Lost Girls

Book Description

For more than a century, Alice, Wendy and Dorothy have been our guides through the Wonderland, Neverland and Land of Oz of our childhoods. Now like us, these three lost girls have grown up and are ready to guide us again, this time through the realms of our sexual awakening and fulfillment. Through their familiar fairytales they share with us their most intimate revelations of desire in its many forms, revelations that shine out radiantly through the dark clouds of war gathering around a luxury Austrian hotel. Drawing on the rich heritage of erotica, Lost Girls is the rediscovery of the power of ecstatic writing and art in a sublime union that only the medium of comics can achieve. Exquisite, thoughtful, and human, Lost Girls is a work of breathtaking scope that challenges the very notion of art fettered by convention. This is erotic fiction at its finest. Similar to DC's Absolute editions of Watchmen and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Lost Girls will be published as three, 112-page, super-deluxe, ovesized hardcover volumes, all sealed in a gorgeous slipcase. It will truly be an edition for the ages.

Customer Reviews:

I feel validated in my disappointment..........2007-09-11

When I first read Lost Girls, I was so deeply disappointed in the flat, amateur artwork that it took me a while to realize how flat and unexciting the storytelling is as well. I can't believe that the book made it to production with the ridiculous dialect Alan Moore assigns to Dorothy, which is tremendously distracting in and of itself. I was expecting a magical experience from this collaboration - and to me magical doesn't mean it can't also be creepy and disturbing, which Lost Girls definitely is - but found this book to be the least imaginative of any Alan Moore I've read. At one point I thought the creepy factor might be clouding my view, but after reading other reviewers' comments, I felt validated to see that others share the same opinions about its shortcomings.

Enjoyable erotica.......2007-09-01

OK, some will balk at the premise. We all know Dodgson's Alice, Baum's Dorothy, and Barrie's Wendy as little girls, in the familiar fictions built around them. This takes the fiction a step beyond, imagining the girls as grown women, thrown together in an isolated resort on the eve of the first world war. Alice, the grande dame, stands aloof from political unpleasantness. Wendy is wed to an industrialist more interested in armored boat hulls than in breakfast (or in her). Dorothy appears as a plain old farm girl, who can't imagine that grand duke Ferdinand might affect her little life. Geographically isolated at this odd resort and culturally isolated by their individual circumstance, they break their personal isolation in each others' company.

They succeed, and break each others' inhibitions as well. With Moore's script and Gebbie's delicate colors, we follow a delightful debauch. Alice takes the two younger ladies under her opium-scented wing, for languidly choreographed affections of the sapphic kind. Dorothy brings her farm-girl awareness of livestock breeding to her human relations, male and female. Wendy, the ignored housewife, blossoms under any attention at all. Other characters round out the goings-on with straight, gay, and solo loving. The happy and consensual tone could appeal to readers who've been turned off by harsher kinds of erotica, and Gebbie's delicate artwork treats it all with lucious respect.

Make no mistake, this is smut. Decide whether that's what you want. It's good smut, though, of a female-friendly kind - the kind that also appeals to men tired of all that negative imagery. If you often find your genitals requesting the company and comfort of your hands, this could be a story for them to read to each other.

-- wiredweird

Absolutely brilliant.......2007-08-10

A must-read for anyone who can handle it -- this is not "erotica," this is porn. The stories and illustrations are EXTREMELY graphic. Some of them are unbelievably hot, some are unbelievably disturbing, many are both. Not all the sex in this book is fun.

It's also a brilliant piece of literature. What Moore did previously with League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, he does again here, on a grander and more ambitious scale. He deconstructs these tales with a ruthlessness that is both horrifying and inspired.

A solid piece of erotic fiction.......2007-04-02

While the art style may not appeal to everyone, "Lost Girls" is certainly worth a look if you like erotic fiction with a little more substance. The books provide an amusing interpretation of the "real" events behind "Alice in Wonderland", "Peter Pan" and "The Wizard of Oz". While the first two books do not appear to be particularily thought-provoking at first, they set the stage for some potent character development in the third book, when the formerly frivolous stories are cast in a harsh, new light.

Of note is that while events take on a darker tone in the third book, "Lost Girls" does not contain any particularily violent scenes. Unlike in most adult media, the focus of these three books is not the gratuitous depiction of extreme sexual acts, but raising questions and telling a solid story with believable characters. Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie have done a great job, showing that pornography doesn't necessarily belong in the gutter.

All things said, "Lost Girls" is a charming, bittersweet tale about saying goodbye to your childhood, leaving your make-believe world and growing up, and well worth the price.

Not what I hoped.......2007-03-06

I thought it was boring and a bit pointless. The illustrations were childish but the story line was interesting if a little disjointed. I wouldn't recommend these books unless you're somewhat innocent and looking for a thrill.

Willa Cather : Later Novels : A Lost Lady / The Professor's House / Death Comes for the Archbishop / Shadows on the Rock / Lucy Gayheart / Sapphira and the Slave Girl (The Library of America)

Average customer rating:

Her talent is breath-taking
My Antonia
My Antonia
Some of Cather's finest work
Absolutely perfect fiction

Willa Cather : Later Novels : A Lost Lady / The Professor's House / Death Comes for the Archbishop / Shadows on the Rock / Lucy Gayheart / Sapphira and the Slave Girl (The Library of America)
Willa Cather , and Sharon O'Brien
Manufacturer: Library of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0940450526

Book Description

The six works in this volume--"A Lost Lady," "The Professor's House," "Death Comes for the Archbishop," "Shadows on the Rock," "Lucy Gayheart," and "Sapphira and the Slave Girl"--are at once intensely lyrical and highly controlled. Their fascination with the American Southwest, early Canada and Catholicism reflects the older Cather's search for alternatives to the grasping civilization she felt was increasingly replacing the spirit of the early pioneers. validation-form-field.keypoints: The Library of America is an award-winning, nonprofit program dedicated to publishing America's best and most significant writing in handsome, enduring volumes, featuring authoritative texts. Hailed as "the most important book-publishing project in the nation's history" (Newsweek), this acclaimed series is restoring America's literary heritage in "the finest-looking, longest-lasting edition ever made" (New Republic).

Customer Reviews:

Her talent is breath-taking.......2006-06-21

Somehow, though I love to read,I had missed Willa Cather. I had already read and loved Jane Austen but it was not until I read "My Antonia" that I realized what I had missed all of these years. Willa Cather is truly a genius of the written word. To call her writing 'good' or her stories 'enjoyable' is to understate her talent. Her writing is beautiful though the stories are simple. Each place she writes about makes one believe that she lived there all her life. Her book "Saphira and the Slave Girl" would make you think she had lived there and in that time. Many of her stories are out on the prairie and seem to glow with the golden light from the sun on the fields of grain. Her characterizations are simple but profound and she often throws in a dramatic tale told by a character. And yes, this physical book is also beautiful and a joy to read. It makes one wonder about ever reading a cheap paperback again.

My Antonia.......2001-09-02

This book was very interesting had a good theme and plot.
It kept the reader on edge throughout the entire book. I would recommend it to everyone.

My Antonia.......2001-09-02

This book was very interesting had a good theme and plot.

It kept the reader on edge throughout the entire book. I would

recommend it to everyone.

Some of Cather's finest work.......2000-10-03

Like all the volumes in the Library of America series, this book is beautiful and made to last. Some readers may be bothered by the thin paper, but it allows so much to be packed into a handy book. As the title states, this is a collection from Cather's early work (her first "first novel," _Alexander's Bridge_, is missing). _The Troll Garden_ is a collection of Cather's early short stories, most in the manner of H. James and have a fin-de-siecle tone. "The Sculptor's Funeral," which depicts a town's inability to recognize achievement in any form but monetary, is perhaps the best. That and two other stories were revised by Cather for _Youth and the Bright Medusa_ (1920 an available in LoA 57 _Stories, Poems, and Other Writings_). Reading the versions side-by-side, one can achieve insight into Cather's growing abilities as a writer. However, the most rewarding read in this volume is _My Antonia_. Cather's first masterpiece depicts the lives of Jim Burden and Antonia Shimerda from their arrival in Black Hawk, Nebraska to twenty years after Jim leaves Black Hawk for a life in the East. Antonia remains in Nebraska, becomes a maid in town, and marries (twice). The theme of the book, from Jim's perspective, is aptly captured in the epigraph: "optima dies . . . prima fugit" (from Virgil's _Aeneid_). Again like all volumes in the LoA, a chronology of the authors life, a "Note on the Texts" and a few notes, containing information on allusions and translations of foreign words and phrases appear at the end of the volume.

Absolutely perfect fiction.......1999-05-21

One of my all-time favorite books. Attractively packaged on acid-free paper. Very classic looking. And the fiction is excellent! Her stories about the Plains, the Southwest, Chicago, and Quebec are perfect works of art. I especially liked "Tom Outland's Story" contained within "The Professor's House."

Average customer rating:

According to a quote from..........
Not My Fave By Him
Peter Straub Takes Another Stab At Creepiness
Great Read
Interesting, but falls short.....

Lost Boy Lost Girl: A Novel
Peter Straub
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0449149919
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Book Description

A woman commits suicide for no apparent reason. A week later, her son– fifteen-year-old Mark Underhill–vanishes. His uncle, novelist Timothy Underhill, searches his hometown of Millhaven for clues that might help unravel this horrible dual mystery. He soon learns that a pedophilic murderer is on the loose in the vicinity, and that shortly before his mother’s suicide, Mark had become obsessed with an abandoned house where he imagined the killer might have taken refuge. No mere empty building, the house whispers from attic to basement with the echoes of a long-hidden true-life horror story, and Tim Underhill comes to fear that in investigating its unspeakable history, Mark stumbled across its last and greatest secret: a ghostly lost girl who may have coaxed the needy, suggestible boy into her mysterious domain.

Customer Reviews:

According to a quote from.................2007-03-25

........Stephen King, this may be Straub's best novel so far. Really? I found it 70% boring, 30% enjoyable. Enjoyable because the sentence structure is nice.

Not My Fave By Him.......2007-01-04

I have read many of Peter Straub's other books,Ghost Story, Mr. X, The Hellfire Club to name a few. I am used to his convoluted and complex plots. On many occassins I have to go back and re-read passages to recognize what is going on in the story. Usually this focus is rewarded with an OMIGOSH ending. This one was more of a HUH?. I ordered this used one from Amazon while on a cruise ship. I bought it first @ Borders to read on the boat, I left it on my deck chair and someone took it. I was desparate to find out how the story ended so i got online while on the ship and ordered it so that it would be waiting for me when i got home from my trip. Had I known how it ended the person who stole it from me could have just asked me for it.

Peter Straub Takes Another Stab At Creepiness.......2006-05-09

The first question we have to ask is this: Is Peter Straub an acquired taste? I think the answer is yes. I've been reading Straub on and off for the past few decades, my first taste being The Talisman which he co-wrote with buddy Stephen King. From there I trudged through Ghost Story and Shadowland and Floating Dragon. Straub seemed to me to be an author struggling with his sense of diction and eloquence. A writer that was working in the horror/supernatural genre that was trying way too damn hard to be brilliant and literate and smarter than many of his readers. Well...that doesn't make for a good career when you alienate the masses, especially in his line of work. So...I fell off the Straub bandwagon for quite some time. I remember buying his novel Mystery when it first came out in hardcover and trying to read it, only to put it down time after time. It was nearly a decade later when I finally read it. Koko was the novel that brought me back into the fold. Peter Straub seemed to have gotten the hint and took his fiction down a few levels so that the common reader, the casual reader could manage his prose. Did his work become dumber. Absolutey not. He just wasn't trying to write in the style of Hawthorne anymore. One of the main characters in Koko is Tim Underhill. He's Straub's favorite main character. Along with Millhaven resident recluse and crime-solver Tom Pasmore. Mystery. The Throat. All Millhaven stories. Lost Boy Lost Girl is another. Stephen King proclaims it to be Straub's best novel...we shall see.

Tom Underhill, writer, New York resident, gets distrubing news. His sister in law is dead. She has committed suicide for no apparent reason. He goes back to his hometown of Millhaven for the funeral and to comfort his nephew Mark and his prick of a brother Phillip. Fifteen days later, Mark disappears off the face of the planet and Tim once more returns to Millhaven to see if he can unravel the disappearance of his nephew. The Sherman Park Killer must have claimed him... That's what his father thinks, but uncle Tim isn't so sure. Just before his disappearance and just after his mother's unexplained suicide, Mark becomes fascinated with a creepy abandoned house directly behind his own. On the street over, 3323 Michigan Street sits deserted, its windows clouded with grim, its front porch showing the signs of where some weary neighbor tried in vain to burn it down. What lies within? Mark has to know, because whatever is in there is responsible for his mother's death. The house belonged to infamous serial killer and relative of Mark's deceased mother Joseph Kalender. Filled with secret passages and horrible memories and relics of the attrocities committed there twenty years before, 3323 Michigan Street takes over Mark's attention completely. But what else in in there?

You'll soon see.

Definitely on par with Mystery or The Throat or Mrs. X or The Hellfire Club, Lost Boy Lost Girl is easy to sink into and hard to put down. Genuinely creepy. I've read tons and tons of scary books and this one gave me the willies when reading it at night. One of Staub's finer moments. The only drawback here are the inconsistencies with the plot. Nancy Underhill's suicide is explained, but not that well. Mark's infatuation with the derelict house borders on insanity and yet his best friend Jimbo does little to dissuade his interest. I have to disagree with Mr. King whe he said it was perhaps Staub's best novel. I think Koko still holds that place. But Lost Boy Lost Girl is worth the time and the gooseflesh.

Dig it!

Great Read.......2006-03-17

This book had all the ingrediants for a great read. Horror, suspense,and love. When I first opened the book, I thought O.K. I am only going to be able to read the first chapter, and be able to put it down pretty easy. But to my surprise I was wrong. As I read on I felt like I was being pulled into the small town of Millhaven. It felt like I was a visitor going to each location and actually watching the whole thing play out in front of me. Most books do not grab my attention like that. So, I do consider this book an awesome find. It was definately one of those books that you just can't put down. Which led to many late nights. I can't wait to read more of Peter Straub's books.

Interesting, but falls short............2006-01-18

I have to say I did like the pacing of this book. It pulled me in and I was very anxious to finish and I take that as a sure sign of a decent read. It also very much creeped me out in a few places which is what I am looking for in a horror novel. However, I only gave it three stars because it certainly didn't give me the shivers that much.

I also was unsure of the ending. I suppose it could go either way, but I tend to like a resolution one way or another.

I am not fond of authors redescribing a scene from different viewpoints either. I don't mind it once in a book, but more than that really puts me off and I feel it is just lazy writing.

In conclusion, I have read this book and also Ghost Story by this Author and would only rate him mediocre.

Average customer rating:

Together again - for the first time
Enthusiastically recommended reading for ages 8 to 80
Oz at it's best
Dorothy and Scarecrow's Adventures in Oz: The Complete Eric Shanower Collection
The only true heir to Baum's legacy

Adventures in Oz
Eric Shanower , and L. Frank Baum
Manufacturer: IDW Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1933239611

Book Description

In the marvelous Land of Oz, magic is always around the next corner. Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and their many Oz friends can't stop plunging into one adventure after another. Come journey over the rainbow to help save Oz from the Wicked Witch of the South, to ride an enchanted whirlpool that leads to a hidden island, to explore the spooky Great Gray Gillikin Swamp, to prevent a war between dragons and wood-nymphs, and to soar in an emerald unicorn to the frozen land of the mysterious Ice King.

Customer Reviews:

Together again - for the first time.......2007-03-06

Eric Shanower is a true Oz genius. He is one of the only authors I know that not only give you a written word story that is close to the original tone and feel of the Baum classics, but he lets you really =see= the stories through his wonderful art.

These five stories, formerly available only as long out-of-print graphic novels, are collected together under one cover and one imprint. Formerly First Comics published these wonderful fully illustrated titles in a single issue graphic novel format, in a size (about 8 by 10 inches) that really lets you enjoy Shanower's wonderful art.

"Enchanted Apples of Oz," the 1st story, takes us on a journey to see the Wicked Witch of the South and what happens when someone falls in love with her (for a while anyway... :-). The story is about Bortag and his quest for the Enchanted Apples of Oz. I won't ruin it for you, but I loved them all, especially Quox the Flying Blue Marlin.

"The Secret Island of Oz," the 2nd story, takes Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and Eureka on a journey to find the Crimson Tailed Quipperug and what happens to them along the way. I think you'll enjoy the story of Knotboy and Princess Trin.

"The Ice King of Oz," the 3rd story, takes us on a journey to the land of the Ice King. My favorite character was Flicker, the candle-maker, and his vital role in rescuing Ozma from a frozen fate.

"The Forgotten Forest of Oz," the 4th story, tells about Nelanthe, a wood-nymph, and how she falls under the spell of the King of the Trolls, and what Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, and the Sawhorse have to do this time to save Oz.

Finally, "the Blue Witch of Oz," easily one of the best illustrated, tells the tale of what happened to the Good Witch of the East and also what happened to her and her family.

Oz fans will find very little to quibble with here - Eric tells these tales as though he had the ear of Baum himself - and even non-Oz fanatics will find these stories easy to read and very fun.

I highly recommend buying this - especially since Shanower gives you such wonderful stories you can even read to young children while showing them what they see. A real gem to add to the crown of Oz.

Enthusiastically recommended reading for ages 8 to 80.......2006-11-05

L. Frank Baum's delightful Oz books have entertained every generation of readers, young and old alike, since they first appeared more than half a century ago. Indeed, so popular was the world of Oz and its myriad of colorful characters, that after his death other writers took up the task of creating more stories set in that colorful land over the rainbow. Now Eric Shanower has imaginatively written and beautifully illustrated five more stories that are combined in a large format graphic novel called "Adventures In Oz". The stories include 'The Enchanted Apples of Oz', 'The Secret Island of Oz', 'The Ice King of Oz', 'The forgotten Forest of Oz', and 'The Blue Witch of Oz'. Carrying and expanding the mythology, legendary, and fairy-tale fantasy first established by Frank Baum and enthusiastically recommended reading for ages 8 to 80, "Adventures In Oz" does full homage and credit to the growing library of Oz books, - and this time with the added visual and storytelling benefits of the graphic novel format. For school and community libraries (and dedicated Oz fans) it should be noted that IDW Publishing plans to release a hardcover edition next year that will have 70 additional pages of behind-the-scenes materials, including material from Eric Shanower's sketchbook, character designs, an essay by Eric about his experiences creating Oz comic stories, a variety of illustrations he has created for other Oz publications, short Oz comic stories, and more.

Oz at it's best.......2006-09-29

This book far exceeded my expectations. I like comics that have brilliant, bright, beautiful artwork and I have to say out of any comics I have ever read, this is by far the best. The illustrations in this book are more like book illustrations that comics. The story lines are wonderful and "fit" with the other Oz stories. The book is a high quality paperback with thick glossy pages. It is well worth the price.

Dorothy and Scarecrow's Adventures in Oz: The Complete Eric Shanower Collection.......2006-05-03

From 1986-92, Eric Shanower made 5 Graphic Oz Novels (comic-like books) that told the fascinating stories of 'the Enchanted Apples', 'the Secret Island', 'the Ice King', 'the Forgotten Forest' and 'the Blue Witch' of Oz, all of which followed the adventures of Dorothy and Scarecrow with their friends, saving good people (sometimes one of them being misguided into doing bad things) from even worse people. Here, 'Adventures in Oz' is not a new story book by Eric Shanower, but a COLLECTION of ALL 5 Stories. Both the black-and-white and colour artwork for the graphic novels and other books have been rescanned by the publisher IDW Publishing, and Eric made sure that printing mistakes from the original editions would not be repeated (i.e. bits of a picture without colour) and did some minor revisions to the artwork, so therefore this book looks better than the orginal printings. The advances in the past 20 years makes the colours look far closer to what Eric Shanower originally painted than in the original printings of his Oz graphic novels - also his artwork changes from nearly good in 'Enchanted Apples' to Incredibly Fantastic and Lavish in 'Blue Witch'.
"Adventures in Oz" is actually published/printed in 2 different editions: a restored all-5-stories PAPERBACK (normal, currently still available) and a Deluxe LIMITED Signed Edition (which I am the lucky owner of!! Now Sold Out, Sorry!), which not only contains the original 5 stories in one volume but also includes some new, little seen and never-before-published material, such as Character Designs, Sketches, Colour Studies, Advertising Art, Abandoned Concepts and other things (just like the final Issue "9/Epilogue" of 'Oz: the Manga') not seen in the paperback version. The section for the extra material is more than 30 pgs and Eric was very keen on adding these special bonuses. Unfortunately it does not include the Introduction to 'Enchanted Apples' by Harlan Ellison.
BOTH Books have (in the following order) the same front and back cover design, Ozma & her tiny piglette on "This book belongs to", 2 red-dressed trolls, Scraps the Patchwork Girl with Toto and the Saw-Horse and tiny Flicker on the Book-Title pg, a re-scanning of the front & back cover for 'Enchanted Apples' but with 'Adventures' instead of the original title, Abatha the Blue Witch on a publishing pg, Nelanthe the Wood-Nymph with the Chapters, Eric Shanower's portrait of Ozma, "Just a word before you start", a Map of Oz (which again has the Blue East and Yellow West switching places!), Acknowledgements, 'the Enchanted Apples of Oz' story, 'the Secret Island of Oz' story, 'the Ice King of Oz' story, 'the Forgotten Forest of Oz' story, 'the Blue Witch of Oz' story (all 5 dedicated to someone special) and a colourful panel strip with the Oz characters. There are also ENDPAPERS, but both editions have different designs: the PAPERBACK has originally colourful yet b&w scanned pictures of the Famous 5 of Oz on the Yellow Brick Road (front) and the Forbidden Fountain of the Water of Oblivian (back), while the DLSE has new artwork of Eric's characters with 3 Denslow characters and two 'OZ' emblems. Also, in the DLSE after the 'colour-Oz-panel' comes the following: Eric's writing on him & Oz (throughout most of the book's ex. material), childhoods drawings (among them a history of the magic land), "General Jinjur of Oz" Pt. 1 in colour & Pt. 2 in design, design sketches for characters and books and location/places etc., Thanksgiving in Oz, Original opening for 'Forbidden Fruit of Oz' which became 'Enchanted Apples', rescanning of Eric's original graphic novel covers (without the writing), advertising art for the books, pictures made for magazines etc., origin of 'the Ice King', a try-out for Roger S. Baum's "Dorothy of Oz", original 'Story of Nebelle' before becoming Oz - which would've been out of place for Oz, alternate/cut-out endings, colour studies, cards & pin-ups, b&w pictures from Oz books illustrated by Eric Shanowers such as 'Wicked Witch' along with 2 Colour-Plates not in the book, 'Giant Garden', 'Runaway', 'Third Book', 'Invisible Inzi', 'Paradox' (which illustrates such films like 'Return', 'Journey Back', 'Cinar', silent films, etc.!), 'Oz-Story 6', 'Salt Sorcerer & Other Stories', another Ozma portrait, 'Oz-Story 3', 'Rundelstone', the annual Munchkin Convention and Winkie Convention of the International Wizard of Oz Club, 'the Living House' (which is seen on the 3-Disk MGM DVD!) and finally "If 6 Great Cartoonists had drawn Oz Characters'!
For me, I saw (and quickly scimmed through) "Forgotten Forest" and "Enchanted Apples" in 'Comic Kingdom' (which is also where I ordered copies of "Oz: the Manga") and I've always wanted to get 'the Blue Witch' which of course is out of print, but now that they are altogether in one brand-new collection, it doesn't hurt to get the one story I've always wanted with the other 4 stories and some extra delights (So Worth Looking at the Others!). Since I have never actually looked through or owned the orginal 5 books, I can't specify what has been changed or improved, but Eric did mention fixing the way he drew some of Dorothy's faces and the skin colour for the (human) characters, but unfortunately Dorothy still looks a bit too skinny and Ozma's hair isn't really tidy in 'Enchanted Apples'. Since I got 'Wicked Witch' long before 'Adventures' I often wondered at the drawing of "Who is that tiny little man with fire for hair?" Well, thanks to this book, I found out that it was Flicker from "Ice King (Oz)" and learned everything about him, so now I am no longer in the 'Not Know'.
I am VERY pleased to know that something OTHER than MGM is given a 'Special Anniversary Restored Edition' (it has been 20 years since the first publishing), and because of all the hard work that went into making this an 'Excellent Extended Edition' is why it took so long for its release. And I am REALLY GLAD to finally have my copy.
Eric Shanower also illustrated Rachel Cosgrove Payes' "the Wicked Witch of Oz" (which is not as scary or dark as it sounds, and can be bought through 'Hungry Tiger Press'), and even both written/illustrated other Oz books (Giant Garden, etc.). Although I never really liked his idea of giving Dorothy, Betsy and Trot modern-day clothes (shirts, shorts/pants, sneakers and socks that look suited for Summer) and copying John R. Neil's idea of all 3 girls having short hair (which can be confusing), his art is wonderful (ESPECIALLY in 'Blue Witch') and unlike John R. Neil, actually drew Betsy older than Dorothy and Trot younger than Dorothy, as originally written by L. Frank Baum in 'Lost Princess'. In 'Blue Witch', however, Eric redraws Denslow's Long-Haired Dorothy.
Once again, I am proud of some Classic Oz Books being restored for a Brand-New-Collection-Edition, especially since this saga was originally started by someone as talented as Eric Shanower, one of the greatest Oz Illustrators to ever live and draw!
Wouldn't it be GREAT if Eric did a Graphic Novel of L. Frank Baum's 'the Wonderful Wizard of Oz'?
P.S. On the MGM Oz - 3 Disk DVD, we actually see ERIC SHANOWER and some of his art in the 'Because of the Wonderful Things It Does: The Legacy of Oz' featurette, along with Willard Carroll! - but what about William Stout?

The only true heir to Baum's legacy.......2006-03-09

I grew up on the original Oz series by L. Frank Baum but was never terribly impressed with attempts to continue the adventures of these beloved characters -- until Eric Shanower.

Shanower's artwork is evocative of the original art in Baum's volumes but even more important, Shanower captures the spirit of the books and characters beautifully. There is not a single false note in any of his portrayals. Adventures in Oz collects all of his standalone Oz graphic novels into one volume and it is long overdue. My favorite is the Blue Witch of Oz, but all of the stories are told with great love and imagination.

I've long been frustrated that few studios have tried to adapt the other Oz books into movies and the few times they did we ended up with atrocities like Return to Oz. From a storytelling standpoint, I understand the dilemma -- Dorothy's not in the second boo, Land of Oz, yet it's essential to introduce key characters like Ozma. If some studio ever does solve the problem -- or just take the chance on an Oz movie without Dorothy -- their next purchase should be the rights to Shanower's Oz stories. After filming the rest of Baum's books, Shanower's stories are the next most logical and satisfying candidates.

Average customer rating:

More Like Awesomely O"Malley
Touching
My first graphic novel!
Bryan Lee O'Malley's first major work
Disappointing, Bad Representation of the Teenage Female

Lost At Sea
Bryan Lee O'Malley
Manufacturer: Oni Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1932664165

Book Description

Raleigh doesn't have a soul. A cat stole it - or at least that's what she tells people - or at least that's what she would tell people if she told people anything. But that would mean talking to people, and the mere thought of social interaction is terrifying. How did such a shy teenage girl end up in a car with three of her hooligan classmates on a cross-country road trip? Being forced to interact with kids her own age is a new and alarming proposition for Raleigh, but maybe it's just what she needs - or maybe it can help her find what she needs - or maybe it can help her to realize that what she needs has been with her all along.

Customer Reviews:

More Like Awesomely O"Malley.......2007-07-04

i'M a huge fan of Scott Pilgrim and i wasn't sure how this book was going to compare, but it did the opposite of letting me down. iT grasps at the awkward little girl inside of us all... yeah... and plays up the aspect of just wanting to fit in, finding new friends, and just letting life roll. Brian Lee O'Malley has just got himself a person who will read anything he puts out. ANYTHiNG!

Touching.......2006-12-29

This story has all the elements of a wonderful, modern-alternative graphic novel. Bryan Lee O'Malley understands the mind of the new age of teenage perfectly. This story reminds us that we are all a bit crazy, but that's ok. My only complaints would be the overuse of the "f bomb" and that we weren't better introduced to the other characters. Some of the resolution would have been more meaningful had we felt more close to the other protagonists.

My first graphic novel!.......2006-08-10

i was given this by a friend of mine, and this what got me really interested in graphic novels. The story is beautiful so dreaming the characters are awesome and most of all though the artwork is SO simple yet it is so full of expression. Bryan gave life to those characters with just black lines, magnificent.

Bryan Lee O'Malley's first major work.......2006-03-12

I came to Bryan Lee O'Malley's Lost at Sea after reading his two other books (Volumes One & Two of the Scott Pilgrim series) and thus, am of two minds about Lost at Sea. This is a very different book in both tone and humour than Scott Pilgrim. It's more somber, the art and feel are less stylized, the main character is prone to multiple page internal monologues about her feelings. In light of the Scott Pilgrim series it is easy to see that Lost at Sea came first. It is obviously an early work.
This does not make it bad.
Lost at Sea is about a girl (Raleigh) whose soul may or may not have been stolen by a cat, going home to her mother with friends that she doesn't even know. It is a story about self-discovery, about finding both yourself and the rest of the world all at the same time. At times heartbreakingly earnest, at times lightly comic it is a 160 page exercise in raw emotion. It would be wrong to dismiss Lost at Sea as cliched, to look at it's basic premise (girl finds herself and her friends on road trip home) and make assumptions about what it has to say and, more importantly, how it says it. O'Malley is an excellent writer, and he handles the obvious moments in Lost at Sea without a wink or nudge, he doesn't make these characters a joke to the reader, he honestly portrays their feelings in the way that they feel them. And that is the best part about Lost at Sea, when you're 18 and lost you think you're the only one and O'Malley write Raleigh as though she is.

Disappointing, Bad Representation of the Teenage Female.......2005-10-26

I'm a fan of Brian O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim so I thought I would try to read this, his earlier foray into the graphic novel. I was very disappointed. The book is rambling and attempts too hard to be 'deep' and 'dark.' In particular, the characterisation of the teenage female is slightly disturbing and poorly written. The main character, Raleigh, is a young woman in trouble and her imagination and thoughts are so unlike a teenage females that I get the feeling the author may be mystified by women in general and thinks they truly think like this! Absurd. Yes, being a young teenage girl is rough but the author tackles the subject with obvious lack of expertise. The language is harsh with the use of the 'f' word in abundance, trying to make the story more authentic with little success. The only thing to recommend it is the cuteness of O'Malley's artwork which is a stark contrast to the sad story that unwinds and ends rather abruptly. I do NOT recommend this to any younger females because you'll just leave the book feeling much more depressed. O'Malley has progressed quite a bit however and his later works are much better.

Average customer rating:

Wow!!!!
Another rewrite would have improved it.
Harlem Girl [Not] Lost...
Nothing But Love For Silver and Chance, all Hail to Treasure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
off da chain fa sho

Harlem Girl Lost: A Novel
Treasure E. Blue
Manufacturer: One World/Ballantine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0345492641
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Book Description

“A true urban novel filled with vivid images of the street.”
–Black Issues Book Review

Treasure E. Blue, street lit’s hottest newcomer, crafts characters that fly off the page and a story that burns with intensity. Set in Harlem, this searing novel is a poignant and gritty portrait of urban survival of the ghetto’s fittest . . . and most fierce.

Silver Jones knows just how cruel life can be. Her mother was chewed up and spit out by its dark side–brutally murdered while turning a trick. Rather than live with her abusive grandmother, Silver runs away.

Determined to escape the mean streets, Silver longs for an education. But after running into an old friend, a homeless youth named Chance whom she’d taken under her wing once upon a time, Silver puts her dreams of college on hold. Chance is grown now–and he’s a powerful drug overlord. But underneath the cool exterior is the same innocent boy Silver once loved.

As they begin an affair, Silver tries to convince Chance to give up the lethal way of life that ruined both their childhoods. But Chance knows that walking away from the game means having to pay a deadly price. Silver won’t take no for an answer–even if it means delving into a seedy underworld and outscheming some of its most vicious drug-dealers and cold-blooded murderers.

“Even in Blue’s world of double-crossing, misogyny, drugs and brutality, an against-all-odds fairy tale can come true.”
–Publishers Weekly

Customer Reviews:

Wow!!!!.......2007-09-24

This bookis of the chain!!! The characters are so real and the storyline was amazing, nothing was left out. All of my questions were answered. I would highly recommend this book to my fellow readers. I really hope that Treasure Blue will bring out another novel really soon because I will truely support all of his books.

Another rewrite would have improved it........2007-09-21

Treasure E. Blue, Harlem Girl Lost (Ballantine, 2004)

It's an oft-bandied-about statistic in writing manuals that 95% of the books published in any given year sell less than five thousand copies total. So, when one reads about a book that, when self-published, sold sixty-five thousand copies-- to spell that out for you, outsold most books published by a factor of thirteen before it landed a book deal-- one expects something special. Or one should, anyway.

When Blue is on his game, this book is something special. It's a fast, ugly, whip-smart morality tale about life in Harlem. It chronicles the lives of Silver Jones, whose mother raised her to be someone who could get out of the decrepit neighborhood and start fresh somewhere else, and Silver's on-again off-again boyfriend Chance, school outcast turned slick, predatory drug dealer. The book (aside from a few flashback chapters that drag) keeps along at a breakneck pace, challenging the reader to catch up, spinning its tale as outlandishly as any of the blaxploitation movies Blue castigates in a passing comment.

That said, Blue is not always on his game, and when he's not, the book grates. His characters are often boilerplate, if not outright stereotypical (remembering that stereotypes apply equally to the good as well as the bad), and his plot harks back to those same movies. That said, this sort of thing can be mighty enjoyable in the right hands. Every time I got myself convinced that Blue's hands are the right ones, he did something else that annoyed me. Time and again it was the book's dialogue. I understand the whole "keeping it real" thing, but there's a point where you've gone beyond keeping it real and entered the territory of keeping it parodic. And, really, how many times do you have to use the word [censored] in a book to keep it real? Not this many, I'm pretty sure.

Not a bad book, but not nearly what it could have been. ** ½

Harlem Girl [Not] Lost..........2007-09-05

In "Harlem Girl Lost," Treasure E. Blue tells the story of Silver, a young girl who could have been lost if not for her mother's love and ability to make her daughter strong, even when she was a weak parent.

"Harlem Girl Lost" is written primarily about Silver's life. However, Silver's mother, Jessica, was a most integral part of the story. Jessica, pregnant and alone at 15, turns to prostitution to support herself and and her daughter, and drugs to numb her pain. In the midst of Jessica's tumultuous lifestyle, she manages to instill undying confidence in her daughter, Silver. Silver's dream of becoming a doctor stays alive because of Jessica's determination for her daughter to succeed.

"Harlem Girl Lost" is a very touching story that teaches the incredibly valuable lessons of loyalty, forgiveness, taking pride in oneself, and boosting self-esteem in your children so "I can't" is never in their vocabulary. I applaud Treasure E. Blue's extraordinary vision in this novel.

Nothing But Love For Silver and Chance, all Hail to Treasure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-08-22

What can I say about Mr. Treasure E. Blue, except all praise is to him. This is one of the best book I've read, and I've read alot of books. You just find yourself all wrapped up in this book. I mean it's like you know the characters. Silver was a very strong young lady to have to witnessed the drug use that her mother was exposing her to, and Mr. Birdie I just loved him. In all actuallity this book reminds me of that movie "Holiday Hearts". I highly recommend this book to everybody, I'm reading it again. Congratulations Treasure on a job well done. God Bless!!!!!!!!!!!!!

off da chain fa sho.......2007-07-20

i just got finished reading this book yesturday and,it was so good i could not put it down. treasure really did his thing with this one. silver and chance were made for each other. the book was definately worth the money.

Average customer rating:

So frustrating!!
a unique book
Heart Spinning Fun
The Lost Girls is a Delightful Book!!!!

The Lost Girls: A Novel
Laurie Fox
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 074321790X

Book Description

Wendy has long heard the family legend -- madness strikes the Darling women at a certain age, traditionally after romance visits in the form of an overgrown boy. The Darling girl will fall in love, the boy will desert, and the girl is left on her heels, heartbroken and flirting ever after with lunacy's lure. Wendy knows she should be grateful for her childhood adventure, but instead she finds herself adrift; resenting the heartache-turned-eccentricity of her mother; envious of the oddball antics of her Great-Nana; and consumed by the mystery of her grandmother Jane, whose disappearance following her own youthful romance remains unsolved.

When Wendy falls in love with Freeman, an exuberant and irreverent man-child himself, she finds herself perpetuating the pattern she thought she had missed. And then along comes her daughter, Berry, the precocious but sullen child with the eyes of a sage. When it is Berry's time to go off to The Neverland, Wendy, like so many mothers before her, questions who she has become. Is she "barking mad"? Is Berry?

Wendy's journey to self-realization takes flight from the themes suggested in the classic novel Peter Pan. Fox's dazzling prose and elegant insights into love and loss make this story universal; the characters and their heartache make this novel deeply personal. The Lost Girls contemplates the contradictory human yearnings for freedom and safety, flight and stability in a moving and ultimately uplifting story of motherhood, love, and reenchantment that speaks to women of all ages.

Customer Reviews:

So frustrating!!.......2006-11-29

I was disappointed and find that it spoiled my own happy Peter Pan fantasies.

It was an interesting idea but I do not love the story the author chose to tell. Intentionally or unintentionally, she doesn't show Peter's charm or attraction or display any reason at all why these women would have loved him so much that they would attempt suicide and go crazy once he left them. I didn't understand the -why- of their bizarre dynasty. And then the author gives the narrator this awesome, tough, no-nonsense daughter and I would really have enjoyed reading a story about her adventures in Neverland, kicking Peter's rear into shape or going off and doing her own thing on the island if all they'll grant her is domestic servitude. But the author chooses not to explore this path at all. Then why create such an awesome character with such potential? Is it just to drive me nuts?

a unique book.......2005-06-26

The Lost Girls features Wendy Darling Braverman, the same Wendy from the beloved Peter Pan story. All the Darling women have to be whisked away to the Neverland in their teenage years, and they all fall in love with the whimsical boy, Peter Pan. Wendy thinks she will not grow up, but eventually she does, and so continues the Darling women legacy that began with her great-great grandmother, Great-Nana. Wendy struggles with her love for Peter in Neverland and learning how to live and grow up in the real world, and her ambivalence puts strain on her new family of an eccentric sound-loving husband and her Goth daughter. Wendy and her daughter Berry both have to deal with growing up, wild imaginations, and learning how to cultivate a healthy mother-daughter relationship. This book has outstanding characters, including her author mother who writes about men who cannot grow up and her great-great grandmother with an impressive bosom and a knack for telling stories. Wendy's grandmother is missing in action for the longest time, but she eventually makes a charming reappearance in Wendy's life. I really have not come upon many books like The Lost Girls, with this blunt but interesting prose writing. Adorable and cute, although the book tends to ramble and leave me wondering where the narrative was going. Interesting book indeed!

Heart Spinning Fun.......2005-02-24

I just finished _The Lost Girls_ and absolutely love the book. I
don't remember ever laughing this delightedly, this often, and yet feeling,at the same time, the profundity of the analysis of the human condition -- all around.

The Lost Girls is a Delightful Book!!!!.......2004-01-25

A whimsical and darling story with a luminous ending. You won't want it to end. Read it over a weekend, didn't want to leave the warm and engaging characters or the lyrical and magical world Laurie Fox created in these pages. Her writing is assured and poetic -- treat yourself to this book!

The Lost Girl: A Novel (Modern Library Classics)

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A Wonderful Find
Patchy stuff
Extroidinary Novel
Soul Searching
A Touching, Soul-Searching Novel

The Lost Girl: A Novel (Modern Library Classics)
D.H. Lawrence
Manufacturer: Modern Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0812969979
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Book Description

The Lost Girl, D. H. Lawrence’s forgotten novel, is a passionate tale of longing and sexual defiance, of devastation and destitution.

Alvina Houghton, the daughter of a widowed Midlands draper, comes of age just as her father’s business is failing. In a desperate attempt to regain his fortune and secure his daughter’s proper upbringing, James Houghton buys a theater. Among the traveling performers he employs is Ciccio, a sensual Italian who immediately captures Alvina’s attention. Fleeing with him to Naples, she leaves her safe world behind and enters one of sexual awakening, desire, and fleeting freedom.

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Find.......2004-05-15

This book was given to me on the last day of High School in 1972 by a girl friend. I've kept this book ever since and it ranks up there with my all time favorite books even though I agree with one other reviewer that this is not the best example of Lawrence's work. However, with that said, this book also has a heart and tenderness that really meant something to me. I'm amazed no one has ever written a screenplay of this work since it's worth it. It was the only book Lawrence ever won a prize for, which says something about it. Take a chance and read it.

Patchy stuff.......2003-11-15

"The Lost Girl" is the story of Alvira Houghton, who lives in a small Midlands town with her father, a draper. Mr Houghton undertakes various schemes to get rich quickly, each one more unrealistic than the others. Meanwhile, Alvira fears that she will end up a spinster, yet finds herself unable to make a commitment to any of the men who pursue her, that is until the Italian Ciccio arrives.

This is one of Lawrence's less-renowned novels, and was completed some years after it had been started. Indeed, I thought that towards the end, Lawrence's style was more mature than in the earlier sections of the book, thus betraying the times it was written. Therefore I felt that it was a disjointed work - for example, in the middle section (in which Ciccio first appears, and Alvira's interest in him grows) the plot drifts, as if Lawrence could not work out any resolution.

Despite these problems, I thought that there were interesting themes in "The Lost Girl", such as Alvira's fear of taking any action to resolve her predicament, as if the very fact that she had choices tortured her. I suppose one could draw parallels to existentialist thought, the tyranny of choice. Alvira is consumed by the need to be active in her life choices, and distressed by the mores of the society in which she operates. Lawrence rails against this in the early parts of the novel, criticising women for being so passive, for expecting others (men) to meet their needs for them.

Ciccio, being foreign, is not constrained by English social values, and therefore can provide Alvira with one way out of her impasse. Yet it's up to each reader to decide whether or not she has made the right choice in the end. Or is she still paying a high price for her earlier indecision?

Not a great example of Lawrence's work - it's too patchy for that, but it has its points of interest.

G Rodgers

Extroidinary Novel.......2003-02-08

This book was beautifully and passionately written. It is a love story unique and philosophical. Do we choose our own fates? Alvina will tell you.

Soul Searching.......1999-02-26

Just like SISTER CARRIE, THE LOST GIRL is about a young woman searching for her place in the world. Meaning, floucing from one man to another, flirting, playing, getting engaged then dashing away for fun. And just like JEANNIE GERHARDT, this old man gets herself in trouble.

But the most fascinating part of this book is it's glimps into her background. How she was brought up in a wealthy and rich household, only to try out different occupations against her father's wishes, then ends up as a lower classed female in life. Very tragic.

A Touching, Soul-Searching Novel.......1998-07-11

I recently got done reading this wonderful, yet forgotten novel of Lawrence's. Truly compelling in it's intricate details of a young woman trying to find herself. Literally. She goes on the 'universal' self journey and discovers that she was lost and finally finds her identity and sensuality in the man she loves. D.H. Lawrence has a wonderful way of not wrapping up the ending in a nice,neat little package. As always, Lawrence is the ultimate man of mystery, sensual needs and desires. A "must read" for those who love to read Lawrence and for those who never have!

Mr. Cheeters is Missing (Nancy Drew Graphic Novels: Girl Detective #6)

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Mr. Cheeters is Missing (Nancy Drew Graphic Novels: Girl Detective #6)
Stefan Petrucha
Manufacturer: Papercutz
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1597070300
Release Date: 2006-08-08

Book Description

When the eccentric Blanche Porter reports that her beloved Mr. Cheeters has vanished, it isn't your standard missing persons case. As Nancy Drew soon discovers, Mr. Cheeters, is a pet chimp. Or is he? Based on a preliminary investigation and information obtained from Blanche's brother, Lawrence, the River Heights police dismiss the case as bogus - doubting that there ever was a Mr. Cheeters to begin with. But when Nancy Drew discovers there's a missing diamond necklace as well - she's on the case! Can Nancy, along with Bess and George, recover the great ape and the necklace, or has Blanche Porter made a monkey out of Nancy Drew?Ages 8 to 12.

Average customer rating:

Delicious.
The Lost Girls Collected
Alan Moore's laziest work
A fascinating appetizer, but little more.
Not really my taste

Lost Girls : Book one
Melinda Gebbie , and Alan Moore
Manufacturer: Kitchen Sink Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0878164065

Customer Reviews:

Delicious........2007-02-28

Alan Moore, Lost Girls, vol. 1 (Top Shelf, 2006)

I find it endlessly amusing that my library refuses to lend Ice-T's The Ice Opinion: Who Gives a [censored]? with its dust jacket (for one cannot have a printed profanity defaming the eyes of the kiddies!), and yet lends Lost Girls in all its glory. We don't have the collected edition, in its tasteful, plain-blue case; no, we have the individual volumes. The back cover of volume 1 will probably do more damage to the library's reputation than will Ice-T's f-word, if any of the busybodies who worry about such things ever get their hands on it.

The controversial contents of said book are just as illicitly stimulating, concerning the meeting of three well-known female stars of fairy tale-dom at a posh hotel. There is great lasciviousness all around as the three of them meet for the first time, telling the tales of how they got to be the disgraced fairy-tale figures they are. (There's a bit of dalliance among them, but you'll have to wait till later in the series to get to the meat of that; this is a story of beginnings.)

Moore is, of course, one of the finest writers of graphic novels going today, having given us such lights as Watchmen and V for Vendetta. It would be ludicrous to assume, as many seem to have, that when turning his attention to more adult material, Moore would lose his incisive gaze and immediately assume drooling-fourteen-year-old status. Pish-posh. Artist Melinda Gebbie, probably best-known (previous to this, anyway) for being one of the principal animators on the 1986 film When the Wind Blows (as a side note, if you've never seen it, you must-- one of the best, if most neglected, pieces of art to emerge from the nuclear hysteria of the eighties), contributes lush drawings that mesh well with Moore's randy prose. The characters have personalities, and Gebbie transmits them through minor drawing quirks in a lovely way; Dorothy's innocence is tempered with red cheeks that speak more of hard drinking than the stereotypical apple-freshness, while Alice's aristocratic demeanor is presented with an air of defeat, a slight stoop in the shoulders that even Alice is loath to admit.

This is amazing work. Buy, beg, borrow, or steal a copy. The first real evidence since the death of Georges Bataille that "pornography" and "literature" can walk hand in hand and look each other in the eye. **** ½

The Lost Girls Collected .......2006-07-24

Appreciated having my order placed on a waiting list until available.

Alan Moore's laziest work.......2003-08-13

I know I will get negative votes for this review but I have to be honest. I thought that the name Alan Moore in the cover of anything was the guarantee of a good story, but this magazine proved me wrong. I call it a magazine and not a book or graphic novel because the story is only 24 pages long and consists of three much shorter independent stories, merely snapshots. The stories are lazy (Mr. Moore didnt try hard enough this time), they are supposed to be erotica, but I found them nearer to drama than anything else, and now to the worst part: the art, very childish, very amateurish, hardly evoking any emotion at all. I will read The League of Extraoduinary Gentlemen tonight because I need to forgive Alan Moore.

A fascinating appetizer, but little more........2003-05-08

When discussing comics as a mode of literature, the name Alan Moore is one of the first to be mentioned, and deservedly so. His masterwork, WATCHMEN, is considered by many to be the best comic series ever written and other projects, such as TOP 10 and his legendary run on SWAMP THING, are regarded almost as well. Moore's work has a strikingly original quality about it, even when he's operating within the confines of superheroes in tights. However, the superheroes are nowhere to be seen in LOST GIRLS: BOOK ONE, and no one wears tights, though it's possible that could change in subsequent installments. Partnering with artist Melinda Gebbie, Moore has produced a slender volume of comic book erotica that's difficult to categorize, but no less absorbing because of that.

LOST GIRLS: BOOK ONE bears some resemblance to other writings by Moore. It has the naturalistic quality of FROM HELL and the literary roots of THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, bringing together three adolescent heroines from classic fantasy tales in decidedly adult forms: Alice of ALICE IN WONDERLAND is a grown woman with a fascination for mirrors, Dorothy from THE WONDEFUL WIZARD OF OZ has sold the farm and embarked on a hedonistic journey around the world, while Wendy of PETER PAN is locked in a sexless marriage with her much-older husband.

Since LOST GIRLS: BOOK ONE contains only three chapters of what promises to be a much longer tale, perhaps even as long as the elephantine FROM HELL, there's only enough space to introduce the leads and grant the reader a hint of their lives. Seeing as the work is of an erotic nature, however, there's still time enough to show Dorothy in a sexual dalliance with an Austrian shoe fetishist, and two episodes of self-gratification on Alice's part. The latter scenes introduce a mysterious, THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS element that tantalizes and leaves the reader wanting to know more.

Wendy gets fewer pages, being introduced near the end of the book. The subtle shadow play as she interacts were her husband is evocative of PETER PAN and the mischievous shade that fled into Wendy's bedroom. Gebbie's artwork does a fine job of getting Moore's understated point across without bludgeoning the reader, or ruining the moment.

The illustration of artist Gebbie is as unusual as the subject matter, sliding back and forth between sharp realism and colorful impressionism as the mood of the scene demands. Gebbie shares Moore's light hand, and makes these shifts as unobtrusive as possible, so that the reader should scarcely notice the change. A collection of her initial sketches for the comic is located on the last few pages.

In the end, the only real disappointment is LOST GIRLS: BOOK ONE's brevity. By all accounts the LOST GIRLS project has suffered more than its share of tribulations, including a bankrupt publisher and various other squabbles. What's available in this volume is enormously engaging, but there's simply not enough. Just when the story seems poised to make major strides, it halts with no indication of how long it will be before the next installment comes, if ever.

Not really my taste.......2002-07-06

I like Moore's work. Actually, I adore it, and have started collecting unfamiliar titles on the strength of his name. That's why I picked this up. Well, and also for my collection of Alice in Wonderland spin-offs.

Now, I like comic books, and i like unusual comic books. I don't need more superheroes (unless we get to see something new done with them, such as Watchmen or Top 10). I like some of the weirder, more stylistic stuff (Johnen Vasquez comes to mind) and I adore fantasy comics (Sandman, ElfQuest, Thieves World). This is all to say that I have a taste for variety and for trying out new things.

However, this one did very little for me. I have no complaints against the art. Though at times it does seem a bit flat or amateurish, it has a consistancy and a storytelling strength that makes the style work. The writing is also some of what Moore is best at, people being people in all their glory and foibles. Even so, I felt something was lacking. Maybe this simply an issue of the erotica genre, but Lost Girls didn't seem to have a hook to hang on.

What I love most in literature is the dream behind the reality; and Moore does play with this a bit in the first two stories, but i felt somewhat unsatisfied by a lack of anything really going on. The third story, "Missing Shadows," was, I think, the most clever. Using the storytelling power that only comics can muster (though film could certainly make a stab at it), it dissected a Victorian marriage with grace and subtlety that was shocking for its brevity.

Maybe the sense that nothing is really happening owes to this being the first volume of a series. But i don't think i have any interest in collecting more of it, and it's tempered my Moore enthusiasm a bit, so i'll be more wary of what I buy next. It probably shouldn't, but there it is.

In any case, this really is Moore doing what he does best, writing human souls. The flaws owe entirely, I think, to the kind of story being told, literary erotica. If that genre holds any interest for you, you'll probably find this well worth the reading; and if not, it's possible this could draw you in to an appreciation. But it's not for me, and I don't imagine it's for very many.

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