The Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr. Punch | Neil Gaiman (2006)
I read this book in preparation for an article I'm writing on graphic novels, but also because I tend to love everything written by Neil Gaiman. This may be the first of his works that I haven't really loved right off the bat. I appreciated it for its artistic quality, but I think maybe it was just a bit too dark for my tastes.
My Review
A young boy, sent to stay with his grandparents for the summer, learns some very troubling family secrets when he begins helping his grandfather at his seashore Punch & Judy attraction. Told through a mix of adult reminiscences and third-person glimpses into his childhood, this story yields a haunting tale of the mysterious misdeeds of adults and of the lifelong search for answers left to the children caught up in them.
One of the most beautiful things about this graphic novel is that the answers to the mysterious goings-on of adults are never spoon-fed; in fact, many of the answers are only to be guessed at after a second or even third reading, though clues are available in McKean's masterful illustrations.
The strength of the graphic novel is not in the narrative, which is sparse and troublingly dark, but in the illustrations that are brilliantly wrought and perfectly suited to the story. Through a combination of sketches and photographs, arranged and edited with striking attention to detail, McKean fills in the gaps of the story imagined in Giaman's narrative, and gives it the life it needs to become a full story. This is McKean at his best.
I don't mean to diminish Gaiman's writing, which is rich and well researched. But the story kind of creeped me out, and for that I found it a bit less than enjoyable. Nevertheless, this graphic novel is worth a read (especially if you are of stronger constitution than I).
Goodreads link
Gaiman, Neil and Dave McKean. The Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr. Punch. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2006.