Dreams and an Apology
May 23, 2001
In this, the end of my highly cynical teenage years, I find myself suspicious of fads. It seems to me that they serve no purpose than to survive, spreading the current in thing from person to person in some strange, capitalist plague.
Sounds incredibly communist, put like that. Ah well. I haven’t read Harry Potter, I dislike Tolkien, and I’ve yet to see the point of Dawson’s Creek. But I just finished all ten books of Sandman. Graphic novel, borrowed from Tyrethali. I honestly figured I’d read them, send them back, and be done with it.
After all, it’s just a comic book. Right?
Ya know, I should remember more closely the epiphany I had reading a novel crossover between Spiderman and the X-Men.
Three days, give or take a bit, for ten graphic novels, concerning anthropomorphic personifications. Dreams. I didn’t expect a sense of awe for the three, maybe five page funeral procession. I never guessed I’d be upset when the Furies- er, rather, the Kindly ones- hounded the inhabitants of the Dreamland to take revenge on the Lord of Dreams. I was surprised to find myself with a rather emotional lump in my throat during the funeral service. And it was a real shocker to find I liked the second Corinthian (the first one was way too creepy).
I guess what my rather tripped out mind is trying to form is, that was a damn good story. The art varied from infuriatingly wrong (that’d be the Picasso-ish tones in number nine, The Kindly Ones) to outstandingly beautiful (rather magna-ish The Wake, number ten). The story flowed, although maybe grew is a better word, building up and taking unexpected directions while weaving in facets with continuity like you wouldn’t believe.
I really enjoyed reading all of Sandman. I am thankful Tyr had all of them, because stopping along the way would not only have sucked majorly, but driven me nuts in the quest to figure out what was happening next. Not to mention I think it really would’ve reduced the magic.
Anyway. I was wrong. I saw Sandman as a minor fad, especially online. I didn’t expect it to be half as good as it was, and never as... enthralling? mystical? amazing? None of the words seem to fit. Well, it wasn’t what I expected. I was pleasantly stunned, even if it did have a rather trippy effect on me. I’d really recommend reading it, but make sure you get the entire series. Bloody expensive.
Actually, I’d recommend borrowing it. Because as much as I loved the adventure the first time, I don’t think the second time though would be as fun. It’s weird. I love rereading books. Revisit a second, third, or whatever time to catch all the little things I missed the first reading because I was in such a hurry to get to the end, to finish. I don’t like the thought of rereading Sandman. Heh. Ya know, somehow it seems wrong. Go figure. I’m not sure why.
Well, anyway. I doubt I’ll reread it. And since I can’t think of something nifty and profound to wrap things up, I’ll steal a quote from Brief Lives.
Delirium: What’s the name of the word for things not being the same always. You know. I’m sure there IS one. Isn’t there? There must be a word for the things that lets you know time is happening. Is there a word?
Dream: Change.
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