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levitybooks's review against another edition
2.0
TL;DR: BEAUTIFULLY DRAWN TERRIBLE STORY
I'm going to write a completely neurotic review for why I disliked this book but that it deserves better ratings.
In the format of a book, I think this is a failure, but a beautiful and insightful failure.
I find Garbage quite similar to Richard McGuire's 'Here', as an experimental work that seems more like an art series than a graphic novel. I disliked Here for similar reasons I disliked Garbage, but as Here was highly rated I am surprised Garbage has not received similar credit.
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Why this should have better ratings:
Look at the cover: that's an illustration, not a photograph! I have not seen more photo-realistic drawings used in a narrative before. The art style is incredible. These drawings are even more realistic than those in the Nao of Brown. Although arguably the way by which they are more realistic is less aesthetically appealing in the way of conveying all those grungy realistic shadows that occur in reality but not in graphic novels.
Some 'panels' do seem suited to this medium, motion is conveyed to show a dog run and catch a thrown frisbee or to show the smell wafting from its defecation after doing so. Interestingly each panel does either more or less than what a normal panel does in another work. However, while it is drawn well, it is structured inefficiently. For example, the dog is on the left of the panel and the frisbee thrower on the right, and so by a left-to-right reading perspective we see the dog run before we see the frisbee at all which causes a split-second of bewilderment.
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Why I disliked this:
The plot is terrible, but I think I could not really understand it. The 'man with dog' story, like the film 'Beginners' but with everything interesting and emotional taken out and just boring realism left. This is cohesive and coherent enough to be an art series, but does not stand on its own as a narrative. This is why ratings are low.
So read if you want art, but not if you want story.
I'm going to write a completely neurotic review for why I disliked this book but that it deserves better ratings.
In the format of a book, I think this is a failure, but a beautiful and insightful failure.
I find Garbage quite similar to Richard McGuire's 'Here', as an experimental work that seems more like an art series than a graphic novel. I disliked Here for similar reasons I disliked Garbage, but as Here was highly rated I am surprised Garbage has not received similar credit.
----
Why this should have better ratings:
Look at the cover: that's an illustration, not a photograph! I have not seen more photo-realistic drawings used in a narrative before. The art style is incredible. These drawings are even more realistic than those in the Nao of Brown. Although arguably the way by which they are more realistic is less aesthetically appealing in the way of conveying all those grungy realistic shadows that occur in reality but not in graphic novels.
Some 'panels' do seem suited to this medium, motion is conveyed to show a dog run and catch a thrown frisbee or to show the smell wafting from its defecation after doing so. Interestingly each panel does either more or less than what a normal panel does in another work. However, while it is drawn well, it is structured inefficiently. For example, the dog is on the left of the panel and the frisbee thrower on the right, and so by a left-to-right reading perspective we see the dog run before we see the frisbee at all which causes a split-second of bewilderment.
----
Why I disliked this:
The plot is terrible, but I think I could not really understand it. The 'man with dog' story, like the film 'Beginners' but with everything interesting and emotional taken out and just boring realism left. This is cohesive and coherent enough to be an art series, but does not stand on its own as a narrative. This is why ratings are low.
So read if you want art, but not if you want story.
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