Blankets
written and illustrated by Craig Thompson, 2003. Marietta, Georgia: Top Shelf Productions. (1891830430).
Media: pen and ink
Awards: 2004 Harvey Awards: Best Artist, Best Graphic Album of Original Work and Best Cartoonist, 2004 Eisner Awards: Best Graphic Album and Best Writer/Artist, 2004 Ignatz Awards: Outstanding Artist and Outstanding Graphic Novel or Collection, 2005 Prix de la Critique
Annotation:
Craig Thompson's intensely personal memoir of childhood, family, faith, first love and heartbreak in a deeply religious household in the Midwest.
Craig Thompson's intensely personal memoir of childhood, family, faith, first love and heartbreak in a deeply religious household in the Midwest.
Personal Reaction:
At nearly 600 pages, Blankets is an ambitious graphic novel, both in size and scope. It's the typical coming-of-age story, beautifully illustrated: heartstring-tugging, full of confusion and angst, and more than a little confessional. While Thompson isn't covering any new ground in the age-old tradition of bildungsroman, Blankets makes an engaging (if not an entirely revelatory) read.
Young Thompson struggles with issues of faith, overbearing parents, childhood abuse, bullying and a strict fundamentalist upbringing. By the time he reaches high school, he's a complete loner- an outcast amongst his peers. When he meets Raina, a beautiful bad (as far as Christians go) girl, he falls hard for her and most of Blankets' 600 pages is spent covering the arc of their short-lived romance.
The illustrations are the standout here- they're sensitive, compelling and delicately detailed in ways that Thompson's writing just isn't. While Blankets tries hard to be as impressive emotionally as is it physically, it sometimes falls short. To be sure, some facets of the story are wonderfully done- Craig's relationship with his younger brother Phil, and the interpersonal workings of Raina's family are two areas that shine. There's pathos in spades here, but Thompson's storytelling lacks a subtlety and self-awareness that would keep it from venturing into melodrama territory.
At nearly 600 pages, Blankets is an ambitious graphic novel, both in size and scope. It's the typical coming-of-age story, beautifully illustrated: heartstring-tugging, full of confusion and angst, and more than a little confessional. While Thompson isn't covering any new ground in the age-old tradition of bildungsroman, Blankets makes an engaging (if not an entirely revelatory) read.
Young Thompson struggles with issues of faith, overbearing parents, childhood abuse, bullying and a strict fundamentalist upbringing. By the time he reaches high school, he's a complete loner- an outcast amongst his peers. When he meets Raina, a beautiful bad (as far as Christians go) girl, he falls hard for her and most of Blankets' 600 pages is spent covering the arc of their short-lived romance.
The illustrations are the standout here- they're sensitive, compelling and delicately detailed in ways that Thompson's writing just isn't. While Blankets tries hard to be as impressive emotionally as is it physically, it sometimes falls short. To be sure, some facets of the story are wonderfully done- Craig's relationship with his younger brother Phil, and the interpersonal workings of Raina's family are two areas that shine. There's pathos in spades here, but Thompson's storytelling lacks a subtlety and self-awareness that would keep it from venturing into melodrama territory.
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