6 of 15: “Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity” by Mike Carey and Peter Gross
For those joining me on the 15/15/15 Project, book 6 was the graphic novel collection Unwritten by Mike Carey, illustrated by Peter Gross.
Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity is the first collection of a new comic-book series, recommended by C and my friend Blogenheimer on a recent trip to the comic shop. As Bill Willingham, the author of Fables, writes in his laudatory introduction, it’s part of a relatively newish movement in comics to something he calls the LAF triumvirate: Literature-based, Animal, and Fairy Tale fantasy. This new book sits squarely in the company of Willingham’s own Fables, as well as Neil Gaiman’s Sandman and Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. For this geek, that’s a good thing.
Tom Taylor is the son of a famous fantasy writer, Wilson Taylor. Wilson wrote 13 books about a magical kid named Tommy Taylor. (All similarities to Harry Potter are deliberate.) Most fans assume that Tom was the model for Tommy, and it’s he who makes the fantasy convention circuit, as Wilson disappeared, or perhaps deserted Tom, many years ago. Tom wants to be a regular guy, but the shadow cast from his father’s book is long. It gets longer when Tom’s identity as Wilson’s son is called into question. Things get stranger when he’s kidnapped by someone claiming to be Tommy’s nemesis from the books.
Unwritten explores the boundary between what is story and what is real, and the relation of writers to their stories. There’s fascinating stuff going on here–postmodern literature, fantasy, and horror. This first volume lays the foundation for what feels to be a big, complex, sprawling story. I look forward to the next installment, and am not sure I’m going to wait for the collection; I may need to buy the individual issues.
As for the 15/15/15 project, it’s turning out to be harder than I’d hoped it would be to read and blog each day. I enjoy it, but it’s requiring some creative prioritizing as I go.
What did you read, and what did you think of it?
April 22nd, 2010 at 3:32 am
My sixth book was Zola’s, Thérése Raquin, which was a slightly difficult read. Maybe owing to the feelings the characters and the story aroused.
http://beanbagtales.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-6-therese-raquin_22.html
April 22nd, 2010 at 7:26 am
6 of 15 … With the Old Breed. This is one of the most profoundly moving books I have ever read. It is the story of E.B. Sledge’s time on Peleliu and Okinawa with the 5th Marines in WWII. It came on a day when I received tragic news of a loss of a wonderful man. I am not sure want to read more books like this, but I am glad I read this one.
http://alwayschasingboys.blogspot.com/2010/04/with-old-breed.html
April 22nd, 2010 at 9:45 am
I revisited a childhood favorite, with great enjoyment: http://www.newcenturyreading.com/2010/04/the-151515-projectday-6.html
April 22nd, 2010 at 11:31 am
Here’s my update:
http://mentalmultivitamin.blogspot.com/2010/04/gee-all-this-simple-living-can-set-you.html
April 22nd, 2010 at 5:19 pm
I read a “how to” book from 1898 - funny to see what’s changed since then and what’s stayed the same!
http://churchyear.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-6-of-15-what-shall-i-say-guide-to.html
What’s surprising me about this challenge right now (aside from how much sleep I’m losing - which shouldn’t surprise me) is how many of the books on my TBR pile I don’t actually want to read. Some of them are more interesting than I thought they’d be, but some of them still don’t appeal, even now that I “have the time” (as in, “I’ll read that when I have the time”) to read them.
April 22nd, 2010 at 6:26 pm
I am so far behind now. I spent six hours with my twelve year old today and had a ball. We took a nature hike. After the regular online stuff now I’m going to pack to go to the homeschool conference. Two days there, I’ll have no time to read any book but I’ll be browsing them in the vendor hall. What was I thinking when I thought I could do one book a day! Ack!
April 23rd, 2010 at 7:26 am
Jessica … I have found that out as well. I have picked up some books I have always wanted to read but never had time for, and I have decided to give away some books in my TBR pile that I now know I will never read.
April 23rd, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Yep, I’ve got a pile that’s headed for the library donation bin, for their book sale. I’m particularly discovering that I don’t like murder mysteries as much as I feel like I should. Just because I’m a fan of Dorothy Sayers and Ellis Peters apparently doesn’t mean I like the genre in general.
April 23rd, 2010 at 7:40 pm
Jessica and Inquirer, I’ve yet to identify anything that needs to go, but I know what you mean. I have things on my shelves that I’ve had for at least a dozen years, and that I swear I think I will read, sometime. I’m pretty good about purging, though, and better than I used to be about binging, so most of the stuff on my shelves has a decent reason for being there, and a reasonable chance of getting read. Someday.