hannicogood's review against another edition
2.0
I sort of struggled with the rating I wanted to give this book and maybe I’m being unfair. I picked this up not realizing it was a graphic novel so perhaps I’m rating it based on unfair expectations. I think this was more of a passion project of the author which is great, but I’m confused about the tone he was trying to strike. Some of the text in the panels is in quotes, almost putting me in mind of a research paper quoting other articles. It wasn’t clear to me whether i should approach the book as a narrative, a biography, or an uneven mix of the two.
puggreader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Drug use
p0tat0's review against another edition
3.0
This was a bit of a bleak slog, but I guess that was pretty representative of Seabrook's real life.
stevendedalus's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting, balanced presentation of a complicated man's life. It attemps to get at Seabrook's heart, and does an admirable job.
The black and white, set-panel art comic structure feels very familiar now, but its orderliness pairs well with non-fiction, and allows the dour, unflattering images take the place of normal prose details.
An admirable accomplishment of resuscitating a lost figure in all his grossness and limited charm.
The black and white, set-panel art comic structure feels very familiar now, but its orderliness pairs well with non-fiction, and allows the dour, unflattering images take the place of normal prose details.
An admirable accomplishment of resuscitating a lost figure in all his grossness and limited charm.
snailsforlove's review
3.0
This is a well-executed book and was on a subject I didn't know much about, but (as with many true stories) it's depressing. I can't really say I enjoyed it, but there were some interesting parts
bluepigeon's review
5.0
A fantastic, captivating biography of a talented, troubled, in-denial journalist/traveler/writer. I did not know much about Seabrook before reading The Abominable Mr. Seabrook (other than the fact that he popularized the word zombie in English). Joe Ollmann has meticulously researched and obsessed over Seabrook, his life, his alcoholism, his relationship with his three wives, his times in the great literary/art circles, his BDSM practice, his many stays in different mental institutions, and his journeys around the world. As a result, Ollmann presents a complex character with faults and redeeming qualities, a man with an addictive personality, a man who practiced BDSM openly, all of which has the desired effect of making the reader care about Seabrook.
Ollmann's art is fantastic. The story he tells, the story of Seabrook's life, is also compelling, as he carefully and meticulously draws out the important turning points and the mood shifts from the open-minded, eager traveler who spent two years among the Bedouins to the alcoholic who killed himself. My one gripe with the book is that Ollmann's lettering (or the custom type based on his lettering) is too tight, making some panels hard to read for me.
Recommended for those who like biographies, Man Ray and Lee Miller, cotton, gardening, magic tricks, and camels.
Ollmann's art is fantastic. The story he tells, the story of Seabrook's life, is also compelling, as he carefully and meticulously draws out the important turning points and the mood shifts from the open-minded, eager traveler who spent two years among the Bedouins to the alcoholic who killed himself. My one gripe with the book is that Ollmann's lettering (or the custom type based on his lettering) is too tight, making some panels hard to read for me.
Recommended for those who like biographies, Man Ray and Lee Miller, cotton, gardening, magic tricks, and camels.
hamikka's review
4.0
Fascinating life story that packs a wallop. The art was great for the subject, but larger pages would've helped display the details and expressions better. The author was judgmental at times, but kept the story moving and ultimately did his subject justice.
otterno11's review
4.0
Before reading about this new graphic novel on BoingBoing a month or so ago, I’d been unfamiliar with both the work of Canadian comic artist and writer Joe Ollmann or that of the troubled 20th century American travel writer and journalist, William Seabrook. After reading his passionate account of the rather unconventional life of Seabrook, a restless man possessed of a wanderlust and a surprisingly open mind for his historical moment, I’m definitely interested in exploring more of Ollmann’s work.
William Seabrook certainly seems a rewarding figure for the type of exhaustively researched graphic biography Ollmann is doing, a fascinating man who, though once famous, has since faded into obscurity. He does an admirable job capturing this difficult character’s unique, self-destructive life, telling his story by letting us know Seabrook at his twilight years of alcoholism and then slowly revealing his accomplishments and struggles. Writing remarkably sympathetic “exotic” travelogs during the 1920s and ‘30s, Seabrook was credited with introducing the word “zombie” into American English, and hung with some of the literary luminaries of the time. At the same time, he never got over a crippling sense of inferiority with his own writing, and along with a deeply self destructive impulse, he allowed his drinking and his orgy of sado-masochistic affairs dominate his life, leading to his untimely death by suicide. Ollmann’s dark, thick, shadowed line work, detailing the people and places Seabrook encountered, really lends itself to the subject matter. The desperate energy conveyed by Ollmann’s depiction of, say, the sweat beading on Seabrook’s forehead as he regards yet another empty bottle of Courvoisier, makes The Abominable Mr. Seabrook an affecting read. In spite of Seabrook’s damning character flaws, Ollmann’s biography also details his sympathetic side, which makes his obscurity all the more tragic. It is works like this that really showcase the strengths of using graphic formats to illuminate little known pieces of history.
William Seabrook certainly seems a rewarding figure for the type of exhaustively researched graphic biography Ollmann is doing, a fascinating man who, though once famous, has since faded into obscurity. He does an admirable job capturing this difficult character’s unique, self-destructive life, telling his story by letting us know Seabrook at his twilight years of alcoholism and then slowly revealing his accomplishments and struggles. Writing remarkably sympathetic “exotic” travelogs during the 1920s and ‘30s, Seabrook was credited with introducing the word “zombie” into American English, and hung with some of the literary luminaries of the time. At the same time, he never got over a crippling sense of inferiority with his own writing, and along with a deeply self destructive impulse, he allowed his drinking and his orgy of sado-masochistic affairs dominate his life, leading to his untimely death by suicide. Ollmann’s dark, thick, shadowed line work, detailing the people and places Seabrook encountered, really lends itself to the subject matter. The desperate energy conveyed by Ollmann’s depiction of, say, the sweat beading on Seabrook’s forehead as he regards yet another empty bottle of Courvoisier, makes The Abominable Mr. Seabrook an affecting read. In spite of Seabrook’s damning character flaws, Ollmann’s biography also details his sympathetic side, which makes his obscurity all the more tragic. It is works like this that really showcase the strengths of using graphic formats to illuminate little known pieces of history.
More...