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nk0825's picture

I agree

I'll also admit that when I first paged through Persepolis I was a bit....disappointed? I'm not sure if that's the right word, but I was definitely expecting something different. I found that I had a similar problem to you TPB1988, the images in A Game of You were so detailed that it distracted me from the simple text, while the images in Persepolis were so SIMPLE that I found it hard to relate them to the detailed and complicated text.

Both Gaiman and Satrapi give us two distinct tastes of graphic novels. To be honest, I'm not sure I really like either! I respect the art and the stories individually, however I was equally frustrated by both. With A Game of You, I wanted more text, more depth. I craved more than the plot gave me, while in Persepolis I wanted the plot to simplify! I was overwhelmed by the amount of text, the serious material, and ultimately the idea of a memoir in the form of a graphic novel. I hate to admit it but I feel as if Persepolis would have been a much more intriguing read if it had been text only. I'm not sure why I feel this way...maybe it was because I felt unable to process everything I needed to while reading: images+text=confusion (at points). It could also be that I felt the text lacked fluidity. 

I also found it interesting to question the commonalities between the two. Both graphic novels dealt with death, destruction, violence, etc....yet one was jumping from reality to dreamland while the other was grounded by the realness of history. While Gaiman had the complete freedom to create his own world Satrapi utilized her experiences. Does the different style of reality versus dreamland relate to the pictures of the novel? In reality is it more pleasing to see simple images explaining nuanced and complicated scenarios because it makes the issues at hand appear more simple? In the same way, do authors like Gaiman who create alternate worlds feel the need to make the images more detailed so they appear more real? I'd be interested in further looking into if graphic novelists seek artists in order to please their audiences, as bloggers sometimes do? 

This graphic novel crash course has been enlightening. It has tought me to not judge a book based on its images  and has forced a patience upon me that I have never had to utilize. Learning to relate and absorb images and words at the same time has been extremely difficult but ultimately this experience has forced me to become a more cultured reader. 

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