I had the pleasure of reading Parenthesis, a book that demonstrates that graphic novels are not simply for young readers. I loved the way the author/artist utilized images, narrative captions, and dialogue – particularly in decided how to visually render memories and experiences.
It could be argued that the use of pictures in the book were essential to the storytelling, and create a sense of the story and character that go beyond mere words. In terms of the story, the perspective the graphic novel offers and the capacity for empathy that the book builds is to be applauded.
From the publisher:
Judith is barely out of her teens when a tumor begins pressing on her brain, ushering in a new world of seizures, memory gaps, and loss of self. Suddenly, the sentence of her normal life has been interrupted by the opening of a parenthesis that may never close.
Based on the real experiences of cartoonist Élodie Durand, Parenthesis is a gripping testament of struggle, fragility, acceptance, and transformation which was deservedly awarded the Revelation Prize of the Angoulême International Comics Festival.
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