Why I love Graphic Novels

Oh, the graphic novel.  All of a sudden, a few years back, these came across my radar.  In my naivety, I scoffed--pictures?  comics?  Who needs those?  I like the pictures I create in my head; slowly building up the details as the author paints a word picture.  I'm a reader, I don't need pictures!  Then again, I've been wrong before.  

After all a picture is worth a thousand words.  Especially a good, provocative picture.  Then it is worth a million words (or maybe more).  Graphic novels can go to deep places quickly, because the pictures can move with a speed words cannot. It might not take long to read, but this genre leaves a lasting impression.  

My first graphic novel came from Canada Reads 2011:  Essex County.  I read it as I decided to read all the books but was the least familiar with the style and content of Jeff Lemire's work.  Turns out, it was gripping.  Great story, interesting pictures, heartfelt.  I really enjoyed it.  But I still felt 'out of touch' with the world of graphic novels.  How does one even begin to engage a whole new kind of book.  My limited, incorrect definition of comics (Saturday mornings, super heroes, or Japanese anime) crippled me when I walked into the section.  I hardly knew where to start.  I really liked reading Essex County, but then what?  

 

Recently I came across Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City by Guy Delisle (from CBC Book's Summer Reading List).  Also a graphic novel, I was excited to dig in.  And while Essex County was heartfelt, Jerusalem was heart wrenching.  With a wit that transcends his pictures and a poignant eye that notices truth in little moments, Delisle's take on the people, the realities and the challenges of life in the Holy Land fascinated me.  Delisle's story follows his year there with his wife (works with MSF/Doctors without Borders) and children, showing aspects of daily life (like finding a good playground) and big moments (like living through bombings).  He provides lots of simplified background information so that his vignettes are accessible even if you aren't familiar with Middle East relations.  Absolutely challenging subject matter.  But this book is a great way to start engaging with a reality that ought not be ignored. 

Both graphic novels I have read opened my eyes to the beauty of the genre and to the emotions, truths and moments which pictures can convey better than words.  I'm on the hunt for more (probably going to check out Delisle's other books).  Any suggestions? 

And in other Non-Fiction...

So really, I'm not a non-fiction girl.  I'm just not.  Some days I wish I could be, but I just love me my fiction.  I love stories that take me far away and it always seems a bit harsh to spend my escape time having to read about someone else's reality.  But, recently, I have been coming around on the whole non-fiction thing and have finding some great reads.  I even voluntarily wander the biography aisles at the book store now.  Chalk it up to growth! 

You'll also notice a theme--most of them are about situations in the Middle East.  Not an intentional theme at all.  I have always found the situations of Iraq, Iran, Israel, Palestine, Gaza and the West Bank a little (okay, a lot) daunting because the history is long, the situations complicated and the way forward is unclear.  The varying realities of these places are hard to understand and even harder to unpack.  For many years, I just ignored them (even though I worked in International Relations).  These books have offered great insights into situations that I felt it was easier to ignore.  Unintentionally, I have now begun to get a much better grasp on the Middle East.  All I've learned, however, is that things are deeply complicated.  The authors of the books below each offer his/her own insights and experiences, but there are many stories to hear and many options to weigh.  If you figure any of it out, please let me know! 

I also noticed another theme...all the books are written from the perspective of the powerless: women in Iran and Palenstinians in Israel.  It is worth recognizing that there are many people who would not consider these the voices to listen to.  For me, they are a integral part of the story who deserve to be heard. 
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
I think this might be the first non-fiction book I stuck with all the way through.  Maybe because it was about a girl who loved reading or maybe because Nafisi has a compelling way of telling her story.  Using four classic Western novels, she weaves a tale of life for women in the Islamic regime in Iran.  Forced out of her work and her life, Nafisi encourages other young women to keep reading and to keep hoping for change. 

Some have suggested this book is a bit too academic.  That wasn't my experience and I really didn't know anything about Iran.  I did, however, know about some of the books she refers to (Pride and Prejudice, Lolita, Daisy Miller, The Great Gatsby).  I would suggest reading the classics before reading this book, if you have time and the patience for Henry James and Vladimir Nabokov. 

Sometimes I feel like reading fiction might be a waste of time.  After all, there are so many great, true stories out there that seem to hold more water than ficticious tales.  But Nafisi's book is a reminder that fiction can tell great truths about humanity that are otherwise hard to hear.  If we let the books read us, we might get more than we bargained for.

If you like Nafisi, her second book, Things I've Been Silent About is a much more personal look into her life.  She has issues with her mother (lots and lots).  She also has a lot to say about how we grow and begin to understand those around us.  This book might be a better introduction to her person, but as someone who loves reading, I'll stick with Reading Lolita.

Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour
I should admit that this book came to me through work.  However, it is one of those books that I took into my heart.  I have never come across a more poignant tale of the Israel-Palestine conflict than this story.  Chacour's heart and hope shine through every page.  As someone who knew even less about Israel than I did about Iran, this book provided a clear and concise history of the relationships between the two nation-states (and the broader world).  Although Chacour is Palestinian, his love for his Jewish and Israeli brothers and sisters is so strong that it hardly feels biased (although, inherently, it is).  If you are at all interested in this part of the world, read this book.  Chacour will make you want to grow a fig tree and change the world all in a few short pages. 

I Shall Not Hate by Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish
When his daughters are killed by an Israeli bomb, Dr. Abuelaish (a Palestinian) decides not to hate, but to tell his story. To ask for change--specifically for the empowerment of women.  This tale of Palestinian-Israeli relations is a bit harder to engage with than Blood Brothers.  Still a great read, this book gives you a more day-to-day sense of the depth of the strain and struggle between these two nations.  Dr. Abuelaish's heartbreaking story is captivating because he endures when most would give up and he hopes when most would despair. 

Likely I'll stick to reading mostly fiction.  But these books are almost enough to change my mind!