Above the Timberline

I call this a graphic novel because that's really what it is - it's not a comic, though. Each spread of pages is a mixture of text and oil painting - sometimes just a painting.

If it was just the text, it would be a very lackluster book. There are aspects of the story that are unexplained, and aspects that are explained only by the accompanying paintings. It's really the paintings that make this book unique. It's almost like - an adult picture book, I suppose. It actually reads more like someone found the series of paintings and constructed a story to support what they imagined was happening in the pictures.

Regardless, it's a unique experience. Manchess is a remarkable artist. The paintings are gorgeous, and the book does that thing where the text and art play around each other on the page, creating unique formatting that helps tell the story on its own, like when a full two-page spread of a painting has two lines of text to emphasize them.

Fascinating, beautiful book.

You can find all my reviews at Goddess in the Stacks.

Harkens back to the old style adventure stories, only this time very beautifully augmented with the author's brilliant artwork. Wonderfully told, with depth and feeling, and a true sense of mystery and adventure. Would make a splendid cinematic film, but it would be hard to match the visuals presented by the author which truly capture the atmosphere of the tale.