This week I am reading Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli. When I first started reading it, I was really confused but at the same time really captured by the illustrations. The color palette is so calming and quiet that even though his house is burning down, I feel rather relaxed.
I had began reading Swallow Me Whole by Nate Powell, but I didn't quite make it past the first few pages. The illustrations were beautiful but very chaotic, combined with small type. It was really hard to follow. So, jumping from Powell's to Mazzucchelli's novel, was a nice change. In comparison, the images of Asterios Polyp are pretty simple, mostly consisting of flat, light colors. I really loved the sections where either the story changed or it went to the past and then the colors completely changed so that the reader can distinguish it. For example, when he is on the bus with another man and he asks him about the lighter. It flashes back to his dad but those two slides change to a blue color. I also like the slides previous to that, which refer to his student seducing him. The reader can see the change in the letters between Asterios and his seductive student. This suggests a different tone is being used by her.
Although it clearly has aspects I like, Asterios Polyp is rather boring. The only thing that kept me going through the pages were the images. The silk-screened illustrations were gorgeous along with his masterful use of perspective.
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