Ghost World

Ghost World by Daniel Clowes (1997) Because I heard that Daniel Clowes has a new book coming out later this year, I thought it would be fun (because I am a nerd) to read (and in some cases, re-read) all, or most, of his books, because he is my favorite comics/graphic novel/what have you author—and one of my favorite authors, period. I started with Ghost World since it’s been a long time since I read it, and I’ve seen the movie version (2001) a few times since. I forgot how completely different the movie is from the book. As much as I do love the movie, I like the book even more. It’s a weird thing comparing movies and books—they always change each other—change how you see them—it’s kind of tragic, in a way. Anyway, these two main characters, Enid and Rebecca, are so strongly depicted, they come alive in your memory—I’m convinced they are people I knew. A funny thing this book got me thinking about is my past relationships (not just the romantic ones)—and how every time I’ve “made new friends”—with women, say—there have always (or almost always) been two women, close friends, like a team. I could go through my past acquaintances and make a list—but that would be too intimate for a book review. Anyway, that is interesting to me—I wonder why that is. Anyway, I like the whole universe of this book—the (I think unnamed) town, the geography, the streets, and the interiors—it’s like a world from one of my dreams. And the places—the diners and stores. The idea of appreciating something for its “badness” is not something you come across in popular culture stories every day, but I relate to it totally—well, especially my twenty-something self—in the Eighties. The dialogue is perfect—sometimes, it’s minimal, which is more perfect still. Especially impressive is the details in the drawings. When you’re reading, since it’s a narrative, it’s easy to go too fast and overlook the subtleties and complexities in each frame. The expressions on their faces—particularly Enid and Rebecca—say more than could be depicted in words—I suppose it’s similar to what you get from the best actors—but actors working at a very high level. It’s definitely worth going back over—re-reading is almost necessary to really take in the richness conveyed by the images. The overall story is very good, too, and it’s at once very funny, and also very weird (with unexpected, unique details), and also very sad. But sad in a realistic, human, loving way—kind of world-weary, melancholy and knowing, and inevitable—and something we can all relate to and all know well.

4.9.23