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Dave McKean

Cages Hardcover – March 31, 2002

by Dave McKean (Author)

49 ratings

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Presents a tale about the inhabitants of an apartment building, including a blocked painter, a controversial novelist, and a wise musician.

Print length

496 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Nbm Pub Co
Publication date

March 31, 2002
Dimensions

8.75 x 1.5 x 11.25 inches
ISBN-10

1561633194
ISBN-13

978-1561633197
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Best known for his work with Neil Gaiman, McKean is also an accomplished cartoonist in his own right. This is his magnum opus to date: an immense, pulsing graphic novel that's also a treatise on art, creativity and the uses and misuses of technique. Originally serialized between 1990 and 1996 (and collected in 1998), it's been out of print for several years. The book's plot is fairly rudimentary: a painter, a writer and a musician who live in the same apartment building find their lives intersecting. But the book's gradual shift from literalism to fanciful allegories and stories-within-stories mostly serves as the springboard for a visual tour de force. For most of the book, McKean restricts himself to wobbly, jagged two-tone pen-and-ink drawings, occasionally in the manner of Egon Schiele. But he often signals shifts in storytelling mode by switching media or style (to ink-wash brushwork, airbrushed photography, white-on-black "woodcuts," bold near-abstractions or whatever seems appropriate); when the artwork erupts into full-color paintings and collages, the effect is explosive. Even when the story falters or drifts into endless philosophical chitchat, McKean's artwork saves the day. His characters, built out of crazily bent lines and splatters, have perfectly choreographed body language, and his daring visual experiments serve the ideological goals of his writing.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Nbm Pub Co; 2nd edition (March 31, 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1561633194
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1561633197
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.88 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.75 x 1.5 x 11.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,944,114 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,972 in Literary Graphic Novels (Books)
- #4,167 in Dark Horse Comics & Graphic Novels
- #9,043 in Horror Graphic Novels (Books)

Customer Reviews:
49 ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

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Majo Pavlovic

Ramblings of a mind

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 1, 2007

Verified Purchase

I've bought this graphic novel 3 years ago.

I've just read it in past 4 days.

Why?

I don't know.

Maybe I was afraid of it, maybe I wasn't ready for it yet.

I didn't know what to expect from that pages, that cages...

When I finished it today I was just... it's hard to explain the combination of feelings in my head and soul.

As a painter, graphic novel artist and comic strip teacher, I use to search for a new worlds, to find some new stories to tell to my friends and people that surrounds me.

And I'm aware of numerous traps that lurking behind every corner of creation.

I use to tell my students: Be creative, free your mind and fly through the limitless fields of mind, through the many rooms and hidden windows.

And than again, I find myself captured in some sort of cage.

But the love always sets me free.

Dave McKean is one of my few favorite artists.

A genius that combines techniques, always searching for some new expression.

In this complex and moving book, you can find him using sometimes scratchy ink outlines an rapid brush movenents, everything black and white, (with some blue and greenish tone).

Also a few in colour painted panels, an photomontages.

The storyline is good, sometimes monotone but filled with phylosophy about God, art, creation, love, meanings of existence...

I think that I'm going to read it few more times... There's something left, hidden between those dark walls, and spattered lines.

But all I can do is recommend this amazing 500 pgs long book to you,

and you will be next to enter that other- but so close to us - world.

2 people found this helpful

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Todd Carignan

Dave McKean is inspiring.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 27, 2011

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Cages is a beautiful, sophisticated novel for experienced comic readers. McKean's drawing style is honest and experimental, sometimes very realistic, sometimes expressionistic, and sometimes breaking down into abstraction as visual poetry. His storytelling also jumps between traditional narratives, character monologues, and surrealism.
Cages isn't always easy to read. There is a whole chapter about music theory which is beyond me. McKean also likes to introduce images and themes which you might expect to mean something in the greater story, but he feels no need to explain them or give them closure. I find this refreshing, but I could see how some readers might find this frustrating. He's trying to invent new ways to tell a story, sometimes with great success, and sometimes with confusion, but always in a way that is thoughtful.
If you want to read a challenging story that reads like a love letter to art (visual, literature, poetry, and music) and the creative process, and you don't mind a surrealist mystery thrown in (like a David Lynch movie), this may be the book for you.

4 people found this helpful

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MBusby

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 13, 2016

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My hardcover didn't survive the years, so I had to get a replacement copy.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 15, 2012

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i did not imagine it to be as big as it is, but it is delight to read it like that! an amazing piece of work and art by mr. dave mckean.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 16, 2013

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did not wow me like his older stuff - maybe the novelty of his techniques is wearing thin on me - or maybe he should stick to covers and not whole books

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grafdog

Buy it, read it, think about it.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 17, 2015

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its a must read, 'nuff said

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Yogijo

My Favorite Graphic Novel

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 14, 2011

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Cages is my favorite graphic novel. It is gorgeous, mysterious, and intriguingly philosophical. I relish in it's words and images repeatedly.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 25, 2015

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The writing was chaotic and beautiful.

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JD

Truely Mesmerising

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 19, 2014

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I've always loved Dave McKeans art work, especially on the Sandman covers, but it wasn't until recently that I found out about his writing. Cages is the first McKean graphic novel I bought, picked it up to read it tonight and could not put it down until it was done.

It is startling, hypnotic, distressing, thought provoking and beautiful. At certain points I had to stop, just to bask in the story and let melancolia wash over me and at other points I gasped out loud (drawing strange looks from my husband).

I would definately recommend this, a beautiful beautiful book, only wish I'd bought it in hardback now.

Ms. L. Cdaligan

Dave Mckean is a genius!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 8, 2002

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Since A-Level art I dreamed of becoming an Illustrator like Dave Mckean, his work always excited me, moved me and pushed the boundaries of what can be acheived in comic art. Now a few years on,as an Illustrator I believe Cages to be a masterpeice and a huge inspiration to anyone who reads it. Very clever and sometimes heart breaking, he portrays people in a sensitive and compelling light... beautiful beautiful beautiful... i cant describe it to do it justice... there's too much in this large hardback volume for a start! Something to treasure... so if you can find a copy get your greedy mitts on it fast!

4 people found this helpful

simon lw

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 2, 2014

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Amazing ideas and illustration.

Francisco Aranda

Un clásico muy grande.

Reviewed in Spain 🇪🇸 on January 6, 2016

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Lástima que en castellano esté descatalogado (no lo encontré por ningún lado) y tuve que hacerme con él en inglés (aunque no es problema). Lo leí varias veces durante mis años de facultad y ahora cada vez que puedo en casa. Sencillamente una genialidad de Dave McKean.

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Riyad Salhi

Sehr heterogenes Kunstwerk voller Fragezeichen

Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on December 6, 2006

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Wahrscheinlich der "Ulysses" unter den Graphic Novels, von vielen gepriesen, von wenigen gelesen, von noch weniger Menschen verstanden. Ich gebe zu, dass ich zur letzteren Kategorie gehöre. Es wird wohl niemals eine deutsche Gesamtausgabe geben, denn schon "Jimmy Corrigan" übersetzen zu lassen wäre ein verlegerisches Wagnis, und das hier interessiert nur eine überschaubare Minderheit - die sich jedoch höchst enthusiastisch über dieses inkohärente Kunst-Monstrum auslässt. Ich bin da um einiges verhaltener. Grafisch ist das alles schon ziemlich uneinheitlich. Größtenteils kommt McKean mit einer blässlichen Zusatzfarbe aus (bläulich oder gräulich) und verzichtet auf collage-artige Kompositionen wie in "Mr. Punch" oder "Violent Cases". Mitunter lösen sich die Panels regelrecht auf, dann dringt der Jazz in die Bilder ein, die Formen werden freier und leider auch beliebiger. Doch es gibt da eine mehrseitige, farbige und stumme Sequenz mit einem Mädchen im Wald, dem merkwürdige Dinge widerfahren, die mich sprachlos gemacht hat - im positiven Sinne. Ansonsten ist "Cages" eine weit gehend hermetische, dem Medium nicht immer angemessene Angelegenheit. Auf zig Seiten einer ältlichen Dame beim Monologisieren zuzusehen, immer wieder kommentiert von einem Papagei, entfaltet eventuell Kraft auf der Bühne mit einer lebendigen Darstellerin, aber immer wieder dieses Schrumpelgesicht zu sehen in wenig variierten Winkeln, immer und immer wieder, das ist in einer Graphic Novel nun wirklich nicht gut aufgehoben. Doch worum geht es? Was ist das Generalthema? Vorsicht, ambitioniertes Terrain! Wir sind unter Künstlern, unter schaffenden Menschen, oder besser gesagt: Charaktere, die am Schaffen und den damit verbundenen Hindernissen leiden. Der Maler hinterfragt sein bisheriges Werk und kann kein neues Bild beginnen. Der Schriftsteller im gleichen Gebäude kann ebenfalls nicht an seinen längst fertig gestellten Roman anschließen, zieht sich innerlich zurück. Dann die ältere Frau mit Papagei, die einzige nicht-kreative Person, die im Vergangenheitssumpf herumwatet. Dann ein farbiger Prediger, eine schwarze, streunende Katze, und dann die "grauen Männer", eine Art Gedankenpolizei und Kunstzerstörer, die u. a. den Schriftsteller heimsuchen. Der Leser verfolgt diese Menschen ein wenig, erhält Einblicke in ihren Schaffensstillstand, aber es ist bei weitem komplizierter, als sich hier beschreiben ließe. Monologe und Dialoge kontrastieren mit zahlreichen Seiten ohne Text und Sprechblasen. Es wird versucht, eine klaustrophobische Stimmung zu erzeugen, was nur seitenweise gelingt. Bei all dem wird mir nicht klar, was Dave McKean summa summarum transportieren will. Es sind übrigens sehr gute Englischkenntnisse vonnöten, man sollte den Langenscheidt immer dabei haben, wenn man "Cages" versucht zu verstehen. Sicherlich ist es mit sehr hoher Sorgfalt komponiert worden, und ich denke auch, dass es keine "Kunstkacke" ist (wie manches von Anke Feuchtenberger). Aber man braucht sehr viel Zeit dafür - und trotzdem habe ich den Eindruck, dass das alles nur mühsam zusammen gehalten wird durch die Tatsache, dass die handelnden Personen in einem Haus leben. Ich bin damit einfach nicht warm geworden. Nur besonders Mutige (schließlich ist das Ding unheimlich teuer) sollten sich da dran wagen.

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