Reviews

Tunnels by Rutu Modan

aront's review

3.0

Loved the drawing style. Some of the characters were interesting others were too stereotypical. The zany story was occasionally amusing but didn’t always keep me interested. The best part were the stories within the story. The epilogue explains the book’s main failing: Modan sees the story as political allegory and allegory always makes art inauthentic.

jimmydean's review

Found this really thoughtful, thought-provoking and informative. Feels like a story that only works in the form of a graphic novel, which I always love. Wanna read more Rutu Mordan.

tlindhorst's review

3.0

A graphic novel set in present day Israel becomes a comedy of errors as the mail character Nili traces to find the Ark of the Covenant. Along the way, we get a glimpse into Jewish fundamentalism, Palestinian grievances, queer relations, archaeological “truths” & complex, multi-generational family dynamics. The comic style is fairly traditional.

3rian's review

2.0

I was initially drawn to the bright cartoony art and the Tintin-style adventure-comedy story about a race to find the Ark of the Covenant. The characters and narrative pace are offbeat and quirky, and the story is peppered with some enjoyable moments of physical comedy. Still, even with a few double-crosses and dashed hopes driving the plot, it was odd to not feel invested in it.

There are interesting ideas to explore about Israeli-Palestinian relations and the impact of storytelling across generations, but perhaps the presentation style was too overwhelming for me to fully appreciate them. Thankfully the author included a thoughtful extensive Afterword to delve further into these themes. This context was helpful as I'd have otherwise missed a lot of their intent.

An odd read that wasn't as compelling as it could have been.

matthewabush's review

3.0

Interesting read for an afternoon.

shea_proulx's review

informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

olivia_piepmeier's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I had started this a month or so ago but got distracted. I returned partially due the extremely obvious relevancy to current affairs but also because I wanted to know what happens! I was initially drawn to it (pun intended) due to the art and the subject - a comic about an archaeology adventure? Yes! Modan's style is a pleasant balance of cartoony and realistic that can ease the tension particularly when reading now. The subject matter is so beyond just a fun little archaeology adventure - family dynamics, academia, capitalism, greed, religion, politics. It's fiction but clearly informed by the real world. Modan's afterward is required reading to fully grasp the story's reflection of our world and to maybe possibly see something else in what's happening in Israel and Palestine. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry and Dementia

aylakay851's review

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Picked up this book on October 5th 2023… strange timing given recent events. But despite recent tragedies, Tutu’s words in the afterword still ring very very true. A fantastic book. Great story, a fun array of characters, and a much needed message that was well thought out with symbolism. I loved it!

lilam24's review

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

marissab's review

adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5