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A review by cryo_guy
Democracy by Alecos Papadatos, Annie Di Donna, Abraham Kawa
4.0
Great stuff. I had read their other graphic novel Logicomix about Bertrand Russel, so when I heard this was coming out I was pretty excited. Ancient Greeks!
A few short comments:
Democracy! is much shorter than Logicomix, and in some ways I wished it would've been longer. There are some really neat ways the authors bring the Greek characters to life: Cleisthenes is an worldly aristocratic sophist on par with Plato (or his characters), Isagoras is a sneaky scheming politician ("of reputable family, but I know not where" [thanks Herodotus]), Cleomenes a brute of a Spartan if ever there were one (Isagoras offered his wife to him, you know![ibid.]), Aeschylus sneaks onto stage, a poet only too aware of poetry, and our inspired potter protagonist, Leander, a fictional construct brought to a fictional narrative, embodies the spirit of artistry with Athena to guide him past politics and love to truth (what else?). But because it is short, many of these vivid portraits are mere glimpses leaving you wanting for more.
The truth is, this book is written more like historical fiction or the dramatic retelling of a historical event than the literary display which I'm describing. And for the most part, that is good. The authors' strength lies in the cohesive narrative that develops out of, and then beyond, Herodotus. And so sometimes, lying awake at night, I dream of a different, lengthier Democracy! in which Leander (the potter) speaks to me, rather than of history. But my dreams are not what is at stake here.
Great art, great story, and the skilled use of the historical narratives and features of Ancient Greece make Democracy! enjoyable and interesting and perhaps even inoffensive to those with a critical eye toward historical accuracy. Recommendation: Like graphic novels or Ancient Greece? Go for it.
(Postscript. There's a bit about Dionysus and Apollo doing the Nietzschean thing of humanity. Athena brings the two halves together. Let us forgive them this framing device. It works well enough!)
A few short comments:
Democracy! is much shorter than Logicomix, and in some ways I wished it would've been longer. There are some really neat ways the authors bring the Greek characters to life: Cleisthenes is an worldly aristocratic sophist on par with Plato (or his characters), Isagoras is a sneaky scheming politician ("of reputable family, but I know not where" [thanks Herodotus]), Cleomenes a brute of a Spartan if ever there were one (Isagoras offered his wife to him, you know![ibid.]), Aeschylus sneaks onto stage, a poet only too aware of poetry, and our inspired potter protagonist, Leander, a fictional construct brought to a fictional narrative, embodies the spirit of artistry with Athena to guide him past politics and love to truth (what else?). But because it is short, many of these vivid portraits are mere glimpses leaving you wanting for more.
The truth is, this book is written more like historical fiction or the dramatic retelling of a historical event than the literary display which I'm describing. And for the most part, that is good. The authors' strength lies in the cohesive narrative that develops out of, and then beyond, Herodotus. And so sometimes, lying awake at night, I dream of a different, lengthier Democracy! in which Leander (the potter) speaks to me, rather than of history. But my dreams are not what is at stake here.
Great art, great story, and the skilled use of the historical narratives and features of Ancient Greece make Democracy! enjoyable and interesting and perhaps even inoffensive to those with a critical eye toward historical accuracy. Recommendation: Like graphic novels or Ancient Greece? Go for it.
(Postscript. There's a bit about Dionysus and Apollo doing the Nietzschean thing of humanity. Athena brings the two halves together. Let us forgive them this framing device. It works well enough!)