I recently finished reading Sandman, by Neil Gaiman, a graphic novel. Actually, it's one of the graphic novels, unanimously acknowledged as one of those that define the genre. At this point, the question that's bound to pop up is, what really is a graphic novel? Well, it's a little hard to explain to someone who hasn't read one, but I'll give it a shot.
Firstly, no, graphic novels are not comic books. They may have their origins in the same seed, but comparing something like Sandman to Archie comics would be like comparing Shakespeare to John Grisham. Graphic novels usually deal with more adult themes and have more complex storylines. They also have more creative artwork, as well as deeper accompanying text and dialogues.
Sure, if you look at them in their most basic sense, they do tell stories by way of illustrated panels, like comics do. But it would be safe to say that while every graphic novel is a comic, not every comic is a graphic novel.
There's been much debate on the issue of graphic novels vs. comic books, in which many are of the view that the term 'graphic novel' is unnecessary, or just used to justify selling collected editions of a comic at higher prices, but the view of a graphic novel being a comic with a storyline more like that of a book than a comic is still widely accepted, (that sentence is really easy to understand, isn't it? :P) so I'm going to stick with calling Sandman a graphic novel, even though its author Neil Gaiman himself would rather refer to it as a comic book.
So now that we're clear on the terminology, (or so I hope) we can get right down to brass tacks. For anyone looking to get started with graphic novels, I'd recommend Sandman very highly. Actually, even for someone not interested in graphic novels, I'd still strongly recommend it. Anyone who has a little imagination, and the willingness to use it, would certainly enjoy this series. It made me feel, and it made me think, which is more I can say for many books I've read. Both these attributes aren't uncommon on their own, but it's a little harder to find them together in one literary work.
The artwork is downright beautiful, and has a variety which ensures that whether you like or dislike it, you won't get bored with it. The storylines are layered, multi-faceted and thoroughly engaging. And the dialogues are haunting, lyrical, some even bordering on the philosophical. The characters shown are a far cry from the usual stark shades of black and white usually encountered in comics, and illustrate the many different shades of grey encountered in the human species. All in all, Sandman is a thoroughly enthralling read. I found it rather addictive, personally... It was deuced hard to stop reading it, even when I was supposed to be studying for the CFA.
For those of you who haven't heard about this series at all, the Sandman is Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, and the central character in this story. Neil Gaiman himself once summarised the plot of the the series as "The Lord of Dreams learns that one must change or die, and makes his decision." Dream is one of the seven Endless, beings who are older and greater than gods, with the other six being Death, Destruction, Desire, Delerium, Despair and Desire.
But enough from me; I'll let a few quotes from the series do the rest of the talking.
(All quotes from The Quotable Sandman, by Neil Gaiman)
Firstly, no, graphic novels are not comic books. They may have their origins in the same seed, but comparing something like Sandman to Archie comics would be like comparing Shakespeare to John Grisham. Graphic novels usually deal with more adult themes and have more complex storylines. They also have more creative artwork, as well as deeper accompanying text and dialogues.
Sure, if you look at them in their most basic sense, they do tell stories by way of illustrated panels, like comics do. But it would be safe to say that while every graphic novel is a comic, not every comic is a graphic novel.
There's been much debate on the issue of graphic novels vs. comic books, in which many are of the view that the term 'graphic novel' is unnecessary, or just used to justify selling collected editions of a comic at higher prices, but the view of a graphic novel being a comic with a storyline more like that of a book than a comic is still widely accepted, (that sentence is really easy to understand, isn't it? :P) so I'm going to stick with calling Sandman a graphic novel, even though its author Neil Gaiman himself would rather refer to it as a comic book.
So now that we're clear on the terminology, (or so I hope) we can get right down to brass tacks. For anyone looking to get started with graphic novels, I'd recommend Sandman very highly. Actually, even for someone not interested in graphic novels, I'd still strongly recommend it. Anyone who has a little imagination, and the willingness to use it, would certainly enjoy this series. It made me feel, and it made me think, which is more I can say for many books I've read. Both these attributes aren't uncommon on their own, but it's a little harder to find them together in one literary work.
The artwork is downright beautiful, and has a variety which ensures that whether you like or dislike it, you won't get bored with it. The storylines are layered, multi-faceted and thoroughly engaging. And the dialogues are haunting, lyrical, some even bordering on the philosophical. The characters shown are a far cry from the usual stark shades of black and white usually encountered in comics, and illustrate the many different shades of grey encountered in the human species. All in all, Sandman is a thoroughly enthralling read. I found it rather addictive, personally... It was deuced hard to stop reading it, even when I was supposed to be studying for the CFA.
For those of you who haven't heard about this series at all, the Sandman is Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, and the central character in this story. Neil Gaiman himself once summarised the plot of the the series as "The Lord of Dreams learns that one must change or die, and makes his decision." Dream is one of the seven Endless, beings who are older and greater than gods, with the other six being Death, Destruction, Desire, Delerium, Despair and Desire.
But enough from me; I'll let a few quotes from the series do the rest of the talking.
(All quotes from The Quotable Sandman, by Neil Gaiman)
Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot.
-Dream
Destinations are often a surprise to the destined.
-Thessaly
It's astonishing how much trouble one can get into, if one works at it.
It's astonishing how much trouble one can get into, if one works at it.
-Destruction
It is a fool's prerogative to utter truths that no one else will speak.
It is a fool's prerogative to utter truths that no one else will speak.
-Dream
Little one, I would like to see anyone - prophet, king or god - persuade a thousand cats to do anything at the same time.
-Orange Cat
But he did not understand the price. Mortals never do. They only see the prize, their heart's desire, their dream... But the price of getting what you want, is getting what you once wanted.
-Dream
We do what we do because of who we are. If we did otherwise, we would not be ourselves.
-Dream
Nah. He enjoys it. I mean, hell, it's a pose. Y'know? He spends a coupla months hanging out with a new broad. Then one day the magic's worn off, and he goes back to work, and she takes a hike. Phhht. Now, guys like me, ordinary Joes, we just shrug our shoulders, say, hey, that's life, flick it if you can't take a joke. Not him. Oh no. He's gotta be the tragic figure standing out in the rain, mourning the loss of his beloved. So down comes the rain, right on cue. In the meantime everybody gets dreams fulla existential angst and wakes up feeling like hell. And we all get wet.
-Mervyn Pumpkinhead
You got what anybody gets, Bernie. You got a lifetime.
-Death
It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes.
But the half-wit remains a half-wit, and the emperor remains an emperor.
But the half-wit remains a half-wit, and the emperor remains an emperor.
-Dream
A few words of explanation before the last one; the Library of Dreams exists in the Dreaming, Dream's realm. It contains all the books that were ever thought of, or dreamed, but not written. For instance, The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens can be found in the Library of Dreams. G.K. Chesterton wrote a book called The Man Who Was Thursday, arguably his best-known book (and on my to-read list). It has been described as "one of the hidden hinges of twentieth-century writing, the place where, before our eyes, the nonsense-fantastical tradition of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear pivots and becomes the nightmare-fantastical tradition of Kafka and Borges."
Anyway, here we go. This one's my personal favourite:
October knew, of course, that the action of turning a page, of ending a chapter or of shutting a book, did not end a tale.
Having admitted that, he would also avow that happy endings were never difficult to find: "It is simply a matter," he explained to April, "of finding a sunny place in a garden, where the light is golden and the grass is soft; somewhere to rest, to stop reading, and to be content."
-from The Man Who Was October by G.K. Chesterton/Library of Dreams
Anyway, here we go. This one's my personal favourite:
October knew, of course, that the action of turning a page, of ending a chapter or of shutting a book, did not end a tale.
Having admitted that, he would also avow that happy endings were never difficult to find: "It is simply a matter," he explained to April, "of finding a sunny place in a garden, where the light is golden and the grass is soft; somewhere to rest, to stop reading, and to be content."
-from The Man Who Was October by G.K. Chesterton/Library of Dreams
