You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
A steamboat captain in 1887 rescues a wounded mermaid from the Hudson River, and secretly nurses her back to health. But is this a good thing or a bad thing? Can a mermaid be trusted? The ship's owner meanwhile has been acting very obsessive and conducting sexual affairs with several women at once. And he refuses to leave the ship whenever it docks. These two plots intertwine in this really unique, atmospheric, excellently drawn and researched graphic novel for adults. I loved the drawing style, charcoal, very detailed and realistic--yes, even the mermaid is drawn as if she really exists. The period detail is exceptional, and the characters are really well thought out. It's a mystery and a supernatural action-adventure, a romance and a horror story all wrapped into one. Very cool book. Older high schoolers might like it, if topless mermaids and some sexual situations (discreetly handled) are not a problem.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Interesting to look at, with art that skitters wildly between elegant, impressionistic inkwash, near-realism, and crude cartooning. That is, unfortunately, all it has going for it. It's a graphic novel, so that's not nothing! But the plot is just proof that no matter what your genre, you can write a tedious middle aged man who thinks infidelity is a personality. There's nothing the story is actually about but tedious heterosexual adultery, and it's tragically sure that's as good as a plot. And to cap it all, a tragic saintly disabled wife narrative, just in case you wanted to be sympathetic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
I've never read a graphic novel before. It will probably be a while before I read one again. However, if this author writes another, I may just have to make an exception. I've picked up graphic novels in bookstores and have been uninterested for one reason or another. Most of them seem to be written for teenagers or gamers. I read a review about this one, reserved it at the library, then promptly forgot about it until it showed up. By that time I had forgotten that it was a graphic novel! The story takes place in 1887 NY on a riverboat that sails between Albany and NYC on the Hudson. It is run by a Frenchman named Lafayette, absurdly dressed in 18th Century garb despite the date. He was in partnership with his older brother until one day his brother disappeared. His sexual appetite seems to know no bounds which disgusts Twain who has given up his dreams of writing to pilot the boat. He is married to Pearl who has a mysterious illness. She had hoped that their lives would be different, but Twain is, as Pearl said, chained to the river. One day he sees a stag in the river, then suddenly it's gone. Lafayette is staring at it, but shrugs when Twain says it probably drowned. Shortly thereafter, Twain pulls a mermaid out of the water. She has been harpooned. He secretly nurses her back to health. Meanwhile Lafayette has been writing to Beaverton, an author, who only uses first initials and last name, but whose book has caused a sensation. Then the author reveals herself as a woman much to the displeasure of the intelligentsia. Meanwhile the mermaid has become Twain's muse. He is writing feverishly every night as he entertains her with stories and pictures. Nevertheless, she disappears. He MUST find her. The drawings in this are surprisingly complex and lovely. It was done in charcoal and the result is a soft look that fits well with the stories. Old charts and news stories that look like they were plucked from the New York Times of the day are arranged in a strange and wonderful decoupage. It's a wonderful story of love and eroticism.
It mostly came together in the end but was painful/confusing/meandering getting there. Incomplete surface-level treatment of the characters. Boils down to a story about men being driven crazy by a woman, blah blah "all my problems are a woman" angst, have seen it before and am not impressed.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
I'm not a hundred percent sure I really got what was going on, but I did enjoy it. And I really loved the art. This might be one I need to go back to a few times...
Really beautiful illustrations. The backgrounds are all remarkably detailed, and I like the way the characters' eyes pop, almost in a manga style.
The story was great. Really compelling and intriguing, and I wanted to find out what the deal with this mermaid was too! The ending is also a bit tragic, but great.
The story was great. Really compelling and intriguing, and I wanted to find out what the deal with this mermaid was too! The ending is also a bit tragic, but great.
Creepy, different, haunting, weird, even a little disturbing. But original. Some really fantastic artwork. And mermaids!
This comic wasn't bad at all, but the art just wasn't for me.
A nice blend of romance and mythology, I was pleasantly surprised by this graphic novel. Simple, yet elegant drawings propel this tale of mermaids, love, and mystery on the Hudson River. As soon as I finished, I found myself revisiting sections to see if there were clues I'd missed.