nomadreader

The backstory: After loving all three of Audrey Niffenegger's earlier graphic novels, The Adventuress , The Three Incestuous Sisters , and The Night Bookmobile ,  I was eager to read her latest, Raven Girl . The basics: When a postal carrier falls in love with a raven and takes her to live with him, they're both surprised her baby turns out to be human, but still birdlike. The Raven Girl longs to be a raven, as she feels on the inside. My thoughts: Audrey Niffenegger's graphic novels tend to include elements of magical realism, and Raven Girl  is no different. I'm not a fan of fairy tales, per se, but those elements in Raven Girl worked well for me. Niffenegger quickly builds a world in which it makes perfect sense for a postal carrier to fall in love with a raven and build a life together. That sense of magic dissipates somewhat when Raven Girl grows up and goes to college. A darker magical realism emerges, and it wasn't as captivating for me. Niffenegger's...

The backstory: I thoroughly enjoyed Niffenegger's previous illustrated novels The Adventuress  ( my review ) and The Three Incestuous Sisters ( my review ), so I was eager to read her latest graphic novel as soon as I heard about it. The basics: Alexandra goes for a walk one night and discovers a bookmobile. When she enters, she finds every book she's ever read, including her diary and textbooks. It's her personal library.  My thoughts: The Night Bookmobile  is a quick, enchanting read book lovers will certainly enjoy. Niffenegger's trademark creepiness sneaks in, and I loved it. It's a daring story with hints of sweetness and sadness.  Favorite passage: "Have you ever found your heart's desire and then lost it? I had seen myself, a portrait of myself as a reader. My childhood hours spent in airless classrooms, days home sick from school reading Nancy Drew, forbidden books read secretively late at night. Teenage years reading--trying to read--book...

I am perhaps one of the last readers who has never read The Time Travelers Wife . I keep meaning to, but it never finds its way to the top of my pile. Earlier this year, I read and enjoyed both of Audrey Niffenegger's illustrated novels: The Three Incestuous Sisters and The Adventuress . Still, going into Her Fearful Symmetry, I'd read several rave reviews and a few mixed reviews. I didn't know what to expect, and although I had high hopes, I kept my expectations a little lower. Her Fearful Symmetry is essentially the story of two sets of twins: Elspeth and Edie; and Edie's daughters Julie and Valentina. The story begins with Elspeth's death in London. The details are vague, both for the characters and the reader, as to what exactly happened to these sisters that they don't speak. Elspeth leaves her London flat, which overlooks Highland Cemetary, to Julie and Valentina on three conditions. First, the girls must live there for one year before they sell it. S...

If there is a more perfect book to read after The Lost Symbol , I don't know it. The Adventuress is sparse and brilliantly complex; The Lost Symbol is verbose and simple. The plot of The Adventuress is difficult to describe without telling the story myself. I like this succinct description from my library's catalog: " The Adventuress follows the dreamlike journey of an alchemist's daughter." If you've read Niffenegger , you know how she plays with fantasy and reality in a magical way; The Adventuress is no different. Like The Three Incestuous Sisters , it's a unique format. It's most like a picture book for grown-ups. The artwork is mesmerizing, and there are several panels I would gladly use to decorate my walls. When I finished it (far too quickly), my first thoughts were simply, "wow." It's a quirky, smart, hauntingly beautiful story told with the a sparse use of words and mesmerizing and beautiful art. Rating: 5 stars (loved it - ...

I stumbled upon this book in the library catalog a few weeks ago. I was frantically trying to reserve a copy of Her Fearful Symmetry so I could read it sometime before Christmas, and I saw that there were two books listed by Audrey Niffenegger I had never heard of: The Three Incestuous Sisters and The Adventuress . I immediately requested them both. As you can see by the cover, the art is beautiful. I knew Niffenegger was an artist, but I somehow missed the news that she wrote these two illustrated novels. Before I read it, I thought "illustrated novel" might be semantics to market a graphic novel to those who might not necessarily read them otherwise (and specifically those who read The Time Traveler's Wife .). I was wrong. I enjoy graphic novels, but this book seems closest to a children's picture book in how it tells a story. The pictures are more powerful than the words, but they two elements work together beautifully. The Three Incestuous Sisters is lushly i...