Saturday, October 3, 2015

The Gigantic Beard that was Evil

The Gigantic Beard that was Evil
By Stephen Collins
Picador, 2014. unpaged. Graphic Novel

Dave lives on the nice and tidy island of Here. Day after day Dave wakes up, goes to work, comes home for dinner, and then sketches the view from his front window while listening to “Eternal Flame” by the Bangles. Each day is perfectly predictable, and that's just how Dave likes it. Then one morning everything changes when Dave wakes up to find an extra-long chin hair. Facial hair is disapproved of on the island of Here, so Dave tries frantically to shave. Despite his best efforts, the hair comes back even longer. Soon enough one hair has grown into a gigantic beard that changes Dave’s life and his community in some unexpected ways.

Whether you’re a graphic novel enthusiast or just trying out the genre, this book is for you. Collins's illustrations and lyrical prose beautifully tell this quirky story about the importance of individuality and questioning why our society is the way it is. This is a quick and fun read that you won't regret picking up.

CNC

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