Stack of Spines

One of the reasons I love book club so much is that I read books I wouldn’t otherwise.  In college I read Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, which was beautiful and moving and introduced me to the world of graphic novels.  Since then, I have not read another besides Persepolis II (which shouldn’t count).

That is, until David B.’s Epileptic was chosen for October.  This is the first review I’ve done of a book club book after the discussion, so I hope my review is not tainted by what others read or thought.  Overall, it was a nice change of pace and prompted a tie for my second favorite meeting to date.  Still at the top of my list for discussions is Rabbit, Run, which, interestingly enough, was my least favorite book choice.

When I am reading, I am more conditioned to absorb the words rather than look at pictures, but with Epileptic it was vital to take time for both.  Often the images changed in severity or harshness and they were arguably more important to the overall impression of the events.  I was taken by the nature of the story; it was as if I was a fly on the wall for a lifetime of David B.’s art therapy sessions; the expression in his drawings was magnificent.

The disease that grips David’s brother is a umistakeable presence that grips the reader in a multitude of ways.  As both brothers grow into adulthood and their lives get more complex, the corresponding drawings also take a turn.

As I write this (and I am not an artist by any means) I am tempted to draw a picture to help gather my thoughts.  The inspiration is contagious.