Mail Order Bride [Paperback]

Mark Kalesniko (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2003

Monty, a lonely comic-shop owner, expects his Asian mail-order bride to fulfill his stereotypical fantasy, but she turns out to be much more complex than that in this sharp and affecting look at their prickly relationship.

The creator of Why Did Pete Duel Kill Himself? returns with an even more powerful graphic novel. Monty, a Canadian comic-and-toy-shop owner and a pathetic 39-year-old virgin, expects his Asian mail-order bride Kyung Soo to fulfil his female Asian fantasy stereotypes: obedient, hardworking and loyal. Tall and accentless, Kyung turns out to be much more complex than Monte is willing to accept. This sharp and affecting look at their prickly relationship is told over 264 elegant, touching pages in this original graphic novel by Disney animator Mark Kalesniko. Kalesniko adroitly juxtaposes Monty's non-sexual, juvenile obsessions with his objectification of his bride, drawing a direct line between loneliness, consumerism, and how the need for order in one's life compromises the approach to matters of the heart.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kalesniko's latest work examines contemporary Korean mail-order brides, a provocative and real phenomenon that matches women looking for a better life with lonely, foreign men. Monty Wheeler, a 39-year-old comic bookstore owner (and virgin) lives in Canada and is surrounded by an ever-expanding inventory of collectibles, including a secret collection of "oriental" porn, a cache of erotic Asian stereotypes that will later haunt him. Monty represents a certain type of obsessive, self-indulgent collector, and his loneliness, immaturity and utter geekiness drive the plot. But it's Kyung Seo, his Korean bride (who speaks English perfectly, to Monty's disappointment), whose evolving sense of independence forms the book's core. Impatient with the circumscribed life of her meek, emotionally stunted husband, Kyung takes surreptitious lessons in attitude and personal freedom from Chinese-Canadian photographer Eve Wong. The women become friends when Kyung agrees to pose nude for Eve (to Monty's horror), a bid for free thinking that eventually leads to other social intoxications like smoking pot and talking about art. As Kyung and Monty's relationship deteriorates, the sexual objectification and power imbalances at the heart of their "marriage" are pulled into stark focus. Kalesniko (Why Did Pete Duel Kill Himself?) is an expert at sophisticated, visually efficient narrative renderings of complex emotions. His drawings are spare and cinematic, and each panel underscores the characters' psychological isolation or another revealing detail. This is a sensitive and intelligent look at the contradictory human impulses that lurk behind cultural stereotypes.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

A dense, rewarding read. (NPR )

This is a sensitive and intelligent look at the contradictory human impulses that lurk behind cultural stereotypes. (Publishers Weekly )

Kalesniko doesn't mince words as he explores issues of race, morality, passion and identity. (The Arizona Republic )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books (May 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560974109
• ISBN-13: 978-1560974109
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 7.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,357,975 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars loved almost all of it, July 15, 2004

By 

claire (Barneveld, Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mail Order Bride (Paperback)

I loved every page of this book up to the great climax, which in my opinion strikes a false note to say the least. the character development is carefully done and plausible up to that point, where two genres seem to collide to the benefit of neither; I'm not familiar with Mark Kalesniko's previous work, but can imagine it to be in a more traditional "comic" style, where such scenes are somewhat more commonplace.

After reading this through I hasten to add that I was deeply impressed and moved by the rest of the book, the artwork as well as the story, and wouldn't want to put anyone off buying it; on the contrary, I seldom got such good value (in terms of time spent reading and re-reading) out of a graphic novel. Great book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous example of the modern graphic novel, August 4, 2002

By 

Todd Morman (Raleigh, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mail Order Bride (Paperback)

Complex, believable characters and an unusual, well-conceived plot make this one of my favorite graphic novels. The conflict between the comic book store owner with an Asian fetish and his new Korean mail-order bride is beautifully told in a series of small, telling vignettes, developing slowly as it takes a series of unpredictable turns. Kalesniko's art is, as always, both incisive and gorgeous, and his use of panels and pacing are just brilliant. He obviously has a lot to teach others in the medium of comics. He apparently did work on The Lion King and Mulan, but his wonderfully cinematic storytelling skills have been evident since long before that. I'll admit the ending of the story goes a bit over the top for my taste, but what remains is a dense and fascinating look at a very poignant, very real relationship. I've read it 3 times now and continue to linger over the captivating way Kalesniko tells the story. If you're looking for a graphic novel for people who say they'll never like "comic books," this is one to buy.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars funny and brutal, September 2, 2001

By 

Daitokuji31 (Black Glass) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Mail Order Bride (Paperback)

I bought this book quite a while back, but it was only recently I read it. It is the story of a lonely 39 year old comic and toy store owner Monty Wheeler. Who is so desperate for companionship that he gets a mail order bride from Korea. However, the woman he gets, Kyung Seo, is not the petite,deferent Asian girl that he was hoping for, and this is where the story takes off into chaos. The art style is very unique in this book, and the sory telling is top-notch. There is never a trace of love in Monty and Kyung's relationship: Monty has a case of "Yellow Fever" and Kyung was hoping for a better life. They are both met with bitter disappointment that explodes in pure hatred at the end. . .