Customer Reviews

Scarlett Takes Manhattan

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Love Molly Crabapple, love sketch-a-thon, had really wanted to love this book but I couldn't. Having seen lots of Molly's previous art work I had high hopes for Scarlett Takes Manhatten. It's small, A4 and less than 50 pages. The quality of drawing on the cover is not reflected in the inner pages. It has got the feel of slightly rushed comic, which if it was a weekly strip would be fine but, for a graphic novel it's not great. The world of comic art has moved on from the early days of a very regimented series of boxes to use the page in a more dynamic way and this book hasns't moved at all. The story could be written on the back of a beer mat, it is trying to be a Moll Flanders, a historical romp with context and interesting titbits but it isn't interesting, broad or challenging. The memoirs of a whore/burlesque performer/impresario should be wonderful material and perhaps if the book was longer they might have been able to do it justic. I will be keeping an eyeout for more Molly Crabapple projects because I think she is great, this book however is a bit of a disappointment

Molly Crabapple's first graphic novel is packed full of curvaceous drawings and velvet-gloved depravity.

This is the tale of a Jewish orphan girl who graduates from a servant's life of drudgery to become the belle dame of The Lotus, a vaudeville theatre that Weimar could've taken a few notes from. Her gender-bending Dandy boyfriend teaches her to eat fire, and bite the hand that feeds her -- so long as it's attached to a two-faced moralist politician.

Filled with lovingly crafted illustrations in vibrant reds and oranges (like the colors of the heroine's flaming hair), moody blues and blacks. Scarlett gives us a taste of old New York and its seamy gilded underbelly. My only wish is that there were more pages...sequel?!

Sex, politics, booze, more sex, fire eating and a lustful elefant poured straight into your eyes through Molly Crabapples beautiful artwork.

This graphic novel will send you straight back to the garage to finish up that time machine you started building when duran duran announced their breakup, just so you can go back to the times of Scarlett O'Herring and get a glimpse for yourself!

Even if you aren't into comics and graphic novels, this book is worth its price just for the chance to get a closer look at Molly Crabapples artwork. Every single frame is a beautiful little piece on its own!

I bought this as a present for my Husband and we have both really enjoyed reading it. The artwork is so lush and beautiful and the story is ribald and fun. I would love to read more of Scarlett's adventures!

This is a comic tale of Scarlett and her rise to fame as a burlesque performer. I enjoyed the storyline and found it to be a naughty fun read.

"I have known monsters and men, danced with kings and lain with queens," says Scarlett O'Herring in flagrante delicto.

And so begins the tale of Scarlett's rise to stardom.

I'm a huge fan of Molly Crabapple's work and also own a copy of Dr. Sketchy's Rainy Day coloring book. Molly and Leavitt's collaborations have always been solid, combining modern wit, aesthetic Victorian sensuality, with a touch of primal "inner freak" that would leave any 21st century reader on his/her toes. This is what I like about Molly's work and what always keeps me coming back for more!

Some weak points of the graphic novel: it's a bit too short! I also felt a bit cheated by the lack of color in the majority of the pages, which I was not expecting since it was unlike the front cover. I could see Molly struggling a bit through drawing some of the scenes she seemed unfamiliar with. However, I take this as evidence that she is growing as an artist and exercising her creative abilities.

The plot itself was a bit on the thin side. I would have loved to see a bit more scandal and character development. The ending seemed very rushed, as though the author just wanted to tie the loose ends with a pretty bow. This doesn't take away anything from the novel so much as it suggests that perhaps it was not as juicy as it could have been.

Yet, the book has still left me wanting more. I look forward to reading (and seeing!) more about Scarlett! I'd love to see a sequel that is even better than the first.

Scarlett Takes Manhattan is a fun, sexy, gender-bending tour through the world of burlesque back in the day on the Lower East Side. The woman formerly known as Shifra Helfgott reinvents herself as Scarlett O'Herring, and falls onto the stage she's performing on, by chance, naked, thus embarking on a career that sees her very quickly becoming a superstar. She encounters Daniel, who's got a secret of his own that Scarlett finds intriguing.

Exceptional artist Molly Crabapple and writer John Leavitt weave in politics, sex work, hot outfits, threesomes, and class as they spin a clever tale that echoes some modern-day attempts to crack down on burlesque. Scarlett is spicy, speaks her mind, and dazzles with much more than her body. Crabapple's artwork is as layered, erotic and captivating as ever. This is a book you'll want to treasure, that's full of wink-wink, nudge-nudge fun, and that celebrates the thrill of getting naked in the name of business and pleasure.

I loved this comic book! It came in good time, great condition, and is just as great of a product as I hoped it would be.