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QUIMBY THE MOUSE
by Chris Ware
(
Fantagraphics Books)
Review by Sean McGurr
Chris Ware is a critic's darling. His graphic novel from a few years ago,
Jimmy Corrigan: the Smartest Kid on Earth, was highly regarded and anointed one of the greatest works in the field. While I enjoyed
Jimmy Corrigan (as much as you can enjoy a book about an outcast and his failed relationship with his father), I think I respect the work that Ware does more than I like it. His books are beautifully packaged and the detail he puts into the art and the design draw me in to a greater extent than the stories do.
This is especially true for
Quimby the Mouse, a collection of Ware's early work from his time as a cartoonist at the University of Texas, including content from his
Acme Novelty Library. The oversized book is designed as if it's a discard from the library. It includes discard and defaced stamps along with other unusual markings. Fake advertisements, essays, and tons of minutiae in fine print make this a book that almost overwhelms the reader.
The stories themselves continue Ware's attention to detail. Often each page will have dozens and dozens of stamp-sized panels. His style is similar to old-time animation. Minute changes in his characters from one panel to the next advance the plot (what little plot there is; Ware is more interested in conveying themes and emotion) most often with no narration or dialog. Frequently the stories consist merely of a cat or mouse being physically assaulted in some way. The better stories suggest a sense of loss and longing for a better time. Reading Ware's essay about the death of his grandmother makes clear where this is coming from, especially when we see a young man wandering through an empty house.
The entire package is one that you can pore over again and again constantly finding new details. More importantly, the difficult subject matter, presented in a sparse, simple style, encourages re-readings to understand what Ware is trying to communicate.
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