one more review
Wow, Publishers Weekly sure disliked the Venice Chronicles. Ouch. Ah well, gotta roll with the punches … and take some in the face here and there … (Go here and scroll way down to read the review)
Wow, Publishers Weekly sure disliked the Venice Chronicles. Ouch. Ah well, gotta roll with the punches … and take some in the face here and there … (Go here and scroll way down to read the review)
December 10th, 2008 at 12:30 am
I think the reviewer completely overlooked WHAT the book was about and was trying to force upon it his own expectations of a “sketch journal”.
December 10th, 2008 at 3:02 am
I wouldn’t worry much about that review. Here’s another one that I think gets the point where’s the other one misses it.
http://www.comicmix.com/news/2008/11/10/review-the-venice-chronicles-by-enrico-casarosa/
But then again, I pre-ordered the book…
December 10th, 2008 at 4:03 am
Wow, what the hell…
Don’t mind them, you’re fine!
December 10th, 2008 at 7:44 am
don’t let them get you down! I for one really enjoyed the book and it has inspired me to try waterclours again, and that’s not a bad thing, I think..
December 10th, 2008 at 9:03 am
I agree with Donal, I think they really missed the point of the book.
One of the things I loved most was the privilege of looking through what felt like a facsimile of your sketch book (a wonderful feeling which reminded me of David Hockney’s Martha’s Vineyard and other places: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marthas-Vineyard-Other-Places-Sketchbook/dp/0500234469) and enjoying the narrative at the same time.
I know a little while ago you were debating the pros and cons of web comics and their relation to printed material. Well I wanted to say, I think you really cracked it here. It was wonderful to follow the narrative on the web in installments, the ups and down of the story and the details of the writing itself, (in that sense they had much in common with your blog entries).
Then to receive the book and see the pages I had added as favourites in flickr and know that I had been waiting for this moment all along, to hold the book in my hands and enjoy the images in the full.
No, that’s not quite true. What I had been waiting for was being able to see them in the flesh, the watercolor soaking into the paper, the proportions of the sketch pad, the pencil marks underneath. Well this felt pretty damn close to that and perhaps that craving for the original can be a satisfying feeling and a compliment for any kind of reproduction.
In short, I loved the book and I’m sorry it took me so long to get in touch.
Thanks so much for doing what you do; putting yourself out their and sharing your work in the way that you do.
john
December 10th, 2008 at 10:19 am
What a sourpuss.
December 10th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Ah! You can’t listen to the critics hey! I was actually expecting sort of a straight up sketch journal – and was pleasantly surprised to find a nice heartwarming storyline – so ya – good for you, and don’t let them pigeon hole you as ‘that crawling guy’…
December 10th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Youch!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Don’t worry, I feel that it’s just a case of different sensibilties. Evidently you have the support of a lot of followers. Also, you don’t want to be all roses. It doesn’t matter what they are saying, what matters is that they are talking about it. The book is GREAT. Period.
You know what they say: “Ladran Sancho, señal que cavalgamos” (From Don Quixote)
December 11th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Rather than review it objectively, I think this guy just threw in a lot of his own personal tastes. What he really should have reviewed was a boring picture book of Venice from the local bookstore and not a tasteful, entertaining comic about an artist’s perspective on his own life and travels.
December 11th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Wow, thanks for the support everyone … you know … I certainly don’t take a bad review like this personally. I mean it didn’t quite make my day, but I can live with the book not being everyone’s cup of tea.
This person didn’t like the “navel gazing” bits … but I take the critique as a note that the self-reflecting stuff can be read as a little indulgent … at least from some readers. The reviewer did fail to note what I was trying to do though on other levels. My effort and struggle to try and capture the “now” … and that is why the “shoot I can’t draw this comic” kind of moments are there … to try and capture what I was going through … I was well aware that there wasn’t much dramatic pathos in that, but I decided to try and stay true to what was happening in my life: which was a very happy and simple love story. Sorry no drama …
But anyway … I enjoy to the very least the fact that reviews like this make me and you think about what the book wants to be and ultimately is … thanks a ton for your comments and reviews …
One positive thing I read elsewhere that did make my day was something to the effect of: “this book feels and looks like nothing else on the shelves … ”
I like that … and I am proud of that.
Tobias- That’s a cute review … I like the beginning a lot … the bit “it must be about names”… very funny.
John- very much appreciated … thanks for sharing your thoughtful message …
Marc- eh … good point … no pigeon hole! will do!
Lisandro- what does that translate to exactly? Google isn’t helping me with it …
e
December 12th, 2008 at 12:18 am
yep, the thing with reviews is that they are one person’s opinion, we dont even know if the person likes comics or if he/she is appreciative of watercolor art for that matter.
“Ladran Sancho, señal que cavalgamos” (From Don Quixote)
That translates to “The dogs are barking Sancho, signal for us to start riding” Figurative speech – means that it is best that someone talks about you than not at all.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:40 am
I finally got hold of a copy of the Chronicles at GOSH! comics, London. I can see why the ‘artistic naval gazing’ may be a turn off for some but I found it fascinating. Perhaps its more interesting to artists because we can identify with the internal struggle of creativity & finding balance. The highlight for me was your meeting with Hugo Pratt’s collaborator & Pratt’s daughter. Beautifully produced book too-the paper you chose turned out fine.
December 18th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
The idea behind the phrase is something like this: you know that dogs are parcularly fond of running behind any horse that walks past them, pretty much like some dogs love to chace cars that drive by. The concept is that because you are moving they come up to you. That wouldn’t happen if you stayed still, that’s what makes it sort of a good thing, so even when they bark, you keep moving forward. Gus’s explanation also applies. Hope it helps. All the best.
December 31st, 2008 at 9:53 am
I got the book for Christmas from my brother and I just finished it. I was blown away! Thank you so much for telling the story you wanted to tell in the way that you wanted to tell it. It’s definitely unlike anything else I have ever read.