I successfully read three graphic novels this year (Persepolis and the two volume memoir by Alison Bechdel), so I decided it was time to try out a real, legit comic. NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast is my normal source for comic/graphic novel recommendations-- it helps that co-host Glen Wheldon is a comics expert, while the other hosts are mostly novices. The Saga series has been recommended on the show no fewer than three times, including a ringing endorsement from friend-of-the-show Maggie Thompson, a former librarian and co-author of the Comics Buyer's Guide. She mentioned Saga specifically in regard to a ComicCon panel on strong female characters and feminism in comic books, so it seemed like as good a place as any to start. I'd also like to mention, I'm hardly of the opinion that everyone should be reading comics and graphic novels -- plenty of people don't find them appealing and that's fine. My approach in blogging about them is that of curiosity; I'm a novice to the genre, but I'm interested enough to at least read a few and get a better sense of what it's all about. I'm hopeful that by doing some of the heavy-lifting myself, I can recommend comics and graphic novels that my usual blog-readers will find appealing, even if they are comic novices as well.
Read moreWhat I'm Reading: 'Persepolis' by Marjane Satrapi
As I've said before, I'm not exactly a big graphic novel/comics reader, but only because I find the medium to be intimidating and inaccessible. I really enjoyed reading Alison Bechdel's graphic memoirs, and got a good response from readers, so I decided to give Persepolis a try, which is probably a much better-known graphic novel because it was adapted into an animated film in 2007.
I'm probably giving myself too much credit for reading two very critically-acclaimed graphic memoirs by women authors -- I still can't call myself a comic book fan or reader. However, I really enjoyed Persepolis and along with Alison Bechdel, it is has served as a good segue into the genre. A lot of folks don't like reading graphic novels or comics because the flow of panels can be confusing, but I read a lot of Archies as a kid, so that's never been a problem for me. I still found Persepolis to be an easy, quick read, and the narrative/panel structure felt very natural. I particularly love Satrapi's stylization, which results in very graphic, very minimalist panels, and very unlike a lot of comic book artwork you might have seen.
Bookhive Afield: Portland, OR and Powell's
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I headed to Oregon recently for my sister's wedding. The wedding was in Corvalis so I was very lucky that I got an afternoon of exploration in Portland before my official MOH duties started. I visited Powell's Books in the Pearl District the last time I visited, and I could not wait to get back there.
Size-wise, it compares to Strand in NYC or John King in Detroit, but what I especially love about it is how wonderfully organized and well-laid out it is. I enjoy an enormous bookstore as much as the next literary hoarder; it can be really pleasurable to get lost in a sea of shelves and discover something you didn't even know you wanted. But on the other hand, book stores are a rarity these days, and for them to serve any practical function in an urban environment, folks need to be able to find what they're looking for. Powell's gives you the best of both worlds; it's a several story building, with different genres on each floor, so it's not hard to find at least the vicinity of what you're seeking, and it's just as easy to wander as you please.
I'm also impressed by how not-seriously they take themselves. That sounds like serious shade so let me clarify: so many bookstores put themselves up on pedestals because books are an expensive luxury (unfortunately) and reading is for serious, smart people (or something like that). Powell's seems to remember that reading is meant to be pleasurable, as is shopping for books, and they have no shame in stocking their shelves with toys, games, stationary, and other nifty book-adjacent merchandise. They have a nice cafe upstairs, a huge selection of magazines, and they devote fairly equal real estate to each genre. If you were a hardcore fan of sci-fi or fantasy, for example, this is the bookstore for you.
I saw a copy of Marilynne Robinson's Gilead on sale on the very front table, so I snapped that up quickly and then wandered with my husband, who has never been. He wanted to check out some comics, so I found myself leaving with a copy of the complete Persepolis book, which I've been meaning to buy for a long time. I left with a Powell's tote bag too, natch.
I don't get to visit my sister and beautiful Oregon often enough, but I already can't wait to get back to Powell's, and I hope that someday I find myself in Portland with a few hours to just soak it all in.
