Review: Shoplifter by Michael Cho

"What will you do now?""I'm not sure. Whatever it is, I know I have to find it, instead of waiting for it to fine me." - Michael Cho, Shoplifter

Hello, friends! Book Review Wednesday returns with another mandatory school reading! (Hip hip!)

When Corrina Park finally got her English degree, she had a plan--move to the city, get a day job to eliminate crippling debt, and write, write, write, until she becomes the author she always wanted to be. Five years later, though, she's still working at the same ad agency, no real friends, no romance on the horizon, and she hasn't written a real word since graduation. Bored, tired, and frustrated, she starts shoplifting from the local convenience store to shake things up. Soon, she develops the perfect strategy, and slipping magazines between the pages of her newspaper soon become the highlight of her days.

Petty theft is far from the meaning she's looking for, but how can one find themselves when they're lost in the crowd of a big city?

First of all, it was really, really hard to disassociate this book with my future. Notice the keywords--crippling debt and English degree and author...I mean, good 'ol Cho here is basically acting as a mystic determining destiny. It is very, very easy to picture myself falling into this same trap, which is utterly terrifying and also somewhat comforting, considering that she ends up in some form of inner peace by the end of it. (Uh...spoilers?)

I think, out of all the books I've been reading for my Canadian Comics class, this one (along with Two Generals) had some of my favourite styles in it. I loved the two toned look, the "lost line" style, and just the way he drew the city scape in general. (I'm writing my end-of-term research paper on Shoplifter's city setting, so that last bit isn't really all that surprising.) It was just very aesthetically pleasing to read, especially compared to some of the other, more disorienting styles I've encountered in the course.

One of my biggest problems with this read, though, was that the resolution seemed almost...too quick? Her frustrations took an almost 180, resulting in a very neat and tidy resolution that didn't really...fit with the way the rest of the book had gone. I did like the ending, though, and how open and hopeful it felt. I thought it left Corrina in a very good place, far enough from where she started to give us a good resolution (even if it did feel sudden), but not far enough that we were introduced to too many different plot points.

Final rating: 3.5/5.

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: Louis Riel: A Comic Strip Biography by Chester Brown

School is back in session, and I'm in three different English courses, which means I have a crap ton of academic-related reading to do. As such, most of my reviews will be about books I read for class--including this one. (And, bare with me, some of them might sound a bit more academic after discussing them in class for so long.)

Louis Riel: A Comic Strip Biography is...well, exactly what it says it is. For those of you non-Canadians who are unfamiliar with our history, Louis Riel was a Métis politician back in the 19th century. He helped found Manitoba (the province I live in now), and lead a couple rebellions against the Canadian government for their mistreatment towards the Métis while establishing the Canadian prairie provinces. If you want to learn more about him, you can...well, you can pick up the book, because it does a pretty good job of getting everything across.

Louis Riel is either a hero or a traitor, depending on who you ask. But what I was most impressed about in terms of the book was how Brown managed to, like, not take a side. I mean, he takes a side to an extent--he definitely villanizes the government, and thus sympathizes with the Métis cause. But in terms of Riel himself, he just kind of portrays him in a neutral way. He's careful not to over-embellish his positive traits or his negative traits, and creates the much-needed but often-missed unbiased portrayal of an historical figure.

The reading, though, was a little...dry. This was not written to be light hearted and fun--it's an educational text. The narrative has been changed and shifted slightly from true events, but all changes are recorded in Brown's note section in the back. The comic is very text-heavy (although it does have its silent sequences, too), and the panels are very strictly laid out in a three-by-three grid pattern. Unless you are genuinely interested in learning about Louis Riel and Canadian history, you might not have a fun time with this book. (It does have its moments, though.)

Final rating: 3/5

Until later,

- Justyne