Bizenghast Volume 1 (Paperback)

by M. Alice Legrow (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Gothic horror, New England ghost stories and Loli fashion, along with traditional Japanese manga, are all reflected in this English-language manga. LeGrow's intricate backgrounds, fabulous costumes, architectural fantasias and painterly set pieces introducing each chapter make this book a delectable visual treat. The writing, unfortunately, doesn't rise to the same level. Unconvincingly written newspaper dispatches provide backstory and plot, while dialogue gets across the bare minimum. Dinah, the well-dressed heroine, is troubled by visions of ghosts in the empty buildings of the boarding school where she's been sent to live with an aunt, following the deaths of her parents. Decaying buildings and abandoned graveyards, rendered in a German expressionistic style, provide an impressive background to the low-key story. Dinah and her suitably slender and big-eyed companion, Vincent, meet a variety of creatures who give them a series of clunky riddles to solve. Along their way, they meet several tragically inclined ghosts. The book offers an unsatisfying ending, relying too heavily on its closing "to –be continued." The flimsy narrative will most likely be forgiven by many who will simply see it as an excuse to enjoy some very impressive art. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up–Dinah, a teen who lost her parents in a car accident, lives with her aunt in a decrepit house in a run-down mill town in Bizenghast, MA. Dinah, who was also in the car, suffers from fits that keep her on the brink of madness and allow her to see ghosts. Her only friend is Vincent, a dreamy blond boy, and together they sneak out of the oppressiveness of the house for adventures. On one such excursion they come upon Bizenghast's biggest secret–an abandoned church and graveyard that no one can prove is really there. The teens disturb the inhabitants, and the consequence for Dinah is either to help the otherworldly creatures to release lost souls or to become one herself. Dinah is an interesting character with a quirky sense of style that will appeal to followers of the burgeoning gothic Lolita look. The story has a dreamlike quality, and the hint of possible romance with Vincent adds to the suspense. This first volume is chillingly spooky and fans will look forward to the next installment.–Melissa T. Jenvey, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: TokyoPop; illustrated edition edition (August 9, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595327436
• ISBN-13: 978-1595327437
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #134,908 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Splended, October 6, 2005

By	Lanie (Wyoming) - See all my reviews

For a first shot out of the gate this is pretty astounding.
The art is definitly drool-worthy, some of the illustrations are remenicent of the works I've seen from the golden age of illustration. The eyes reminded me a little of the ones in "Alichino" which is a nice change, because I'm a little sick of the typical glassy eye that plagues manga. The costumes, and architecture are so lovely that I can't imagine how much time they must have taken to draw. I do agree that there are a few pages in the book that need a bit of brushing up, especially in the front of the book where the Aunt and the Doc are talking.

I really had no problem following the story at all, actually it's a fairly easy read and so far the story is pretty concise. Dinah is certainly a character I can sympathise with because of all the tragedies she has and is facing. At first she struck me as simpering and whiny..but I can already see the first stages of Dinah growing into a stronger and more interesting character. Vincent is just so loveable though, you can't help but like him,

One person mentioned that this would be better labeled as a Graphic Novel than a manga which I disagree with. Manga is what you make of it, and it's refeshing to see a change in the "big eyes, small mouth, girls drooling over boy, watch out for my change sequence" stuff that has been churned out lately. The sudden changes in Dinah and Vincent where they are drawn in a more simplistic, almost chibi style are not uncommon to gothic (although I wouldn't label Bizenghast as gothic) manga. Check out Kaori Yuki's "Angel Sanctuary", a sometimes very dark manga that does the same thing.

Overall I think it's worth the $9.99 sticker price, and I'm looking forward to the future volumes!
I think Miss LeGrow will just keep improving.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A pretty decent book, January 2, 2006

By	Michelle - See all my reviews

Bizenghast, I'd say, is a pretty decent book, and I think M. Legrow did a great job with it. The art in this book is gorgeous, especially on the costumes and architecture, and the plot during the first volume is very interesting.

I admit, I didn't fully understand some parts of the book right away, as they were a little confusing. There is a somewhat lengthy explanation towards the end, but it's told in a humorous manner, which thankfully keeps it from being irritating or boring. The basic story was, for the most part, simple to follow, with perhaps a few exceptions here and there.

The art, as I mentioned earlier, was excellent--except for some of the characters. In some panels, the characters look very sloppily drawn and even slightly out of proportion. I guess I can sort of overlook this due to the wonderful costume and architecture design, but it tended to be a little annoying to see the characters look messily thrown together in some scenes. It was a little surprising, actually, because the building designs and the chapter pages were so intricate and detailed, yet, the characters occasionally looked like basic sketches.

Overall, I think this book was a good one and am looking forward to volume two. I'd say to anyone who hasn't bought or read this book yet to skim through it at the book store first and see if it looks like a good read. Although I find it to be off to a nice start, there's definitely room for improvement.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I'm not sure how I feel about this yet . . ., August 17, 2005

By	Heather - See all my reviews

I'll probably end up reading the second volume just to confirm my love or hate of this manga. The story itself is an interesting concept and the art is gorgeous (mostly on the cover, chapter pages, and in some cases the background) but in general the characters seem to be drawn with less care than other manga. As for the personalities of the characters, Dinah struck me as a spoiled, stupid little girl who can't do anything for herself except dress up in fashionable gothic Lolita outfits. She relied on her friend Vincent to do everything for her and she actually didn't do much in this volume (it's almost as if Vincent, and not Dinah, was the main character and might I mention that he was entirely loveable). She redeemed herself somewhat in the final pages of this volume but who knows what the next book will bring? Hopefully a continuation of this intriguing story and a way to make me love the main character better.