Graphic Novels

graphic novel haven

February is here! A quick month like this, begets a quick read, so what better choice for our next gathering than the graphic novel.

What exactly is a graphic novel? Merriam-Webster defines graphic novels as fictional stories presented in comic-strip format and presented as a book. The term graphic novel, according to good ol' Wikipedia, is rather contentious. Comic readers have called "graphic novel" an unnecessary title whose usage has been corrupted by commercial interests. Graphic novels, some suggest, have made comics unnecessarily overpriced and pretentious. Author Daniel Raeburn went so far as to say that the neologism is "the literary equivalent of calling a garbage man a sanitation engineer." I tend to agree with Neil Gaiman on this one. His stance is that the term is "like someone who'd been informed that she wasn't actually a hooker; that in fact she was a lady of the evening." 

Whether you dig the euphemism or not, graphic novels are here to say. Their popularity is growing, particularly in libraries. They've evolved from being a sort of subculture genre to a mainstream staple of libraries and bookstores. Many classics have been adapted to the genre, and teachers across the nation have added graphic novels into their curriculum (if only to get beyond the abstrusity of Shakespeare). Graphic novels even have a growing presence in academic libraries and are a burgeoning topic in some universities. In fact, Columbia University created an excellent Subject Guide for those of you interested in learning a bit more on the topic. 

I've personally read a lot of graphic novels, and I had a hard time choosing just one for this month's book club. Since a lot of people expressed interest in it, I chose Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Like most graphic novels, Persepolis is actually a series. "The Complete Persepolis," which is the variety I got from the library combines parts 1 "The Story of a Childhood" and 2 "The story of a Return." For the purposes of this book club, you can read just part one, but I think to get the full effect you'll want to read both. The movie version is actually a combination of both novels. If you're feeling particularly lazy (which, let's be honest, is sort of the trend here) go ahead and rent the movie. 

Here is a write up from Goodreads on Persepolis:

"Persepolis is the story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. It is the chronicle of a girlhood and adolescence at once outrageous and familiar, a young life entwined with the history of her country yet filled with the universal trials and joys of growing up."

Happy Reading!

January Book Club

The theme for the January's book club is narrative non-fiction, and book is:

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.

Berendt's book is part mystery, part courtroom drama, and part Savannah travel book.

Here's the description from Goodreads:

"Shots rang out in Savannah's grandest mansion in the misty,early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. John Berendt's sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative reads like a thoroughly engrossing novel, and yet it is a work of nonfiction. Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case.

It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman's Card Club; the turbulent young redneck gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the "soul of pampered self-absorption"; the uproariously funny black drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young blacks dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, this enormously engaging portrait of a most beguiling Southern city has become a modern classic."


Have a good break and happy reading!! :)

-Michelle

Zombie Apocalypse

Genre: Zombie Apocalypse

Book: World War Z by Max Brooks 

“A zombie apocalypse is a particular scenario of apocalyptic literature that customarily has a science fiction/horror rationale. In a zombie apocalypse, a widespread rise of zombies hostile to human life engages in a general assault on civilization.” (Wikipedia [Yes, I quoted Wikipedia])

History of the Genre:

Zombies have appeared in African and Haitian religions where they mindless people under the power of a sorcerer.  There have been noted examples of this type of zombie throughout the years, especially in Haiti.  (See Stuff You Should Know Podcast for more information.)

They have also appeared throughout literary history, although in different forms.  In “The Epic of the Gilgamesh”, there is a mention of the “dead go up to eat the living”.  Frankenstein can even be considered a type of zombie as he was dead but has returned to life.  It wasn’t until 1929’s novel “The Magic Island” by W. B. Seabrook that the word “zombi” was first introduced to the U.S., according to the Times. 

Zombies became mainstream in the form of mindless human eating corpses that we know and love today thanks to George A. Romero’s 1964 film “Night of the Living Dead”.  Romero used zombies “to criticize real-world social ills – such as government ineptitude, bioengineering, slavery, greed and exploitation – while indulging our post-apocalyptic fantasies” (Review).  It was because of Romero that zombies became entwined with apocalypses. 

For those of you who like to play "Six Degrees", Karla's uncle was the gun-toting zombie.
And now you're only like three degrees from George Romero.  You're welcome.

Since Romero, zombies have permeated all parts of our culture, but are seen most commonly in movies.  From Harry Potter to Shaun of the Dead to Return of the Living Dead, there have been many different variations on the “classic zombie”.  Historically, most zombies are usually portrayed as slow, mindless creatures intent on eating uninfected flesh.  Recently though, there have been exceptions including films like 28 Days Later and Zombieland that have involved fast zombies, arguably making them much scarier.  The current trend is towards the zombie outbreak being caused by a biological weapon or disease which quickly spreads and collapses society, although past causes have seen vampire bats or hexes causing this plague.

Zombie Apocalyptic Literature:

It wasn’t until 1990 that zombies began appearing as a separate genre in literature, with “Book of the Dead” by John Skipp and Craig Spector being considered the first book to spawn the genre.  Since then, the genre has taken off, especially in the last five years. 

It has also become an academic genre, with Louisiana State University offering a Zombies in Literature class.  Scholars have also taken over "zombies" by releasing titles such as "Zombie Economics: How Dead Ideas Still Walk Among Us" and "Theories of International Politics and Zombies".

Some notable books include:

• “I Am Legend” by Richard Matheson – Written in 1954, this is where the genre began having a post-apocalyptic feel due to the infestation.  Although usually considered a vampire novel, it heavily influenced George A. Romero’s films.
• “Cell” by Stephen King- Zombies are created by a “pulse” that is sent through cell phones.  Published in 2006
• “Zombie Survival Guide” by Max Brooks- a very well researched “non-fiction” survival guide that predated World War Z.
• “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” by Seth Grahame-Smith – Started the craze of “mashups” between classic novels and monsters.
• “Walking Dead” by Robert Kirkman- Graphic novel series and now a television series on AMC.  Drawn in black and white, these books are very brutal but are really more concerned about the people and how they handle the breakdown of society.
• “Forest of Hands and Teeth"- A young adult series that deals with survival hundreds of years after the outbreak, which is a rare occurrence in this genre.
• “Zombie, Ohio” by Scott Kenemore- The main character is a zombie, although a highly functioning one.
• “Warm Bodies”  by Isaac Marion- The main character is also a zombie, but is a more traditional one.  Great humor in the book.
• “Hater” by David Moody- Originally published online, these zombies are more of the “rage” zombies and are not originally dead.

Zombies in the Library:

Like many other fads, libraries might be hesitant to really embrace these books but this trend has staying power and is in high demand.  Hopefully, unlike young adult vampire romances, they will be with us for quite awhile, much like real zombies would.

Libraries can incorporate zombies into their marketing, like McPherson College did, which received many good reviews as well as a lot of mentions on various blogs. 

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

Other monsters may threaten individual humans, but the living dead threaten the entire human race…Zombies are slate wipers.

- Max Brooks

An epistolary novel, “World War Z” shows a range and depth that can easily be missed by other books that deal with only a few characters’ interactions with the zombie apocalypse.  Influenced storytelling-wise by Studs Terkel’s novel on World War II entitled “The Good War” as well as zombie-wise by George A. Romero’s films.   It was on the New York Times bestseller list for four weeks.

Other Forms:

An abridged audiobook was released with a large cast including Alan Alda, Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner and Mark Hamill.

A movie is being filmed right now, to be released on December 21, 2012.  Brad Pitt is staring as Gerry Lane, the narrator.  There does appear to be significant rewrites as the movie appears to take place during the outbreak instead of years afterwards, the zombies don’t appear to be slow, and Brad Pitt’s wife and children play large roles.  However, some adaptions are to be expected as the book is not really written in a way that would easily transfer to film.  (To see a brief clip of the movie, go here!) 

Miscellaneous

• An amazing video of George Bush planning a zombie strategy.
• The CDC's emergency preparedness document on zombies.
• A librarian's pick for the 10 best zombie books.
• The mathematical modelling of when zombies attack.  Spoiler: it doesn't look good.
• Cracked article on the 5 Reasons You Secretly Want a Zombie Apocalypse.
• The CDC's graphic novel on Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic.