Asterios Polyp

Asterios Polyp

by David Mazzucchelli
Genre: Graphic Novel
Published by Pantheon
Date Of Publication: July 7th 2009










     I came across this book entirely by accident while browsing the Barnes & Noble site.  I clicked on it for one reason and one reason alone: the title.  I didn't order it that day, but it stuck with me.  For six months, in fact.  It was so unusual, and so adamantly refused to leave my brain, that when I received a gift card for my birthday, my mind went straight to it.

     I had heard many good things in the interim between discovering and buying, but to be honest, I'm a horrible impulse buyer and would likely have picked this up regardless.  However it had to happen, though, I am so thankful that it did, because it has become one of the prizes of my collection.

     Asterios Polyp is not just the name of the book, but of the protagonist as well.  Polyp (it was cut in half by a frustrated Ellis Island worker) is a once renowned architect famous for his brilliant designs, none of which has ever been built.  Now, he is a reclusive shut-in who, at the start of the book, watches his apartment building burn to the ground, escaping just in time to be a witness, rather than a victim.  Instead of picking up the pieces and moving on with his life, though, he abandons the city and what's left of his career and goes as far into the countryside as the cas in his wallet will take him.  He winds up in a small country town, and starts over as a mechanic.

     The rest of the book not only follows his growth in this new life, but piece by piece shows us the events that have brought him to where he is today.  We see him connect with people in his new life, and see him build real friendships.  Yet in contrast to that, we are shown why, in retrospect, even his attempts in this area could only be described as Herculean.

     The narration is splendid throughout, and is imparted eloquently through the ghost, or possibly just the alternate self, that is Asterios' still-born twin, Ignazio.  There are some nicely executed scenes where Asterios discusses the biology, as well as the psychology, of the often very similar lives that twins lead.  His discourse on the subject is as wit- and barb-filled as it is on any subject, because Asterios is not only a genius, he knows it.  Parallelling this, though, are intercut a number of "dream" sequences, where we observe, from Asterios' point of view, him interacting with his own life, but with Ignazio in the starring role.  Even more important to his development as a character, we see the growth, then stagnancy, then dissolution, and then (one hopes) reconciliation of his marriage.

     The art is simple, but certainly not simplistic.  Whether it is simply his natural style, or was perhaps a conscious decision to excise it, there is little of the flash and garishness that the modern comics industry (read: Superhero Comics) are notorious for.  His color pallette is likewise simple, usually confined to a nice balance of blues, reds, and purples. 

   

     The style itself is realistic to the point of clarity (in objects, people, etc.) but has enough of the artist's unique touch so that you don't feel like you are looking through a photo album, and can still enjoy the interpretation.  I really look forward to seeing Mazzucchelli's art grow as his projects do, beccause I couldn't begin to guess what he will be producing in the future.

     There is some adult material scattered throughout.  Both implications and images of sexuality in particular occur on several occasions, but are not gratuitous in the least, and are very tastefully executed.

     This is the point in the review where I was going to do a "cons" section.  The problem with that, though, is despite the 344 page count, the only complaint I did have was that I didn't want it to end.

     I admit heartily that I am biased when it comes to the graphic novel as an art form.  I believe that the right combination of the images and the story waiting to be told can be most amazing art in the world, and something that can (and has in my personal experience) continue to stay with you and affect you for many years.  Having said that, and all bias aside, this really was a fantastic book.  The message of it is very simple, and is an important one that, I feel, more people need to learn:

     Don't just hear someone; LISTEN to them.  Cherish what you have, and cling to it with everything you've got, because you never know when an asteroid might strike...

Story: 5 out of 5
Art: 5 out of 5
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5