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Nachts im Paradies
«Nachts im Paradies» beschreibt die dystopische Realität des Münchner Taxifahrers Vincent. Unglücklich mit seinem Beruf und gebrochen von den Hürden des Lebens, ist seine 16-jährige Tochter Anna der einzige Lichtblick in seinem Alltag. Als diese während des Oktoberfestes in der nächtlichen Großstadt verschwindet, ist für Vincent die Zeit gekommen, sich in eine Welt zu begeben, die er längst schon vergessen glaubte.
- GenresGraphic Novels
352 pages, Paperback
First published June 12, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 26, 2020
Basically all I knew about this comic before reading was that it was about a taxi driver in Munich during Oktoberfest, and that author-artist Frank Schmolke had himself worked as a taxi driver in Munich, and had based the comic on his own experiences. As such, it was in line with my expectations when the book opened with a series of vignettes about the workaday drudgery of nocturnal taxiing, and I quickly pigeonholed the comic as realistic, (semi-)autobiographical slice-of-life.
However, as the book's midway point approaches, things change. What I erroneously assumed to be establishing the tone and rhythm of the whole book is in fact just setting the stage upon which an a plot plays out. After around 140 pages showing the protagonist's interesting but ultimately unremarkable day-to-day, the comic is suddenly injected with a surprising amount of drama and action, as the focus shifts from depicting the grim realities of life as an urban taxi driver to portraying Munich's dark underbelly.
I'm ambivalent as to whether this change of pace is for the better. On the one hand, the plot as it develops is certainly interesting and exciting – I found myself speeding through the book's second half, keen to see what happens next. On the other hand, events become dramatic to an extent that undermines believability. That's not to say that the story strays into the realm of the implausible, but it definitely departs from what could be considered a taxi driver's typical experience, and in doing so a degree of honesty and intimacy is lost. Maybe I would have been bored by 350+ pages of aimless slice-of-life, but I do feel that I preferred the subtlety of the book's earlier part.
Nonetheless, I should emphasize that this is certainly a good comic – an enjoyable read. There was no moment where I was bored, and not a single panel or line of dialogue that rubbed me the wrong way. Above all, it's a comic that looks great. Schmolke's art style has a rough, almost slapdash feel to it, but I suspect that this is an entirely deliberate effect, and that in fact he put a huge amount of effort into each picture – because there isn't a line out of place. His drawings of people, vehicles and interior scenes are all great, but it's his depictions of the city itself that I really love – his larger panels of urban scenes that are full of detail and character.
In sum, this is a beautifully drawn comic that starts out as enjoyable slice-of-life and then switches to exciting drama. It's not a work that really wowed me, but I'm definitely glad I read it.
However, as the book's midway point approaches, things change. What I erroneously assumed to be establishing the tone and rhythm of the whole book is in fact just setting the stage upon which an a plot plays out. After around 140 pages showing the protagonist's interesting but ultimately unremarkable day-to-day, the comic is suddenly injected with a surprising amount of drama and action, as the focus shifts from depicting the grim realities of life as an urban taxi driver to portraying Munich's dark underbelly.
I'm ambivalent as to whether this change of pace is for the better. On the one hand, the plot as it develops is certainly interesting and exciting – I found myself speeding through the book's second half, keen to see what happens next. On the other hand, events become dramatic to an extent that undermines believability. That's not to say that the story strays into the realm of the implausible, but it definitely departs from what could be considered a taxi driver's typical experience, and in doing so a degree of honesty and intimacy is lost. Maybe I would have been bored by 350+ pages of aimless slice-of-life, but I do feel that I preferred the subtlety of the book's earlier part.
Nonetheless, I should emphasize that this is certainly a good comic – an enjoyable read. There was no moment where I was bored, and not a single panel or line of dialogue that rubbed me the wrong way. Above all, it's a comic that looks great. Schmolke's art style has a rough, almost slapdash feel to it, but I suspect that this is an entirely deliberate effect, and that in fact he put a huge amount of effort into each picture – because there isn't a line out of place. His drawings of people, vehicles and interior scenes are all great, but it's his depictions of the city itself that I really love – his larger panels of urban scenes that are full of detail and character.
In sum, this is a beautifully drawn comic that starts out as enjoyable slice-of-life and then switches to exciting drama. It's not a work that really wowed me, but I'm definitely glad I read it.
May 4, 2020
Es ist nicht nur eine geniale Geschichte, es ist ein Kunstwerk
September 25, 2019
Tolle und aufregende Geschichte, bei der das Oktoberfest zur Nebensache wird
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews