V for Vendetta - *SPOILERS*

[spoko]

The Modern selection for April 2026 is V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, nominated by Cynthia.

This discussion will be full of SPOILERS.

❧ Did you have a favorite quote, or favorite moment?
❧ Would you recommend this book to someone?
❧ V is undoubtedly charismatic, but his methods are brutal and his motivations often opaque. Did you find yourself rooting for him, questioning him, both, or something else?
❧ How did the visual storytelling influence your reading experience? Were there particular panels or sequences that stood out to you?
❧ What questions were you left with?

[Taz]

My favorite scenes were seeing the softer side of V when he dances with Evie and when we explore his past in the prison cell to learn how he evolved. I would recommend this book to several people who encouraged me to watch the movie because it gives you a more nuanced view of the character and feels less like horror. I was questioning V's actions and motivations thru the story while relating because several current world problems are addressed. I think I finished the book more quickly due to the visual storytelling though it was more difficult to read dialogue, keep track of characters, and distinguish differing storylines. I was not really left with any questions except how to get the "fifth of November" out of my head.

[Rosalyn]

4/5 stars

Depressing but necessary - and timely. This novel highlights how fear, cheap distraction and complacency keep the powerless down, with the lyrics to The Vicious Cabaret, featured in Book 2, especially affecting. Moore explained in his author's note why he chose Guy Fawkes to be his anti-hero, in that with the passing of time, history turns villains into heroes and vice versa (in his time, Fawkes was viewed as the Catholic villain to Protestant rule, but today he's co-opted as a symbol, a middle finger to our modern day rulers). Violence on both sides is shown in the book, which asks whether...full review here.