June 27, 2016

The Sculptor


The Sculptor by Scott McCloud
Graphic Novel
2015 First Second
Finished on February 15, 2016
Rating: 2.5/5 (It was ok)

Publisher's Blurb:

David Smith is giving his life for his art—literally. Thanks to a deal with Death, the young sculptor gets his childhood wish: to sculpt anything he can imagine with his bare hands. But now that he only has 200 days to live, deciding what to create is harder than he thought, and discovering the love of his life at the eleventh hour isn't making it any easier.

This is a story of desire taken to the edge of reason and beyond; of the frantic, clumsy dance steps of young love; and a gorgeous, street-level portrait of the world's greatest city. It's about the small, warm, human moments of everyday life... and the great surging forces that lie just under the surface.

Scott McCloud wrote the book on how comics work; now he vaults into breathtaking, funny, and unforgettable fiction.

I'm not sure graphic novels are for me. The Sculptor was entertaining enough to look at on my lunch breaks, and it's a quick read, but it felt a little young for my taste. The ending (which includes a bizarre nightmare sequence) was anti-climactic and confusing. However, the drawings are amazing! There is so much detail to each panel that it's easy to get lost in the art and ignore the writing.

Final Thoughts:

Several of my friends loved this touching novel, but I have to admit that I wasn't moved to tears and was pretty much ready for it to end. I'm not a huge fan of YA books and this felt like just that, the only difference being the detailed artwork. 

6 comments:

  1. I always wonder if there is something wrong with me...So many people rave about graphic novels, but they leave me cold. Something about the way the words in the cartoon bubbles are inane, I think.

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    1. Deb, I have mixed feelings about these books. I love the artwork, but the storylines never seem to pull me in the same was a novel does.

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  2. I read his Scott Pilgrim books and didn't "get" them. Have you tried a graphic memoir?

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    1. Kathy, I've read Maus I and Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant. I liked them, but I wouldn't say I loved them.

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  3. That is too bad this didn't work for you better, but the art was amazing. :)

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    1. Kelly, I would agree about the art!

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