I loved how some of the bench's visitors were sometimes inferred not by their presence on the page, but rather by their affect on the bench during their absence. There's humor as well as melancholy; the poor woman in the fifth image above is confused and bewildered every time she visits the bench.
Lovely, with gorgeous illustrations and perfect for kicking off autumn.
Park Bench will be released this Tuesday, September 19th. Please be aware that because my copy was an advanced reader's copy, there's always the possibility that the images I've provided above could change. It's difficult to provide an early review for a book that is purely illustrations without illustrations, particularly when they're so fantastic....more
So, there's a tiny bit of Oh, really? C'mon! involving one of the threads in the plot, and it's not the monsters or the Nazis or even the (view spoileSo, there's a tiny bit of Oh, really? C'mon! involving one of the threads in the plot, and it's not the monsters or the Nazis or even the (view spoiler)[sacrificial table (hide spoiler)].
That, though, is my only qualm. There are so many amazing stories swirling around this one - the bankrupted ship (though I just looked on Amazon and Fantagraphics and it looks like you actually can get it now!), the paralysis - all before you even crack open the actual book itself.
All the fascination, though, isn't just around those stories - it's definitely bolstered by the authenticity and artistry and beauty and terribleness within the pages. The weird, depressed neighbor of a young girl/werewolf (not really) is murdered and the girl sets out to discover what happened. She's doing so in part to not have to deal with the things that are happening right in front of her, and to herself, but as in all good mysteries, she'll never discover what she wants to know if she ignores that stuff.
One of my favorite books of the year, so far. Don't even consider getting it on Kindle. Gorgeous and heartrending illustrations and storytelling....more
A new book only to fans in the United States (it was published in Japan in 2008), The Strange Library is a creative collaboration between Murakami andA new book only to fans in the United States (it was published in Japan in 2008), The Strange Library is a creative collaboration between Murakami and designer Chip Kidd. It is a (very!) short story about a boy whose eagerness to appease the adults in his life leads him into the bowels of his public library where things are very much not as expected.
The briefness of the volume and the illustrations might deceive you into believing this could be a children's book but it is not (unless you're okay with your kid reading a somewhat explicit horror tale about a boy who will never return to his public library... and I'm not being facetious here; it could conceivably be okay for some sorts of kids). It feels like an origin story, of sorts, featuring characters (the sheep man!) and elements found in other Murakami stories likely conceived around or after this story....more
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