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lddavis's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ezra_lambert's review against another edition
3.0
In interesting little read that is mostly just funny little doodles. Makes for an entertaining side table book to show to my more macabre friends
jenpaul13's review against another edition
4.0
Twenty-three short stories presenting a revolving, and occasionally repeating, cast of seemingly strange or otherwise misunderstood people in somewhat tragic situations, with illustrations, comprise The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories by Tim Burton.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Poetry serves as the base and classic Burton style sketched visuals accompany these quick short stories. A few stories span several pages, with brief bits of text telling the story as the illustrations convey the scene or the emotional state of a character, while others expound in a mere sentence, but each raises topics with an impact at odds with their seeming simplicity. The tales told adhere to a theme of outcasts, notably children, with unique characteristics that make navigating the world difficult for them, resulting in an outcome that may be grim or sad yet contains a sliver of charming humor. The stories involving parents whose children were part-human and part-something else highlighted an uncomfortable cruelty and selfishness to the parents, while the use of a cartoon staple of not depicting faces of adults was a technique that visually shifted focus back to the child and their captivating plight. Revisiting this book for the first time in several years different things caught my notice in this readthrough but the experience remained macabre and heartwarming in equal measure.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Poetry serves as the base and classic Burton style sketched visuals accompany these quick short stories. A few stories span several pages, with brief bits of text telling the story as the illustrations convey the scene or the emotional state of a character, while others expound in a mere sentence, but each raises topics with an impact at odds with their seeming simplicity. The tales told adhere to a theme of outcasts, notably children, with unique characteristics that make navigating the world difficult for them, resulting in an outcome that may be grim or sad yet contains a sliver of charming humor. The stories involving parents whose children were part-human and part-something else highlighted an uncomfortable cruelty and selfishness to the parents, while the use of a cartoon staple of not depicting faces of adults was a technique that visually shifted focus back to the child and their captivating plight. Revisiting this book for the first time in several years different things caught my notice in this readthrough but the experience remained macabre and heartwarming in equal measure.
roxyrox's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
1.0
The pain of a man turned father.
mimamilli's review against another edition
dark
funny
inspiring
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
eirasdfjkl's review against another edition
4.0
If I wasn't on the train when I read "The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy", I would probably wail and cry and everything's possible. This story, and the other stories, was told in a witty, somewhat darkly humorous way, but there's an underlying darkness and gruesome feeling underneath it. Very good if you're inside the niche market of this book (and I am) but if you're not it would probably only seem strange and silly.
atelofobia_'s review against another edition
3.0
He dudado mucho entre darle tres o cuatro estrellas. Algunos poemas son tiernos y cautivadores, pero la mayoría me han dejado más bien fría. Destaco el que da título a la obra, así como "El chico robot" (Robot Boy), "Chico Tóxico" (Roy, the Toxic Boy), "Chico Momia" (Mummy Boy) y "Desperdicia" (Junk Girl).
Mención especial se merece la traducción -esta edición es bilingüe-, que me ha recordado increíblemente a una que tuve que realizar de Max und Mortiz: en general, el texto en castellano está bien adaptado, llegando a mejorar el original en ocasiones ("Nino, el horroroso niño pingüino" parece menos insulso), el ritmo y la sonoridad se han mantenido de forma excelente. Bien es cierto que algunas adaptaciones culturales, como los nombres propios (Paquito Serra xD), chirrían, y, en general, el estilo se ha elevado en demasía en comparación con la llaneza del original.
Mención especial se merece la traducción -esta edición es bilingüe-, que me ha recordado increíblemente a una que tuve que realizar de Max und Mortiz: en general, el texto en castellano está bien adaptado, llegando a mejorar el original en ocasiones ("Nino, el horroroso niño pingüino" parece menos insulso), el ritmo y la sonoridad se han mantenido de forma excelente. Bien es cierto que algunas adaptaciones culturales, como los nombres propios (Paquito Serra xD), chirrían, y, en general, el estilo se ha elevado en demasía en comparación con la llaneza del original.