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3 Story: The Secret History of the Giant Man
by
Matt Kindt (Goodreads Author)
What would it be like to stand head and shoulders above everyone else - and to keep growing? Unable to interact with a fragile world that isn't built to withstand your size? To live in a house that doesn't fit you anymore - with a wife who doesn't either? Craig Pressgang's life is well documented in his official CIA biography, "Giant Man: Pillar of America," but the heroic...more
Hardcover, 189 pages
Published
September 29th 2009
by Dark Horse Comics
(first published 2009)
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As an author, there are a couple of ways to approach a sci-fi concept. One can take the idea and simply run with it, expecting readers to give in to the demands of suspendable disbelief. Alternatively, an author can exert a lot of effort to couch his concept in plausibilities, striving to explain things in scientific terms (or at least in terms that could be scientific). Each method has its fans, but generally in the last few decades anecdotal evidence leads me to think that all but the lowest c...more
The premise of 3 Story is that of
The Incredible Shrinking Man
in reverse: the protagonist is a giant who cannot stop growing, and whose superhuman size both alienates him from human contact and, paradoxically, renders him physically vulnerable. But there are big differences between the two stories. Whereas The Incredible Shrinking Man, though also dealing with loneliness and alienation, celebrates its tiny hero's ingenuity and will to survive, 3 Story centers on a bemused and passive protagoni...more
What an incredible use of the comics medium. Kindt tells the story of a man who never stops growing. "3 Story" refers not only the main character's height, but also the fact that three POV's are represented through 3 different stories: his mother, his wife, and his daughter. While the narratives are mainly separate, you do see threads from one story intertwine with the others and these intersections are often the most interesting as they will often understand what was happening in a much differe...more
This is absolutely my favorite novel I've read, graphic or otherwise.
I've never felt as close and connected to the characters in a story as I did in 3 story.
I also loved that the protagonist's tale was told through 3 different perspectives (his mom, wife, and daughter) and none of them were wholly his. There were also mini-perspectives thrown in via fictional newspaper clippings, pamphlets, and other memorabilia.
The whole thing felt experimental, but at the same time tied together very well as a...more
I've never felt as close and connected to the characters in a story as I did in 3 story.
I also loved that the protagonist's tale was told through 3 different perspectives (his mom, wife, and daughter) and none of them were wholly his. There were also mini-perspectives thrown in via fictional newspaper clippings, pamphlets, and other memorabilia.
The whole thing felt experimental, but at the same time tied together very well as a...more
As a 6’5″ woman, I am drawn to stories about the incredibly tall, or Giants as they are called. It’s the same thing that drew me to Beverly Cleary’s Beezus when I was a child, the ability to find comfort in a fictional kindred spirit when one cannot be found in your actual life.
It’s why The Giant’s House by Elizabeth McCracken is in the top five of my all-time favorite novels. It’s why I picked up Matt Kindt’s excellent graphic novel 3 Story: The Secret History of the Giant Man even though I cou...more
It’s why The Giant’s House by Elizabeth McCracken is in the top five of my all-time favorite novels. It’s why I picked up Matt Kindt’s excellent graphic novel 3 Story: The Secret History of the Giant Man even though I cou...more
A very different comic than I was excepting, but just as fun. It the fictional history of the giant man or the three story man. 3 Story is told in three stories. The first story is told by the giant man's mother. The second story is told by his wife. The last story is told by his daughter.
Kindt put a lot of thought into this comic. This is not your normal tall man comic. This guy isn't just a giant and everything is okay. No, he has lots of problems because he's so big. He still has the same bon...more
Kindt put a lot of thought into this comic. This is not your normal tall man comic. This guy isn't just a giant and everything is okay. No, he has lots of problems because he's so big. He still has the same bon...more
Matt Kindt's story telling and art is something special when its coming from the heart. This is a story I think everybody can relate to. At some point in everybody's life we feel like we don't belong and we dont know how to fit in. The giant man , Craig Pressgang interprets this through his own strifes and trials. The Secret History of the Giant Man is tragic, warm, inspiring, divulged into one beautiful story told from three different perspectives from three different women in Craig's life. Mat...more
The life story of a man who grows at an unnatural rate, taking him beyond normal human existence, told from the viewpoint of the three most important women in his life. This is well-told, touching and surprising in the ways the characters cope (and don't cope) with his condition, and truthful about the hardships the main character and his wife face.
The book is also subtly creative graphically, such as tails of word balloons leading, not to typical word balloons, but entire panels that are picto...more
The book is also subtly creative graphically, such as tails of word balloons leading, not to typical word balloons, but entire panels that are picto...more
Kindt is a master at weaving stories together to form a complex and cohesive whole. I'm currently halfway through superspy, another excellent example. 3 Story tackles a completely different subject than superspy but with similar themes of tragedy and melancholy. True human connection is only temporary, and Kindt illustrates this belief with unusual stories that isolate and underscore the principle because of how far removed they are from everyday life. We are all alone, and yet we are never alon...more
I believe I have a somewhat dim recollection of this book since I read it late and under the influence of a full dose of oxycocet. The circumstances under which I read might also have influenced my feelings while reading. I felt sad for about 2/3 of the book (which is conveniently divided into thirds) since early on the relationship seemed doomed to me. The ideas of being lost in plain sight and isolated by celebrity are fairly potently dealt with in my opinion. I enjoyed it, but feel like I nee...more
I'm not totally sure what it was about this comic book that rubbed me the wrong way, but I had a really hard time getting into it. It's just one of those books where it feels like the writer thinks they're a lot deeper than they actually are. He tells the story in a unique way and it's an interesting concept to explore, one that's on a magical realist par with Aimee Bender, one of my favorite short story writers, but it just never quite gets out of its own way enough to resonate and make you fee...more
Graphic novel near-perfection. A tactile delight - from the texture of the cover to the shape and weight of the book. Even the pages have that good graphic novel smell. Masterfully paced, intriguing plot, and thoughtful illustrations. Barely sci-fi, this is more of an exploration of the meaning of belonging, or of being different. Of living in a world that is not designed for your proportions. While this book will never make top ten lists, I'd recommend it to anyone as a gateway graphic novel.
A sad story about a man that never stops growing and how it affects his life. Very original idea that is well executed. Not a lot of character development (except maybe slightly with the main character's wife). I would say the strongest part of the book is the mood. The story is slow, but it communicates what the author is trying to say very well.
This was my pick for book club and I had decided to pick a graphic novel to mix it up. I hadn't read one in a long time. I really liked the graphics and the gravity of this book, both of which were unexpected. It's a nice book to own and will read again once I get it back from my friend.
Very unique idea . A life stoy about the entire life of a giant. I liked that it explored the intertwining lives of his mother, wife and daugter and how they were all affected by his life.The author didn't sell me on how lonely the giants' life would be.
Alienation; which is the feeling you get when the people you've known your whole life are treating you less favourably, is something I can closely relate to.
Which is why I like this book. I gulped it down in 30 minutes. A truly poignant story.
Which is why I like this book. I gulped it down in 30 minutes. A truly poignant story.
Another fantastic and moving story by Matt Kindt. Three short stories telling of the family and friends of a giant man, the hardships they (and he) had to endure in loving and living with him. It really reminded me of The Time Traveler's Wife in many ways.
Poignant and very well scripted. A nice mix of complex and simple artwork, with a couple nice cameo drawings by other renowned artists (I particularly noticed Jeff Lemire's). One of the best graphic novels I've read in some time.
Like Kindt's previous work, 3 Story utilizes thrilling experimentation in style and layout to dig at a simple human truth of need and isolation. Funny, compelling, thoughtful and haunting.
A poetic story, beautifully drawn.
The book is cleverly structured; by the end we have entered the heart of the elusive giant, even though he never once told us his own version of the story.
The book is cleverly structured; by the end we have entered the heart of the elusive giant, even though he never once told us his own version of the story.
Pretty depressing book, but a very creative and original approach to the topic. I would have liked this to be about twice as long and more fully-developed, but it's not bad as is.
The tragic tale of the tallest man who ever lived, told by his family. The spare, stark drawings complement the story's tone perfectly, but it is an unrelenting sad and strange story.
This sad book takes an interesting look at how sometimes people grow apart, despite their desires. I saw this as a beautifully done extended metaphor.
Bittersweet story line. The second story really gave an ache to my heart.
Love the great graphic illustrations - make me wanna read Super Spy and Pistolwhip!
Love the great graphic illustrations - make me wanna read Super Spy and Pistolwhip!
A brilliant book! I found this inspired read to be surprisingly moving, and wonderfully executed. I recommend reading it in one sitting.
Stunning in it's brilliance! Kindt is fantastic, creating art on different level than most in comics.
Review here:
http://blog.newsarama.com/2009/10/11/...
http://blog.newsarama.com/2009/10/11/...
Fun and touching story. The art is great and facilitates the narrative perfectly.
Kindt is one of the top graphic storytellers of his generation. Amazing tale.
My favourite frame -
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I think it comes down to subjectivity on...more
Mar 15, 2013 09:48pm