17145 Followers
60 Following
msknight

Michelle's corner

Michelle Knight. Writer, photographer, programmer, truck driver and general, all round nut case. Life is a journey and that's what this blog will probably end up being. Let's see where we go, eh? ;-)

Currently reading

Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics
Dalai Lama XIV, Ian Coghlan
Progress: 23/433 pages
SPOILER ALERT!

Review - Kingdom -Jon McNaught

I could award this book more stars, or I could award it less. It totally depends on where I come from in looking at this book.

 

McNaught has used a particularly plain art style and limited colour pallet, but very cleverly and effectively in order to tell his story. The larger book size enables him to carry smaller panels which alter the perception of time and slow down the reader, whilst also panning the scene as a lens might, and offering a changing dimension to the action which I don't see often. At least, that's how I perceived it.

His story is of a single parent and her two children, going to somewhere that she loved as a child. However, modern times are very different and what children love now, is different to a few decades ago.

 

He has used speech bubbles as carriers of sound, which gave me trouble in, "Testation," that I read last. At least in this book, the sounds do resonate with my memory, and encourage me to linger on each panel, envisaging the sounds as well as processing the art.

The car journey itself takes a bit of a strain on the relationship of those involved, and the weather isn't all that great. McNaught doesn't pull any punches on his view of present day society and the modern child's experiences, wants and needs after not that many years of change in society.

 

He lets the reader glimpse some of the things which could make life just a little bit better; things like socialising against being on your own playing computer games.

 

The thing which let the book down for me, was that there wasn't really an overarching journey of change. No one came out a changed person, but rather I was left looking at the poor state of humanity and our modern society.

 

It's almost as if McNaught was holding up a mirror to me and saying, "This is your life. Are you going to do anything about it?" but I took that as a bit of an insult. I already know what life is like, and there are limited things within my power to do... and I'm already doing them. And nothing much is changing.

 

So, the artist is skilled, sure. But the take-away from this story isn't one which empowers. It doesn't engage. It sort of flat-lines in telling things how they are.