Jason's Blog, page 58

Some books I've read 27

Shout! by Philip Norman
I was pleasantly surprised by this book , as I had read some negative  reviews. It's pretty fair to all members - even Paul McCartney, I'd say. I skipped the first 100 pages, as I felt I didn't need to read about all of their childhood a second time.

Hellboy in Hell: The Death Card by Mike Mignola
I must confess I've  lost a bit of interest in the story, not quite sure who all the characters are, and Hellboy is dead, so what are the stakes, but this is the final book in the series, and Mignola's minimalistic drawings are as elegant as ever.

Some Rain Must Fall by Karl Ove Knausgaard
The Bergen years. Over 600 pages, but there's something compelling about it. Knausgaard trying to find his way in life as a young man and his voice as a writer,  it's something I could relate to. Didn't drink as much, though.

A Man in Love by Karl Ove Knausgaard
Another brick. It's a bit slow in the beginning, and after about a 100 pages I was about to give up on the book, but then it finally took off. Some touching parts, some annoying, as when he goes into his highfalutin essay voice. Will I read Boyhood Island as well? I guess I will.

Gun, With Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethem
Philip K. Dick meets Raymond Chandler, but avoiding just being a pastiche. Those final chapters have not become less relevant. Probably my favourite book of Lethem so far, next to Motherless Brooklyn.

As She Climbed Across the Table by Jonathan Lethem
The story of a man and a woman and the hole of nothing between them.  So, sure, it's a pretty clever book, it's Lethem after all, but also a bit hard to get into. Anyway... Amnesia Moon next.

Corto!

The Beatleones

Michael = Paul
Sonny = John
Fredo = Ringo
Tom = George

RIP, Leonard Cohen

There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

Tin Drum

Wicklow panel

Some books I've read 26

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
A pretty thick book to be Moore, twice the length of Frog Hospital, I would guess. So, what's it about? Oh, the loss of innocence and so on. Lots of brilliant sentences for sure, otherwise it wouldn't be a Moore book.

Katherine Carlyle by Rupert Thomson
Kind of a strange novel from Thomson. I didn't like the main character to begin with, but then the book slowly gets more intriguing.  Beautifully written, as always with Thomson, but not quite one of his best books.

Everbody Behaves Badly by Lesley M. M. Blume
A book about Hemingway writing The Sun Also Rises, and what happened that inspired it. The writer has done her research. There were stuff I didn't know. And most of all, it made me want to reread the novel.

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Boy, they sure drink a lot in this book! I had forgotten. The novel still feels fresh. My favourite chapters are the two Burguete ones, where they travel on the bus and then go fishing.

Dancing in the Dark by Karl Ove Knausgaard
We follow an 18 year old Karl Ove working as a teacher in Northern Norway. It's not as good or interesting as vol. 1. I haven't read the volumes in between. Is it important to read these books in the right order?

The Beatles by Hunter Davies
An authorised  biography. That can be both positive and negative. He knew the Beatles members, but there were stuff they chose not to talk about. There are lots of holes (enough to fill the Albert Hall?) There's nothing about them meeting Elvis or Bob Dylan, as an example. I ordered Shout! by Philip Norman, to see if that will give a more complete picture, even though it's supposed to be pro John and anti Paul.

Moon Cop by Tom Gauld
Another droll, minimalistic and melancholy piece of small genius from good auld Gauld here. Not quite as good as Timecop, but then almost nothing is.

John Constantine, Hellblazer vol. 14: Good Intentions
Azzarello's interpretation of Constantine can be debated, I suppose, but the art is amazing - first Richard Corben and then Marcelo Frusin whose drawings are somewhere between Mignola and Giardino. Also, I like that the horror is mostly implied.

Starlight by Mark Millar and Goran Parlov
A Flash Gordon pastiche - it has some charm. The artist got his Moebius down pat. But the script lacks something. Personality? Quirkiness? Surprises? It feels like a film pitch, and in the end, unfortunately, it's a bit forgettable.

On the Camino

https://www.amazon.com/Camino-Jason/d...

Internationally acclaimed cartoonist Jason’s first full-length graphic memoir is about his experiences walking a 500-mile pilgrimage for his 50th birthday.

Northwestern Spain, observed with the eye of an artist, chronicling both the good (people, conversations) and the bad (blisters, bedbugs) he encountered on his journey. Full of quiet incidents, odd encounters, small triumphs, and the occasional setback, On the Camino is the first implicitly autobiographical long-form work by a master cartoonist. Black & white illustrations throughout.

Lorrie Moore

"In my chest my heart had gone from the rapid flicking of a playing card on bike spokes to the loud erratic knock of a sneaker in a dryer."
-A Gate at the Stairs

Happy birthday, Leonard Cohen!