Recommendations We Resist: "Watchmen" - The Book Maven

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Bethanne Patrick

Recommendations We Resist: "Watchmen"
April 29, 2008

You might remember my friend John, who is now Bookreporter.com Contributing Editor John (that last link is to his interview with Francoise Mouly on her new TOON series; very cool stuff). (Go John go!)

John is a graphic novels maven, and for years now he's been encouraging me to read one of the classics of the genre, Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. He has encouraged me so strongly for so long that I

actually listened to him and ordered the collected edition (illustrated left with US cover, right Canadian cover). Unfortunately, after receiving the slipcased and shrinkwrapped book, I put it on one of my shelves and promptly neglected it. (NB: That is not to say I neglect all graphic novesl; I've read and enjoyed many of them. But read on...)

This past weekend while visiting John, I was once again given the "You really should read Watchmen" talk, and it is to his credit that John delivered this talk a) with great restraint and b) after administering a glass of Charles Cimicky Gnarled Vine grenache. John gently pointed out that I nearly always at least dip into a book he recommends to me (and I usually love his recommendations...people, if you haven't read David Mitchell by now, you're just missing out...), so why was I refusing to even remove the plastic from my deluxe edition of Moore's masterpiece?

Of course, I had my various excuses, and he had anticipated them all. So I came home on Sunday night, took the book from its niche (really, it had almost worn a groove on the shelf, at least dustwise; I'm a book maven, not Martha Stewart), ripped off its plastic, and...

...let it sit there. I am completely resistant to this book's supposed charms. I can't decide if it's because it's a big, unwieldy hardcover, because I tend to believe I don't like superheroes, or because action-packed comics give my ADD-prone brain agita, or simply all of the above. Whatever the cause, last night again, instead of even turning one page in the graphic novel, I picked up Murder of a Medici Princess instead.

Which book have you been resisting?

Posted by Bethanne Patrick on April 29, 2008 | Comments (8)

April 29, 2008
In response to: Recommendations We Resist: "Watchmen"
Becky LeJeune commented:

As a bookseller I was resistant to almost everything that was THE thing. I figured the other stuff needed more help and focused my attention mainly on lesser known titles and debuts (that have since become THE thing). So, I have yet to read Lovely Bones or The Kite Runner (though I do own Runner and plan on reading Bones before the movie comes out).

April 29, 2008
In response to: Recommendations We Resist: "Watchmen"
Eric_J commented:

"I tend to believe I don't like superheroes" - that's a good reason to read the Watchmen "action-packed comics give my ADD-prone brain agita" - also a point for Watchmen, as its actions scenes are few and far-between

April 29, 2008
In response to: Recommendations We Resist: "Watchmen"
Bethanne commented:

See, Eric? This is entirely irrational of me. I need to JUST READ IT already.

April 29, 2008
In response to: Recommendations We Resist: "Watchmen"
Charles commented:

Watchmen may not be the best graphic novel ever, but I can't think of a better one offhand. And it rewards multiple reads - Alan Moore is an incredibly gifted writer.

April 29, 2008
In response to: Recommendations We Resist: "Watchmen"
Charles commented:

Watchmen may not be the best graphic novel ever, but I can't think of a better one offhand. And it rewards multiple reads - Alan Moore is an incredibly gifted writer.

April 29, 2008
In response to: Recommendations We Resist: "Watchmen"
Robyn commented:

The Da Vinci Code ... and when I finally read it (and only at the urging of many, many, MANY customers), I couldn't stand it.

April 29, 2008
In response to: Recommendations We Resist: "Watchmen"
J. L. Bell commented:

Well, if you're not going to be using your slipcased edition of Watchmen (presumably with the backmatter about the creation of the book), can I have it? Some knowledge of superhero comics is good for understanding the cultural resonance of Watchmen, but it's certainly not "action-packed." It's drama-packed.

November 19, 2008
In response to: Recommendations We Resist: "Watchmen"
Torsten Adair commented:

It's a murder mystery. It's a commentary on superheroes. It's multi-layered, so much so that you'll want to read it again to see how all the pieces fit together. It won a Hugo Award back in the day when comics and graphic novels were still considered lite reading. Time Magazine selected it as one of the great books of the Twentieth Century. It continues to sell twenty years after it was first published, and this year will sell one million copies. I've been reading comics since 1984, and selling them since 1994. There are two graphic novels everyone should read: Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, and Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Yes, there are many classics I haven't read. But I've read the ones which appeal to me, and this one is easily in the Top Five. The one classic which people haven't read, and should? The Wizard of Oz. I've sold so many copies of "Wicked", everyone loves the (horrible) MGM movie, and they do not realize how much better the book is. Like Harry Potter? Read the Baum Oz books.