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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Stunning use of the graphic novel form, using all the formal options available to tell a story in a way that would be impossible in any other medium.
Intrigued to read the original Auster novel now, I can't imagine it working nearly as well.
Intrigued to read the original Auster novel now, I can't imagine it working nearly as well.
'La ciudad de cristal' es mi favorita de todas las cosas que ha escrito Paul Auster. Es también lo primero que leí de este escritor. Es la primera parte de la 'Trilogía de Nueva York' que a día de hoy me sigue pareciendo la única obra de Auster realmente conseguida. Es por esto que me animé a leer esta adaptación en forma de cómic (o novela gráfica, lo que ustedes prefieran). Una parte de mí no era muy optimista. Una parte de mí sólo quería leerlo para ver como este noble intento fracasaba. Sin embargo, no ha sido así. A pesar de que es una historia muy poco visual y bastante abstracta, el cómic se sale airoso, encuentra una serie de soluciones visuales realmente originales y que plasman perfectamente el tono de la obra original de Auster sin dejar de dar un punto de vista personal, algo que no era nada pero nada fácil. La recomendaría para curiosos que disfrutaron de la 'Trilogía de Nueva York'.
Great. Expertly drawn and written. A story that becomes a story about stories, but it tells you that on the first page. This book breaks down narratives and becomes a meta-narrative. I haven't read Paul Auster's novel, but I can confidently say this graphic novel is worth reading.
I am aware that’s its an adaptation from the original 1972 novel of the same name. Holy hell, did I enjoy this. It was very intriguing to read. On top of that there is so much meta textuality, as Paul Auster (the author) is placed within the text as a secondary character, who also is a writer.
There were so many beautiful panels, my favourite being the finger print and the language ones. I really enjoyed this so much.
There were so many beautiful panels, my favourite being the finger print and the language ones. I really enjoyed this so much.
This is a fantastic comic adaptation of an already fantastic book. Not merely a condensed and illustrated printing, the adaptation by David Mazzucchelli and Paul Karasik is an excellent example of the unique way that the language of comics works, and what an amazing medium icomics can be when used to a fuller extent than the style of superhero comics. This is definitely worth reading; even if you've already read the novel several times over you will find something new.
CITY OF GLASS is my favorite of Paul Auster’s NEW YORK TRILOGY.
From my review of NEW YORK TRILOGY: Each of the three books is loosely structured as a detective story. Very quickly, the mystery changes…and then changes again. What seems straightforward slowly bends in different directions. You could read each novel and argue that you have read the same thing three times…or make the opposite argument as well. When I think of the books I see three giant arrows pointing toward an empty center. Not empty, but something I can’t yet see. Each book is from the point of view of it’s detective. They proceed logically but as what they seek starts to shift, so does their logical footing. Each book starts as a lark, but soon shudders into darkness. Is this darkness the absence of love…or the penalty of imposing order on chaos…or even the personal hell awaiting writers facing blank sheets?
That description doesn’t scream graphic novel. Most novel to graphic novel translations tend to be too literal and literally boring. This, however, I found thrilling. Feels less an adaptation of the novel than and adaptation of my reaction to the novel. The moods and dislocations of characters—disorientation of the reader all managed in interesting and unique fashion. To achieve what the book achieves without simply being a carbon copy of the book is a marvelous deed. The only one of the multiple graphic novel translations of other works I've read to succeed and deserve to exist on it’s own.
From my review of NEW YORK TRILOGY: Each of the three books is loosely structured as a detective story. Very quickly, the mystery changes…and then changes again. What seems straightforward slowly bends in different directions. You could read each novel and argue that you have read the same thing three times…or make the opposite argument as well. When I think of the books I see three giant arrows pointing toward an empty center. Not empty, but something I can’t yet see. Each book is from the point of view of it’s detective. They proceed logically but as what they seek starts to shift, so does their logical footing. Each book starts as a lark, but soon shudders into darkness. Is this darkness the absence of love…or the penalty of imposing order on chaos…or even the personal hell awaiting writers facing blank sheets?
That description doesn’t scream graphic novel. Most novel to graphic novel translations tend to be too literal and literally boring. This, however, I found thrilling. Feels less an adaptation of the novel than and adaptation of my reaction to the novel. The moods and dislocations of characters—disorientation of the reader all managed in interesting and unique fashion. To achieve what the book achieves without simply being a carbon copy of the book is a marvelous deed. The only one of the multiple graphic novel translations of other works I've read to succeed and deserve to exist on it’s own.
I have many thoughts on this, which I hope to put into words later.
Paul Auster: City it Glass is an adaptation of the Paul Auster novel city of glass. The adaptation done by Karasik and Mazzucchelli is a fantastic story. Now I haven’t read the original, but I can’t imagine how it would be because the way this ones told could only be done as a comic book. Karasik tells Auster’s story of self identity crisis perfectly and Mazzuchelli makes it something that could only be done in comics.
The story follows Daniel Quinn, crime fiction writer who gets mistaken for private eye Paul Auster. He takes on Auster’s identity and gets himself involved in a case that slowly breaks him down mentally. The plot is existential and there are heavy themes of identity. The story gets very stream of consciousness at times, but what Auster (or Karasik, I’m not sure how much of what Karasik injected into the story was original) remains engaging and though provoking. Don Quixote is used frequently as a symbol for Daniel Quinn and I don’t want to spoil too much, but it’s genius.
Mazzuchelli here annihilates the art duties on this book. He experiments in ways that would define later works like Asterios Polyp and adapts that style also. I have seen pictures of the pages he drew for his Rubber Blanket short story anthology and it looks similar to that, but I can really see where Asterios Polyp comes from aesthetically now. Mazzuchelli is an absolute master of utilizing unique layouts that add to the story. There’s a 9 panel grid in the story where he uses panels 2,4,6 and 8 to show a character aging around him while he’s walking through the city, explaining it doesn’t do it justice but I promise it’s extremely inventive and amazing at grounding Quinn after his first real ego death in the story.
Overall, Paul Auster: City of Glass is a fantastic graphic novel that’s boundary pushing and challenges the reader in all the right places.
10/10
The story follows Daniel Quinn, crime fiction writer who gets mistaken for private eye Paul Auster. He takes on Auster’s identity and gets himself involved in a case that slowly breaks him down mentally. The plot is existential and there are heavy themes of identity. The story gets very stream of consciousness at times, but what Auster (or Karasik, I’m not sure how much of what Karasik injected into the story was original) remains engaging and though provoking. Don Quixote is used frequently as a symbol for Daniel Quinn and I don’t want to spoil too much, but it’s genius.
Mazzuchelli here annihilates the art duties on this book. He experiments in ways that would define later works like Asterios Polyp and adapts that style also. I have seen pictures of the pages he drew for his Rubber Blanket short story anthology and it looks similar to that, but I can really see where Asterios Polyp comes from aesthetically now. Mazzuchelli is an absolute master of utilizing unique layouts that add to the story. There’s a 9 panel grid in the story where he uses panels 2,4,6 and 8 to show a character aging around him while he’s walking through the city, explaining it doesn’t do it justice but I promise it’s extremely inventive and amazing at grounding Quinn after his first real ego death in the story.
Overall, Paul Auster: City of Glass is a fantastic graphic novel that’s boundary pushing and challenges the reader in all the right places.
10/10
Auster always seems so exhausting to me. So much thinking about Paul Auster. For a text that proclaims so much about loosing yourself there’s a lot of self in there.
Drawing is excellent.
Drawing is excellent.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced