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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
hmm. you know i'm really not sure how i feel about this
plot rundown: coddie is ugly and smells of fish since she spends so much time scaling them. when she frees a fairy from a spell she is granted one wish. coddie wishes to be beatiful. the fairy tells her she cannot change her appearance but she can make it so that she is perceived to be the most beautiful woman in the world by all who see her
basically she makes her helen of troy
coddie is initially delighted by this but events swiftly spiral down in a whirl of unintended consequences as men fight and kill for their desire to possess her. in terms of plot it was compelling but i wasn't impressed with it thematically -- like honestly, does this say anything new or compelling about the nature of beauty?
the ending turned it around for me a bit --
so yeah. tl;dr: this book is basically the iliad if it was stripped of everything but the idea of helen of troy's beauty 'causing' horrific war and suffering but manages to somewhat redeem itself by the ending. 3 stars
plot rundown: coddie is ugly and smells of fish since she spends so much time scaling them. when she frees a fairy from a spell she is granted one wish. coddie wishes to be beatiful. the fairy tells her she cannot change her appearance but she can make it so that she is perceived to be the most beautiful woman in the world by all who see her
basically she makes her helen of troy
coddie is initially delighted by this but events swiftly spiral down in a whirl of unintended consequences as men fight and kill for their desire to possess her. in terms of plot it was compelling but i wasn't impressed with it thematically -- like honestly, does this say anything new or compelling about the nature of beauty?
the ending turned it around for me a bit --
Spoiler
coddie decides to weaponize her appearance and with the help of her daughter (who was blessed with the intelligence and strategic skills her mother lacks) takes over the kingdom and removes all fairy influence from the land. having reflected on why i liked this so much more than what came before i've come upon the answer. it's not so much about it being a happy ending -- although i can't say i was wild about having to read so much rape and murder before -- but that it shows coddie finally being an active agent in using her 'gift'. the whole story up to this point paints her as passive and reactive; it's no coincidence that coddie's most frequent phrases are variations on 'i didn't mean for this to happen!'so yeah. tl;dr: this book is basically the iliad if it was stripped of everything but the idea of helen of troy's beauty 'causing' horrific war and suffering but manages to somewhat redeem itself by the ending. 3 stars
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A grand retelling of a famous fairytale
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Sexual assault, Blood, War
The epilogue is great for this long, meandering fable, which otherwise doesn't seem consistent about what the power of beauty is and who it affects, or about the character strengths of the protagonist.
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very good story with a good mix of action and dialogue. It is a fun epic fairy tale adventure, and the action doesn't stop, even in the text-less panels. I do tend to read graphic novels quickly, but this had a quick pace in general. The art is really lovely, too.
A beautiful comic, with colours that make an amazing harmony, the story is fun but a little sad too, and the universe of the fairy make my mind dream of froggy froggy.
A terrific, transcendent riff on fairy tales, which at seems at first to be a great parody or sendup of the genre, but finally in my opinion BECOMES a great timeless story. Hilarious, tragic, and insightful writing by Hubert and carrer-best art by Kerascoët.
Este comic con apariencia de cuento de hadas gurda más de una sorpresa. Con unas ilustraciones de Kerascoët de una belleza delicada que pasa en una misma viñeta de un estilo de grabado a las caricaturas de la tira cómica y llegando hasta la arquitectura más detallada.
El guion de Hubert tampoco se queda muy quieto en cuanto a temática se refiere: tan pronto sientes que estás leyendo una fabula infantil, como una novela de caballería cruel.
Pero lejos de abrazar los tropos maniqueos de los cuentos de hadas, los personajes que discurren a lo largo de las viñetas coloreadas en dorado y negro tienen un gran desarrollo, mostrando los claroscuros de todos ellos y tratando temas más complejos a través de ellos.
Un cómic que puede gustar a jóvenes, pero que sin duda encantará a los adultos.
El guion de Hubert tampoco se queda muy quieto en cuanto a temática se refiere: tan pronto sientes que estás leyendo una fabula infantil, como una novela de caballería cruel.
Pero lejos de abrazar los tropos maniqueos de los cuentos de hadas, los personajes que discurren a lo largo de las viñetas coloreadas en dorado y negro tienen un gran desarrollo, mostrando los claroscuros de todos ellos y tratando temas más complejos a través de ellos.
Un cómic que puede gustar a jóvenes, pero que sin duda encantará a los adultos.