Reviews

A Thousand Coloured Castles by Gareth Brookes

mjtal's review

emotional informative mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Ableism

thisisstephenbetts's review

5.0

Another wonderful book by Brookes (who is a friend of mine — full disclosure fans). He is an avant-garde Raymond Briggs, which may actually be the highest praise I am capable of conceiving of. The main characters of this comic are Myriam and Fred, a couple getting into their senior years, living in suburbia much as they always have. But Myriam has started vivid hallucinations, so that that when she does see something truly strange she cannot be sure what is real and not, much less convince anyone else. The plot is solid, but where Brookes really excels is in his mordent, well-observed dialogue — the characters this conjures — and, naturally, his art. As can now be expected, he has used a novel technique here, creating coloured pages conventionally, then entirely covering it in black crayon only to scrape the crayon off. This gives texture and interest to his pages, and also, of course, alludes to Myriam's own occluded vision, placing the reader in a position akin to hers. In this way, Brookes continually disconcerts the reader, making the cosy suburban setting uncomfortable and slightly off, much as it must be for poor old Myriam.

kimzc's review

wow. an upsetting but important read. especially with the looming specter of aging parents.

briancrandall's review

5.0

Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) is a mysterious condition affecting those with deteriorating vision.

People with CBS experience complex hallucinations including cartoon characters, little people, strange buildings, figures wearing exotic and brightly coloured clothes, geometric patterns, colours, indecipherable writing, animals and bizarre vehicles.

While these visions are indistinguishable from reality, the person experiencing them remains emotionally disconnected and can often discern what’s real from what isn’t by the sheer incongruity of the apparitions.

In many cases CBS goes undiagnosed because the sufferer is afraid to admit to them, thinking that what they are experiencing is a form of mental illness or dementia.

However in most cases they are mentally healthy people who’ve lost most or all of their eyesight.

For more information visit www.CharlesBonnetSyndrome.uk

[from the afterword, 202]

bkmckown's review

4.0

This was such an interesting premise about a condition I never knew existed. It was fascinating with a bit of a crime twist. Her husband and daughter were such jerks to her throughout the book but at least she got redeemed in the end. The drawings were really unique as well. 

endemictoearth's review

challenging informative mysterious sad medium-paced

4.0

noelles's review

dark emotional informative mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

hyacinth_girl's review

2.0

I liked the concept of this graphic novel, but I thought the execution was a little weak. The ending was odd; I get the point the author was trying to make, but perhaps he could have made it in a different way. I also liked the art for the most part. It was a creative way to show macular degeneration. The main character's family totally sucked but at least, in the end, they figured out what was happening to Myriam.

ellajk24's review

4.0

3.5, I like the story, (though it's confusing at times), but I don't like the art style. It looks cool, but it's hard to tell whats in pictures sometimes, and it just feels blurry.
Edit: I just realized the "blurry" was probably on purpose, since it makes sense to the story, but it's still annoying to read.

yesterdayiwasme's review

dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5