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Hirondelle (not getting notifications)'s Reviews > Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites
Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites
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I should have loved this. Really. Loved some of of Jill Thompson´s other works, and come on psychic dog detectives gang, it´s precisely my cup of tea. Theoretically.
In practice, no not quite. I got two main hangups with this. One is strictly subjective and personal (it´s not you book, it´s me), I do not *like* stories where bad things happen to good dogs. Even secondary characters good dogs - and the first story, chapter of this, hit a lot of my triggers and in a bad ( felt manipulative to me) way.
The second hangup is (slightly) more objective but a little more difficult to explain - this is so comics-style, so american-style. Well, not if you compare it to DC/Marvel, but if you compare it to the graphic novels I am used to reading it is - and it is just not a style i really get into. For example the last line (and cliffhangerish endings) the new characters and external motivations and small storylines always getting introduced. It´s not necessarily a bad thing, it´s just me not really *getting* it.
(and the art, I dunno, some pannels are very cute, but sometimes the anatomy seems very amorphous).
(but still thanks for the loan, S, I was curious and glad to have read it, even if it was not my cup of tea),
In practice, no not quite. I got two main hangups with this. One is strictly subjective and personal (it´s not you book, it´s me), I do not *like* stories where bad things happen to good dogs. Even secondary characters good dogs - and the first story, chapter of this, hit a lot of my triggers and in a bad ( felt manipulative to me) way.
The second hangup is (slightly) more objective but a little more difficult to explain - this is so comics-style, so american-style. Well, not if you compare it to DC/Marvel, but if you compare it to the graphic novels I am used to reading it is - and it is just not a style i really get into. For example the last line (and cliffhangerish endings) the new characters and external motivations and small storylines always getting introduced. It´s not necessarily a bad thing, it´s just me not really *getting* it.
(and the art, I dunno, some pannels are very cute, but sometimes the anatomy seems very amorphous).
(but still thanks for the loan, S, I was curious and glad to have read it, even if it was not my cup of tea),
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Reading Progress
December 22, 2011
– Shelved
December 27, 2011
–
Started Reading
December 27, 2011
–
0.0%
"dogs! many many cute dogs. Drawn by Jill Thompson. But I got some issues with bad stuff happening to good dogs in fiction and OMG did that first story hit some triggers for this fan of Homeward Bound. trauma."
December 27, 2011
– Shelved as:
graphic-novels
December 29, 2011
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-14 of 14 (14 new)
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message 1:
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Mir
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Jan 18, 2012 11:14AM
Bad things happening to dogs = too sad for me.
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message 2:
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Hirondelle (not getting notifications)
(last edited Jan 18, 2012 11:16AM)
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rated it 3 stars
Do not ever, under any circunstances read Connie Willis´s story The Last of the Winnebagos - she kills all dogs in the world in that story. It´s trauma central. Trauma blackhole. (not spoilers, just the setup and it´s really hard to take if you love dogs. And are a wimp. Me for example)
Not only does that story kill all the dogs, but then it lingers over the death of the last dog for like...pages. I'm a cat person and I still found it nearly unbearable!
YES. A good dog. It´s not something I will ever forgive Willis for.About this Beasts of Burden, the first chapter hits a lot of triggers regarding one of my favorite comfort dog movies. And bad things happen to cats as well. Secondary cats but still.
I might still recommend it if awesome, but dunno, it seemed very piecewise stuff to me.
Ok. Ok. I have not, not yet, but nobody of the people who recommended Amores Perros to me warned of that, and they should HAVE. I came this close to watching that movie several times before.
nobody of the people who recommended Amores Perros to me warned of thatWhat?! Bad things happening to dogs is like 80% of the film!
My friends fail at knowing me, apparently! Bad things to dogs, trauma for me.
A guy with a crush on my roommate insisted we watch it because he really liked it, and we were both upset and yelled at him.
Good! I consider myself represented on you screaming at him, and I am offended only in principle. But good on you!
Oh god, never read We3 then. It's like a cyberpunk version of Homeward Bound, but in comic form and also without the happy ending. I'm getting upset just thinking about it.
Oh, thanks for the warning. And yeah, Homeward Bound is the movie - and the mystery on the first chapter of this Beasts of Burden is sort of a similar take on Homeward Bound, and besides me not wanting to handle that, it also felt a bit cheap. A bit easy in a predictable way in a "we´re edgy, let´s mock Homeward Bound". Go pick something your own size, people, leave that movie alone.
I looked at We3 but it sounded too sad for me. If I wanted to hear about animal misery I would read the Humane Society site.
I agree with you on every point. Too many triggers in this book. I won't be reading anymore stories by Evan and/or Jill.
