January 12, 2009

Review: Violent Cases

Violent Cases
by Neil Gaiman

Synopsis from bn.com:

An exploration of the trappings of violence and the failings of memory, Violent Cases marks the beginning of the astonishing and award-winning collaboration between author Neil Gaiman and the artist Dave McKean, offered in its first Dark Horse edition, in softcover format with cover flaps. Set only in the memory of its author, this brillant short story meanders through levels of recollection surrounding a childhood injury. After dislocating his arm, a young boy is taken to see a doctor - an aged osteopath who was once the doctor of legendary gangster Al Capone. Through studied observations and painstaking attempts at truthful recall, the author reconstructs his tattered memories of the events surrounding his meeting with the doctor, and delves into the psychological complexities that emerged from the doctor's bizarre tales of Capone's life of crime. Gorgeously illustrated in mixed media by Dave McKean, Violent Cases is a sensuous and thought-provoking meditation on our memories.

My thoughts:

This was a quick and interesting read. It was drawn in browns, blues, grays, so it has dark feel to it, and slightly sinister. This was Neil Gaiman's first graphic novel and apparently one of his favorites. I didn't really get it. That's not to say I didn't like it, I just had another one of those moments when I felt like I wasn't seeing the bigger picture.

I recommend this as a quick read, especially if you get it from the library.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Challenges: 100+; Read and Review: A to Z; Graphic Novel; Dream King; 999

2 comments:

Literary Feline said...

Neil Gamain dabbles in just about everything doesn't he? He's very talented. I haven't heard of this one, but I may have to check it out (maybe my husband has it!).

Anonymous said...

I'm a huge fan of Gaiman's Sandman but this comic doesn't appeal to me at all. But he's capable of writing a lot of different things.