Remember many weeks ago when I checked out a few books from Goethe Institute Library? I know I promised you a review of them, and I’ve been meaning to write one too. It’s just that so many more exciting and timely things have been happening lately that I decided to push this review back—it’s the kind of thing that remains relevant at any given time, right?
Before I go on, let me give you a little bit of context: It was the middle of the year and I was lagging behind on my reading challenge, so when I visited the library during a Europe on Screen viewing, I thought I’d borrow a few graphic novels to catch up—also, I’ve missed reading graphic novels anyway. All of these titles were pretty much randomly chosen, although one of the artists is familiar to me. Let me walk you through them.
Remember many weeks ago when I checked out a few books from Goethe Institute Library? I know I promised you a review of them, and I’ve been meaning to write one too. It’s just that so many more exciting and timely things have been happening lately that I decided to push this review back—it’s the kind of thing that remains relevant at any given time, right?
Before I go on, let me give you a little bit of context: It was the middle of the year and I was lagging behind on my reading challenge, so when I visited the library during a Europe on Screen viewing, I thought I’d borrow a few graphic novels to catch up—also, I’ve missed reading graphic novels anyway. All of these titles were pretty much randomly chosen, although one of the artists is familiar to me. Let me walk you through them.
Traumnovelle
by Jakob Hinrichs
I know Jakob Hinrichs as an artist who tends to turn classic novels into graphic novels. I was fond of his other work, Der Trinker, so I thought I’d try another one. This one was of a 1920s story from Arthur Schnitzler that follows a doctor who’s having troubles with his wife and ended up going on an adventure involving a sex cult.
Apparently, this same novel was the inspiration for Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut—I thought the story felt familiar, so I did a little digging. Hinrichs’s portrayal, while imaginative and colourful, actually confuses me. I didn’t understand the story until I read the text-only novel at the end—which was a lot more interesting and made much more sense. The story was pretty intriguing, but it dragged on and on and on for a looong time.
Traumnovelle
by Jakob Hinrichs
I know Jakob Hinrichs as an artist who tends to turn classic novels into graphic novels. I was fond of his other work, Der Trinker, so I thought I’d try another one. This one was of a 1920s story from Arthur Schnitzler that follows a doctor who’s having troubles with his wife and ended up going on an adventure involving a sex cult.
Apparently, this same novel was the inspiration for Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut—I thought the story felt familiar, so I did a little digging. Hinrichs’s portrayal, while imaginative and colourful, actually confuses me. I didn’t understand the story until I read the text-only novel at the end—which was a lot more interesting and made much more sense. The story was pretty intriguing, but it dragged on and on and on for a looong time.
Die Wurzeln der Lena Siebert
by Raphaela Buder
This one attracted me because the entirety of the novel was drawn in pencil. Isn’t that wild?!? As someone who cannot draw with pencil without smudging, this was fascinating to me. I love how the artist uses different shading methods, which gives each panel such a texturised and appealing look. Each item is so clearly erased from one another, so we can always tell where one object stops and another begins. In other words, despite being drawn entirely in pencil, the visuals are neatly well done.
The story revolves around a little girl named Lena who initially lives with her single mother, who seems to be mentally unstable and cannot hold down a decent job. Despite being witness to her mother’s flying off the handle and living with barely enough, Lena has a close relationship with her mother. One day, her mother caused a scene and was detained by the police, which caused Lena to be transferred to a foster family while her mother went into rehab. It’s a pretty innocent story around a very serious topic, which reminds me a little of Room.
Die Wurzeln der Lena Siebert
by Raphaela Buder
This one attracted me because the entirety of the novel was drawn in pencil. Isn’t that wild?!? As someone who cannot draw with pencil without smudging, this was fascinating to me. I love how the artist uses different shading methods, which gives each panel such a texturised and appealing look. Each item is so clearly erased from one another, so we can always tell where one object stops and another begins. In other words, despite being drawn entirely in pencil, the visuals are neatly well done.
The story revolves around a little girl named Lena who initially lives with her single mother, who seems to be mentally unstable and cannot hold down a decent job. Despite being witness to her mother’s flying off the handle and living with barely enough, Lena has a close relationship with her mother. One day, her mother caused a scene and was detained by the police, which caused Lena to be transferred to a foster family while her mother went into rehab. It’s a pretty innocent story around a very serious topic, which reminds me a little of Room.
In China
by Sascha Hommer
Agung actually picked this one. He did it randomly too, since it’s probably one of the only titles he could read. The illustration style is very cutesy, which is absolutely up my alley. I love the character design so much! The interchangeable masks of the main character is my favourite. The colouring and paneling style are so much like East Asian comics—manga or manhwa, if you will.
The book is a memoir of the time the author lived in China a few months in 2011. It’s a quirky story that explores the little experiences of adapting to China—including its concerning pollution levels, noisy streets and finding a place to live. Aside from the main story itself, the book has a few little stories that come from the author’s work while in China.
In China
by Sascha Hommer
Agung actually picked this one. He did it randomly too, since it’s probably one of the only titles he could read. The illustration style is very cutesy, which is absolutely up my alley. I love the character design so much! The interchangeable masks of the main character is my favourite. The colouring and paneling style are so much like East Asian comics—manga or manhwa, if you will.
The book is a memoir of the time the author lived in China a few months in 2011. It’s a quirky story that explores the little experiences of adapting to China—including its concerning pollution levels, noisy streets and finding a place to live. Aside from the main story itself, the book has a few little stories that come from the author’s work while in China.
Recommend me a graphic novel in the comments, please!
Recommend me a graphic novel in the comments, please!