The End of Summer

and that is all i have to say.

Nicely drawn (though telling characters apart at timesi s hard) but it moves (I think) between what is happening, what people are feeling internally and abstract imagery in ways that it makes it really difficult to tell what is going on. The presentation may be too complex for the story or there needed to be better delineation between emotion and action. Either way it just didn;t work for me which is sad because there are aspects of the story that are quite interesting.

All the classical tropes of a coming-of-age Gothic (in the 18th-19th century traditions, in fact) are here: a vast, secluded castle-like estate; extreme weather closing in (a three-year winter!), adding to that isolation; twin siblings, Maja and her sickly brother Lars; a protective family only adding to the suffocating emotional pressure-cooker slowly building metaphoric steam. Oh, and there's one key element apart from the Gothic tradition: a giant feline, Nemo, Lars' devoted companion and familiar. Out of this, Tillie Walden crafts something quite tender, fragile, and jewel-like, a fragility enhanced by its darker facets, and it's a remarkable graphic novel debut on any terms. Though they're light years apart, I'd recommend THE END OF SUMMER to those who love Shirley Jackson's 1962 novel WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE: methinks Merricat, Constance, and always-ailing Uncle Julian would find much in common with Maja and Lars. Recommended, best experienced sans false expectations because this is a flower of a book, its tenor and temper quite ephmeral and elusive.

What a debut! Tillie hits the ground running with this grand, epic tale of a familytrapped in a snowbound castle.

A feverish winter's dream of a book. Beautiful and enigmatic and ominous, it sucks you in and locks you in with the characters, inside a vast ornate castle, awaiting the coming of winter and whatever it brings. The art is stunningly glorious - the perfectly rendered architecture is dizzying and beautiful, so it's not a bad castle to find yourself locked in. Plus, there is a giant cat.Get it. It's good.

Great book!

I wanted to really love this book. The art is totally my aesthetic--sketchy, ethereal, yet with gorgeous architectural details that lend a structure for the vagueness to hang onto. The problem, though, is that the plot lacks that same underlying structure. I am not a reader who needs everything to be explained, but there is a difference between leaving gaps for the reader to fill in, and being unclear about what is happening. The characters are difficult to tell apart to the extent that I'm sometimes not sure who is doing or saying what. The world and story have the glimmers of something truly astounding--but they needed to be a bit more grounded for the magic to shine through. It's a beautiful book--I just wish I knew what happened.

Expertly weaves elegance, playfulness, and mystery throughout the finely detailed hallways of the story's setting. I love how the scale of the characters and setting interact, helping me to feel more claustrophobic as the details of the complicated relationships emerge.

Non commento il fumetto in sè perchè è soggettivoma. La stampa è deludente e non vale il prezzo. La carta è economica e i colori non rendono; basta fare un confronto con le immagini che si trovano online per capire quanto i neri siano sbiaditi. Peccato.

I almost have Walden's whole bibliography, and this comic too is a true work of art. A couple scenes are a bit confusing, but overall the whole product is awesome, as are all of Walden's works.

Even tho I feel like it's almost the weakest work of this author, "almost".It's still such a strong start in her career, worth reading.

Thanks

perfecto estado