Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Asterios Polyp

4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 · rating details · 8,968 ratings · 809 reviews

The triumphant return of one of comics’ greatest talents, with an engrossing story of one man’s search for love, meaning, sanity, and perfect architectural proportions. An epic story long awaited, and well worth the wait.

Meet Asterios Polyp: middle-aged, meagerly successful architect and teacher, aesthete and womanizer, whose life is wholly upended when his New York City...more

Hardcover, 344 pages

Published July 7th 2009 by Pantheon (first published 2009)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Graphic Novels

30th out of 1,503 books — 3,027 voters

Required Reading Graphic Novels

47th out of 575 books — 922 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 06, 2013 Anthony Vacca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, comix

So here it is in graphic novel form, my greatest fear: that all my devotion and enthusiasm for loving and learning about music, movies, and books (basically what I am trying to say is my search for knowledge through artistic means), has ended up turning me into a pretentious and ineffectual ass.

Ladies and gentleman, I’d like to introduce to you Asterios Polyp! He’s a respected theoretical architect who holds a prestigious position as a professor at a prestigious college. He’s also an author of a...more

29 likes · like · see review

Apr 21, 2011 MJ Nicholls rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels, merkins, graphic-novels

The first proper graphic novel I’ve read! This was such a beautiful and heartbreaking piece of work, it’ll be nigh on impossible to top it. It is rich in glorious meditation, comedy, irony and romance, weaving deep questions of binary opposites, architectural philosophy, life-the universe-and-everything around a dissolving relationship story. I don’t have the vocab or knowledge to comment on the artwork’s nuances, but the artist subtly conveys shifting moods, attitudes, histories, metaphors and...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jul 30, 2009 Seth Hahne rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Seth by: the hive-mind

Shelves: comics, graphic-novel-book-club

Reading Asterios Polyp is a daunting experience. Or maybe not so much the reading, which can be accomplished easily enough, but the being able to speak sensibly about it afterward. I feel kind of like how I did after finishing 2666 , only not quite so out of my depth. Like Bolaño, Mazzucchelli's work here displays a breadth and depth that overtly requires multiple readings in order find ground solid enough to speak with any authority about the book.

But since I've only read the book once, you'll...more Reading Asterios Polyp is a daunting experience. Or maybe not so much the reading, which can be accomplished easily enough, but the being able to speak sensibly about it afterward. I feel kind of like how I did after finishing 2666 , only not quite so out of my depth. Like Bolaño, Mazzucchelli's work here displays a breadth and depth that overtly requires multiple readings in order find ground solid enough to speak with any authority about the book.

But since I've only read the book once, you'll have to be satisfied with my initial thoughts. Asterios Polyp is, in the simplest terms, a coming-of-age story—one in which the fifty-year-old lead, celebrated architect Asterios Polyp, begins a quest to put away the childish things of his past and embarks on journey of both self-discovery and exploration of the world as it is rather than how he has intended to see it for so long. In this aspect, Asterios reminded me of Mr. Ryder from Ishiguro's The Unconsoled , a man at the top of his rarefied field who still must learn to grow up. And like Ryder, Asterios suffers from an inability to see the world as it is and is (really, like us all) victim to his own perceptions.

Reality, perception, and memory play a huge role in Mazzucchelli's work here even as they do in everything I've yet read by Ishiguro.

On top of this is layered the framework of Greek tragedy and specific allusion to the myth of Orpheus (this is pointed out through fistfuls of overt clues, not the least of which is a dream in which Asterios takes the role of Orpheus and his ex-wife Hana embodies Eurydice). We get narrative explanations from a meta-source in the Greek choral tradition. Comparisons to Dionysus and Apollo lead to an evaluation of dualistic systems (and perhaps systems generally) as Asterios gradually must free himself from systemic shackles in order to finally grow up. Of course we suspect if Asterios abandons one aspect he will be destroyed even as Orpheus was for abandoning Dionysus. As well, there are plenty of references to The Odyssey and this cross-pollination of mythologies only serves to enrich our experience of Asterios' journey.

The subject matter, by its summary, sounds simple enough but Mazzucchelli throws so much into this piece and exercises such deft control over the page that one can easily drown in the details. The art is very particular. Much is made of Mazzucchelli's use of colour through the book and, well, with good reason. The colouring itself offers storytelling that is available through no other means. In fact, so occasionally powerful is his use of colour that I worry for colourblind readers, that they might miss out on some of the book's more sublime moments.

On top of Mazzucchelli's tight reign over his colour spectrum, there is ample evidence that he maintains the same level of control over his linework and design. Asterios Polyp is a thoroughly designed experience, with every element from script to story to illustration to panel design to colouration to control of whitespace adding voice to the chorus of this performance. The battle between geometric and organic shapes gives the reader (who may not be familiar with all the names and ideas Asterios or his ghostly narrator reference) a hook on which to hang the interpreter's hat. One's experience of Asterios Polyp will no doubt be more enriched by a working knowledge of architectural history, familiarity with Greek mythology and Homeric tradition, and a smackerel of understanding of postmodern sculpture—but Mazzucchelli's conveyance of story through his visual sense means that even those with Asterios-sized gaps in their education can still get in there and have some deeper sense of what's going on.

As of this writing, I have only read Asterios Polyp once. Of course I still have questions. Of course I do. I think I understand the ending, but I'd like to reread and think on it again. I think I understand why he physically takes on the identity of his true last name in the book's final act (Polyp is only half his original surname, as the immigration official chopped in half the family name when his father immigrated to America). I sometimes understand what Mazzuchelli intends with his character names and sometimes not. I have the barest kernel of an idea why Mazzuchelli, in a mature work that depicts nudity and violence, insists on representing verbal obscenity with cartoony symbolic representation (e.g. "We made up a $#@*load of these"). I don't yet fully grasp Asterios' Ignazio dreams. I am certain, however, that many of these things will become more clear on subsequent readings.

As I said, I have only read Asterios Polyp once. And I can't wait to change that fact.(less)

29 likes · like · see review

Aug 28, 2012 Marc Kozak rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-comic-novel-books

I've noticed that ever since I became single earlier this year, I can't stop talking about myself.

This is pretty unusual. I am a reasonably quiet person unless I'm around people I have known for a while, and usually listen more than speak. However, lately I've noticed myself sharing personal details in situations where it isn't warranted. Nothing super sexy or anything (you pervs), but details that could have easily been left out of the conversation. Or to be clearer - I've been entering persona...more I've noticed that ever since I became single earlier this year, I can't stop talking about myself.

This is pretty unusual. I am a reasonably quiet person unless I'm around people I have known for a while, and usually listen more than speak. However, lately I've noticed myself sharing personal details in situations where it isn't warranted. Nothing super sexy or anything (you pervs), but details that could have easily been left out of the conversation. Or to be clearer - I've been entering personal details into group conversations that can easily be interpreted as trying to funnel the spotlight of the narrative onto myself. (And yes, I understand that this review is more or less doing the same thing - isn't this supposed to be about a book? Hang on, I'll get there.)

I'm sure there are plenty of reasons for this that could be explained using behavioral psychology, but really, I just want to stop. I get that part of conversing in general is the act of sharing, but not to the level of attention-grabbing and narcissism. So it was a good time for this book to come along when it did.

Asterios Polyp is, believe it or not, the main character's name - a brilliant professor of architecture who is re-examining his life after losing his wife due to his own self-absorption. His ex-wife, Hana, is a quiet, humble sculptor - clearly going for the whole "opposites attract" thing. Which makes sense, as duality is the main theme of the book, of which their relationship is only one particular example. Mazzucchelli does work here that is absolutely unrepeatable in any other medium, utilizing his art (and particularly, color) in ways I've never seen in a comic book. Asterios is often represented in blue lines, much like an architectural blueprint, while Hana is reflected in simple pink.

The technique is used to great effect when highlighting the different ways the pair look at the same things. Asterios is brash and cocky, whereas Hana is calm and reserved. Eventually, Asterios' selfishness drives Hana away. There's a beautifully conceived, mostly wordless six-page, multi-panel scene of Asterios sadly remembering everything he loves about Hana that will send sensitive types scrambling for tissues. Again, I can't speak highly enough about Mazzucchelli's art - you can tell it took the guy years to make this. Every page is bursting with symbolism, intelligence, and creative panel design.

For Asterios, duality was a central tenet of his life - things were one way, or another. Nothing, including his own relationship, was too complicated to be reduced to an either/or system. This obsession over opposition led to arrogance, bitterness, and ultimately loneliness. As with most stories based on the Greek myths (as this one is), Asterios hits rock bottom before he can transform and get back on the road to realization.

I think this is an incredibly relevant and important look at relationships in modern times - where solipsism rules over sacrifice. Mazzucchelli has produced the best case for comic books at serious literature that I've ever come across. It was a good reminder for me to stop talking so much, and get back to listening. Freud said that narcissism is a natural part of the human makeup, but damaging when taken to the extreme. A simpler concept in theory than in execution, but Asterios Polyp shows exactly why it's worth thinking about.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 05, 2009 Jimmy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who think graphic novels are stupid; people who didn't like "Watchmen"

Recommended to Jimmy by: allen spetnagel

Shelves: male, graphic-based, year-2000s

I might have to read this one again to catch all the subtleties of the story. What's amazing about this graphic novel is that it is jam-packed with ideas, but most of the ideas are embedded in the art itself, and not in the words (some of it is in words, but it's like a riff that plays along with the visuals). At the same time, all these ideas do not in any way make it a gooey-dense landscape to slodge through. The book is such a pleasure to read, filled with so many wide open panels, so much wh...more

9 likes · like · see review

Nov 21, 2012 Monica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, graphicnovels-comics, genrex

This is hovering between a 4 and a 5 for me right now.

Wow - really a sophisticated book. And can I just say that its so great to read a critiquely lauded graphic novel that is NOT a memoir. This was large in scope, nuanced in detail, and I think I need to read it again to grasp it all.

The art was unexpected, with a mix of styles that really worked well together. Totally recommended to all my comic and literary fiction reading friends alike.

4 likes · like · see review

Aug 03, 2009 Bob Fingerman rated it 4 of 5 stars

David Mazzucchelli’s Asterios Polyp is quite a thing. A book that uses formalism in a way that is pleasing to the eye, buoyed by a story and characters pleasing to the mind (though I guess the art pleases both). Mazzucchelli has populated this book with a varied cast: narcissistic (and often insufferable) egomaniacs; a neglected beauty taken mostly for granted; a plain, hard-workin’ mechanic who drops many a Norm Crosbyesque malopropism and many more.

The art is an impressive mélange of approach...more

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 02, 2011 oriana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to oriana by: Jimmy

Shelves: read-2010, read-2011, phenomenal, books-with-pix

book #10 for Jugs & Capes!

Also: this is my second review for CCLaP, and my first in a year-long series reviewing graphic novels. W00t!

***

This is the first in an essay series I'll be doing for CCLaP called "Jugs & Capes," where I look at graphic novels from a girl's point of view. I'm not going to say a "feminist" point of view, because I think that's a complicated word, one which any thinking woman has a complicated relationship with. And as I haven't got any kind of background in gender...more

17 likes · like · see review

Sep 14, 2010 Loyd rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

Artist/writer David Mazzucchelli has had one of the more twisted career paths of any artist I know. He began in conventional comics, becoming well-known illustrating Frank Miller's Daredevil, then he disappeared for awhile, emerging with an entirely new style. His new, fluid line was perfect for Miller's DC hit, Batman: Year One. Then Mazzucchelli dropped off the radar again. This time, he showed up illustrating a graphic novelization of Paul Auster's City of Glass: The Graphic Novel , a metaphy...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 25, 2011 Núria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, comics, literatura-en-ingles, 5-favoritos, siglo-xxi, prestados

'Asterios Polyp' es un cómic complejo, inteligente, riquísimo, satisfactorio a múltiples niveles, que habla de temas como filosofía, arquitectura, ficción, arte, etc. La historia no es nada nuevo, es la de un hombre que pasa por una crisis y acaba perdiéndolo todo, porque sólo perdiéndolo todo se dará cuenta de qué es lo realmente importante, y sólo así podrá cambiar. Asterios Polyp es un arquitecto reputado de 50 años, aunque ninguno de sus diseños ha sido nunca ejecutado, porque su fama viene...more

6 likes · like · see review

Apr 04, 2010 Casey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel

David Mazzucchelli is hella smart. He was filled Asterios Polyp with a ton of brain matter on all topics ranging from architecture, art, literature, dance, music, and the meaning of life. All these topics are brought to you in a very intelligent way. Either David Mazzucchelli is a genius or very well researched.

Asterios Polyp lost his twin brother at birth. Some of the book is told from the perspective of that brother. Although this novel is filled with intelligence at its core is man’s struggle...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 30, 2009 Black Elephants rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

I just finished reading David Mazzucchelli's new graphic novel Asterios Polyps. I'd seen great reviews for it everywhere, but I think what made me want to read it most was when Skylight Books (an indie store) gushed about it in their blog. Apparently, they couldn't help by try to convince others to read it.

My thoughts?

I liked it. The art was beautiful and sometimes magnificent. The story was engaging. The characters were interesting; I wanted to know what would happen to them. But that's really...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 19, 2010 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, americana, art-and-artists, comics-graphic_novels-illustrated, fiction, human-condition, love, postmodern, unputdownable

This is the best graphic novel I've read in a long time. From the beginning scene-setting of Asterios' apartment with his Brewer chairs and whatnot ... man, I can't list all the things I loved about this book without basically just describing everything about it. The intertwined narrative threads with the slow reveal of the flashbacks; the beautiful characterisations (Hana's face shape under her hair, her outrageously large eyes and roundness totally expressing the character), all the clever-clo...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 09, 2012 Kevin E. rated it 2 of 5 stars

Asterios Polyp is a so-called 'paper architect' that moves to the town of Apogee (of course...) in order to rebuild a life re-arranged by arrogance, divorce, a lightning-struck apartment and twists of fate, circumstance, what have you.[return][return]Mazzucchelli's accomplishment reflects lofty ambition but the script, filled with tightly-packed philosophy and a loop of eccentric character interactions reinforcing Polyp's arrogance and single-minded worldview, leaves much to be desired. The plea...more

1 like · like · see review

May 02, 2013 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books

I know firsthand how obnoxious know-it-alls can be because I live with one (actually one & 1/2 at this point, as my son is currently in training) & I've certainly been one myself on many occasions. “Paper” architect Asterios Polyp is also a know-it-all. There’s a clear difference between just knowing something & knowing something to the exclusion of any other opinion & Asterios is firmly in the latter category. He doesn't really listen to his wife Hana because he assumes he's alw...more I know firsthand how obnoxious know-it-alls can be because I live with one (actually one & 1/2 at this point, as my son is currently in training) & I've certainly been one myself on many occasions. “Paper” architect Asterios Polyp is also a know-it-all. There’s a clear difference between just knowing something & knowing something to the exclusion of any other opinion & Asterios is firmly in the latter category. He doesn't really listen to his wife Hana because he assumes he's always right. She'd like him to pay more attention to her (& maybe say something to the choreographer who keeps clumsily hitting on her, which she seems too shy to put an end to herself) but he's too busy crafting witty rebuttals to notice. Hana tells Asterios, in a way that is specifically in regard to someone else's knowledge of music but could generally be about their entire relationship, "Couldn't it be possible that - maybe - Kalvin knows more about it than you?" Hilariously, this is the same thing that I've often said to my own husband, mainly about planes, weapons, and waterfowl.

The moral here could very easily be don’t be such a blowhard or your wife might leave you (but not you, husband of mine, never you dear). You could also see is as quiet down & pay attention before it’s too late. “But my brother always preferred the gods of our ancestors. By giving them human personalities, the ancient Greeks could feel that the world made sense because only the whims of a bunch of petty, bickering deities could explain the random even s of joy and tragedy that befall human beings . . . The pressure’s off and everyone can be a supporting character in the larger story – however brief or collateral that role may be . . . each of those eighteen thousand days must have been as precious and unpredictable as this one. To live (as I understand it) is to exist within a conception of time. But to remember is to vacate the very notion of time.” The ending of this book is like a wallop in the face, but you can’t say that it doesn’t stay true to that message. One person’s destruction is just another person’s shooting star to wish on & life goes on for all of us until it doesn’t. I don’t want to espouse some hackneyed cliché like Live Every Day Like It’s Your Last! because that seems spectacularly impossible, but Asterios finally seems to learn through reflection that maybe it’s better to just quiet down & enjoy. Couldn’t we all stand to do so once in a while?

In a purely technical sense, this book is spectacular. I felt like I'd read this before when I started it because the artwork seemed so familiar, but I guess I was wrong; I would've remembered the story. I definitely would've remembered the technique of giving everyone a separate style of writing for their voice & held it up as something awesome that every graphic novel should emulate, I loved that. I sat down 30 minutes before work to read this & I’m quite pleased that I did.
(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 09, 2013 Manoj Venkat rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Architects, People-curious-about-everything

So,this is about a middle-aged Paper-Architect who's also a professor at Ithaca suffers from a mid-life crisis and he gets over it. Yeah, it can be thrown away as a formula for another of those Woody Allen's auto-biographical flicks which seem to entertain none lately. Ex : Asterios guy is similar to Boris from the 2008 movie "Whatever works" by Woody.

But, the best part is the art. The minimalism in the art reflected Asterios' thoughts and predilections aptly. I think I felt like a total bitch...more

like · see review

Apr 01, 2013 Radu rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: introverts, know-it-alls,

Shelves: comicbooks

I was (still am?) Asterios Polyp.

This was the most personal book that I've recently read, I found myself identifying with the main character on most of the pages or throughout his actions. I have seen him act exactly as I would and have done recently in the past. I, too, have perceived reality as simply an extension of myself and have found that it is not the way to include yourself in this marvelous existence, in this soon to be ending roller coaster of pain, truth, lies, happiness, roughness a...more I was (still am?) Asterios Polyp.

This was the most personal book that I've recently read, I found myself identifying with the main character on most of the pages or throughout his actions. I have seen him act exactly as I would and have done recently in the past. I, too, have perceived reality as simply an extension of myself and have found that it is not the way to include yourself in this marvelous existence, in this soon to be ending roller coaster of pain, truth, lies, happiness, roughness and smoothness. As Asterios found out eventually, it doesn't work like that. People are people and you are not alone - why would you even want to be like that? Why would you deny yourself and your own feelings and think there so many things that define you, when there are actually none that should be above your true self? There is no duality, black and white are only concepts we impose on the world, only on these moments we negate ourselves the pursuit of clarity.

Oh, how things have changed. Like Asterios, I have shut it down. All of that, all of me, all of the former self. I am so glad I didn't wait like him for my fiftieth birthday to do something about myself.

This book is exquisitely illustrated, especially Asterios and his facial expressions or, more precisely, his lack of. When things go abstract, the art is mind boggling, crisp and almost calculated to be tormenting. The use of hues is delightful, almost setting a foundation for the reality within the novel and not at all repetitive.

There is a nice blend of Plato (e.g. the apples mimic the Idea of Apple) Proust (I loved the blister replacing the Madeleine), Orpheus (his dream is so disturbing, yet so predictable) and Mao references (the leader of a country punk band nicknames his friend's son Running Dog), along with who knows how many other?

I will surely reread this book as I don't think I caught all its layers and depth (though the end is quite immature, despite being totally unpredictable, and I kinda hated it).

I am no longer Asterios Polyp, I am me. What about you?(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 16, 2013 John Beck rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, fiction, graphic-novels

http://andalittlewine.blogspot.com/2012/06/asterios-polyp-by-david-mazzucchelli....

What has your life been for?

It's not a rhetorical question; it's the central thesis of David Mazzucchelli's graphic novel Asterios Polyp.

The eponymous character spends his 50th birthday alone in his apartment, watching videos of the old times, the better times. And then the fire alarm goes off, and all record of that old life burns. Asterios buys a bus ticket to go as far as he can, and when he gets there he begin...more http://andalittlewine.blogspot.com/2012/06/asterios-polyp-by-david-mazzucchelli....

What has your life been for?

It's not a rhetorical question; it's the central thesis of David Mazzucchelli's graphic novel Asterios Polyp.

The eponymous character spends his 50th birthday alone in his apartment, watching videos of the old times, the better times. And then the fire alarm goes off, and all record of that old life burns. Asterios buys a bus ticket to go as far as he can, and when he gets there he begins to build the scaffolding of a life.

Asterios is as resilient and self-confident as he is unreflective. He is an architecture professor but not an architect. While he begins to rebuild his life in his new town, renting a room from his boss, he's forced to begin to engage with members of the family. He tries to figure them out, and they, in turn, struggle to understand him.

Asterios, of course, doesn't give up much information about himself. His background unfolds slowly, and each revelation rearranges our image of Asterios.

Mazzucchelli has done a simply fantastic job arranging the graphics side of the graphic novel. The book is sized and shaped like a text book, giving it a weight that most graphic novels lack.

On page after page, Mazzucchelli has mixed intense detail with austere lines and panel arrangements. There are almost never backgrounds, but in panels featuring dozens of sheets of music, each sheet shows musical staffs and notes.

Each section functions in one of several two-color schemes: blue and purple, yellow and purple, blue and red. This gives Mazzurcchelli the ability to explore color, shading, and texture while maintaining the simplicity of black and white.

The panels almost never layout in the traditional tightly packed comic arrangement. Most pages feature a series of panels floating asymetrically on the white page; some of my favorite pages feature panels layered around characters unframed on the page.

All of this artistic detail reenforces Mazzucchelli's theme: that life is a series of missed and made connections, that we should never confuse our enjoyment of these connections with control over our lives. Ultimately, life is random and punishing, and we don't get to know when our ticket out will come due.(less)

like · see review

Feb 06, 2013 Tanner is currently reading it

This book was recommended to me by my comic book guy. The author is also an artist who is also known for his work on Daredevil with Frank Miller on Born Again. I'm enjoying now seeing that his artistic ability isn't limited to drawing, and his drawing style isn't limited to what I've seen. I'm a little less than half way through. It's not a majorly tough read, it's just taking a while because I read like 6 books at a time all the time. There's some really interesting stuff in this book because t...more

like · see review

Aug 18, 2012 Stormwatcher rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the first graphic novel I ever read that comes close to Watchmen in terms of mastering the medium, albeit in a completely different way. David Mazzucchelli carefully constructs a journey in which the graphical aspects of the work take precedence over the text in actually communicating what the characters are, how they fell, how they act and what they mean.

The "illustrations" are not here to transmit the physical actions and movements of the cast, but to enhance the communication beyond t...more

like · see review

Jun 26, 2012 Plucino rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics

(recensione dell'edizione originale americana)

La confezione. Prendo in mano Asterios Polyp e subito, prima ancora di aprirlo, mi irrito. Sia Pantheon Books che l'editore italiano Coconino propongono una confezione congegnata per infastidire tanto il libraio quanto il lettore-collezionista. La sovraccoperta copre un 80% del libro, lasciando scoperta una rilegatura per metà di tela e per metà di cartone grezzo - ideale per rovinarsi in libreria prima ancora di essere comprata. Il progetto è opera...more

like · see review

Apr 13, 2012 Emilia P rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comic-books

Hot dang! I was really sure I was going to hate this! So much so that I have looked at it on the library shelf many many times and said tsk, no, too snobarrific for me. But what the heck! It was wonderful!

Asterios is a sad sack of an academic architect who has seen better days -- he finds himself working as a car mechanic in a small town, living with the head mechanic and his hippy-dippy yet somehow zaftig and Mae West-esque wife, mooning about his failed and beautiful marriage to a half-Japanes...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 09, 2012 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to David by: Neil Ennever

The artwork in this book is amazing, owing as much to classic and contemporary graphic design as it does to graphic novels. Both the design elements and the distinctive but deliberately limited colour palette reminded me the type of books Nobrow put out.

Mazzucchelli also uses the medium to full effect, employing a range of techniques, from caricatured physical traits to surreal architectural and geometric shapes, to show us how Asterios experiences and perceives the world. If you're looking for...more

like · see review

Sep 26, 2011 Robin Duple rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was truly one of the best stories I've ever read, as well as being an amazing graphic novel. I wasn't quite sure where Mazzucchelli was going with it in the first few pages, but I grew to love both his art style and his subject matter, exploring the sometimes real and sometimes only apparent duality of nature. One noted example of this is his merging of two different art styles (meant to depict the different characters' differing views of the world) when they start to fall in love. Another...more

like · see review

Jul 20, 2011 Matthew rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mazzucchelli started his career 20 years ago in mainstream superhero comics drawing memorable runs on Batman and Daredevil, with Frank Miller writing for both. He set an impossible standard for illustrative quality and then turned his back on the whole industry. He has since ventured into self-publishing (3 issues of the anthology "Rubber Blanket") and occasionally contributes short stories to other publications such as "Blab" and "Drawn & Quarterly".
This next phase of his career marked a v...more

like · see review

Jul 15, 2011 Jessica rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, book-club

I don't really understand the hype over this graphic novel. I thought it was boring - an educated, middle-aged white man feels like his life has fallen apart so he jumps ship and tries to start over again. Maybe I just found his self-absorbed personality too off-putting, but I didn't really feel any sympathy for him or care about his ideas about how the world works. In spite of the sadness in it, it all reads like an educated, middle-aged white man's fantasy: Asterios Polyp is world-renowned in...more

6 likes · like · see review

May 13, 2011 David Maine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another great recent "graphic novel," or comic book as we used to call them. Asterios Polyp is a college professor who lives a bit too much in his head and maybe neglects those around him; when we first meet him, he is on the skids and (we gather) recovering from a broken heart among other things. Through a series of episodes and flashbacks, we learn about him and his lover Hana, and what happened to bring him to such a sorry state of affairs.

The artwork takes some getting used to--there are few...more

like · see review

Feb 19, 2011 christa rated it 4 of 5 stars

You just like assholes, my boyfriend tells me.
I don't think this is universally true. But it is probably pretty true when it comes to fiction, and certainly true in the case of that blow hard who is the title character in David Mazzucchelli's graphic novel, "Asterios Polyp."

The story opens with the debt-riddled sad sack's Manhattan apartment on fire. AP grabs the three things he considers worth saving -- a lighter, a pocket knife, and a watch -- a ditches out for a new life. He holds up a wad...more You just like assholes, my boyfriend tells me.
I don't think this is universally true. But it is probably pretty true when it comes to fiction, and certainly true in the case of that blow hard who is the title character in David Mazzucchelli's graphic novel, "Asterios Polyp."

The story opens with the debt-riddled sad sack's Manhattan apartment on fire. AP grabs the three things he considers worth saving -- a lighter, a pocket knife, and a watch -- a ditches out for a new life. He holds up a wad of cash at a ticket window and says "How far would this take me?"

Answer: Small town, USA. A place where mechanics mate with hippies, treehouses are constructed, and picnic food is eaten on the banks of a vast earth dimple.

The story is told in past and present with digressions on duality, philosophy, politics, religion. Asterios Polyp is an idea man -- so much so that although he is an award-winning architect, none of his plans have come to fruition. His twin brother never saw the light at the end of the uterus, and presents an invisible presence filled with "What ifs" in AP's life. In its most charming moments, AP is holding court at a faculty dinner party and making hilarious dick jokes when he becomes interested in a quiet new art professor, Hana, who specializes in installations with found objects. She's drawn by the spotlight that focuses on his angular face. Thus begins one of those romances where the thing that initially attracts people to each other grows into a caricature of itself and becomes the things a couple loathes about each other. They end up parting.

In the small town, AP takes a job working with a hearty mechanic who is married to this spiritual hippie sort, and it must be in this place where things change for AP. His ego takes a back seat and he passes off all but one of his three prized possessions. He talks less, listens more and continues on the road to Most Improved Protagonist.

Anyway, the outlining the plot makes the whole thing sound like a sort of Lifetime Original Movie where everyone learns a thing or two about love. But it's charming. Funny. Smart and clever. And the drawings are fantastic. Each character's stylistically different, right down to style of script that comes out of their talk bubbles. In some moments the colors overlap, in others AP fades to dotted lines and more of the suggestion of a character than a physical presence. And it's all color coded to represent the characters and to differentiate the past and present.

I think I read this entire story with a smile on my face. Including it's what-the-hell finale. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 30, 2011 Felipe Chiaramonte rated it 5 of 5 stars

Este é um quadrinho que, enfim, explora muita das possibilidades de linguagem do meio, além de ter boas idéias e um enredo fino! Asterios Polyp é um arquiteto novaiorquino conceituado, mas que nunca teve um projeto executado. Um profissional "do papel", que perde tudo num incêndio e, então sem nada, se manda para o lugar mais longe que lhe é possível alcançar com o dinheiro que lhe resta no fundo do bolso, levando consigo apenas um canivete suíço, um isqueiro, um relógio e suas lembranças - únic...more

like · see review

Jan 26, 2011 EZRead eBookstore rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: jenifer-reviews

It’s almost annoying how wonderfully David Mazzucchelli brings us the classic American novel (mid-life crisis, break down of a marriage, etc.) in a beautiful, visual new way. Our hero Asterios was a professor with a solidly square view on life, whose stout philosophy blinds him to other people’s unique vision. Later in life, after a (gorgeously drawn) fire at his apartment, he seeks a new vision of his life and most importantly, his ended marriage. Imaginatively drawn in a simplistic, 50s sort o...more It’s almost annoying how wonderfully David Mazzucchelli brings us the classic American novel (mid-life crisis, break down of a marriage, etc.) in a beautiful, visual new way. Our hero Asterios was a professor with a solidly square view on life, whose stout philosophy blinds him to other people’s unique vision. Later in life, after a (gorgeously drawn) fire at his apartment, he seeks a new vision of his life and most importantly, his ended marriage. Imaginatively drawn in a simplistic, 50s sort of way, this work would have been old news as far as plot, but is revolutionary in this form.

The visual cues for metaphor and emotion are done so well visually that it’s hard to compute. Each sequence on each page is loaded up with visual explanation of internal conflict. It’s amazing how well this graphic novel is pulled off with so few lines and colors; in some ways, it’s a see-to-believe experience. Asterios’ journey is loveable, sad, and frustrating. His self-loving professor swagger at the start of his journey (not the start of the book, as it jumps) is a character we all know. I especially loved the arguments he and his wife Hana, how he corrected her salad making and always believed the cat was “fine”. Their relationships’ up and down was the greatest strength of the novel. A beautiful spread is featured in the novel showing Hana doing the most basic, ordinary things, like sneezing, having a nightmare, cleaning up the kitty litter, etc.

I recommend this book as a “real-book” splurge, even though I am the eBook-monster. I doubt this work will ever make it on the iPad, considering it deals with a “serious” storyline and some tastefully (very tastefully) done nudity. (Oh, iPad censorship, the massive joke that you are.) And the wide pages and stretched illustrations on a beautiful book design make this a highly show-offy, gorgeous book to have IRL. I had a craving for more books like this, I wanted it to go on forever. More “realistic” graphic novels, please!

EZ Read Staffer Jenifer(less)

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Asterios Polyp Book Club Questions/Study Guide	7	81	Sep 30, 2012 06:58pm
Graphic Novel Rea...: Optional Book Club Discussion: Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli - July 2012 (may contain spoilers)	15	51	Jul 30, 2012 11:28am

combine
Other Editions (7)

More editions...

Genres

Sequential Art > Graphic Novels

515 users

Sequential Art > Comics

380 users

Graphic Novels Comics

27 users

Art

22 users

Sequential Art > Comix

21 users

Comics > Comic Book

19 users

Philosophy

18 users

Sequential Art > Bande Dessinée

15 users

Adult

14 users

Literature > American

12 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

The Complete Essex County
by Jeff Lemire
Bottomless Belly Button
by Dash Shaw
I Killed Adolf Hitler
by Jason
Wilson
by Daniel Clowes
Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter
by Darwyn Cooke (Author/Illustrator)

About David Mazzucchelli

David Mazzucchelli has been making comics his whole life. Known chiefly for his collaborations - with Frank Miller on seminal Batman and Daredevil stories, and with Paul Karasik on an adaptation of Paul Auster's novel, City of Glass - he began publishing his own stories in 1991 in his anthology magazine, Rubber Blanket. Since then his short comics have been published in books and magazines around...more

More about David Mazzucchelli...

Books by David Mazzucchelli

David Mazzucchelli's Daredevil Born Again: Artist's Edition

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Asterios Polyp

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Asterios Polyp

“To live (as I understand it) is to exist within a conception of time.
But to remember is to vacate the very notion of time.
Every memory, no matter how remote its subject, takes place 'Now,' at the moment it's called to the mind.
The more something is recalled, the more the brain has a chance to refine the original experience.
Because every memory is a re-creation, not a playback.” — 19 people liked it

“The way the function dictates the form... elegant lines... nothing extraneous... this shoe perfectly expresses the essence of shoeness.” — 7 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Asterios Polyp
avg rating	preview: Asterios Polyp Goodreads rating: 4.19 (8968 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4070095-asterios-polyp?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327877671l/4070095.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4070095-asterios-polyp?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli[/url]

Asterios Polyp

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website