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#1
10-31-2003, 12:16 AM
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BLANKETS-The best book you'll read this year.
 This can't be right...I searched here for a topic about this graphic novel, and I got nothing. Wow, this comic is a doozy. I sat down at a bookstore today and read it. The thing is 592 pages long, but it goes by so quick. It's...It's just the most true thing you may read in a while. Part autobiographical, part art, all masterpiece, I recommend Blankets to anyone here who's willing to read something great. It's just a wonderful depiction of Midwestern life. This comic was so anticipated it completely sold out on its first shipping. Right now, there is a great deal of buzz for Blankets, but trust me: This will win awards. "... a rarity: a first-love story so well remembered and honest that it reminds you what falling in love feels like. ... achingly beautiful." -- Time Magazine "... virtual poetry." -- Entertainment Weekly "Thompson's art ... possesses the artistic detail of a novel rendered in comic-book panels ... In telling his story, which includes beautifully rendered memories of the small brutalities that parents inflict upon their children and siblings upon each other, Thompson describes the ecstasy and ache of obsession (with a lover, with God) and is unafraid to suggest the ways that obsession can consume itself and evaporate." -- Ken Tucker, The New York Times Book Review "Thompson manages to explore adolescent social yearnings, the power of young love and the complexities of sexual attraction with a rare combination of sincerity, pictorial lyricism and taste. His exceptional drawings balance representational precision with a bold and wonderfully expressive line for pages of ingenious, inventively composed and poignant imagery." -- Publishers Weekly "Blankets is a great American novel." -- Andrew D. Arnold, Time.com "This book is a masterpiece ... people will be discussing it in the same breath as A Contract with God, Maus, and Sandman. ... It's the first truly great graphic novel of the 21st century, and I assure you that my own words don't do it any sort of justice." -- Aintitcool.com "[Craig Thompson] has produced the most poetic evocation of life in the Upper Midwest since the early novels and stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald." -- ICV2.com "I thought it was moving, tender, beautifully drawn, painfully honest, and probably the most important graphic novel since JIMMY CORRIGAN." -- Neil Gaiman "In this book, Craig Thompson emerges as a young comics master. In the purest narrative form he tells a highly charged personal story, crammed with pain, discovery, hi-jinx, penance, religious conviction and its loss ... and along comes self-loathing. In this story of family and first love, that which goes awry in life, goes well as art. Mr. Thompson is slyly self-effacing as he bowls us over with his mix of skills. His expert blending of words and pictures and resonant silences makes for a transcendent kind of story-telling that grabs you as you read it and stays with you after you put it down. I'd call that literature. -- Jules Feiffer, Pulitzer Prize-Winner "Thompson's graphic novel debut, Good-bye, Chunky Rice, was a delicate parable of loss that garnered deserved acclaim. [This] eagerly awaited, follow-up to it is more ambitious, more accomplished, and more accessible... this is a genuine graphic novel, with a universal appeal ..." -- Gordon Flagg, Booklist, American Library Association "Blankets officially confirms Craig Thompson's place in the world of graphic novels as one of the true greats." -- Brian Michael Bendis "Craig has documented his youth in the most honest of ways. Not too warm and fuzzy nor too harsh and cold, showing us the insecurities of growing up in what is often a strange and sometimes painful world. The perfect marriage of words and pictures. It's as if Francios Truffaut had written and drawn his own comic with the artistry Will Eisner. His sense of timing is impeccable, always knowing when not to hit you with a heavy hand. It's the genuine article. -- Bob Schreck, Group Editor, DC Comics "Blankets is one of the most ambitious original graphic novels ever produced in the medium ... both universal and enlightening." -- Peter Siegel, www.artbomb.net "Blankets is ... the artistic coming of age of an entire school of comics and raises the bar on what the American graphic novel can achieve. Don't miss it!" -- Heidi MacDonald, Comics Buyer's Guide "Blankets is a rare achievement, a work of art that redefines the parameters of its designated medium. No other graphic novel of this kind has been published ... virtually impossible not to read in one sitting." -- M. William Helfrich, Portland Mercury "Blankets deftly explores with subtle nuance those universal themes that ballast the best coming-of-age tales: Familial ties, sex, spirituality. ... Blankets represents the full potential of the comic-book medium." -- David Walker, Willamette Week As a graphic novel, it's a quietly stunning achievement among the best the medium has to offer, with a wealth of rich, evocative imagery that could not be duplicated in literature or film. It's a superlative work that deserves to be read by as many non-comics fans as one can loan it to. -- Chris Allen, Moviepoopshoot.com " ... a treasure trove of image and word ... Thompson's illustrations pack more beauty and power than much prose or poetry, and the frozen images allow the reader's gaze to linger, to examine, to climb inside the picture in ways that film cannot. ... Words cannot do it justice. One page after the next opens to wondrous images, and the feelings behind them are sincere and overpowering. I would be unlikely to share Blankets with someone who told me they wanted to understand comix. Instead, I would give it to anyone who told me they wanted to read a book that made them feel transcendent, sad, generous, hopeful -- but above all, to truly feel something ..." -- Chris Bolton, Powells.com " ... a sober, profound meditation on the protective space two individuals can create by moving close together. ... an impressively concrete portrait of emotional ephemera, captured with talent, disarming humor, and a gentle sincerity that glows through on every remarkable page." -- Tasha Robinson, The Onion " ... every page argues the value of the form as a sophisticated means of personal expression." -- Curt Holman, Creative Loafing "In this gorgeous, evocative and constantly moving offering from the author of the marvelous Good-bye, Chunky Rice, Craig Thompson stretches his wings further, proving indisputably that words and pictures, together, can not only move you, but transform and challenge you. … fabulous ... beautifully realized." -- Cindy Lynn Speer, Midwest Book Review "Blankets is a work of astonishing tenderness, one that remembers first love as only the very young can but captures it with the aesthetic eloquence of one of the medium's old masters. … Blankets is the kind of universally powerful coming-of-age story that could convince a lot of people that comics aren't just for hipsters and geeks, if only people would pick it up. With raves appearing in places like Time magazine, that just might happen." -- John DeFore, www.sacurrent.com "Thompson is well versed in the subtleties of sequentialism, and he employs them gracefully in this monumental work, of which I am in awe." -- Dennis P. Eichhorn, Scram " … a human story in epic detail … Thompson is a great storyteller. … Without the special effects of adventure fiction, he crafts a genuine page-turner of a comic. … Five out of Five Tonys." -- Tony Isabella, Tony's Tips! "… the brilliance of Blankets is in the way Thompson manages to harness this teenage immediacy within an artfully constructed story without losing the swoony, bittersweet power of its unabashed, crushed-out romanticism … an impressive control over pacing and perspective." -- Tom Nissley, The Stranger " … the Cadillac Escalade of graphic novels." -- Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, MSNBC.com 
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#4
11-13-2003, 05:18 PM
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I be buying this. Soon. I'll report back. It ain't cheap though.
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#6
11-16-2003, 06:40 PM
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Weighs more than most books do, also. But it takes a short time to read it. Almost breezy.
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#7
11-16-2003, 06:59 PM
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I wne to BN today and they didnt carry it. Im cautious about totally blind buying any books online, so I dont know.
Im not afraid of spending money. Im the guy that buys all the thirty dollar leather diaries in the back and never even writes in them! I just like how they look....
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#8
11-16-2003, 07:28 PM
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Other Book Stores you might try: Border's, Joseph Beth. Any of those, if they're near you, seem to carry it.
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#10
11-17-2003, 09:38 PM
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#11
11-18-2003, 04:32 PM
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I finished this book awhile ago and it hasn't left my mind since I put it down. The images have a way of creeping back into my mind out of nowhere. This book is just breath taking. It fucking rocks.... I can't think of enough words to give it justice. It's so simple yet it invoked so may emotions in me.
 Thanks lynn for this thread because I may have never ever read this book if it wasn't for the huge amounts of praise you posted.
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#12
11-24-2003, 12:57 PM
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i've been meaning
I've been meaning to start a thread on
this book as well. It's really good. This Thompson guy has a future. The book is funny and sad and horrifying and heartbreaking. There are so many magic moments and I wish I could say more about it but I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read it yet.
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#13
11-25-2003, 12:36 AM
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Geez...I just re-read this book, and I must say I got a lump in my throat at the end. This book perfectly sums up the relationship me and my brother have. I can't think of any more compliments to give this book. Just read it already.
Glad to hear you finished it, bowieee. This book does invoke emotions...I had so many emotions at the end. But I really did feel heartbroken at the end.
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#14
11-25-2003, 01:20 AM
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This book had a strange habit of provoking dead memories along with it from my past. Nothing traumatic just the sensations that came along with being a 16 year old boy making his way through the world.
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#15
11-26-2003, 06:26 PM
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After reading all the rave reviews on this thread I decided a few days ago to go buy this novel. After searching a couple of bookstores I finally found it a half hour ago at a comic book shop near my house. It cost me quite a few coins
 but it looks like it'll be well worth it...I'm starting it tonight, I can't wait!
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#17
11-27-2003, 06:36 AM
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I'm starting to appreciate me starting this thread more and more...Now bowieee and Sev bought the book. I luvs myself.
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#18
11-27-2003, 07:39 AM
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I'm about half-way through and it's definitely intense. It's eerie how similar it is to a situation I went through about a year ago to the week (travelling cross-state (in my case - province) through the snow for someone special).
I totally relate to the Midwestern setting as it's very identical to the weather and situations we experience up here. Above all, it feels real throughout and is obviously written with great care and attention to detail. Not surprisingly I noticed the author has based it on his own experiences.  The only thing I don't completely identify with is the religious aspect of the story. It doesn't take away from the story at all, I just don't relate to it as much. It's a wonderful mixture (as bowieee remarked) of sadness and truly beautiful and powerful moments of love and happiness. I'm almost afraid to continue as I expect (and dread) some less happy times ahead... Worth all those pennies spent though.
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#19
11-27-2003, 08:46 AM
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An eerie thing I found now is that I can relate to the religious aspact and the rural country setting-I have relatives in Alabama who live on a ranch out on the countryside and are extremely religious. Much like the people in the book. It's a lot like it, in fact. The strange and eerie thing is that I just re-read the book the other day, and today, Thanksgiving, I'm going to see those relatives.
That just shows how realisitic the book is. I can relate to so much of it.
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#20
11-27-2003, 03:28 PM
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Anybody here read his 1999 graphic novel "Good-bye Chunky Rice"? I think I'll pick that one up too...
If it's as good as "Blankets"...wow! I'll post my final thoughts much later tonight.
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#21
11-28-2003, 05:44 AM
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So... I just finished it.
Wow! It was even better than I ever could have imagined. It really is a book that everyone should read. I think there is something in there for everybody; as Lynn mentioned, he found quite a few things he could connect to. So did I. Besides the fact that the relationship between Craig & Raina was frighteningly similar to one I had (from beginning to end but especially the second part of their relationship) there were many other ideas and moments that really got to me. I don't want to give anything away so I won't go into details, suffice it to say the last couple of pages are the ones that put it all into perspective and really hit you pretty hard (in a good way, don't worry ). A perfect ending I would say.In the end what made this novel so memorable and touching (for me, anyway) is that every word and moment described/drawn felt incredibly honest. It just is honest. Yes, it's that good. For anyone who's ever fallen in love and been forever changed by the experience...buy it!
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#22
11-28-2003, 07:20 PM
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Sev... I totally understand where your coming from in your review. I just can't see anybody not identifying with this book in some shape or form.
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#23
11-28-2003, 09:41 PM
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Great review, Sev. Now that I think about it, it is a very identifyable book. Evryone should get something out of it.
I patted myself on the back for starting this, by the way. Maybe later, a hug.
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#24
11-28-2003, 10:04 PM
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The store near my house is getting Thompson's first book "Good-bye Chunky Rice" this week and I'll be picking it up. If you guys want, I'll let you know in this thread if it's also worth the buy.
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#25
11-28-2003, 11:00 PM
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I think I can find Chunky Rice near me if I search hard enough, but I wanna wait until to hear your thoughts.
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#27
12-06-2003, 10:25 PM
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#28
12-06-2003, 10:59 PM
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Good, Sev. I'll be looking foward to it!
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#30
12-07-2003, 03:50 AM
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If only I werent so far in debt....
2 dollars + 30.00 for book + 30.00 overdraft = more debt.
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#31
12-11-2003, 10:01 AM
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Although you can really tell with Good-bye, Chunky Rice that Thompson certainly had it in him to deliver a much more powerful and heartwrenching book in the future. There are some moments that are just as sad and memorable as passages in Blankets, but of course not nearly as much and the effect isn't as overwhelming (that might have to do with the fact that the length is about 1/7 of what Blankets was). Good-bye, Chunky Rice deals with the coping of losing a close friend or lover (be it losing a pet or a person, the emphasis on both is the same). The feeling of separation from a loved one and the emotions and thoughts it brings out is convincingly felt and that's the main reason I liked it. Thompson really has a knack for getting that human emotion right there on the page with his words and images. Just enough for it to bring back similar feelings you'd have had from an identical situation in your life. A much simpler story, yes, but no less sweet and heartbreaking.  So, I'd say for fans of Blankets and of Thompson it's worth the 20 or so dollars (that's what I paid) and as long as your not expecting it to surpass his latest book, this ought to satisfy just fine. It's definitely one that I'll be re-reading often and makes you anticipate Thompson's third book even more. PS: The friends/lovers in question are a turtle and a mouse. This doesn't really change how you react to them though, after the inital introduction, their relationship feels just as genuine and important as of any humans. It really is just as beautiful folks...Oh, and you can check out some cool sample pages from it on Amazon.com. Last edited by Indiana Sev; 12-11-2003 at 10:07 AM..
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#33
02-02-2004, 11:50 PM
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Wow, what a lovely book.
I completely connected to the relationship between the two brothers and related it to the one I have with my own brother, although I'm the younger one. As kids, we shared a room and a bed and were our own worst enemies and best friends. Now, we've drifted apart and I haven't spoken to him in months and I barely know him or whats going on in his life. I related to the short subplot of the babysitter abusing the young boys. In my case, it was a teacher who would come by my house when I was 7 or 8 and tutor me and then when no one else was around, he'd do things that I've tried to shut out of my mind. I don't know if my brother experienced the same thing, since the teacher taught him too. I never talked about it to him or anyone. I can relate to the force-feeding of religion to me as a boy, making me fear intimacy with girls, experimenting in areas of my life that shape who I really am, controlling me even to this day, I think. Also, as Craig begins to doubt his faith and feel discontent for organized religion, I see myself in him. Lastly, he perfectly captures the feeling of being lost as a teenager and genuinely caring about someone. Reading about his developing relationship with Raina was like watching amazing films Ghost World or Lost in Translation. Again, I can totally see myself there. I enjoy watching and reading stuff I can relate to, because I feel so limited sometimes and not being able to express what I feel, its so comforting to know there's someone out there who is going through the same thing and has a voice that is being heard. The packaging and the animation is just gorgeous and there's no tacked-on happy ending or a single unrealistic moment in the book. Just a simple, honest, beautiful slice of life.
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#34
02-03-2004, 03:27 PM
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Add my name to the long list of people who love this book. It is such a beautiful and poignant coming of age story, touching on numerous themes that are universal in our lives.
Here is an interesting interview for fans of the book: http://suicidegirls.com/words/Craig+Thompson/ Last edited by flowrchild; 02-07-2004 at 02:05 PM..
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#35
02-19-2004, 09:41 PM
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I bought this book after the recommendations of several schmoes, and I must say that it lived up to all of the hype. I started it at about 4:30 and finished it about 90 minutes later. For such a long book it was an amazingly fast read. I got deeply caught up in the story, and the brilliant illustrations. Something about it, despite all of its realistic and dark subject matter, is beautiful and oddly magical. There is such a stunning appreciation for randomness and the choices that are made to justify life.
I, like Sev, could not really relate to the religious aspect of the story, but it was still remarkably powerful and affecting. I'd recommend this to anybody who is interested in seeing the lengths to which graphic novels can reach.
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#36
02-20-2004, 12:15 AM
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I gotta agree with you, Annie, about how fast a read this book is. For such a daunting size, at 592 pages, I was suprised that it took little over an hour to fully read.
The story rings true even after several rereadings, and the ending is as sad, to me, as it was on the first reading. I'm glad to see that more schmoes are starting to read the book.
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#38
02-21-2004, 07:22 PM
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#39
02-21-2004, 08:43 PM
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#40
02-22-2004, 12:50 AM
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Seriously though, if you get anything signed by him and want to mail it to me, just PM me or e-mail me for my address. Bless you. That's all I have to say. Bless you.
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