Saturday, January 21, 2012

Big Questions

I picked this up from the library on the recommendation of the A.V. Club's top graphic novels of 2011 list.  The thing is massive.  It's around 600 pages, but due to it's form it's actually a pretty quick read.  Someone with the time could get through it in a single sitting - and you very well may want to as it pulls you into an almost hypnotic trance.
It's the story of a flock of songbirds and how their mundane lives are disrupted by bizarre events.  Sounds bizarre, but it's glorious.  Lots of thoughtfulness, some wonderful catty and dark humor, and over all a really original and solid story.  It's not the kind of book that's going to make you rethink the universe by any means, but it's a lot of fun to think about it while hanging out with these birds and the many other creatures that pop up.  I think if it were humans dealing with these events the book might come off as a tad pretentious, but it doesn't at all with it's animal counter-parts.  Funny how that works out. 
If you're in Toronto I'm sure that they've got copies of this at The Beguiling, otherwise you might have to order it online or get it at the library.  It's a lovely book, and don't be deterred by it's size - it's a breeze of a read, and if you stand up while doing so your arms get a work-out.  Bonus!

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