Watchmen
9 journalers for this copy...
From Amazon:
The story concerns a group called the Crimebusters and a plot to kill and discredit them. Moore's characterization is as sophisticated as any novel's. Importantly the costumes do not get in the way of the storytelling; rather they allow Moore to investigate issues of power and control--indeed it was Watchmen, and to a lesser extent Dark Knight, that propelled the comic genre forward, making "adult" comics a reality.
The story concerns a group called the Crimebusters and a plot to kill and discredit them. Moore's characterization is as sophisticated as any novel's. Importantly the costumes do not get in the way of the storytelling; rather they allow Moore to investigate issues of power and control--indeed it was Watchmen, and to a lesser extent Dark Knight, that propelled the comic genre forward, making "adult" comics a reality.
CONTAINS SPOILERS
A friend and I were talking and got a little excited over a trailer for the movie Warner Bros. Pictures will be releasing in March. Naturally, I had to read the book before seeing the movie, so I went out and bought a copy with some birthday cash. Twelve dollars at Target...not too bad, right?
I started reading the book on January 6th. It took me until February 22nd to finish it. It was long and tedious.
"Rorschach's Journal. October 12th, 1985: Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach." So began our story. Investigators were puzzled by what appeared to be a homicide. The killed man, known to the public as "The Comedian," was one of only two vigilantes left employed by the government.
Under the Keene Act, only government-employed vigilantes were legally permitted to work. When most masked heroes chose to retire peacefully, one of them known as "Rorschach" refused to comply. He continued to work illegally and put himself in charge of exposing what he felt was a plot to murder masks.
Throughout this story, we'll be introduced to several of these nearly-forgotten heroes, and in turn, their individual vices. Among them, we'll meet:
Nite Owl, a lonely and self-absorbed technophile with a borrowed identity. His facade costs him dearly when one of his best friends gets bludgeoned to death in his place.
We'll meet the original Silk Spectre, whose promiscuous behavior is alluded to throughout the story. We'll find out that she was raped, an event that provided her with her only child.
We'll meet Jupiter, the second Silk Spectre, whose indecisive and explosive behavior nearly costs the world its only hope. The one hero who might be capable of saving the world loses faith and interest in humankind when she abruptly walks out of her relationship with him.
We'll be introduced to Dr. Manhattan, the only hero in the story with real superpowers. Unfortunately, his powers leave him almost emotionless and therefore coldly indifferent to the human experience. Ultimately, it's by his decision that the story's villain gets away.
We'll meet Ozymandias, supposedly one of the smartest men in the world. If only he'd use his vast intellect to think instead of selfishly dedicating himself to his own vision of a perfect world. Here's our villain.
We've already met Rorschach and The Comedian, both of whom are depraved, though each in different ways and each for different reasons.
Tension from the Cold War pervades the story, but things will only be set into motion after Rorschach is framed for murdering an old rival. With Armageddon conspiracies abounding, Nite Owl and Jupiter will put their fears aside and decide to break Rorschach out of jail. Dr. Manhattan will abduct Jupiter. Both Rorscach and Nite Owl, though their ideas differ, will continue their search for the mask killer. Rorscach will commit suicide before the story is finished.
In the end, we'll find out Ozymandias is behind a plan to make the world a better place by preying on ignorance to end all wars and manipulating the public's post-war mentality to fit his desires.
If you enjoyed that last sentence, you'll probably also like the way Ozymandias speaks. Personally, I just wanted him to shut up. I'm confident I missed quite a bit of text each time he started prattling on.
The story was nearly impossible to follow to begin with. Most of it was told through flashbacks, and the characters seemed to share very similar points of view. If I had paid the story any less attention, I doubt I would have been able to tell whose point of view I was seeing things from. That was difficult in itself. But things got much worse when, about halfway through the story, the authors implemented a mixed-narrative using excerpts from a "Treasure Island" comic book. Trying to read a comic within a comic was just maddening. I think I managed to skip over most of the interposing text without missing anything important.
I wanted to like this story, but I felt comfortable abandoning all hope when Ozymandias's plans to take over the world were revealed. Somehow, the smartest man in the world was able to work a giant squid invasion into those plans. I couldn't take the story seriously at that point, but I feel like I should acknowledge the genius that gave the squid a psychic, cloned, human brain...and also whomever decided it would be appropriate to explode the squid less than five minutes after the plan's inception.
The only characters I felt like I could relate to in the story were Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan. In trying to relate to any of the characters, I felt like only the worst aspects of my personality were highlighted; indifference to emotion, passion for science at the expense of all else, ignorance, obsession, and stubbornness. Maybe that's why I disliked every last one of them. But maybe that was the point.
The characters each had their excuses, however ill-contrived, for behaving the way they did. They all seemed shallow and unbelievable. The authors may have been onto a good idea, but it seems like the characters' flaws were overdeveloped at the expense of the plot. Still, what seemed like an endless description didn't quite touch on human behavior like I had originally hoped it would.
One inquiry that was raised as I was reading the book was about which character seemed most morally corrupt. My original choice was the obvious choice, but after some consideration, I realized that the only view I was given of The Comedian was through flashbacks. If the characters were meant to be flawed, it's easy for me to see how their interpretations might have been skewed. The two most prominent events that led to my original decision were, The Comedian raped the original Silk Spectre, and he gunned down a woman in Vietnam that was supposedly carrying his child. I actually had to reconsider both of these events. The woman in Vietnam certainly had enough motivation to lie, and the war could've easily made The Comedian crazy. And at the end of the novel, the original Silk Spectre planted a big, sad kiss on a picture of The Comedian she still had tucked away. If nothing else, I had to ask why.
My choice now is Dr. Manhattan. (Oddly enough, he's also my favorite character.) I've decided on him because, after all things are considered, he was given the powers of a god and ultimately turned his back on humankind.
Heroes aren't exactly perfect. Questions don't always have answers. Guns are sometimes introduced without being fired. Villains sometimes get away. I can appreciate the authors' attempts to break boundaries within the genre. And I tried really hard to like this book. But in the end, there was too much filler and not enough substance. I'm sorry, but I'm just disappointed.
The book was purchased brand-new and still seems to be in good shape. It seems like plenty of other people enjoyed this book, so maybe I can get it out to a few people who will enjoy it. Its fate has yet to be determined. (Sorry, Dr. Manhattan.)
A friend and I were talking and got a little excited over a trailer for the movie Warner Bros. Pictures will be releasing in March. Naturally, I had to read the book before seeing the movie, so I went out and bought a copy with some birthday cash. Twelve dollars at Target...not too bad, right?
I started reading the book on January 6th. It took me until February 22nd to finish it. It was long and tedious.
"Rorschach's Journal. October 12th, 1985: Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach." So began our story. Investigators were puzzled by what appeared to be a homicide. The killed man, known to the public as "The Comedian," was one of only two vigilantes left employed by the government.
Under the Keene Act, only government-employed vigilantes were legally permitted to work. When most masked heroes chose to retire peacefully, one of them known as "Rorschach" refused to comply. He continued to work illegally and put himself in charge of exposing what he felt was a plot to murder masks.
Throughout this story, we'll be introduced to several of these nearly-forgotten heroes, and in turn, their individual vices. Among them, we'll meet:
Nite Owl, a lonely and self-absorbed technophile with a borrowed identity. His facade costs him dearly when one of his best friends gets bludgeoned to death in his place.
We'll meet the original Silk Spectre, whose promiscuous behavior is alluded to throughout the story. We'll find out that she was raped, an event that provided her with her only child.
We'll meet Jupiter, the second Silk Spectre, whose indecisive and explosive behavior nearly costs the world its only hope. The one hero who might be capable of saving the world loses faith and interest in humankind when she abruptly walks out of her relationship with him.
We'll be introduced to Dr. Manhattan, the only hero in the story with real superpowers. Unfortunately, his powers leave him almost emotionless and therefore coldly indifferent to the human experience. Ultimately, it's by his decision that the story's villain gets away.
We'll meet Ozymandias, supposedly one of the smartest men in the world. If only he'd use his vast intellect to think instead of selfishly dedicating himself to his own vision of a perfect world. Here's our villain.
We've already met Rorschach and The Comedian, both of whom are depraved, though each in different ways and each for different reasons.
Tension from the Cold War pervades the story, but things will only be set into motion after Rorschach is framed for murdering an old rival. With Armageddon conspiracies abounding, Nite Owl and Jupiter will put their fears aside and decide to break Rorschach out of jail. Dr. Manhattan will abduct Jupiter. Both Rorscach and Nite Owl, though their ideas differ, will continue their search for the mask killer. Rorscach will commit suicide before the story is finished.
In the end, we'll find out Ozymandias is behind a plan to make the world a better place by preying on ignorance to end all wars and manipulating the public's post-war mentality to fit his desires.
If you enjoyed that last sentence, you'll probably also like the way Ozymandias speaks. Personally, I just wanted him to shut up. I'm confident I missed quite a bit of text each time he started prattling on.
The story was nearly impossible to follow to begin with. Most of it was told through flashbacks, and the characters seemed to share very similar points of view. If I had paid the story any less attention, I doubt I would have been able to tell whose point of view I was seeing things from. That was difficult in itself. But things got much worse when, about halfway through the story, the authors implemented a mixed-narrative using excerpts from a "Treasure Island" comic book. Trying to read a comic within a comic was just maddening. I think I managed to skip over most of the interposing text without missing anything important.
I wanted to like this story, but I felt comfortable abandoning all hope when Ozymandias's plans to take over the world were revealed. Somehow, the smartest man in the world was able to work a giant squid invasion into those plans. I couldn't take the story seriously at that point, but I feel like I should acknowledge the genius that gave the squid a psychic, cloned, human brain...and also whomever decided it would be appropriate to explode the squid less than five minutes after the plan's inception.
The only characters I felt like I could relate to in the story were Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan. In trying to relate to any of the characters, I felt like only the worst aspects of my personality were highlighted; indifference to emotion, passion for science at the expense of all else, ignorance, obsession, and stubbornness. Maybe that's why I disliked every last one of them. But maybe that was the point.
The characters each had their excuses, however ill-contrived, for behaving the way they did. They all seemed shallow and unbelievable. The authors may have been onto a good idea, but it seems like the characters' flaws were overdeveloped at the expense of the plot. Still, what seemed like an endless description didn't quite touch on human behavior like I had originally hoped it would.
One inquiry that was raised as I was reading the book was about which character seemed most morally corrupt. My original choice was the obvious choice, but after some consideration, I realized that the only view I was given of The Comedian was through flashbacks. If the characters were meant to be flawed, it's easy for me to see how their interpretations might have been skewed. The two most prominent events that led to my original decision were, The Comedian raped the original Silk Spectre, and he gunned down a woman in Vietnam that was supposedly carrying his child. I actually had to reconsider both of these events. The woman in Vietnam certainly had enough motivation to lie, and the war could've easily made The Comedian crazy. And at the end of the novel, the original Silk Spectre planted a big, sad kiss on a picture of The Comedian she still had tucked away. If nothing else, I had to ask why.
My choice now is Dr. Manhattan. (Oddly enough, he's also my favorite character.) I've decided on him because, after all things are considered, he was given the powers of a god and ultimately turned his back on humankind.
Heroes aren't exactly perfect. Questions don't always have answers. Guns are sometimes introduced without being fired. Villains sometimes get away. I can appreciate the authors' attempts to break boundaries within the genre. And I tried really hard to like this book. But in the end, there was too much filler and not enough substance. I'm sorry, but I'm just disappointed.
The book was purchased brand-new and still seems to be in good shape. It seems like plenty of other people enjoyed this book, so maybe I can get it out to a few people who will enjoy it. Its fate has yet to be determined. (Sorry, Dr. Manhattan.)
I've decided to organize a bookring with this book.
The ring is still open to new participants, and shipping order has not yet been finalized. I'll have to PM a few people and get their shipping preferences prior to figuring that out. PMs are going out tonight.
(4-14-09: Edited to remove primary participants list in order to avoid confusion. The correct shipping order is listed below.)
(4-14-09: Edited to remove primary participants list in order to avoid confusion. The correct shipping order is listed below.)
Sorry about the delay, everyone. Let's get the shipping order finalized so I can send this book on its way.
Here we go:
klaradyn (South Africa - will ship anywhere)
dark-draco (UK - prefers UK)
Kryssa (UK - EU only)
Martjxox (Italy - EU only)
samulli (Germany - will ship anywhere)
Mozette (Australia - will ship anywhere)
rednumbertwo (Canada - will ship anywhere) <---- BOOK IS TRAVELING HERE
Bkind2books (US - will ship anywhere)
Bibliocrates (US - prefers US)
dg7500 (US - US only)
H2Omelons (US - US only)
...and then back home to me.
I think most of you already know how these things work, but just in case, here's how it goes. First, please make a journal entry when you receive the book. Then take your time and enjoy the book. (A month should be more than enough time for everyone.) When you're nearing the end of the book, please send the next person in line a PM to request shipping information. When you've finished the book, please make an entry to let us know what you thought and to let us know you're mailing the book to the next participant. Finally, send the book along to the next participant. (If possible, try to reuse the envelope the book arrived in. Be kind to the earth!)
I'll be sending a PM out to the first participant tonight. Happy reading, everyone!
(4-12-09: Edited to change shipping order, as requested.)
Here we go:
klaradyn (South Africa - will ship anywhere)
dark-draco (UK - prefers UK)
Kryssa (UK - EU only)
samulli (Germany - will ship anywhere)
Mozette (Australia - will ship anywhere)
rednumbertwo (Canada - will ship anywhere) <---- BOOK IS TRAVELING HERE
Bkind2books (US - will ship anywhere)
Bibliocrates (US - prefers US)
dg7500 (US - US only)
H2Omelons (US - US only)
...and then back home to me.
I think most of you already know how these things work, but just in case, here's how it goes. First, please make a journal entry when you receive the book. Then take your time and enjoy the book. (A month should be more than enough time for everyone.) When you're nearing the end of the book, please send the next person in line a PM to request shipping information. When you've finished the book, please make an entry to let us know what you thought and to let us know you're mailing the book to the next participant. Finally, send the book along to the next participant. (If possible, try to reuse the envelope the book arrived in. Be kind to the earth!)
I'll be sending a PM out to the first participant tonight. Happy reading, everyone!
(4-12-09: Edited to change shipping order, as requested.)
Journal Entry 5 by snarkhunting at -- BookRing, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA on Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Released 15 yrs ago (4/14/2009 UTC) at -- BookRing, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
On its way!
On its way!
Arrived today, thanks for sending on, allthesepieces! I'll have it on the road again as soon as possible.
At first I made a false start with this one, but on the second attempt I enjoyed the book far more and finished it. I don't claim to understand all the levels of meaning in the story (although I'm still thinking about it), but I can say that overall I enjoyed the reading experience. The bits at the end of every chapter helped me to make sense of what was happening!
Something that caught my attention was the way the artist handled time shifts / flashbacks in some places - in two or three panels by changing the background but keeping the central figure in the same foreground position. Maybe this kind of thing is old hat to seasoned readers of graphic novels, but I'm new to the genre so I thought it was pretty cool!
Interesting point about the Comedian, allthesepieces. I hadn't realised until I read your JE that we only see his actions through flashbacks. So maybe he is not entirely evil, but was only perceived to be that way by the other characters?
I look forward to seeing what the other readers think of the book (and also what they make of The Tale of the Black Freighter).
Something that caught my attention was the way the artist handled time shifts / flashbacks in some places - in two or three panels by changing the background but keeping the central figure in the same foreground position. Maybe this kind of thing is old hat to seasoned readers of graphic novels, but I'm new to the genre so I thought it was pretty cool!
Interesting point about the Comedian, allthesepieces. I hadn't realised until I read your JE that we only see his actions through flashbacks. So maybe he is not entirely evil, but was only perceived to be that way by the other characters?
I look forward to seeing what the other readers think of the book (and also what they make of The Tale of the Black Freighter).
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
On the way to the next reader via surface mail. Thanks for this bookring, allthesepieces!
My book #41 for guinaveve's Keep Them Moving challenge.
On the way to the next reader via surface mail. Thanks for this bookring, allthesepieces!
My book #41 for guinaveve's Keep Them Moving challenge.
Arrived today and can't wait to read it. Thanks for adding the SPOILER WARNING - I usually read through everyone else's journals first, but will save it until after I've read it. Thanks for sending this...
SPOILERS AGAIN - DON'T READ THIS UNTIL YOU'VE READ THE BOOK!
WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW ... I absolutely loved this book, to the point where I will have to get my own copy to re-read at my leisure. It really did blow me away and I read it in 2 days, much to the disgust of my Dad who couldn't get me to do anything else of an evening!
I did guess who the villain ultimately ended up being, but I think that is more because of an awareness of the film rather than my own powers of deduction! Not that I've seen it yet, but I will definately track it down now. I loved the different viewpoints that came and went, just like a normal novel, but compounded by the slightly different panel style in the drawing.
To answer your queries about the Comedian - no, he wasn't all bad. The Silk Spectre mentions a couple of times that she was not able to remain angry at him and that there was one night of passion that occured after the rape, and presumably when her daughter was conceived. So, I think he was loved by her, but was made crazy by the war and his outtake on life, which led to his estrangement - I don't think anyone could love someone who was so happy to dish out so much death and destruction.
I do disagree that the final plot was a bit farfetched - hey, this is a comic book world after all - but it is something we must all of thought. So many films and books show humanity working together once faced with a common threat (think Independance Day style plots!) - would it actually work in real life? If you had the power to create that sense of dread, would you not give it a go if it brought an end to all the conflict? Who knows, but it is an idea worth exploring and good job we have fiction to do it in. Ok, ok, the giant squid thing was a bit of a surprise, but the clues were there and I think a lot of that came from 'The Black Freighter', in tone if not in actuality - I became engrossed with this story as much as the main one and it proved an interesting counterpoint to the ideas already being explored - the fact that the nicest man can become a monster if the right stimulus is applied.
I think this is the longest journal entry I have ever written, but I am still so excited about this book. I could carry on writing, but had better stop now lest I use up all the memory space uploading it!
Thank you so much for sharing it with the rest of us. It will be travelling on to Kryssa in the next week as I already have her address.
WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW ... I absolutely loved this book, to the point where I will have to get my own copy to re-read at my leisure. It really did blow me away and I read it in 2 days, much to the disgust of my Dad who couldn't get me to do anything else of an evening!
I did guess who the villain ultimately ended up being, but I think that is more because of an awareness of the film rather than my own powers of deduction! Not that I've seen it yet, but I will definately track it down now. I loved the different viewpoints that came and went, just like a normal novel, but compounded by the slightly different panel style in the drawing.
To answer your queries about the Comedian - no, he wasn't all bad. The Silk Spectre mentions a couple of times that she was not able to remain angry at him and that there was one night of passion that occured after the rape, and presumably when her daughter was conceived. So, I think he was loved by her, but was made crazy by the war and his outtake on life, which led to his estrangement - I don't think anyone could love someone who was so happy to dish out so much death and destruction.
I do disagree that the final plot was a bit farfetched - hey, this is a comic book world after all - but it is something we must all of thought. So many films and books show humanity working together once faced with a common threat (think Independance Day style plots!) - would it actually work in real life? If you had the power to create that sense of dread, would you not give it a go if it brought an end to all the conflict? Who knows, but it is an idea worth exploring and good job we have fiction to do it in. Ok, ok, the giant squid thing was a bit of a surprise, but the clues were there and I think a lot of that came from 'The Black Freighter', in tone if not in actuality - I became engrossed with this story as much as the main one and it proved an interesting counterpoint to the ideas already being explored - the fact that the nicest man can become a monster if the right stimulus is applied.
I think this is the longest journal entry I have ever written, but I am still so excited about this book. I could carry on writing, but had better stop now lest I use up all the memory space uploading it!
Thank you so much for sharing it with the rest of us. It will be travelling on to Kryssa in the next week as I already have her address.
Journal Entry 11 by 
dark-draco
at Controlled Release, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Friday, August 14, 2009
dark-draco at Controlled Release, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Friday, August 14, 2009
Released 14 yrs ago (8/14/2009 UTC) at Controlled Release, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
continuing on its travels
continuing on its travels
Journal Entry 12 by Kryssa from a secret surprise!, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, September 3, 2009
eek sorry I didn't journal sooner but I keep forgetting to write down the BCID! I hadn't got a PM for my address so it was a nice surprise when this turned up in the post :)
Have started reading and got through a couple of chapters, finding Dr Manhattan and Rorschach to be interesting characters. And one of the heroes is named Ozymandias, which I hope is in reference to my favourite poem of the same name http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozymandias
Will journal again once I've finished.
Have started reading and got through a couple of chapters, finding Dr Manhattan and Rorschach to be interesting characters. And one of the heroes is named Ozymandias, which I hope is in reference to my favourite poem of the same name http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozymandias
Will journal again once I've finished.
Journal Entry 13 by Kryssa from a secret surprise!, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, September 8, 2009
So I ended up racing through this one! I was a bit slow to start as it is somewhat confusing switching between all the characters and seeing little side stories coming in, but they do somehow manage to all merge together. It didn't make a huge amount of sense until you get about halfway through and then have a better understanding of the individuals. I really did not see the end coming! Really liked the characters Rorschach (especially his speech patterns, and the journal was brilliant - love how that turns up at the end and what that could mean for the future...!), Dr Manhattan (pure objectivity, his powers almost seem useless if he will not act??)and Ozymandias (powerful, cunning, and ruthless - yes!). As Nite Owl came into the story more he became more interesting. LOVED the Black Freighter comic story, the tone was so dark and the art was fantastic. It was interesting to draw parallels on what was happening in real time with the actual story and what was happening within the Black Freighter comic. Although it was a bit strange to be reading a comic within a comic! I'm quite keen to see the film now to see how that compares, I think it could work pretty well.
I am finally going to go back and read all the spoiler entries now :)
Will post on to the next reader once I have their address.
Thanks for passing it on.
I am finally going to go back and read all the spoiler entries now :)
Will post on to the next reader once I have their address.
Thanks for passing it on.
Journal Entry 14 by Kryssa at To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Released 14 yrs ago (9/17/2009 UTC) at To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Martjxox asked to be skipped so am sending on to samulli - will pop in the post on my lunch break tomorrow.
happy reading :)
Martjxox asked to be skipped so am sending on to samulli - will pop in the post on my lunch break tomorrow.
happy reading :)
Just fished this one out of the mailbox. I'll get to it as soon as I can.
Well, that certainly was something else. Something completely different from what I expected, I mean. On the other hand I have no experience with graphic novels, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. One of the biggest surprises was how long it took me to read the damn thing, which is, after all, only a glorified picture book.
I had a really hard time getting into the story at the beginning. As others have mentioned it is all very confusing what with all the seemingly disconnected storylines and the characters that all seemed to look pretty much alike at first. That "comic within a comic"-thing didn't help either, although I found the pirate story fascinating.
But once it started all coming together it really gripped me and I had a hard time putting the book down again. The ending was quite a surprise, although for countless reasons not very realistic.
The characters were all not very likeable, especially Laurie got on my nerves pretty much all the time. I really, really hoped she would die, but no such luck. Instead Rorschach got himself killed. Hrmpf.
Quis custodiet
ipsos custodes.
I always loved this quote. It just amazes me that it took Moore and Gibbons a good 200 or so pages to get the point across that nobody can be trusted with too much power and control over people. The Watchmen are all deeply flawed and morally corrupt, even if they started out with the best intentions. Except Jon, who isn't really human anymore and looks at the world with a weary detachment, which isn't really helpful either.
This really isn't a cheerful story. Certainly not the kind of comic I remember from my childhood. That said, I did enjoy reading it quite a bit, since I find morally ambiguous heroes so much more interesting than the squeaky clean ones like Superman. Still, I would probably have enjoyed it even more if it was a normal novel, with no pictures and a few more layers of characterization.
Thanks for including me in this bookring. I have contacted Mozette and will send the book out as soon as I receive her address.
Edit 10/06/09:
Oops, almost forgot: the book is on its way to Australia as of today. Since it is so heavy I had to use surface mail, which can take anything from one week up to two months. Sorry for that.
I had a really hard time getting into the story at the beginning. As others have mentioned it is all very confusing what with all the seemingly disconnected storylines and the characters that all seemed to look pretty much alike at first. That "comic within a comic"-thing didn't help either, although I found the pirate story fascinating.
But once it started all coming together it really gripped me and I had a hard time putting the book down again. The ending was quite a surprise, although for countless reasons not very realistic.
The characters were all not very likeable, especially Laurie got on my nerves pretty much all the time. I really, really hoped she would die, but no such luck. Instead Rorschach got himself killed. Hrmpf.
Quis custodiet
ipsos custodes.
I always loved this quote. It just amazes me that it took Moore and Gibbons a good 200 or so pages to get the point across that nobody can be trusted with too much power and control over people. The Watchmen are all deeply flawed and morally corrupt, even if they started out with the best intentions. Except Jon, who isn't really human anymore and looks at the world with a weary detachment, which isn't really helpful either.
This really isn't a cheerful story. Certainly not the kind of comic I remember from my childhood. That said, I did enjoy reading it quite a bit, since I find morally ambiguous heroes so much more interesting than the squeaky clean ones like Superman. Still, I would probably have enjoyed it even more if it was a normal novel, with no pictures and a few more layers of characterization.
Thanks for including me in this bookring. I have contacted Mozette and will send the book out as soon as I receive her address.
Edit 10/06/09:
Oops, almost forgot: the book is on its way to Australia as of today. Since it is so heavy I had to use surface mail, which can take anything from one week up to two months. Sorry for that.
Ooohhh! At last a graphic novel I can get my teeth into! I've had a history of graphic novels of the thinner variety, however, not like this. And I've been looking forward to reading this particular one so much that I didn't go out and see the film.
Thank you allthesepieces for putting on this bookring and for including me in it! I'll begin it this afternoon; and see how I go with it. I'm sure it'll be just as good - if not better - than the ones I've read in the past.
Thank you allthesepieces for putting on this bookring and for including me in it! I'll begin it this afternoon; and see how I go with it. I'm sure it'll be just as good - if not better - than the ones I've read in the past.
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Wow! What a book! I am so glad I didn't see the film! There was so much in this graphic novel; so many sub-plots I found it hard to keep track and had to keep going back a few pages once in a while. However, it had me guessing right up there with the others. I did a review of it on 'My Reading List' if anyone's interested (url: http://continuousreader.blogspot.com/ ) and there's links to Alan Moore's and Dave Gibbon's websites on the side bar too!
I have finally sea mailed this to the next person on the list in Canada.
Wow! What a book! I am so glad I didn't see the film! There was so much in this graphic novel; so many sub-plots I found it hard to keep track and had to keep going back a few pages once in a while. However, it had me guessing right up there with the others. I did a review of it on 'My Reading List' if anyone's interested (url: http://continuousreader.blogspot.com/ ) and there's links to Alan Moore's and Dave Gibbon's websites on the side bar too!
I have finally sea mailed this to the next person on the list in Canada.
I have it! I am unspoiled about the plot, as I haven't seen the movie and have been avoiding reviews. Can't wait to get into this one. Thanks for starting the ring, allthesepieces!
This graphic novel was amazing, and I thought everything was done so cleverly. I loved the alternate history aspect. I even liked the "comic within a comic" even thought that kind of thing can be irritating sometimes. The caracters were all so wonderfully flawed. I loved Nite Owl, with his sad, disused lair and insecurities. I can't wait to watch the movie, and see if everything translates well.
Found this in the mailbox today - have one book ahead of it, then will start on it. Thanks for organizing this, allthesepieces!
It took me quite a while to plow through this novel. I found the changing point of views disconcerting and hard to follow. The comic within a comic seem to detract from the overall plot and I too found myself skimming over it. I had seen the movie before reading this and I think it actually helped me to follow some of the more convuluted parts. This was my first 'graphic novel' and it will probably be my last.
Have pm'd for next address.
Have pm'd for next address.
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Did not get a reply from Bibliocrates, so have skipped her and will send on to dg7500. Perhaps Bibliocrates can be added to the end of the ring if she's still interested.
Thanks for organizing this bookring, allthesepieces!
Did not get a reply from Bibliocrates, so have skipped her and will send on to dg7500. Perhaps Bibliocrates can be added to the end of the ring if she's still interested.
Thanks for organizing this bookring, allthesepieces!
Arrived safely in todays mail...looking forward to reading it! I have another book to finish, but hope to start on this one by the weekend.
DS read this and absolutely loved it. I, on the other hand, have had a hectic month, and try as I have, I just can't seem to get into the story enough for it to hold my attention for any amount of time, so rather than keep it any longer, I'll be moving it along.
I've tried multiple times, through both PMs & forum posts, to contact H2Omellons for mailing info, but haven't received a response, so this book will be heading back home again to complete it's current bookring journey. Safe travels...
"Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens ..."
Carlos Ruiz Zafon (The Shadow of the Wind)
I've tried multiple times, through both PMs & forum posts, to contact H2Omellons for mailing info, but haven't received a response, so this book will be heading back home again to complete it's current bookring journey. Safe travels...
"Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens ..."
Carlos Ruiz Zafon (The Shadow of the Wind)
After an exciting adventure around the world, this book arrived at home on Friday. Thanks so much to everyone who participated in this bookring!
I've started sketching plans for my own graphic story. I can't promise my idea will take off, but I wanted to give the medium a try, anyway. I'm going to be taking a closer look at the artwork in this book for inspiration and to figure out what really sets it apart.
I have a friend who is expecting to borrow this, too, so we're going to have to figure something out so that neither of us ends up "hogging" the book.
Looking forward to future adventures! Happy Bookcrossing!
I've started sketching plans for my own graphic story. I can't promise my idea will take off, but I wanted to give the medium a try, anyway. I'm going to be taking a closer look at the artwork in this book for inspiration and to figure out what really sets it apart.
I have a friend who is expecting to borrow this, too, so we're going to have to figure something out so that neither of us ends up "hogging" the book.
Looking forward to future adventures! Happy Bookcrossing!
