as one would expect that illustrations would be a primary focus in a comic. In an ironic twist, however, I have noticed that many comics pay more attention to the written word than the graphic story line, with the result that the word “graphic” starts disappearing more and more from the genre of “graphic novel”. That is why this work was a breath of fresh air. On many occasions the beautiful artwork was able to convey complex themes and interesting storylines, without having to rely on narrative dialogue to tell the reader what is going on. The result is a wonderful graphic novel.

4 out of 5 star