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The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch
A dark and frightening fully painted novella, MR. PUNCH tells the tale of a young boy's loss of innocence results from a horrific confrontation with his past. Spending a summer at his grandfather's seaside arcade, a troubled adolescent harmlessly becomes involved with a mysterious Punch and Judy Man and a mermaid-portraying woman. But when the violent puppet show triggers buried memories of the boy's family, the lives of all become feverishly intertwined. With disturbing mysteries and half-truths uncontrollably unraveling, the young boy is forced to deal with his family's dark secrets of violence, betrayal, and guilt.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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October 28, 2025Sometimes the books you once loved just... hit a bit different when you learn too much.
This one used to be a 1 star read.
My original review - cause some can separate the art ... but I'm really struggling here.
This one used to be a 1 star read.
My original review - cause some can separate the art ... but I'm really struggling here.
June 6, 2017
This is a tale from earlier years of Neil Gaiman's varied and illustrious career (long may it continue).
This edition is from 2006 and although I am no officando of the works and wonders of Neil Gaiman but I can say that for as long as I have known of his works he has always produced something new and unique and reading this I can tell you that its new and unique to me.
Now this book tells its story in a combination of hand drawn artwork, composite photographs and combinations of both. The result is both familiar and strangely surreal - which to me reflects the story being narrated.
Now without giving away any of the story you have the story of Mr Punch being interwoven with that of the narrator and his family. Here is a combination of moral tale and family history - and where the distinction between the two lies seems to be both vague and arbitrary.
In true Neil Gaiman style you have a story which on one level is both entertaining and curious and on another subtle and sublime - yes it is not one of his most famous works but then again depending on where and when you come to his works that too is open to debate.
All I can say is to truly appreciate this mans ability you have to sample all of his works and even then I think he has room to shock and surprise you. Having met the man in person I can say that every book of his is different and yet you can see the hand of Mr Gaiman on every page and in every word
This edition is from 2006 and although I am no officando of the works and wonders of Neil Gaiman but I can say that for as long as I have known of his works he has always produced something new and unique and reading this I can tell you that its new and unique to me.
Now this book tells its story in a combination of hand drawn artwork, composite photographs and combinations of both. The result is both familiar and strangely surreal - which to me reflects the story being narrated.
Now without giving away any of the story you have the story of Mr Punch being interwoven with that of the narrator and his family. Here is a combination of moral tale and family history - and where the distinction between the two lies seems to be both vague and arbitrary.
In true Neil Gaiman style you have a story which on one level is both entertaining and curious and on another subtle and sublime - yes it is not one of his most famous works but then again depending on where and when you come to his works that too is open to debate.
All I can say is to truly appreciate this mans ability you have to sample all of his works and even then I think he has room to shock and surprise you. Having met the man in person I can say that every book of his is different and yet you can see the hand of Mr Gaiman on every page and in every word
April 7, 2024
Cool blend of photography, collage, and linework by Dave McKean. Basically his Sandman covers turned into a comics story. Gaiman pens a pretty average tale - very atmospheric, moody, dreamlike.
Nitpick. I have the 20th anniversary edition and was surprised to see a couple typos. I also disliked the font McKean created for the book, its cool but just painfully digital and floats on the images awkwardly.
Nitpick. I have the 20th anniversary edition and was surprised to see a couple typos. I also disliked the font McKean created for the book, its cool but just painfully digital and floats on the images awkwardly.
March 23, 2016
Review to come... Once I can figure out my thoughts...
October 18, 2012
Fuck you, Gaiman.
June 4, 2020
I wavered between three stars for the story and five stars for McKean's art, so settled on four.
This, like so many of Gaiman's tales, is about memory and how unreliable it can be when an adult is remembering his youth. Bad things happen all the time, and despite the adults around children trying to protect them, they are still aware. Sometimes more so than seems possible. Examining memories of youth in adulthood often makes us remember fear and violence that we would otherwise have forgotten entirely.
Our narrator recalls childhood memories of visits with his grandparents, some of which take place at the beach. Mr. Punch is a focal point of many of his memories and when, as an adult, he encounters a man who resembles the Professor (Punch puppeteer) he knew as a child, his memories come flooding back. He examines them with an adult's eye and realizes how seedy his grandfather's life was. How violence and dishonestly ran through every aspect of said life, and that as a child he simply was unable to fully understand.
I think part of my hesitance to embrace this story is the idea of Mr. Punch himself. I know this is a staple in British culture, but how does anyone justify the story of Mr. Punch as proper childhood entertainment? It's so violent and actually kind of gross.
As a kid, and then later a mom watching with my children, I was always a little frightened of the puppets on Mr. Rogers. As a child I had no idea they were based on those in Punch and Judy. Knowing that now, I look at those memories with more fear that I should. Punch and Judy are scary! Mr. Punch is one bad mofo and the fact that he is used to entertain vacationing children just feels incredibly warped.
This, like so many of Gaiman's tales, is about memory and how unreliable it can be when an adult is remembering his youth. Bad things happen all the time, and despite the adults around children trying to protect them, they are still aware. Sometimes more so than seems possible. Examining memories of youth in adulthood often makes us remember fear and violence that we would otherwise have forgotten entirely.
Our narrator recalls childhood memories of visits with his grandparents, some of which take place at the beach. Mr. Punch is a focal point of many of his memories and when, as an adult, he encounters a man who resembles the Professor (Punch puppeteer) he knew as a child, his memories come flooding back. He examines them with an adult's eye and realizes how seedy his grandfather's life was. How violence and dishonestly ran through every aspect of said life, and that as a child he simply was unable to fully understand.
I think part of my hesitance to embrace this story is the idea of Mr. Punch himself. I know this is a staple in British culture, but how does anyone justify the story of Mr. Punch as proper childhood entertainment? It's so violent and actually kind of gross.
As a kid, and then later a mom watching with my children, I was always a little frightened of the puppets on Mr. Rogers. As a child I had no idea they were based on those in Punch and Judy. Knowing that now, I look at those memories with more fear that I should. Punch and Judy are scary! Mr. Punch is one bad mofo and the fact that he is used to entertain vacationing children just feels incredibly warped.
December 20, 2015
I'm a big Neil Gaiman fan, so when I received this creepy-looking graphic novel from Bloomsbury--thanks so much!--I was curious about the story.
While fishing with his grandfather, a young boy stumbles upon a creepy Punch and Judy puppet show by the seashore. He's instantly drawn into the story, even though it scares him. Mr Punch is a horrible character intent on beating and killing everyone he encounters during the performance, but he's still intrigued.
This boy is constantly sent from one lot of grandparents to the other, and while staying because of the upcoming birth of a new sister/brother, he spends some time at his grandfather's failing arcade. Here he encounters a mermaid with a secret, a hunchback uncle with a mysterious past, and events that parallel his own life.
There are some things young kids aren't supposed to witness for a reason. Because as soon as he himself becomes an adult the horrible memories resurface and start to both confuse him even further and slowly start making sense. Adults often lie to children. Sometimes it's to protect them, others it's to protect themselves, and this young boy encounters both sides of that.
Wow. This turned out to be so... strange. There's a delirious edge to this graphic novel that leads you down a fevered past and warps what you're reading. And it's not just the fragmented way that the story is told, it's also the amazing artwork. There's a collection of different styles featured in this book. A feat that only someone as talented as Dave McKean can pull off. A nightmarish mix of horrid and beautiful that gets under your skin.
The Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr Punch is a weirdly intriguing and very surreal experience that will make you feel as if you're in a constant nightmare. It's a story that reveals itself in a nonsensical and non-linear way, and often makes you wonder if you're making the correct assumptions about it. It's weird and ugly and wonderful and violent all at the same time.
It's not one of my favourite Gaiman stories, but I still enjoyed it. Even if it is a freaky experience. O.o
While fishing with his grandfather, a young boy stumbles upon a creepy Punch and Judy puppet show by the seashore. He's instantly drawn into the story, even though it scares him. Mr Punch is a horrible character intent on beating and killing everyone he encounters during the performance, but he's still intrigued.
This boy is constantly sent from one lot of grandparents to the other, and while staying because of the upcoming birth of a new sister/brother, he spends some time at his grandfather's failing arcade. Here he encounters a mermaid with a secret, a hunchback uncle with a mysterious past, and events that parallel his own life.
There are some things young kids aren't supposed to witness for a reason. Because as soon as he himself becomes an adult the horrible memories resurface and start to both confuse him even further and slowly start making sense. Adults often lie to children. Sometimes it's to protect them, others it's to protect themselves, and this young boy encounters both sides of that.
Wow. This turned out to be so... strange. There's a delirious edge to this graphic novel that leads you down a fevered past and warps what you're reading. And it's not just the fragmented way that the story is told, it's also the amazing artwork. There's a collection of different styles featured in this book. A feat that only someone as talented as Dave McKean can pull off. A nightmarish mix of horrid and beautiful that gets under your skin.
The Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr Punch is a weirdly intriguing and very surreal experience that will make you feel as if you're in a constant nightmare. It's a story that reveals itself in a nonsensical and non-linear way, and often makes you wonder if you're making the correct assumptions about it. It's weird and ugly and wonderful and violent all at the same time.
It's not one of my favourite Gaiman stories, but I still enjoyed it. Even if it is a freaky experience. O.o
October 28, 2019
I just dont get it. This was boring and dull. The art work couldnt save it because it's lazy. I'm a realist I wanted the story of the British phenomenon known as Punch and Judy. I was really looking forward to something I've heard mentioned by my Brit pals for years. What I got was almost a 100 pages of sad. Boo hoo this little kid had to visit his grandparents while his mom was having a baby and got to see professors do the Punch and Judy show. While visiting his grandparents, he learns about his skeevy grandpa's wandering penis. O the never mentioned scandal! I dont get why this it isn't called Summer with Gross Granddad. It has little to nothing to do with Punch and Judy. It's about a Punch and Judys baby and how his grandfather got one of his employees pregnant and paid her off then had her beaten. I truly hated this book. HATED IT!
March 7, 2008
In the late '80's / early-'90's, when the comics industry was going through another one of it's "growth spurts" that caused all sorts of chaos and speculation with regards to the future of the medium, everyone was scrambling for a way to take advantage of a market that suddenly had a lot of publicity but not much new product. Every publisher launched a number of new titles and developed many new ideas - often letting writers and artists go nuts - in an effort to be the first to have something new and edgy for audiences. It was during this kind of fervor that DC launched their Vertigo line of comics, while eschewed the historic "G" ratings that comics usually ran with, in favor of allowing "adult themes" to enter into stories. Most of the time, this involved the addition of characters swearing and talking about sex. Often, it also meant things got creepy.
Slipping under the radar at the time, Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean collaborated on this book together. Not quite a comic and not quite a book (it was published with odd, oversized trade binding that didn't match comics or novels, but evoked the feel of old newspapers), Mr. Punch was published to little or no fanfare, lost in a see of Vertigo Titles that have become classics among DC Fans in the years that have passed. In a way, it's easy to feel sorry for Mr. Punch.
To be honest, though, it is no wonder. It is not the best work Gaiman has produced, and while the story is compelling and interesting, his writing really only keeps the story moving, and reads as if the wind has been taken out of his sails with regards to the other writing chores he had at the time. The really impressive part of Mr. Punch is Dave McKean's brilliant art, which began to flourish in Sandman and reaches a dizzying scale of beauty here. His combinations of collage, photographs, painting, sculpture and - yes, even that - cartooning is impressive and beautiful to look at. I have often wished that there was no story, and that instead the book was just a collection of Dave's art.
Perhaps there will be a book like that someday, or there even is and I just haven't seen it. But if there is or were going to be, I'd recommend that first. Mr. Punch makes for a good lazy-afternoon reading, but nothing you need to run out and buy anytime soon.
Slipping under the radar at the time, Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean collaborated on this book together. Not quite a comic and not quite a book (it was published with odd, oversized trade binding that didn't match comics or novels, but evoked the feel of old newspapers), Mr. Punch was published to little or no fanfare, lost in a see of Vertigo Titles that have become classics among DC Fans in the years that have passed. In a way, it's easy to feel sorry for Mr. Punch.
To be honest, though, it is no wonder. It is not the best work Gaiman has produced, and while the story is compelling and interesting, his writing really only keeps the story moving, and reads as if the wind has been taken out of his sails with regards to the other writing chores he had at the time. The really impressive part of Mr. Punch is Dave McKean's brilliant art, which began to flourish in Sandman and reaches a dizzying scale of beauty here. His combinations of collage, photographs, painting, sculpture and - yes, even that - cartooning is impressive and beautiful to look at. I have often wished that there was no story, and that instead the book was just a collection of Dave's art.
Perhaps there will be a book like that someday, or there even is and I just haven't seen it. But if there is or were going to be, I'd recommend that first. Mr. Punch makes for a good lazy-afternoon reading, but nothing you need to run out and buy anytime soon.
February 18, 2019
as a whole, this felt like true work of art, not weirdly imbalanced between art and writing like some other graphic novels/comics i’ve read...
properly creepy, too, and hazy with that film through which we see things as a child, where we understand things we cannot hope to comprehend...
properly creepy, too, and hazy with that film through which we see things as a child, where we understand things we cannot hope to comprehend...
January 17, 2025
Not sure what to think of this. Disturbing for sure. Loved the contrasting artwork though. Time to go rewatch DOLLS. And I may reread this eventually.
February 12, 2019
Childhood is a dim, misty country. Facts and faces, people and places all flit in and out of the streetlight of memory, all mediated by the prism of emotion. Neil Gaiman's Mr Punch captures that feeling exactly, through the eyes of a small boy -- Neil himself -- and it feels authentic because it is essentially autobiographical, and because it also has a sense of place without being being too specific.
Dave McKean's atmospheric artwork matches young Neil's perspective in the 70s, ferried to and around Southsea in Portsmouth to stay with grandparents and where he encounters other strange relatives and their associates. Self and space, adults and events are presented in a kaleidoscopic fashion that mirrors those confusing years when adults have control, violence may be around the corner and nothing truly makes sense, however much you try to fathom it out.
Boyhood memories link back to the inherent violence of the Punch & Judy puppet theatre, featuring as it does domestic abuse, criminal acts and premeditated murder. The acts of the traditional glove puppets are darker than the action in, say, a Tom & Jerry cartoon, and one always wonders at the play's suitability for children, but it was long a mainstay of seaside attractions and may still occasionally feature during family summer beach holidays.
One of Neil's grandfather's runs a rundown seaside arcade, with slot machines, a fortune teller, a maze of mirrors, a mermaid in a tank and a menagerie of parrots. But there are dark secrets in the family history, mysteries that are too insubstantial for the boy to grasp, and whispers of this history are soon bound up with the Punch and Judy man and his macabre comedy-cum-tragedy. Punch, his battered wife Judy, the baby, the law and other puppets become inextricable from people the boy meets, their lives or roles marching in parallel with the personnel in the play.
The sombre colours and noir-ish mixed media illustrations belie one's expectations of days spent at a seaside resort, and the fonts have been carefully created to perhaps suggest journal entries, in keeping with the style of a memoir. While the story can stand perfectly well on its own (or as a radio drama or audio book), being combined with a gallery of outline drawings, paintings and photographs (both sepia-tinged and colour) of models, puppets and seascapes adds immeasurably to its impact.
And the spookiest thing is that the puppets at times seem more real than the people. After a quarter-century this graphic novel has lost none of its power to disturb, and it does it deliciously. As somebody or other is wont to say, That's the way to do it!
Dave McKean's atmospheric artwork matches young Neil's perspective in the 70s, ferried to and around Southsea in Portsmouth to stay with grandparents and where he encounters other strange relatives and their associates. Self and space, adults and events are presented in a kaleidoscopic fashion that mirrors those confusing years when adults have control, violence may be around the corner and nothing truly makes sense, however much you try to fathom it out.
Boyhood memories link back to the inherent violence of the Punch & Judy puppet theatre, featuring as it does domestic abuse, criminal acts and premeditated murder. The acts of the traditional glove puppets are darker than the action in, say, a Tom & Jerry cartoon, and one always wonders at the play's suitability for children, but it was long a mainstay of seaside attractions and may still occasionally feature during family summer beach holidays.
One of Neil's grandfather's runs a rundown seaside arcade, with slot machines, a fortune teller, a maze of mirrors, a mermaid in a tank and a menagerie of parrots. But there are dark secrets in the family history, mysteries that are too insubstantial for the boy to grasp, and whispers of this history are soon bound up with the Punch and Judy man and his macabre comedy-cum-tragedy. Punch, his battered wife Judy, the baby, the law and other puppets become inextricable from people the boy meets, their lives or roles marching in parallel with the personnel in the play.
The sombre colours and noir-ish mixed media illustrations belie one's expectations of days spent at a seaside resort, and the fonts have been carefully created to perhaps suggest journal entries, in keeping with the style of a memoir. While the story can stand perfectly well on its own (or as a radio drama or audio book), being combined with a gallery of outline drawings, paintings and photographs (both sepia-tinged and colour) of models, puppets and seascapes adds immeasurably to its impact.
And the spookiest thing is that the puppets at times seem more real than the people. After a quarter-century this graphic novel has lost none of its power to disturb, and it does it deliciously. As somebody or other is wont to say, That's the way to do it!
November 16, 2017
The book was lent to me by a friend and also if I didn't know the title, it was enough a look to the author to understand that I was holding another unforgettable story. Neil Gaiman is now a certainty and once again i'm not disappointed.
The atmosphere is one of the darkest that I've ever encountered in his work and the author draws us, through the memories of a man, in the darkest depths of his family. His memories are reported through the eyes of himself as a child and scrutinized by himself as adult, all focused on a story staged in the theaters of puppets, one of Mr. Punch, in fact. In some passages we find ourselves plagued by a gloomy atmosphere and the sense of anxiety that pervades the pages, in a story a little bit disturbing. Not so much the dialogues, but the images convey this kind of emotions and this is the great impact of the work of McKean. At each step, secrets come to the surface, related to the components of the family, facts that the main character didn't recognize as child, but he consider now as adult.
An unmissable album that I recommend to all fans of the genre and fans of Neil Gaiman in particular.
The atmosphere is one of the darkest that I've ever encountered in his work and the author draws us, through the memories of a man, in the darkest depths of his family. His memories are reported through the eyes of himself as a child and scrutinized by himself as adult, all focused on a story staged in the theaters of puppets, one of Mr. Punch, in fact. In some passages we find ourselves plagued by a gloomy atmosphere and the sense of anxiety that pervades the pages, in a story a little bit disturbing. Not so much the dialogues, but the images convey this kind of emotions and this is the great impact of the work of McKean. At each step, secrets come to the surface, related to the components of the family, facts that the main character didn't recognize as child, but he consider now as adult.
An unmissable album that I recommend to all fans of the genre and fans of Neil Gaiman in particular.
June 14, 2016
I usually steer clear of horror or graphic novels, so I guess the appeal for me here was Neil Gaiman. Indeed, the only thing to recommend this book, in my opinion, is the writing. The story is told from a mature point of view, but because the narrator is recounting events that happened to him as a child, I felt that he captures a child's perspective very well. On this note, however, I felt that it was unrealistic for him to remember dialogue, scenes, and rumors in such detail.
I found the art somewhat jarring, with random tropes and things done seemingly only for shock value. Also, there is so much ambiguity surrounding the plot (in order to create a horror effect, I assume) that I had a hard time making out what was actually happening. One thing I did find interesting was the way the Punch and Judy story is told in "installments"--every time the narrator talks about another time he watched the show, he reveals some more of the plot.
I found the art somewhat jarring, with random tropes and things done seemingly only for shock value. Also, there is so much ambiguity surrounding the plot (in order to create a horror effect, I assume) that I had a hard time making out what was actually happening. One thing I did find interesting was the way the Punch and Judy story is told in "installments"--every time the narrator talks about another time he watched the show, he reveals some more of the plot.
March 11, 2016
This graphic novel is one of Neil Gaiman's earliest but it's still a fantastic read.
There are lots of things to enjoy - particularly the arrangement and composition of the accompanying graphics by Dave McKean and the haunting quality of Gaiman's narrative which focuses on childhood, memories and the sinister world of adulthood.
In most of Gaiman's work these themes regularly occur and in The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr Punch this isn't an exception. He likes to explore the past and how our childhood experiences shape us as adults. There is a haunting nostalgia to this narrative which pervades throughout and stayed with me for a while afterwards.
I've always been scared of Punch and Judy - the dolls are grotesque-looking and all I remember is the constant arguing and fighting that went on between them. If there was a baby in the production (which I honestly cannot remember) I must have blocked it out which is a definite blessing.
I've given it four stars because even though I really enjoyed it, it didn't pack the same punch (if you'll pardon the pun) as some of his other graphic novels (most notably Sandman) and the only character I liked was the narrator.
In this story, Gaiman shows us the huge void between a child's world (how adults keep him ignorant of the awful happenings they partake in) and the violent and seedy underworld of adulthood which is full of corruption and debauchery.
Most children though like to explore and ask questions, and it is definitely these curious individuals who become adults whilst still children; whether that's a blessing or not, is anyone's guess.
There are lots of things to enjoy - particularly the arrangement and composition of the accompanying graphics by Dave McKean and the haunting quality of Gaiman's narrative which focuses on childhood, memories and the sinister world of adulthood.
In most of Gaiman's work these themes regularly occur and in The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr Punch this isn't an exception. He likes to explore the past and how our childhood experiences shape us as adults. There is a haunting nostalgia to this narrative which pervades throughout and stayed with me for a while afterwards.
I've always been scared of Punch and Judy - the dolls are grotesque-looking and all I remember is the constant arguing and fighting that went on between them. If there was a baby in the production (which I honestly cannot remember) I must have blocked it out which is a definite blessing.
I've given it four stars because even though I really enjoyed it, it didn't pack the same punch (if you'll pardon the pun) as some of his other graphic novels (most notably Sandman) and the only character I liked was the narrator.
In this story, Gaiman shows us the huge void between a child's world (how adults keep him ignorant of the awful happenings they partake in) and the violent and seedy underworld of adulthood which is full of corruption and debauchery.
Most children though like to explore and ask questions, and it is definitely these curious individuals who become adults whilst still children; whether that's a blessing or not, is anyone's guess.
May 29, 2019
4/5
The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch is yet another iconic collaboration between Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. This graphic novel is essentially a retelling of Mr. Punch and Judy (a traditional British puppet show) from the point of view of our nameless protagonist.
The protagonist recalls his childhood as he stayed with his grandparents, went to various Mr. Punch and Judy shows, and ultimately witnessed violence. Everything blends and becomes a dream-like blur as the protagonist's memory is unreliable, and his family story becomes intertwined with Mr. Punch and Judy story.
While it features the usual Gaimanesque themes (the blur between reality-dream-memory-stories, childhood, and nesting stories) and McKeanesque flair (macabre-surrealistic multimedia visuals), I feel they didn't reach their maximum potentials here like in Mirrormask or even Black Orchid. I've read better Gaiman books that deal with childhood (The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Coraline, and Graveyard Book). I've read better McKean graphic novels that deal with madness and memory (Arkham Asylum and Black Dog).
In the end of the day, The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch is still a compelling graphic novel about childhood memory and violence, but it falls short under the towering reputations of its creators.
The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch is yet another iconic collaboration between Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. This graphic novel is essentially a retelling of Mr. Punch and Judy (a traditional British puppet show) from the point of view of our nameless protagonist.
The protagonist recalls his childhood as he stayed with his grandparents, went to various Mr. Punch and Judy shows, and ultimately witnessed violence. Everything blends and becomes a dream-like blur as the protagonist's memory is unreliable, and his family story becomes intertwined with Mr. Punch and Judy story.
While it features the usual Gaimanesque themes (the blur between reality-dream-memory-stories, childhood, and nesting stories) and McKeanesque flair (macabre-surrealistic multimedia visuals), I feel they didn't reach their maximum potentials here like in Mirrormask or even Black Orchid. I've read better Gaiman books that deal with childhood (The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Coraline, and Graveyard Book). I've read better McKean graphic novels that deal with madness and memory (Arkham Asylum and Black Dog).
In the end of the day, The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch is still a compelling graphic novel about childhood memory and violence, but it falls short under the towering reputations of its creators.
December 15, 2014
I've just recently started to delve more into the world of Graphic Novels, and so far I've read mostly Neil Gaiman's work. Did I enjoy this book? Yes, absolutely. But did I think it was amazing? Not really.
I was a little confused with the storyline, I was never sure where it was going or what was happening half the time. It did come off as very creepy and sinister, which is what it was supposed to be, so it gets points for that. However, the storyline overall seemed to lack something. I didn't feel satisfied with the ending, because I wasn't sure what happened or how it got there. I expected more. More creepiness, more violence, and perhaps more closure at the end.
It all seemed like a hazy dream/nightmare that you wake up from halfway through, not knowing what happened or why it happened, and when you try to go back to sleep to finish it off, it eludes you until it is completely gone and you're just left with the remnants of that vague dream you awoke from.
That's basically how I felt about this book. Might get around to reading it again sometime in the future, and maybe then I'll pick up on things I missed out on this time around.
I was a little confused with the storyline, I was never sure where it was going or what was happening half the time. It did come off as very creepy and sinister, which is what it was supposed to be, so it gets points for that. However, the storyline overall seemed to lack something. I didn't feel satisfied with the ending, because I wasn't sure what happened or how it got there. I expected more. More creepiness, more violence, and perhaps more closure at the end.
It all seemed like a hazy dream/nightmare that you wake up from halfway through, not knowing what happened or why it happened, and when you try to go back to sleep to finish it off, it eludes you until it is completely gone and you're just left with the remnants of that vague dream you awoke from.
That's basically how I felt about this book. Might get around to reading it again sometime in the future, and maybe then I'll pick up on things I missed out on this time around.
November 11, 2019
Graphic novels are really not my thing. But this is the first one I've read that *felt* more like an illustrated novel than a comic book. Or at least, illustrated short story. It might be because this one has as much narrative structure as dialogue and very little action, so the artwork seemed more for building atmosphere and mimicking a sort of stop-motion movie drama, like extreme closeups, rather than depicting characters in action with voice bubbles over their heads.
The artwork is strange but compelling. The story is strange but compelling. And the ending is... unsatisfactorily unresolved.
Paperback, picked up on a whim at a Friends of the Library sale, because the author is Neil Gaiman.
I read this for the 24 Festive Tasks 2019 for Door 2 Japanese Culture Day (Nov. 3): Read a graphic novel or a book set in a school or academic setting.
The artwork is strange but compelling. The story is strange but compelling. And the ending is... unsatisfactorily unresolved.
Paperback, picked up on a whim at a Friends of the Library sale, because the author is Neil Gaiman.
I read this for the 24 Festive Tasks 2019 for Door 2 Japanese Culture Day (Nov. 3): Read a graphic novel or a book set in a school or academic setting.
December 14, 2023
I'm always a fan of weird and out of this world art so I'm always going to be biased with this. But the story together with art was a bit too much that it's leaning more towards almost unreadable. Tho the idea of childhood memories unraveling through the iconic Mr. Punch is a good concept.
January 15, 2017
I have mixed feelings about this.
Let me say, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the art will stay with me. The work that went into it, the tone it creates... it will stay with you. It's definitely unlike anything I've seen in a graphic novel before.
Full disclosure, this is the first Neil Gaiman anything that I've read. I know, I know, What the hell is wrong with me? I've actually come into contact with several works by his wife but I've never read anything he's done.
This was maybe not the best place to start as I think this may not have been the book for me.
This is similar to Kingdom Come in that I understand the love for it. I understand that there is something here to be enjoyed and it's very, very memorable. It's not even that I think it's bad... it's just not something that I would want to reread.
If I'm understanding it correctly, the lesson is that adults tell children to live their lives with honesty and to be kind or they'll be punished. When in actuality, Mr. Punch's tale proves that if one is clever enough, evil can prosper and then anyone can do whatever they want. At least, that's what I think the lesson is?
I saw the parallel's between this kid and the Mr. Punch story from a mile away. I'm sad that this kid saw what happened with that poor woman in the arcade and the art is perfect for the weight of that. The timeline was a little muddy and confusing at times. The writing is very memorable and unlike anything I've read before.
It's definitely worth checking out but, as I said, it's not something that was written for me.
Let me say, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the art will stay with me. The work that went into it, the tone it creates... it will stay with you. It's definitely unlike anything I've seen in a graphic novel before.
Full disclosure, this is the first Neil Gaiman anything that I've read. I know, I know, What the hell is wrong with me? I've actually come into contact with several works by his wife but I've never read anything he's done.
This was maybe not the best place to start as I think this may not have been the book for me.
This is similar to Kingdom Come in that I understand the love for it. I understand that there is something here to be enjoyed and it's very, very memorable. It's not even that I think it's bad... it's just not something that I would want to reread.
If I'm understanding it correctly, the lesson is that adults tell children to live their lives with honesty and to be kind or they'll be punished. When in actuality, Mr. Punch's tale proves that if one is clever enough, evil can prosper and then anyone can do whatever they want. At least, that's what I think the lesson is?
I saw the parallel's between this kid and the Mr. Punch story from a mile away. I'm sad that this kid saw what happened with that poor woman in the arcade and the art is perfect for the weight of that. The timeline was a little muddy and confusing at times. The writing is very memorable and unlike anything I've read before.
It's definitely worth checking out but, as I said, it's not something that was written for me.
October 17, 2008
The only time I've read anything or seen anything related to Mr. Punch before was in Diana Wynne Jones's The Magicians of Caprona. All that happened was that the boy and girl main characters were changed into Punch and Judy and had to perform for the Duchess and Duke. Even with Gaiman explaining the Punch and Judy puppets and background/plot through a character explaining it to the main character (a boy, the narrator), I still find this book confusing. It's nicely told from a child's perspective for the most part, and the parts where he's reflecting back as an adult is also believable, but I found it a little hard to relate Punch with his narrative as something deeper than a performance he saw in his childhood and something he sometimes ran into as an adult. Like if there was some deeper metaphor I'm missing because I'm not familiar with Punch. It's an okay book - I'm glad I didn't buy this book.
February 21, 2016
The story could be so much more.
As one reviewer described perfectly :
"It all seemed like a hazy dream/nightmare that you wake up from halfway through, not knowing what happened or why it happened, and when you try to go back to sleep to finish it off, it eludes you until it is completely gone and you're just left with the remnants of that vague dream you awoke from."
The art is astonishingly beautiful though.
As one reviewer described perfectly :
"It all seemed like a hazy dream/nightmare that you wake up from halfway through, not knowing what happened or why it happened, and when you try to go back to sleep to finish it off, it eludes you until it is completely gone and you're just left with the remnants of that vague dream you awoke from."
The art is astonishingly beautiful though.
November 22, 2017
It is a really creepy symbolic story I need to think over and reread in the future.
April 17, 2018
disturbing picture books with mixed media art is exactly what i want out of this life
February 26, 2012
The essence of memory is that we rarely get right to the heart of the matter. Something floats up into our thoughts and teases out a recollection. If that recollection has an emotion attached, then we are pulled down deeper towards other memories. As those memories gather about us, the world is recreated for us as it once was. Or at least how we saw it once upon a time. Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean’s MR. PUNCH is all about how we access memory. The story starts with shallow memories, brief bits about his grandparents. Each round of memories adds depth, and soon they begin to connect. There is a wonderful sense of tension built up as the story progresses. The traditional puppet show of Punch & Judy is retold in various forms and fragments--working like memory does in bits and pieces. The puppet show acts like a mirror of the memory that we are eventually being drawn toward. The wonderful illustrations are dark like half remembered images and many contain bits of this and that tossed together like disorganized thoughts. The images become more detailed and tangible as we get deeper but seldom is there anything particularly bright to hang hope on. There is no hope in memory, they are what they are. We can glean some understanding, but must be concerned about them taking over our lives—a point the book makes very well. MR. PUNCH does not seem like much at first and it knows this. Sparse at the dialogue keeps you moving until it knows it has you hooked. This is a wonderful creation starting like a light mist until by the end it has become an emotional downpour.
March 25, 2009
I bought this book as a present for a great friend of mine, but I couldn't help but read it before I actually gave it to her.
The cover is itself a work of art and the illustrations and overall design are just perfect. They are as adequate to the way the story is told as I have ever seen. (though I admit I haven't read many graphic novels and my opinion might be biased)The novel is a work of genius.
You see the narrator both as a young boy and the adult he became, telling you some events of his early life and his family's history while showing you parts of Mr. Punch's puppet show. Even reading it as quickly as I had to, the connections between them and the thoughts and feelings they brought up left me smiling breathlessly, in pure exhilaration.
I was already a fan of Neil Gaiman, but this made me look at his work from a very different perspective and much more attention.(or will make me look, I have seen only a bit of what he has done, and completely read even less)
I recommend this to anyone who is either a fan of Gaiman's and Mckean's work, of just to anyone who is looking for a graphic novel that is more that just another one.
The cover is itself a work of art and the illustrations and overall design are just perfect. They are as adequate to the way the story is told as I have ever seen. (though I admit I haven't read many graphic novels and my opinion might be biased)The novel is a work of genius.
You see the narrator both as a young boy and the adult he became, telling you some events of his early life and his family's history while showing you parts of Mr. Punch's puppet show. Even reading it as quickly as I had to, the connections between them and the thoughts and feelings they brought up left me smiling breathlessly, in pure exhilaration.
I was already a fan of Neil Gaiman, but this made me look at his work from a very different perspective and much more attention.(or will make me look, I have seen only a bit of what he has done, and completely read even less)
I recommend this to anyone who is either a fan of Gaiman's and Mckean's work, of just to anyone who is looking for a graphic novel that is more that just another one.
June 19, 2019
Artistic Slog
I had never thought that I was going to rate Neil Gaiman so low. Considering the fact that Dave Mackean at helm of art, my expectation are sky high. But I was gut-punched with mediocre story with moody monologue, uneven pacing and haphazard art (Yes, Dave Mackean is bit let down for me here).
First of all, story was not up to the mark considering the world re-known fact that one of the most established story teller is the author. For me, pacing was off the chart. Sometimes you have tons of monologue pushing the story too far ahead in single page and sometimes simple one-liners are establishing the appropriate melancholic tone giving art to shine. But overall, both ineffective as whole. I can see some real opportunities missed by Dave Mackean where one of the panel described in detail about street while all I can see is hazy shadow of houses drained of all color or clear indication. Some of the art is still striking. All and all this venture is completely let down for me and too much "preoccupied".
PS: I have read this just after finishing brilliant "Cages" by Mackean where I can see art collaborating perfectly with written words.
I had never thought that I was going to rate Neil Gaiman so low. Considering the fact that Dave Mackean at helm of art, my expectation are sky high. But I was gut-punched with mediocre story with moody monologue, uneven pacing and haphazard art (Yes, Dave Mackean is bit let down for me here).
First of all, story was not up to the mark considering the world re-known fact that one of the most established story teller is the author. For me, pacing was off the chart. Sometimes you have tons of monologue pushing the story too far ahead in single page and sometimes simple one-liners are establishing the appropriate melancholic tone giving art to shine. But overall, both ineffective as whole. I can see some real opportunities missed by Dave Mackean where one of the panel described in detail about street while all I can see is hazy shadow of houses drained of all color or clear indication. Some of the art is still striking. All and all this venture is completely let down for me and too much "preoccupied".
PS: I have read this just after finishing brilliant "Cages" by Mackean where I can see art collaborating perfectly with written words.
July 5, 2013
An adult nostalgically recollects childhood events that seem mysterious...could be The Ocean at the End of the Lane, right? Well, no, because this story is not fantastical and is very short, not to mention being in the form of a comic book.
For me, the atmospheric, almost disturbing illustrations by McKean were the best aspect of the book. The story itself I found uninspired and just as with The Ocean at the End of the Lane the childhood nostalgia aspect was detrimental. I'm not quite clear why this is, since I find it a strong positive in Dandelion Wine, for example.
For me, the atmospheric, almost disturbing illustrations by McKean were the best aspect of the book. The story itself I found uninspired and just as with The Ocean at the End of the Lane the childhood nostalgia aspect was detrimental. I'm not quite clear why this is, since I find it a strong positive in Dandelion Wine, for example.
January 12, 2015
The Tom-and-Jerry style violence of Punch & Judy shows — or, perhaps, their lurid, tabloid-style horror candied up as seaside show-biz — hint at the genuine violence, and secret tragedies of the adult world, as glimpsed by the narrator of this dark little tale, when he was a boy. McKean’s collage-like mix of bold, uneasily-skewed drawing and photography that reminds me a bit of Jan Švankmajer’s disturbing version of Alice in Wonderland are perfect for a half-remembered tale from the unhappily-ever-after fairy tale stage of childhood.
June 24, 2017
Una fiaba dark suggestiva, angosciosa ed inquietante; impreziosita dalle complesse e macabre illustrazioni di Dean McKean. Ed è proprio questa complessità, data dallo stile delle tavole e del testo, a rendere la lettura non proprio immediata. I testi sono stati curati da Neil Gaiman che ha preferito puntare su un intreccio narrativo visionario e fumoso attribuito all'incertezza del ricordo di un bambino.
Dal libro: L'infanzia è un incubo che vestiamo di fiabe.
Dal libro: L'infanzia è un incubo che vestiamo di fiabe.
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