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The Fza rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

03/19/08

bookshelves: graphic-novel

A few years ago I was lent a book called "Blankets" which I read on the 5 hour trip back from New York City on a Sunday. Now to say the 600 pages just few by would not be an exaggeration. I was done with the book before we hit the Massachusetts border. I knew very little about the book, save for the blurbs on the cover, nor had I heard of it's writer/artist, Craig Thompson, before. But my friend, a struggling journalist living in Queens, told me that 'Blankets' was a semi-autobiographi...more A few years ago I was lent a book called "Blankets" which I read on the 5 hour trip back from New York City on a Sunday. Now to say the 600 pages just few by would not be an exaggeration. I was done with the book before we hit the Massachusetts border. I knew very little about the book, save for the blurbs on the cover, nor had I heard of it's writer/artist, Craig Thompson, before. But my friend, a struggling journalist living in Queens, told me that 'Blankets' was a semi-autobiographical graphic novel well worth the read.

And so being a bit of a junkie when it comes to reading (especially on these long trips) and impressed by some of the supposed 'comic books' that I have run across in my time (Mister X, From Hell, Maus, Blue Monday, etc...) reading something like this seemed an interesting diversion. Little did I know that before long I would be entangled in a fluid and focused work tracing the path of three of the author's closest relationships; his brother Phil, first love Raina, and Christianity.

What I found within these pages was a lonely and isolated young man groping around, trying find an identity. It was clear and yet emotional. It was a whirlwind, and yet structured. Like thoughts, or growing up, can be. But most importantly it was honest.

Craig's struggles with identity, love and religion are shown with no malice or mocking. The characters that populate "Blankets" reflect the emotional realities of Craig's world, while his art lets us move through his life with an intimacy that reminds us how it was, or can be, growing up. We join Craig as he begin to discover the world outside his everyday life in rural Wisconsin and how his relationships sharpen his reality and thereby his identity.

Craig was born in the mid 70's into a very Christian central Wisconsin family, and the events covered here deal with the emotional shrapnel, which results from his emerging adulthood. It's a strong work, by a new talent. In an interview for the Portland Tribune, Craig tells of his influences and goes on to tell how he drew the book on Vellum Bristol Board using a number two watercolor brush and Speedball Super Black India Ink.

But it seems to me that the best part of the interview is when he bared a bit of his soul regarding his conclusions to the questions he struggled with as young man (and shared with us in the pages of "Blankets") by saying, "There's a bitter cynicism, a nihilist attitude, about (Art) Spiegelman and (Dan) Clowes (work). I think my generation is a bit sweeter, but the sweetness is not ironic; it's sincere. I just think our attitude toward some things is more optimistic."

"Blankets" was written and drawn at night while Craig worked a full-time day job, this weighty work took nearly four years to complete. Craig has illustrated for Nickelodeon and Owl magazine, DC and Dark Horse comics. His debut graphic novel 'Goodbye, Chunky Rice' won the comics industry's esteemed Harvey award for Best New Talent, and was named by The Comics Journal as one of the Top Five Comics of 1999.

-The Following are BLURBS for "Blankets"-

The New York Times Book Review "beautifully rendered memories of small brutalities"
Publishers Weekly "sincerity, pictorial lyricism, and taste"
Time magazine "best comic of 2003"

and the Library Journal has "Blankets" on their year-end "best of list" for 2003...less

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Jace rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

03/11/08

bookshelves: comics

Read in October, 2007

Having produced this illustrated autobiography of his formative years, Thompson certainly deserves credit for an ambitious undertaking. His illustrations are the shining accomplishment of this book; cartoony, yet humanly realistic, they exude a youthful enthusiasm. Definitely a memorable drawing style, it almost makes Blankets worth a read in-and-of-itself.

Though well intentioned, I felt that the "plot" of Blankets fell short of what it promised. The bulk of the story revolves ar...more Having produced this illustrated autobiography of his formative years, Thompson certainly deserves credit for an ambitious undertaking. His illustrations are the shining accomplishment of this book; cartoony, yet humanly realistic, they exude a youthful enthusiasm. Definitely a memorable drawing style, it almost makes Blankets worth a read in-and-of-itself.

Though well intentioned, I felt that the "plot" of Blankets fell short of what it promised. The bulk of the story revolves around the author's hokey two-week-long love affair with a girl he met at church camp. Though his first encounter with love may have been earth-shaking for the author, he fails to convey this. It reads more like 400 [illustrated:] pages of masturbatory teen-angst. At times I had to check the title page to make sure I wasn't accidentally reading Dawson's Creek: The Graphic Novel. To make matters even more cliche, he has one character invoke the lines from The Cure's "Just Like Heaven". Yes, it's a great song, but it feeds right into the sappiness I felt mired in for most of the story. I also felt assaulted by the religious overtones in the book. For 500-some pages of his childhood, Thompson is a Jesus-freak, but in the last 5 pages we learn that by his early twenties he has abandoned Christianity. It would have been nice if the author would have shared more of his transformation with the reader. I'm sure it was a momentous change for the author, but the lack of explanation makes it seem almost arbitrary.

Blankets has a few redeeming qualities, such as Thompson's flashbacks to his childhood in the room he shared with his little brother. They build forts, sail pirate ships, explore haunted caves, etc. These scenes really showcase his humor, creativity, and flair for storytelling. Though light and emotionally unburdoned, they conveyed more personality than the love story he focused on for most of the book. Additionally, the author introduces a few "darker" moments, such as a babysitter who sexually abused him and his brother. It's a testament to the uncensored honesty in his storytelling.

Overall, it was a quick read and worth the time. It was nice change of pace from sci-fi and superhero graphic novels. But pick it up from the local library or borrow it from a friend. I wouldn't advise anyone to spend $29.95 for this bible-sized comic book. ...less

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SVK rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

02/18/08

Read in January, 2005

recommended to SVK by: Maria VanTol
recommends it for: People looking for a good 1st graphic novel

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Blanket, my first “graphic novel” can be read in about three hours. It’s the (autobiographical?) story of Craig Thompson’s experience of first love, as well as his falling out with Christianity. Craig grows up in a highly conservative Christian home, where he and his little brother share a room. He carries guilt for not seeking justice for his brother’s (and his own) sexual abuse by the babysitter. His father is overbearing and fond of punishment, especially locking the boys in the...more Blanket, my first “graphic novel” can be read in about three hours. It’s the (autobiographical?) story of Craig Thompson’s experience of first love, as well as his falling out with Christianity. Craig grows up in a highly conservative Christian home, where he and his little brother share a room. He carries guilt for not seeking justice for his brother’s (and his own) sexual abuse by the babysitter. His father is overbearing and fond of punishment, especially locking the boys in the “secret” crawlspace.

Craig does not find “belonging” anywhere. As a kid he loved to draw and suggested to his Sunday school teacher (also laughably accurate) that he could “draw for God” as worship. He could draw “God’s creatures” and “creation”. She dismisses the idea, saying that God has already made those, silly. The ridiculous simplicity of the Sunday school lectures is laid bare—the loving God who casts people into the flames of hell. The idea of living for heaven, and sacrificing all of earth.

Craig is scrawny, unathletic, and picked on at school. His youth group experience is laughably authentic—the snow camp sermon where the pastor blathers about “each snowflake” being unique like each of them. Yet, this sacred place is still filled with the same old high school crap. The difference, is that a kid feels even more isolated when he isn’t included in a place where everyone is supposed to belong, when his parents aren’t the sort who buy ski lift tickets and name brand clothes. He meets Raina and her friends who are likewise “different.”

Craig and Raina live far apart, but spend a romantic week together, after he convinces his parents that nothing will happen. Any reader who has forgotten such things, is suddenly brought back to the conflicting emotions and holy restraints of a “Christian relationship.”
Craig and Raina eventually sleep together—though the images are graphic, they are more sweet and sensual than sexual. Raina becomes his world—she is kind and simple, good to her adopted brother and sister who are mentally retarded. Each glance, touch, word , and token holds a spectrum of emotion, possibility, question—especially the blanket that Raina handcrafted. Then Craig goes to school with Raina and realizes that she is very popular—he is shocked to realize that she does not depend on him in the same way. She has initiated him into a new world of questioning and searching for oneself, but she doesn’t stay, giving him the old “this can’t last” so let’s “end it” speech. The images for his heart’s spiral are gripping.

There’s quite a bit of commentary on Christianity that I don’t recall… Bit by bit the pieces break away until the faith that is left is no longer a thing of beauty for Craig. He finds reason to distrust the cannonization of scripture, but his loss is more closely related to Christianity’s lack of inclusion and vision for a diverse body.

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TheDane rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

06/28/07

bookshelves: graphic-novels

Read in January, 2003

The sweetly disturbing sentimental journey that was seeded in Craig Thompson's Goodbye Chunky Rice finds pregnant fruit in his nearly-600-page opus, Blankets. Semi-autobiographically chronicling (via chrono-thematic structuring) his early life - from his establishment in faith and his discovery of love to his abandonment of that love and his subsequent abandonment of f...more The sweetly disturbing sentimental journey that was seeded in Craig Thompson's Goodbye Chunky Rice finds pregnant fruit in his nearly-600-page opus, Blankets. Semi-autobiographically chronicling (via chrono-thematic structuring) his early life - from his establishment in faith and his discovery of love to his abandonment of that love and his subsequent abandonment of faith - Thompson plays honestly at all times with his story elements, thereby lending his tale an uncanny credibility. And while flashbacks and tangents proliferate, the overarching chiastic structure verifies the reader's intuition that Thompson knows well where he is headed and is going to take you there whether you like it or not.

Thompson's illustrated avatar acts, at all times, with striking realism and the chaos of his thoughts is entirely believable - if not exactly illustrative of the average thought process. The Thompson that frets and plays in Blankets is highly introspective and acts often in the heat of his youthful emotional turmoil - rather than from a simple, sensible motivation. And though one may often wish to chastise him for such sillinesses, this faulty humanity will more than likely endear Thompson to readers as they recognize more than a little of themselves in him.

This book is a masterpiece of form, symbol, and structure. Tokens bend and writhe and carry narrative significance throughout. Thompson's art here is fluid and is of that less-polished variety found also in Goodbye Chunky Rice and serves well to establish the variety of moods described in his several vignettes.

From the perspective of one whose own faith has grown and matured through the weathering of time and circumstance (though not without injury), I found his story particularly compelling and his rejection in whole of Christianity particularly tragic. Surrounded by hypocrisy and a weak-kneed, moralistic fundamentalism, the source of his disillusionment is not difficult to see. Perhaps Blankets's greatest quality is the empathy it exerts from the reader. I pitied and cared for Craig. I felt the same for his brother, his parents. I mourned for Raina, Thompson's love interest in the book. I grew despondent for her family. More than anything, I wanted to hug each of these characters and make it all right and sensible again.

In the final outlook, Blankets is an evocative work that should not be missed by any who would appreciate a serious, heartfelt, and magical telling of the tragedy and wonder what it means to come of age....less

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Damecatoe rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

08/01/07

bookshelves: comics-graphic_novels

Read in January, 2007

I can’t recall where I heard about this graphic novel, but I put it on my Amazon wishlist and dad got it for me for Christmas.

I took it with me to my prenatal checkup on Tuesday, and I’m glad I did, cause I sat in the waiting room for 40 minutes. During that time, I got so far along in the story that I decided to finish it in one day. I wish I hadn’t. If I hadn’t taken it to bed with me, I could have gone to sleep at least one day loving the story. Instead, I went to sleep saddened. ...more

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Yosafbridg rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

05/24/08

Read in November, 2007

Perhaps this is a new trend, the graphic novel (or, in Craig Thompson’s case, the illustrated novel) which is really just a seeming semi-autobiographic tale of a difficult childhood (perhaps with over- or under-tones of sexual abuse). Perhaps it is easier to tell in this form? I suspect that this is actually not the case. I suspect that in both Bechdel’s and Thompson’s case they are expressing in the art form that comes naturally to them. Perhaps what is truly noteworthy here (and not at a...more

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MAMA CIERRA rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

04/23/08

Read in February, 2008

Blankets by Craig Thompson covered me with deep thoughts, this book took me away. I Wrapped myself in this story of his life, taking in every bit of warmth and understanding it could give me. I took every lesson that could be learned from this book and hid it under my pillow. Craig's illustrations are intense, with just ink you can feel the characters emotions. The pictures tell half of the story them selves. You can feel the temptation, the embarrassment, and anger just by studying a drawing. T...more

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Eddie rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

07/18/08

bookshelves: comics-graphic-novels

I haven't read many graphic novels, and the ones I have read are in no danger of supplanting (word) novels in my life. There's always something missing, perhaps a level of difficulty in the reading of them that simply doesn't allow them to get deep enough inside me to cause any changes. But saying that I do think Jimmy Corrigan is fantastic, and Blankets is very good. But still, my giving this 4 stars is in no way comparable to the 4 stars I would give to, say, Faulkner's The Hamlet.

I recent...more

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Peter rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

06/25/07

recommends it for: Everyone Everywhere

I would like to run up to your face, screaming about how you must read Blankets, but would become embarrassed as I approached, and in the end merely whisper.

Blankets is not the most original of stories. No story about a romance between two teenagers can be. The said fact that art has tried to imitate this part of life so often that, no matter the specific horrors of Craig Thompson's own experience, it reads as art about life trying to imitate art. If it were a movie, it wo...more

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Shannon rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

07/06/08

bookshelves: graphic-novels

Read in July, 2008

recommends it for: sentimental religious teenagers with stars in their eyes who burn things dramatically

It started out so cutely and well drawn.. and I guess it remained both of those things. But the cuteness, at a certain point (the point of teenager-hood) was no longer cute to me. (All the stuff that took place in childhood, however, I thought was well done- especially the portrayal of adults). The lack of me finding it cute was largely because I couldn't relate (I WAS NEVER THAT CUTE OR INNOCENT). Also, I lack the ability to empathize with the main guy's struggle with his relationship with &quo...more

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Meghan rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

02/17/08

Read in February, 2008

recommends it for: teens

It was certainly enjoyable, but not amazing.

Thompson successfully portrays the altogether common thoughts and experiences of adolescence and young adulthood through what is, as of yet, a less common and still-evolving medium: the graphic novel. The story itself, although very well crafted and quite enjoyable, is nothing spectacular. As a typical Bildungsroman, it fits very nicely into the Young Adult genre, with its chronicle of young love that is honest enough to appeal strongly to older te...more

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Larissa rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

03/09/08

bookshelves: 2008

Read in March, 2008

My co-worker, an expert in the realm of comics and graphic novels, lent Blankets to me along with Watchmen and I finally got around to reading it. It's a sweet story, well-suited to a lazy-Saturday read in bed, and certainly recommended to anyone for whom the experiences of religious youth expeditions (with their faux bonding, lame gestures at hipness--read: "Contemporary Worship"--and repressed doubt) are distant enough memories to be amusing now. The art was also impres...more

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Bonnie rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

03/22/08

bookshelves: autobiography, bildungsroman, brothers, bullying, christianity, coming-of-age, graphic-novel, love, nonfiction, religion, young-adult

Read in April, 2005

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Craig Thompson tells his own story in this graphic novel. As a youth, he grew up with heavily religious parents in a midwestern town. Thompson is a social outcast, with questions and thoughts that don’t fit in with his classmates or fellow worshippers. As he grows up, he separates himself from his artwork and daydreams, until he meets Raina at church camp. Raina inspires Crutcher in both his artwork and to become an adult. Their relationship blossoms on the page as Thompson embraces his a...more

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Jeff rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

11/19/07

Read in November, 2007

recommends it for: People who like pretty smells.

So I used to collect comics, the capes kind. Every week, every Wednesday afternoon, I’d find myself at some comics shop buying Iron Man, and The Fantastic Four, and Superman, and Batman, and other kinds of men, all wearing tights and capes, and it took me a few years, but eventually I realized superhero comics are generally boring. I once read an interview with Brian Bendis (current comics scribe wunderkind) and he said, “Comics are all second act.” Meaning there is no third act. No one...more

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Marie rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

11/26/07

bookshelves: graphic-novels, memoir-ish

Read in November, 2007

recommends it for: grown ups that had parents

I nice little walk through Craig Thompson's childhood that brought to mind many fond memories of my own. Memories of:
-the fundamentalist church that predicted the end of the world at least 2 times that I can recall.
-the grandma that told us bible stories about how if we didn't respect our parents we would be attacked by a bear.
-the male babysiter that kindly allowed my to "sleep" on the couch while he shuffled my brothers off to sleep in their own beds.
-the little sister I shar...more

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Leslie rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

04/06/08

bookshelves: graphic-novels

Read in April, 2008

recommended to Leslie by: Wallreader
recommends it for: contemplative types who had to go to church camp

This is a beautiful and true depiction of first love. One of the best of its kind, I think.

Thompson has said that he wrote and illustrated this - the longest graphic novel to date - in order to describe what it feels like to sleep next to someone for the first time ... a simple goal that he accomplishes with almost heart-breaking tenderness.

The novel's structure seems to me very important. After the first chapter establishes his isolated, rural, fundamentalist childhood, Thompson craft...more

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Tesa rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

03/06/08

Read in March, 2008

recommends it for: anyone who loves art or anyone who wants to read a good love story.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Andrew rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

08/19/08

bookshelves: comics

Read in August, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jeremy rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

07/06/07

bookshelves: biography-and-memoir, borders, comics-n-graphnovs, favorites, read-in-bookstore

Unless it comes with a device that magically produces a boundless supply of delicious cookies when I verbally specify into a tiny speaker what kind I want, I seriously doubt that I will ever read a better graphic novel than "Blankets".

Does it help that I came of age during the '80s with a fundamentalist Christian family in a small town? It certainly enhanced my enjoyment, but judging from the reviews I've seen here and elsewhere, a scant, detestable few have failed to find anythi...more

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Tawnie rated it:

(review of isbn 1891830430)

10/06/08

Blankets manteau de neige

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