I picked up Blankets and couldn't put it down.
It both did and didn't surprise me that Art Spiegelman was in the acknowledgements. The artistic inspiration seemed so clear to me, I couldn't help but wonder through most of the book. I kept looking for more once the book was finished, pleased to find out that there's 3 more books Craig has written, and that I'm going to dive into once summer hits. Regardless, that desire to look for more led me to several reviews, interviews, and much more. I found out Bildungsroman as a genre existed, so that was interesting to put a name on. Sad, but foreseeable, I came across some of the negative reviews, few and far between, calling the graphic novel pretentious.
I fail to see how opening oneself to be vulnerable on a large platform full of critics with the intent to broadcast child neglect, molestation, and religious indoctrination through a commonly mocked medium is pretentious. But, maybe I'm part of the awful pretentious crowd, because I loved Blankets, it felt genuine in the same vein of Maus or Persepolis but with none of the massively overarching tones of murder, history, or oppression, but rather those closer to disenfranchised white religious boys. At first glance that might seem like a negative, but I do think it opens the door for a lot of men who have not come to term with difficult aspect of growing up male in a world that shames not only victims of abuse, but especially male victims of abuse. Through interviews he mentions how widespread rape culture was in his hometown to the point of, as a young child, believing that all women had been raped. Once he moved into the city he confesses this did thin out, as knowledge and talk of the topic was slightly more common, but still a rarity to see discussed.
I have a few male friends who I'm treasured to have in my life who have confessed similar abhorrent injustices done onto them, and I think this book does wonders when it comes to more public and accessible talk of rape culture, child abuse or neglect, and the other rides life goes on. Most of them at one point religious, now either completely turned from or battling their faith, got to see the beauty of being human, the horrors that come with it, and I'm a firm believer this book captures all those moments. You experience the high of seeing Craig get his quilt with the same intensity as you see him burn it. You wonder and hope for him and Phil to reconnect and feel a similar sense of resolution as he does. Most importantly, you feel the sense of time. Blankets could've easily been watered down to a story of meeting a girl and losing her. Craig does not stop there. We catch up with him as life goes on, regardless of who goes where, dates who, does what. We feel the unresolved emptiness of the forever goodbye and lack of closure with Raina.
The beautiful abstract art that adorns the pages gives the essence of exploring spirituality within oneself and others, and although originally tied to religion, as the last few chapters come along, can be seen absolved of religion but rather from within Craig's experiences.
I just think it's neat.
It both did and didn't surprise me that Art Spiegelman was in the acknowledgements. The artistic inspiration seemed so clear to me, I couldn't help but wonder through most of the book. I kept looking for more once the book was finished, pleased to find out that there's 3 more books Craig has written, and that I'm going to dive into once summer hits. Regardless, that desire to look for more led me to several reviews, interviews, and much more. I found out Bildungsroman as a genre existed, so that was interesting to put a name on. Sad, but foreseeable, I came across some of the negative reviews, few and far between, calling the graphic novel pretentious.
I fail to see how opening oneself to be vulnerable on a large platform full of critics with the intent to broadcast child neglect, molestation, and religious indoctrination through a commonly mocked medium is pretentious. But, maybe I'm part of the awful pretentious crowd, because I loved Blankets, it felt genuine in the same vein of Maus or Persepolis but with none of the massively overarching tones of murder, history, or oppression, but rather those closer to disenfranchised white religious boys. At first glance that might seem like a negative, but I do think it opens the door for a lot of men who have not come to term with difficult aspect of growing up male in a world that shames not only victims of abuse, but especially male victims of abuse. Through interviews he mentions how widespread rape culture was in his hometown to the point of, as a young child, believing that all women had been raped. Once he moved into the city he confesses this did thin out, as knowledge and talk of the topic was slightly more common, but still a rarity to see discussed.
I have a few male friends who I'm treasured to have in my life who have confessed similar abhorrent injustices done onto them, and I think this book does wonders when it comes to more public and accessible talk of rape culture, child abuse or neglect, and the other rides life goes on. Most of them at one point religious, now either completely turned from or battling their faith, got to see the beauty of being human, the horrors that come with it, and I'm a firm believer this book captures all those moments. You experience the high of seeing Craig get his quilt with the same intensity as you see him burn it. You wonder and hope for him and Phil to reconnect and feel a similar sense of resolution as he does. Most importantly, you feel the sense of time. Blankets could've easily been watered down to a story of meeting a girl and losing her. Craig does not stop there. We catch up with him as life goes on, regardless of who goes where, dates who, does what. We feel the unresolved emptiness of the forever goodbye and lack of closure with Raina.
The beautiful abstract art that adorns the pages gives the essence of exploring spirituality within oneself and others, and although originally tied to religion, as the last few chapters come along, can be seen absolved of religion but rather from within Craig's experiences.
I just think it's neat.
Try to read at least, Blankets.
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