inkdrinkers's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
In the Sounds and Seas is a unique graphic novel with no text, focusing on imagery and ink illustration to tell a creation story of three singers who create the heavens and earth, and the three humans who seek to find them.
I... I didn't get this book. I read it, looked at the art, and tried to follow it, but it was completely and utterly lost on me. I had to come back and read the summary and I'm still not 100% certain where aspects of the summary play into the art. I did find the ink illustrations beautiful, they were incredibly detailed and had layered meanings, but I struggled with there being no text. This isn't even my first graphic novel with no dialogue, but it does severely lack context that I think is required in retellings/folklore.
I can tell where inspiration was taken from Moby Dick and Pinocchio, especially with the heavy water imagery and symbolism, but I feel it falls flat. Pictures are human's oldest form of storytelling, but when they're this detailed and contain no context, it becomes difficult to muddle out meaning from them. I feel like a simplified approach would have suited this story better.
Beautiful, but ultimately not my cup of tea.
I... I didn't get this book. I read it, looked at the art, and tried to follow it, but it was completely and utterly lost on me. I had to come back and read the summary and I'm still not 100% certain where aspects of the summary play into the art. I did find the ink illustrations beautiful, they were incredibly detailed and had layered meanings, but I struggled with there being no text. This isn't even my first graphic novel with no dialogue, but it does severely lack context that I think is required in retellings/folklore.
I can tell where inspiration was taken from Moby Dick and Pinocchio, especially with the heavy water imagery and symbolism, but I feel it falls flat. Pictures are human's oldest form of storytelling, but when they're this detailed and contain no context, it becomes difficult to muddle out meaning from them. I feel like a simplified approach would have suited this story better.
Beautiful, but ultimately not my cup of tea.
bekasimila's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
~picked for SPL summer reading bingo~
I’ve never a read a book like this before, and I’m trying to expand what I read. Not knowing what to expect, I actually quite enjoyed this book. There was definitely a storyline to follow. Except I didn’t expect it to end that way, felt abrupt but also concluding.
I’m sure there’s more I could’ve picked up on literary illustration wise, but I still thought it was a fun one to pick up!
I’ve never a read a book like this before, and I’m trying to expand what I read. Not knowing what to expect, I actually quite enjoyed this book. There was definitely a storyline to follow. Except I didn’t expect it to end that way, felt abrupt but also concluding.
I’m sure there’s more I could’ve picked up on literary illustration wise, but I still thought it was a fun one to pick up!
mx_madster's review against another edition
3.0
An abstract art-object as much as it is a wordless narrative. I don't think I even nearly appreciated it for what it could be.
chloelees's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
jessicafulton's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
lacurieuse's review against another edition
3.0
The art was absolutely beautiful. I wasn’t able to follow a storyline, but maybe I shouldn’t have been looking for one. Just the pictures are a delight to look at, if you can get past the search for meaning, or make up your own...
pantsyreads's review against another edition
4.0
This was absolutely beautiful. Admittedly, some of it went over my head (there are a ton of literary allusions that I know I missed), but it was still such a rewarding 'read' (quotation marks because this is a silent graphic novel - there's no text).
I think the perfect way to describe this work is, as Dave mentions in his review, poetry comics. There is a narrative at play, but it's second string when compared to the meditative qualities Galloway evokes with her meticulously detailed art. There are a lot of visual metaphors (ie. the three characters who have animals spew out of their mouths which serves as a creation myth) that are fantastical, but, upon closer scrutiny, reveal layers of complexity that will entice you to go over them again and again.
I need to buy myself a copy of this book (I read a library copy) because this is something I know I will want to come back to.
I think the perfect way to describe this work is, as Dave mentions in his review, poetry comics. There is a narrative at play, but it's second string when compared to the meditative qualities Galloway evokes with her meticulously detailed art. There are a lot of visual metaphors (ie. the three characters who have animals spew out of their mouths which serves as a creation myth) that are fantastical, but, upon closer scrutiny, reveal layers of complexity that will entice you to go over them again and again.
I need to buy myself a copy of this book (I read a library copy) because this is something I know I will want to come back to.
maiakobabe's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of the best wordless comic books I've ever read. It manages to convey a complex and emotional narrative through careful, detailed black and white drawings. Three friends build and supply a wooden ship and set out to sea, searching for an unknown but longed for home. Full of strange twists, beautiful and sorrowful.