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ellejaoy's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic fast read that was really entertaining. Loved every page. Darker than I normally pick but left me totally satisfied. The book itself is beautiful with the illustrations done in what appears to be charcoal. Some of the drawings are indeed a little bit risqué but nothing any normal late teen couldn't handle. Highly recommend.
cleverbaggins's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I really really enjoyed this up until the abrupt end. Incredibly disappointed. Almost disgusted. What a waste of my day. And seriously that. It feels like it's been a waste.
shea_proulx's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lessard8424's review against another edition
4.0
I did not know this was a graphic novel when I requested it from the library. I was very surprised when I opened it up. I have to say that I really enjoyed it. Never having read one before, I thought I'd fly through it. Little did I realize how much time I would spend looking at and thinking about the illustrations. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book!
xsleepyshadows's review against another edition
4.0
This novel is beautifully illustrated, I think I spent more time looking at this book than I did reading it. Very interested mermaid folklore and really kept my full interest entirely
charlottedante's review against another edition
4.0
Set on the Hudson River near the turn of the 20th century, Sailor Twain is a lengthy tale of one man’s encounter with a mermaid, one of the most intriguing and dangerous creatures of mythology. The story begins Captain Elijah Twain meeting a mysterious woman in a bar, asking her, “Don’t call me captain.” What soon follows is a deep graphic retelling of Twain’s story on board the Lorelei and his discovery of an injured mermaid who Twain nurses back to help and bonds with, all under the notion that she promises not to sing to him. Siegel’s protagonist is drawn comically, conjuring up images of Sesame Street’s Bert, but his life and situations are anything but. The remaining cast of characters are uniquely rendered, background people drawn beautifully so while main contenders are given more animated features, like large eyes and long noses. The rest of the novel is drawn with lovely shading and depth in simple pencil; the lack of color takes nothing away from this story. The complexity of the tale and the graphic—no pun intended—depiction of the mermaid (she’s topless throughout the entire story) makes me wonder how much Sailor Twain really is for young adults, though it’s doubtless that they could definitely find it enjoyable. It feels like an adult novel, but graphic works seem to always struggle with finding their place with the correct audience.
gronk's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75
jwinchell's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure how well the art worked in this quirky GN--comic book faces with shaded charcoal backgrounds; it was an awkward combination. I'm learning to be ok with and see the value in the fantastical in stories, so I liked the mermaid lore in this one. But I have to admit that I didn't really get it--getting halved? There were lots of (mermaid) boobies in this book, so I'd be reluctant to give it to younger readers even though that seems like the intended audience.
onesonicbite's review against another edition
5.0
My mother bought this book after listening to a podcast, and I was a little skeptical since I wasn’t a fan of Boxers & Saints (another recommendation from the same podcast series.) I wasn’t a big fan of the drawings, as I thought the people looked slightly too borderline cartoon-y. But on the flip side I liked the rough styling from using charcoal. After a few chapters, you get soaked into the art style and absorbed into the plot.
The story tells about Sailor Twain, who spends his days on a boat going up and down the Hudson River. He is married but works so frequently that he only sees her twice a year. One night hears someone hurt in the waters, and brings her on board. Turns out it wasn’t a woman drowning, but a hurt mermaid.
The story is more centered about sex and human emotions, a far cry from our modern views of mermaids. What makes the story more interesting is the local feel I get since the story is based around New York City, so many of the towns are familiar. I also like how it is set in American rather than Europe. Fairytales have been sugarcoated over the past 100 years. So it is nice to see old themes brought to the new world.
The story tells about Sailor Twain, who spends his days on a boat going up and down the Hudson River. He is married but works so frequently that he only sees her twice a year. One night hears someone hurt in the waters, and brings her on board. Turns out it wasn’t a woman drowning, but a hurt mermaid.
The story is more centered about sex and human emotions, a far cry from our modern views of mermaids. What makes the story more interesting is the local feel I get since the story is based around New York City, so many of the towns are familiar. I also like how it is set in American rather than Europe. Fairytales have been sugarcoated over the past 100 years. So it is nice to see old themes brought to the new world.
karliclover's review against another edition
3.0
I was at my local comic shop one day, browsing through the graphic novels of Image, Dark Horse, and IDW. Somewhere along the lines, I spotted this book. It did a great job of standing out from the other books; it's shorter (in height) and thicker than most of the others around it, which caught my attention. I took note of it and looked up reviews when I got home. I found that people were in love with it, so I took it upon myself to get a copy, excited to see what all the buzz what about.
The use of charcoal is absolutely stunning. I think my favorite panel was the spread on page 153. If there's one thing negative to say about the art, it's that I kept thinking that I would smudge it with my fingers. But that's nothing to hold against the book at all.
The story took a while for me to get interested in it. But once it started going, I was pretty invested in it. I like the whole duality theme that encompasses the entire book (Twain, Lafayette, Camomille, South, etc.).
Admittedly, however, I still don't entirely understand the ending. I kind of get it, but I know I must have missed something. For this reason, I give it 3.5 stars. If and when I find out what happened, I might change it to 4.
It should also be noted that this is an incredibly short read. I would have finished it in one sitting, but I started it around midnight last night, and I got tired at about 2:00am.
Another thing: apparently, this was a webcomic? Nice.
The use of charcoal is absolutely stunning. I think my favorite panel was the spread on page 153. If there's one thing negative to say about the art, it's that I kept thinking that I would smudge it with my fingers. But that's nothing to hold against the book at all.
The story took a while for me to get interested in it. But once it started going, I was pretty invested in it. I like the whole duality theme that encompasses the entire book (Twain, Lafayette, Camomille, South, etc.).
Admittedly, however, I still don't entirely understand the ending. I kind of get it, but I know I must have missed something. For this reason, I give it 3.5 stars. If and when I find out what happened, I might change it to 4.
It should also be noted that this is an incredibly short read. I would have finished it in one sitting, but I started it around midnight last night, and I got tired at about 2:00am.
Another thing: apparently, this was a webcomic? Nice.