Embark on a surreal voyage into an unconventional vision of the afterlife. Clarence wakes to the aftermath of his own suicide and a hidden message spawns his journey beyond. Follow Clarence's twisted tale, as he meets whimsical characters whose fates are destined to intertwine with his.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Chankhamma's gorgeous manga-inspired art makes this book. She draws moody, evocative landscapes, densely twisting trees, ornate banisters and big-eyed characters all with the same skill and emotive touch. Unfortunately, Said's story isn't quite as original. The angsty tale takes place following the suicide of the main character, Clarence, who is searching for a kind of healing in death. An implicit romanticization of death and suicide is drawn out over an episodic narrative that relies much too heavily on atmosphere and offers little substance, as Clarence wanders an afterlife encountering various mysterious beings all on their own quests. While some gloom-loving readers may find comfort in the ruminations on emptiness, the self-conscious stylings are often flat and forced. An introduction by Hayden Scott-Baron does little to enhance understanding of the story. Wisely, however, the book concludes on a high note with a series of sketch studies. It's a pleasure to look into Chankhamma's lovely designs of scenes including the courtyard and the book tree and the Death flower shop. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
When Clarence comes to consciousness in his overflowing bathtub, the water has turned pink. Written on the mirror is the message, find me. So he sets off, without knowing who left the message. Very soon, however, he discovers that he has committed suicide and is chasing the mysterious note writer through the land of the dead. Being dead is no guarantee against dying again, and Clarence is threatened—and threatens some of those he meets—with additional bouts of dying. He encounters some witty interlocutors; a dangerous, pretty young woman; and his own better side. He notes a Lewis Carroll sensibility in some of his adventures but knows that they are darker and grimmer than Alice's. Chankhamma's art fits Said's story line nicely, with panels proportioned and positioned to emphasize and literally shape the narrative flow. People and places verge on the cartoony without losing their forbidding qualities. The story ends with a nice twist, and supplementary pages show how the originally conceived conclusion would have left the tale different in overall sensibility. Goldsmith, Francisca
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
a bit morbid,
By Marie (Edison, NJ) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Clarence Principle (Paperback)
i was attracted to this book by the subject matter and drawings when browsing in the bookstore. so made the impulse to buy. i hadn't gone wrong also if are like me and love books on either death, suicide or just dark matter. then this would be a perfect read. althrough i found some to be a tiny bit confusing, especially towards the end also it just wasn't long enough. yet all in all i think this is a pretty decent graphic novel.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Read,
By
This review is from: The Clarence Principle (Paperback)
The Good:
The plot wasn't really half bad, and I certainly found myself rereading the book. Most of the characters are at least fairly well thought out, and I adore the Man in the Moon. The art is unique, with a sort of haphazard look, but it is still polished enough to look fine published. The story was well executed, and it did have some nice twists. Yes, it's a grim tale, but it has nice touches of dark humor and some cute moments. The Bad: It's not the most original plotline: a boy commits suicide and finds himself in the land of the dead, trying to find his way. It also seemed to have gore at odd points; it never quite seemed appropriate. The Ugly: I don't want to say much, but I felt the ending did not fit at all; it came entirely out of left field, and not in a good way. I know it seems a little odd,(and elsewhere there are a lot of negative reviews of the product) but despite it's flaws, this book is thoroughly enjoyable, and well worth rereading. While I feel it could have been a bit more developed, it certainly was worth the money and the artwork is simply gorgeous.
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