The Idea & Story Without Words

by Frans Masereel

These two novels-without-words feature evocative woodcuts that encourage the reader's own imagination to create the story line. Created in the 1920s by the acclaimed wood-engraver Frans Masereel, this unique book contains two picture-novels in one. Flip The Idea upside down, and you can look through Story Without Words. The images in The Idea depict the progress of an idea, in the mysterious form of a woman spirit, as it moves through the world. Story Without Words is a haunting love story rich with symbolism.

Genres: Comics, Fiction

168 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1920

About the author

Frans Masereel was a Flemish painter and graphic artist who worked mainly in France. He is known especially for his woodcuts. His greatest work is generally said to be the wordless novel 'Passionate Journey'. He completed over 20 other wordless novels in his career.

His intense, foreboding woodcuts for Oscar Wilde's 'The Ballad of Reading Gaol' add to the drama and feeling of the poem.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally found a book that screams MEN ARE TRASH hard. It makes sense that these two are put together in one volume. Problematic, clearly, and there are so many images of a woman naked and being subjected to an endless and ridiculous amount of violence. Does the excessive display justify the point being made? Sometimes. Also, a woman (as the "idea") coming out, literally," of a man's head? But, having read several Masereel books over the past few days, I see how this is part of his critique, of showing how trashy and horrible men behave around women, and how violence is rooted in patriarchy. It's hard not to laugh at the over-the-top-ness, at how Masereel gets carried away, and Story Without Words is exactly that. Ugh men are the worst

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Idea

This one is full of symbolism. The writer at his desk, as in The Sun, Masereel himself perhaps, thinks up an idea embodied in a nude woman. This idea is tossed around and goes through a ton during the story including being tried in the court of law, shot at, murdered, comes back to life. Later the writer comes into his own issues being thrown in jail, but the Idea literally nursing him back to health. The Idea gets transmitted through the world on electrical wire, newspaper etc. She goes back to the writer only to have him create a new Idea!

[Kyle Pennekamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE IDEA is beautiful.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the craftsmanship, but I feel like I would really benefit from learning more about the author or a study on The Idea and Story Without Words. I am so bad at picking up symbolism, even in graphic form!
I loved the expressions and creative storylines. I am curious to know how the book fared in the 1920s.