andreaitziar's review against another edition
3.0
2,5 ✨
Tengo sentimientos encontrados con esta novela porque a ratos es entretenida y a ratos es aburrida y pedante. No he conseguido empatizar en ningún momento con el protagonista (de hecho me ha caído mal desde el principio). La historia en sí es original porque combina la novela de misterio con el ensayo pero no me parece que destaque por ninguna de estas. Sinceramente creo que es una novela compleja pero que, al mismo tiempo, no deja de ser un batiburrillo de ideas y reflexiones.
Tengo sentimientos encontrados con esta novela porque a ratos es entretenida y a ratos es aburrida y pedante. No he conseguido empatizar en ningún momento con el protagonista (de hecho me ha caído mal desde el principio). La historia en sí es original porque combina la novela de misterio con el ensayo pero no me parece que destaque por ninguna de estas. Sinceramente creo que es una novela compleja pero que, al mismo tiempo, no deja de ser un batiburrillo de ideas y reflexiones.
soerenbanjomus's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
kurtwombat's review against another edition
5.0
CITY OF GLASS is my favorite of Paul Auster’s NEW YORK TRILOGY.
From my review of NEW YORK TRILOGY: Each of the three books is loosely structured as a detective story. Very quickly, the mystery changes…and then changes again. What seems straightforward slowly bends in different directions. You could read each novel and argue that you have read the same thing three times…or make the opposite argument as well. When I think of the books I see three giant arrows pointing toward an empty center. Not empty, but something I can’t yet see. Each book is from the point of view of it’s detective. They proceed logically but as what they seek starts to shift, so does their logical footing. Each book starts as a lark, but soon shudders into darkness. Is this darkness the absence of love…or the penalty of imposing order on chaos…or even the personal hell awaiting writers facing blank sheets?
That description doesn’t scream graphic novel. Most novel to graphic novel translations tend to be too literal and literally boring. This, however, I found thrilling. Feels less an adaptation of the novel than and adaptation of my reaction to the novel. The moods and dislocations of characters—disorientation of the reader all managed in interesting and unique fashion. To achieve what the book achieves without simply being a carbon copy of the book is a marvelous deed. The only one of the multiple graphic novel translations of other works I've read to succeed and deserve to exist on it’s own.
From my review of NEW YORK TRILOGY: Each of the three books is loosely structured as a detective story. Very quickly, the mystery changes…and then changes again. What seems straightforward slowly bends in different directions. You could read each novel and argue that you have read the same thing three times…or make the opposite argument as well. When I think of the books I see three giant arrows pointing toward an empty center. Not empty, but something I can’t yet see. Each book is from the point of view of it’s detective. They proceed logically but as what they seek starts to shift, so does their logical footing. Each book starts as a lark, but soon shudders into darkness. Is this darkness the absence of love…or the penalty of imposing order on chaos…or even the personal hell awaiting writers facing blank sheets?
That description doesn’t scream graphic novel. Most novel to graphic novel translations tend to be too literal and literally boring. This, however, I found thrilling. Feels less an adaptation of the novel than and adaptation of my reaction to the novel. The moods and dislocations of characters—disorientation of the reader all managed in interesting and unique fashion. To achieve what the book achieves without simply being a carbon copy of the book is a marvelous deed. The only one of the multiple graphic novel translations of other works I've read to succeed and deserve to exist on it’s own.
sgorr's review against another edition
5.0
This book introduced me to Paul Auster and I love it for that. Never have I read anything to match it in style. It's the sort of plot that just curls around you, enveloping you and pulling you into its world. Never could I see the twists coming. Reminiscent of noir in that Chandler kind of way, but in this re-envisioned way that makes it unlike anything I've ever seen. A must read!
leselydi's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I don't like the way the more or less only woman in the book is described but due to how the Story is told, I instinctively blamed the protagonist more than the author. But the story itself really sucked me in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, Child abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Grief and Death
susanw's review against another edition
4.0
post modern - many layers and hidden meaning, I would love to hear a professional talk about this book
hampton_reads's review against another edition
5.0
An absurd introduction to a possible Manhattan story, a perfect book to read at the end of my first full month living in the city. I cannot explain the book, but it kept me engrossed and somehow chuckling, smirking, and frowning all the time. Great harmony with the characters you'll meet riding the subway.
jekutree's review against another edition
5.0
Paul Auster: City it Glass is an adaptation of the Paul Auster novel city of glass. The adaptation done by Karasik and Mazzucchelli is a fantastic story. Now I haven’t read the original, but I can’t imagine how it would be because the way this ones told could only be done as a comic book. Karasik tells Auster’s story of self identity crisis perfectly and Mazzuchelli makes it something that could only be done in comics.
The story follows Daniel Quinn, crime fiction writer who gets mistaken for private eye Paul Auster. He takes on Auster’s identity and gets himself involved in a case that slowly breaks him down mentally. The plot is existential and there are heavy themes of identity. The story gets very stream of consciousness at times, but what Auster (or Karasik, I’m not sure how much of what Karasik injected into the story was original) remains engaging and though provoking. Don Quixote is used frequently as a symbol for Daniel Quinn and I don’t want to spoil too much, but it’s genius.
Mazzuchelli here annihilates the art duties on this book. He experiments in ways that would define later works like Asterios Polyp and adapts that style also. I have seen pictures of the pages he drew for his Rubber Blanket short story anthology and it looks similar to that, but I can really see where Asterios Polyp comes from aesthetically now. Mazzuchelli is an absolute master of utilizing unique layouts that add to the story. There’s a 9 panel grid in the story where he uses panels 2,4,6 and 8 to show a character aging around him while he’s walking through the city, explaining it doesn’t do it justice but I promise it’s extremely inventive and amazing at grounding Quinn after his first real ego death in the story.
Overall, Paul Auster: City of Glass is a fantastic graphic novel that’s boundary pushing and challenges the reader in all the right places.
10/10
The story follows Daniel Quinn, crime fiction writer who gets mistaken for private eye Paul Auster. He takes on Auster’s identity and gets himself involved in a case that slowly breaks him down mentally. The plot is existential and there are heavy themes of identity. The story gets very stream of consciousness at times, but what Auster (or Karasik, I’m not sure how much of what Karasik injected into the story was original) remains engaging and though provoking. Don Quixote is used frequently as a symbol for Daniel Quinn and I don’t want to spoil too much, but it’s genius.
Mazzuchelli here annihilates the art duties on this book. He experiments in ways that would define later works like Asterios Polyp and adapts that style also. I have seen pictures of the pages he drew for his Rubber Blanket short story anthology and it looks similar to that, but I can really see where Asterios Polyp comes from aesthetically now. Mazzuchelli is an absolute master of utilizing unique layouts that add to the story. There’s a 9 panel grid in the story where he uses panels 2,4,6 and 8 to show a character aging around him while he’s walking through the city, explaining it doesn’t do it justice but I promise it’s extremely inventive and amazing at grounding Quinn after his first real ego death in the story.
Overall, Paul Auster: City of Glass is a fantastic graphic novel that’s boundary pushing and challenges the reader in all the right places.
10/10