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spenkevich's review
4.0
‘In the beginning was the world…
And it was WEIRD’
And you know what? It sure as shit was!
Behold Isabel Greenberg’s The One Hundred Nights of Hero in which the powerful love between two women, Cherry and the aptly named Hero, must outwit and outlast the burdensome onslaught of mens conquests for Cherry’s ‘virtue’ in this tale of tales and the importance of telling them. Especially when lives are at stake in this patriarchal world of bird gods and dastardly deeds. I mentioned the world was weird right???
Weird but also whimsical and wonderfully illustrated. I love the style here.
So anyways, Greenberg has crafted a graphic novel that is as gorgeous to look at as it is insightful and outspoken on the social ills against women and the nature of storytelling that can either oppress or be reframed towards freedom. It is a tale where Hero must protect her beloved from the shackles of wooers who have the force of society behind them to reduce Cherry to a trophy to serve their image and lusts as well as shun Hero for loving the very same woman. When he begins to tell stories in order to win Cherry over, Hero devises a countermeasure of storytelling to distract him long enough to win Cherry back in this delightfully feminist and fantastical play on the character of Scheherazade from [b:One Thousand and One Nights|13109354|One Thousand and One Nights|Hanan Al-Shaykh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1363624580l/13109354._SX50_.jpg|42672818].
It’s all rather sharply satirical and I enjoy how storytelling is so central to this beautiful tale of queer heroism and love. It directly confronts how through history men have tended to be the canonical voice in framing the world. Such as here where the telling of his tale positions him as the hero and Cherry as his prize:
But what happens when women try to tell the story? Well, look how even in the modern day a women doing a classic retelling tends to receive far harsher criticism, women have often been pushed aside for men to receive the prizes in order to hold up said prizes as proof of men’s superiority in writing, historians have centered the acts of men and held their tomes up as proof of men’s historical significance, women have been denied the ability to own property or hold jobs and then had that held against them as proof of their inability to rise in the workforce, the list is endless. Or, simply, when women speak we get this:
TEXT: These women have been accused of witchcraft! Of storytelling and sassiness! And they must be put to death!
Its all a rather fun story that pokes fun at patriarchy and comes swinging. Will Hero live up to her name? Will the man get the last word (and first and most of the middle ones too?) Will the bird god have some great scenes? Better pick this up and find out!
4/5
And it was WEIRD’
And you know what? It sure as shit was!
Behold Isabel Greenberg’s The One Hundred Nights of Hero in which the powerful love between two women, Cherry and the aptly named Hero, must outwit and outlast the burdensome onslaught of mens conquests for Cherry’s ‘virtue’ in this tale of tales and the importance of telling them. Especially when lives are at stake in this patriarchal world of bird gods and dastardly deeds. I mentioned the world was weird right???
Weird but also whimsical and wonderfully illustrated. I love the style here.
So anyways, Greenberg has crafted a graphic novel that is as gorgeous to look at as it is insightful and outspoken on the social ills against women and the nature of storytelling that can either oppress or be reframed towards freedom. It is a tale where Hero must protect her beloved from the shackles of wooers who have the force of society behind them to reduce Cherry to a trophy to serve their image and lusts as well as shun Hero for loving the very same woman. When he begins to tell stories in order to win Cherry over, Hero devises a countermeasure of storytelling to distract him long enough to win Cherry back in this delightfully feminist and fantastical play on the character of Scheherazade from [b:One Thousand and One Nights|13109354|One Thousand and One Nights|Hanan Al-Shaykh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1363624580l/13109354._SX50_.jpg|42672818].
It’s all rather sharply satirical and I enjoy how storytelling is so central to this beautiful tale of queer heroism and love. It directly confronts how through history men have tended to be the canonical voice in framing the world. Such as here where the telling of his tale positions him as the hero and Cherry as his prize:
But what happens when women try to tell the story? Well, look how even in the modern day a women doing a classic retelling tends to receive far harsher criticism, women have often been pushed aside for men to receive the prizes in order to hold up said prizes as proof of men’s superiority in writing, historians have centered the acts of men and held their tomes up as proof of men’s historical significance, women have been denied the ability to own property or hold jobs and then had that held against them as proof of their inability to rise in the workforce, the list is endless. Or, simply, when women speak we get this:
TEXT: These women have been accused of witchcraft! Of storytelling and sassiness! And they must be put to death!
Its all a rather fun story that pokes fun at patriarchy and comes swinging. Will Hero live up to her name? Will the man get the last word (and first and most of the middle ones too?) Will the bird god have some great scenes? Better pick this up and find out!
4/5
wilde_woolf's review
fast-paced
3.75
A testament to the power of words and women and sisters and how I'd be sent to die if I was around during early earth times because I can be quite sassy and easily mistaken for a witch and a big reader but maybe I'd turn them all against the cult of idiot birdmen like Hero and Cherry. Also, I'm sorry did this story say 100 nights is six months? And can two stars really constitute a constellation?
PS lesson: men suck
PS lesson: men suck
august_exe's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
makes me kind of sad and happy all at once
read_and_bleu's review
5.0
This is a really sweet, gentle book full of sass, lyrical stories and romance. As someone who has not read many graphic novels, this was a total treat. Delightful imagery, simple but emotive text and a heartwarming narrative steeped in modern myth.
smoacs's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sxndaze's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? No
4.25
whimsical and gorgeous. the illustrations breathe so much life and the stories and delightful.
excited to see the adaptation
excited to see the adaptation
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual content and Suicide attempt
vctrlx's review
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
cinnamon_twirls's review
5.0
An amazing comic, with a beautiful art style, and writing reminiscent of an old fairytale. Had me hooked from the very beginning!