I picked up a new graphic novel this week called A Bride’s Story by Kaoru Mori- mostly because the art was so beautifully detailed as I flipped through it. The publisher is Yen Press, home to some of my favorite stories. I took it home and didn’t see it for three days.
My kids got hold of it first, again, because they were drawn to the visuals. Truly, the detail is breathtaking. Mori is frankly obsessive with her meticulous work on the cloth, rugs, jewelry and even wood carvings that appear on the pages of this book. A full two-page spread of a post beam being carved is just gorgeous. All three of us (my son at 12 and my daughter at 15) were blown away by the artistic talent.
The setting of the story is central Asia’s nomadic (or previously nomadic) people of the Silk Road in the nineteenth century. The faces are typical manga art style, but their clothes! Holy crap with the complicated patterns draped on every character! Did she really draw every line? My kids and I think so. Even the landscapes are lovely. I really got a feel for the culture.
Okay, so the art is great, but what about the characters and storyline?
The gentle stories in each chapter are mostly about culture. The main character is Amir, a twenty-year old girl who is sent to marry Karluk, a twelve-year old boy from a different tribe. It begins with quick scenes of their startled faces at their wedding seeing each other for the first time. The age difference is not favorable, mostly because she is so old (apparently being married at a young age, even twelve, was common.) They are both really, really…nice.
Actually all the characters are nice. So very nice. My daughter said each character was the best person for that role in the family. Amir is from a different culture and has to learn the ways of her new husband’s world. They are all welcoming. She is very sweet and tries hard. Her little husband compliments her and is impressed with her talents. An old man who carves the wood beams for houses befriends the littlest brother of Karluk. Their scenes together are very cute. So very sweet and cute. Sigh… My son said there are more positive traits for every character than negative ones. Unbalanced characters.
It was a relief when Amir’s brother comes to take her back in the last third of the book. Finally, some conflict! Fighting! Fierce looks of anger! Amir’s new family doesn’t want her to return, which makes me happy since her brother doesn’t fit with this white cake character palate. He’s not perfectly sweet. Yet, he’s not mean either. It’s impossible to tell what his feelings for his sister are. She seems but a tool to whatever plot he’s planning. At least it’s a conflict!
(By the way, my children take offense to my adding “boring” to the title of this post. They thought the art and cuteness of the characters were entertaining enough.)
Amir is not around during the confrontation because she’s stripping off her clothes, taking off Karluk’s and snuggling in a yurt to keep warm while they are on a journey. Ah-hem. Did I mention she’s twenty and he’s twelve? Did I mention that I was the last to read this book?
(I arrive at the page of a naked twenty-year old seducing a pre-teenager.)
ME: Hey! A naked woman!
MY SON: Yeah…
ME: You guys didn’t mention that part when telling me the book was really “cute.”
MY SON: …
I don’t have a problem with nudity in graphic novels, nor my children reading such storylines, but I’m surprised they didn’t mention it. Especially since the whole age-gap thing is darn creepy. What if the genders were switched? My son said it was “odd.” My daughter thought is was “strange, but maybe that was normal back then.”
The implication is that Amir and Karluk did not have sex yet. We see them kiss for the first time, and snuggle to keep warm, but that’s it. The boy compares this experience to being a little lamb with its mother. Ah-hem, not at all what Amir is thinking, but at least the author is keeping it chaste for the first volume.
I recommend A Bride’s Story for the artwork and sweet storyline. Readership age depends on your take on nudity. Perhaps the conflict will heat up in the next installment, but hopefully it doesn’t get too steamy.
