What do you think?
Rate this book
Justine and the Story of O
Shipped from UK, please allow 10 to 21 business days for arrival. Fair, Published 2000 by Evergreen. Dust jacket shows signs of wear, has a few creases, small rips and a bit of sticky tape to the hinge of front cover and spine at top. Pages and contents clean. Erotic graphic novel, XXX Adults only. Text in English.
440 pages, Hardcover
Published May 12, 2000
2 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
About the author
Guido Crepax
418 books84 followersGuido Crepax (born Crepas, 1933-2003) was an Italian illustrator and comics author, considered one of the most influential cartoonists of the second half of the 20th century. He is notably remembered for his sophisticated black and white art, as well as his dreamlike storylines, often involving a significative dose of erotism.
Crepax was born and raised in Milan, the son of famed cellist Gilberto Crepas. He graduated in Architecture in 1958, then started a successful career in illustration, mostly for advertisement and record covers.
Crepax began making comics in the middle of the 60's, particularly for the Italian magazine 'Linus'. He is best known for the Valentina series of stories. Originally introduced as a side character in the sci-fi story The Curve of Lesmo (1965), Valentina is a fictional photographer from Milan. She is a cultured strong woman, with sophisticated art and fashion tastes, left-wing political ideals and a marked sexual curiosity. Valentina quickly became a staple of European counterculture of the late 60s and early 70s. The series run for thirty years, until 1995, with the titular character aging in real time.
Over the decades Crepax created other female characters, such as Belinda, Anita, Bianca, Giulietta, usually used as protagonists of erotic comics. His other works include a number of comic book adaptations of erotic novels, like Emmanuelle, Justine, Venus in Furs, Story of O, as well as horror classics Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Crepax was born and raised in Milan, the son of famed cellist Gilberto Crepas. He graduated in Architecture in 1958, then started a successful career in illustration, mostly for advertisement and record covers.
Crepax began making comics in the middle of the 60's, particularly for the Italian magazine 'Linus'. He is best known for the Valentina series of stories. Originally introduced as a side character in the sci-fi story The Curve of Lesmo (1965), Valentina is a fictional photographer from Milan. She is a cultured strong woman, with sophisticated art and fashion tastes, left-wing political ideals and a marked sexual curiosity. Valentina quickly became a staple of European counterculture of the late 60s and early 70s. The series run for thirty years, until 1995, with the titular character aging in real time.
Over the decades Crepax created other female characters, such as Belinda, Anita, Bianca, Giulietta, usually used as protagonists of erotic comics. His other works include a number of comic book adaptations of erotic novels, like Emmanuelle, Justine, Venus in Furs, Story of O, as well as horror classics Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 6, 2013
Serendipitous no doubt...
Whilst sorting through some fishing gear in a box, John came across one of his French friend's books (Gérard died a few years ago unfortunately).
Well I laid my hands on it and had to read it. The blurb to the book states it all:
"Two adaptations of erotic characters into comic strip form. Guido Crepax visualises the stories of De Sade's "Justine" and Pauline Reage's "O" being initiated into the worlds of submission, mistresses and masters."
The cartoons are magnificent (in black and white) in this work but some, to me anyway, are pornographic and it's a shame that it is a translation into the French from the Italian. But still the contents are remarkable and as I've never read "Justine" by the Marquis de Sade, I must rectify that.
In the first adaptation, we come across bondage, monks, soldiers, villainous sadistic creatures tormenting poor Justine. She's enjoying it, of course, and the cartoons are a delight.
The second part with "L'Histoire d'O", this is also excellent but more sensuous and titillating than the first.
I know nothing about this individual but I found the following review on Amazon which helped to enlighten me:
"Guido Crepax (1933-2003) was a renowned illustrator/artist of erotic literature and stories, and "Justine and the Story of O," published by Evergreen, is one of his works and is now a collector's item. I have the good fortune of purchasing this work of his in brand new condition at a considerable discount (more than 50% off) in a well-known local bookstore in New York City more than 12 years ago.
The first story, "Justine or the Misfortune of Virtue," is written by the notorious Marques de Sade in 1791. For those who are not familiar with this work, it is a story about 2 sisters, Justine and Juliette, and their trials and tribulations. In this book, Guido changed the background story a bit, omitting that Justine's and Juliette's father fell in love with another man's woman and jumped right to his bankruptcy and ruin that set the two sisters each on their separate journeys in life. In several other areas, Guido also took the liberty to make minor changes to the story and this adaptation is effective in keeping the story focused. The virtuous Justine, we are told through Guido's illustrations, constantly faces adversity and could not escape a life of misfortunes, while the corrupted Juliette enjoys a life of luxury."
In conclusion, I loved it and I've definitely come across another side of my nature that I never knew existed. I must be philosophical about it all though and enjoy...
I also found in my research on this book:
"Let me finish with a quote from the introduction: "...books like this are carefully hidden in every library so that people always find them"."
Whilst sorting through some fishing gear in a box, John came across one of his French friend's books (Gérard died a few years ago unfortunately).
Well I laid my hands on it and had to read it. The blurb to the book states it all:
"Two adaptations of erotic characters into comic strip form. Guido Crepax visualises the stories of De Sade's "Justine" and Pauline Reage's "O" being initiated into the worlds of submission, mistresses and masters."
The cartoons are magnificent (in black and white) in this work but some, to me anyway, are pornographic and it's a shame that it is a translation into the French from the Italian. But still the contents are remarkable and as I've never read "Justine" by the Marquis de Sade, I must rectify that.
In the first adaptation, we come across bondage, monks, soldiers, villainous sadistic creatures tormenting poor Justine. She's enjoying it, of course, and the cartoons are a delight.
The second part with "L'Histoire d'O", this is also excellent but more sensuous and titillating than the first.
I know nothing about this individual but I found the following review on Amazon which helped to enlighten me:
"Guido Crepax (1933-2003) was a renowned illustrator/artist of erotic literature and stories, and "Justine and the Story of O," published by Evergreen, is one of his works and is now a collector's item. I have the good fortune of purchasing this work of his in brand new condition at a considerable discount (more than 50% off) in a well-known local bookstore in New York City more than 12 years ago.
The first story, "Justine or the Misfortune of Virtue," is written by the notorious Marques de Sade in 1791. For those who are not familiar with this work, it is a story about 2 sisters, Justine and Juliette, and their trials and tribulations. In this book, Guido changed the background story a bit, omitting that Justine's and Juliette's father fell in love with another man's woman and jumped right to his bankruptcy and ruin that set the two sisters each on their separate journeys in life. In several other areas, Guido also took the liberty to make minor changes to the story and this adaptation is effective in keeping the story focused. The virtuous Justine, we are told through Guido's illustrations, constantly faces adversity and could not escape a life of misfortunes, while the corrupted Juliette enjoys a life of luxury."
In conclusion, I loved it and I've definitely come across another side of my nature that I never knew existed. I must be philosophical about it all though and enjoy...
I also found in my research on this book:
"Let me finish with a quote from the introduction: "...books like this are carefully hidden in every library so that people always find them"."
November 26, 2024
Nie pamiętam, jaki komiks oceniało mi się tak ciężko, jak pierwszą część archiwów z pracami Guido Crepaxa. Interpretacja dwóch „zakazanych” klasyków literatury erotycznej siłą rzeczy wywołuje skrajne emocje i w zależności od wrażliwości odbiorcy może zostać uwznioślona lub wyparta jako pornografia z powodzeniem łamiąca normy społeczne i sprowadzona do monstrualnego kiczu dla grona miłośników BDSM. Cóż, staram się podejść do tego na chłodno. Nie do końca jest to przypadek „Zagubionych dziewcząt” – Moore’a, w których za tym całym porno stała niezwykła atmosfera końca znanego wszystkim świata. Crepax po prostu bierze dwie osadzone w konkretnych czasach powieści i je tłumaczy na język komiksu. Myślę, że w większości przypadków co najwyżej wzruszyłbym ramionami, bo wstępna ciekawość ustępuje nudzie powodowanej powielaniem schematu. Gdy nic nie może cię już zaskoczyć, monotonia bierze górę. I naprawdę sprawa byłaby dla mnie jasna, gdyby nie jeden fundamentalny szczegół – to jedne z najlepiej zobrazowanych historii, jakie znam.
Crepax jest niesamowity. Cuda jakie odmalowuje można podziwiać zarówno w skali pojedynczego kadru, jaki i ich sekwencjach aż do całych plansz, bo ich kompozycja również potrafi zachwycić. Od secesyjnego przepychu w „Justynie” po wydłużone, eleganckie sylwetki jakby wyjęte z obrazów art deco. Autor balansuje między wielością zdobień i szczegółów, a niemal szablonowym minimalistycznym stylem. Potrafi zachwycić niezwykle piękną, łagodną linią (np. w sytuacji zbliżenia dwóch kobiet), by nagle przejść do chropowatego i brudnego obrazowania, gdy jesteśmy świadkami przemocy. W pewnym momencie zorientowałem się, że kompletnie nie interesuje mnie treść, nie oburza transgresja, nie wzrusza łamanie tabu, lecz pochłania mnogość kształtów, prowadzenie kreski, rozmieszczenie kadrów. Całość jest graficznym majstersztykiem na nieprzeciętnym poziomie i nie mogę się doczekać co zobaczę w pracach trochę odmiennych gatunkowo, a wiem, że takie Crepax w swoim repertuarze również posiada
Crepax jest niesamowity. Cuda jakie odmalowuje można podziwiać zarówno w skali pojedynczego kadru, jaki i ich sekwencjach aż do całych plansz, bo ich kompozycja również potrafi zachwycić. Od secesyjnego przepychu w „Justynie” po wydłużone, eleganckie sylwetki jakby wyjęte z obrazów art deco. Autor balansuje między wielością zdobień i szczegółów, a niemal szablonowym minimalistycznym stylem. Potrafi zachwycić niezwykle piękną, łagodną linią (np. w sytuacji zbliżenia dwóch kobiet), by nagle przejść do chropowatego i brudnego obrazowania, gdy jesteśmy świadkami przemocy. W pewnym momencie zorientowałem się, że kompletnie nie interesuje mnie treść, nie oburza transgresja, nie wzrusza łamanie tabu, lecz pochłania mnogość kształtów, prowadzenie kreski, rozmieszczenie kadrów. Całość jest graficznym majstersztykiem na nieprzeciętnym poziomie i nie mogę się doczekać co zobaczę w pracach trochę odmiennych gatunkowo, a wiem, że takie Crepax w swoim repertuarze również posiada
November 3, 2019
Artystyczne rozważania o masochistycznym uzależnieniu od podporządkowania. Trochę pesymistyczne. Kreska awangardowa, trochę w stylu art deco, ale nieco monotonna.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews