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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Torture
Disturbing and unsettling to say the least... but a good read? idfk.
My first read of 2019 and probably my most disturbing read of 2019. Perhaps a few years beyond that too.
Don't let the fairytale-esque art and 9+ recommendations on Amazon fool you - this is an ugly, depressing inversion of the genre that shoves your face in the worst of human nature, even if the main characters aren't exacrtly human. I suppose the best comparison would be a dalliance between "The Borrowers" - or more specifically, "The Secret World of Arietty" - and "Lord of the Flies." Just as with the latter, Fabien Vehlmann's Grimm story is an allegory for the breakdown of society and man's inherently primal nature, filtered through the watercolors of fantasy.
You only need to glance at some of the pages other reviews have posted to see how effectively Vehlmann and artist Kerascoët combine the ethereal with the grotesque - a character lounging among flies as they roost on a decaying corpse, a bird swallowing another character whole, the unbelievably sadistic murder of a mouse who never hurt anyone. Scenes that have become stuck in my brain, such that I put the book down and refused to go near it for a while; and yet I understood why they happened. Because this is what happens when society breaks down: it becomes as animalistic as the wilds it thought it left behind. A metaphor that has been trotted out countless times, but rarely with as much impact as here.
I was repulsed by much of "Beautiful Darkness," and I refuse to ever read it again. But I recognize that the terrible things it depicts are really more plausible than we want them to be. It is not a thing to be enjoyed but be provoked by, which it certainly achieved. For that, it deserves to be read by those strong enough to endure. Don't be surprised if it leaves you despairing by the end, and don't be surprised if it stays with you long afterward.
Don't let the fairytale-esque art and 9+ recommendations on Amazon fool you - this is an ugly, depressing inversion of the genre that shoves your face in the worst of human nature, even if the main characters aren't exacrtly human. I suppose the best comparison would be a dalliance between "The Borrowers" - or more specifically, "The Secret World of Arietty" - and "Lord of the Flies." Just as with the latter, Fabien Vehlmann's Grimm story is an allegory for the breakdown of society and man's inherently primal nature, filtered through the watercolors of fantasy.
You only need to glance at some of the pages other reviews have posted to see how effectively Vehlmann and artist Kerascoët combine the ethereal with the grotesque - a character lounging among flies as they roost on a decaying corpse, a bird swallowing another character whole, the unbelievably sadistic murder of a mouse who never hurt anyone. Scenes that have become stuck in my brain, such that I put the book down and refused to go near it for a while; and yet I understood why they happened. Because this is what happens when society breaks down: it becomes as animalistic as the wilds it thought it left behind. A metaphor that has been trotted out countless times, but rarely with as much impact as here.
I was repulsed by much of "Beautiful Darkness," and I refuse to ever read it again. But I recognize that the terrible things it depicts are really more plausible than we want them to be. It is not a thing to be enjoyed but be provoked by, which it certainly achieved. For that, it deserves to be read by those strong enough to endure. Don't be surprised if it leaves you despairing by the end, and don't be surprised if it stays with you long afterward.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I dont know how to rate this. It's very dark. The art is so lighthearted, and it contradicts the story (which is honestly neat?). But the story itself...I had to read other reviews to understand what was going on. So??? Idk.
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying
Moderate: Blood, Cannibalism, Murder
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes