2 posts tagged “fiction”
There are a lot of misconceptions about the medium of manga. The obvious ones are that it is childish and conceptually weak. The reason this is a misconception is manga is not a genre, manga is a fairly diverse medium that covers everything from the children's shonen (means 'young boy' and is a genre) all the way to more adult (non-pornographic) themed dramas.
Monster is a manga that I suggest for people to read when they are coming from this misconception. Monster is a complex drama that reads like a puzzle as it puts together pieces slowly throughout the story until you have a whole at the end. The basic story is that of a genius doctor who finds himself becoming the yes man underneath a director at a prestigious hospital. After being told to operate on an Opera singer as opposed to a commoner who had come into the hospital first, Dr. Tenma begins to realize that the people around him place higher value on celebrity lives.
Further into the story Dr. Tenma comes to a crossroad. He must decide between the life of a Mayor who has promised money to the hospital or a young boy who's life is on the line. He chooses the boy and from this decision arises a monster...
I have not read enough of Urasawa's works to make this claim yet, but if he continues to weave suspenseful stories that keep you turning the pages the way Monster and 20th Century Boys (another of his works) does then I may start calling him the Hitchcock of manga.
Monster is a manga that I suggest for people to read when they are coming from this misconception. Monster is a complex drama that reads like a puzzle as it puts together pieces slowly throughout the story until you have a whole at the end. The basic story is that of a genius doctor who finds himself becoming the yes man underneath a director at a prestigious hospital. After being told to operate on an Opera singer as opposed to a commoner who had come into the hospital first, Dr. Tenma begins to realize that the people around him place higher value on celebrity lives.
Further into the story Dr. Tenma comes to a crossroad. He must decide between the life of a Mayor who has promised money to the hospital or a young boy who's life is on the line. He chooses the boy and from this decision arises a monster...
I have not read enough of Urasawa's works to make this claim yet, but if he continues to weave suspenseful stories that keep you turning the pages the way Monster and 20th Century Boys (another of his works) does then I may start calling him the Hitchcock of manga.
So I have been reading this novel for some time. I picked it up on a suggestion from an elderly owner of a local book store. The first few chapters are a bore and I almost gave up on reading it. I am happy however that I pushed on. The first few chapters set up perfectly the disposition of one of the principle characters: Mr. Norrell.
I am now a little over half way finished and the book has me enraptured. I find myself reading just one more chapter until I have digested five or more in one sitting. Since I have not reached the conclusion I can not say with certainty whether this will be a book that I can suggest, however if it keeps pace and delivers an acceptable ending I am sure it will.
I am now a little over half way finished and the book has me enraptured. I find myself reading just one more chapter until I have digested five or more in one sitting. Since I have not reached the conclusion I can not say with certainty whether this will be a book that I can suggest, however if it keeps pace and delivers an acceptable ending I am sure it will.
