I’ll give Ware credit for bringing credibility to the graphic narrative format, as both of these works show how the genre is not a passive medium. But I don’t know if I have the patience to be a Chris Ware reader. I love it when a text has details that you have to work for. But I think Ware’s texts abuse this. There’s so many details in both of these texts that it almost makes them too difficult to read. Many of the Jimmy Corrigan pages have so many panels with microscopically small text that it makes the reading experience a little hard to enjoy. I did like the art style however. Ware has a good understanding of colors and patterns, which I tend to look out for. I also appreciated the usage of real life brands in Jimmy Corrigan (Disney, Dairy Queen etc) because it made the complexities of the story seem more approachable.
Building Stories is quite obviously an epic reading experience. All of the different components make it so special and unique. I was a little put off by wear to start however. There is a story, and I wasn’t sure how to find it. I am very much a traditional reader in the sense that I like a clear narrative (contradicting myself since I loved Sleepwalk but I digress). I find that it was too much to digest at once though. I was very overwhelmed. But it feels like overwhelming readers is Ware’s specialty. I just don’t think I am cut out for this type of graphic narrative.
Engaging with graphic narratives 