Journal Entry 1 by NICNIC2 from St Andrews, Scotland United Kingdom on Thursday, December 01, 2011

I read this for The Guardian's Reading Group. This is what I wrote at the time:

V for Vendetta: Framing the debate

Your comment 9 November 2011 2:27PM

I'm slightly afraid of posting my comments on this month's choice. A lot of people seem to have quite strong opinions. But it is a reading group and the point, I believe, is to discuss the book and one's personal experience of reading it. So here goes...

I got into it really quickly and was transported back to the time when my dad would buy me comics on his way home from work. I loved them and I had high hopes that this would be just as enjoyable, if a little more complex in plot and dialogue lol.

The art facilitated my enjoyment of the story and was in no way a distraction (I'm a 'girl' so your hypothesis is not quite proven davros). If anything I found some of the artwork a little over done and sometimes just difficult to make out. Some of the dialogue was just painfully bad, particularly in the beginning, and most of the lines that made me cringe were Evey's. Perhaps Mr Moore is/was not adept at writing from a female's perspective???

I also had trouble with the transformation of Evey from silly girl to woman. Are we supposed to believe that these changes occur in just 1 year? And would that be possible in a hysterical 16 year old, even with all the trauma? I don't buy it but perhaps that reflects one of the constraints of comics. How much time should be given to character development?

Finally, as Peter Griffin mentioned in his comment, I did notice the change in the final third of the book. It was less enjoyable, it felt laboured and the ending was a bit flat.

So I wound up disappointed but I will probably give Watchmen a go in spite of that.



I've decided to send this off on a bookray, so that it can be read by as many people as possible.
 

Journal Entry 2 by NICNIC2 at St Andrews, Scotland United Kingdom on Thursday, December 01, 2011

This book is travelling in a bookray!
Here are some gentle rules for my bookrings/rays:

1. Please don't feel under pressure to read the book at break-neck speed but do try to finish it within a month (if you need longer than this then add a journal entry to let us know :) )
2. Don't panic if the book dies while you have it, just PM me so I can get a replacement up and running.
3. Please journal when you receive the book, then edit that journal entry or add a new one to let us all know what you thought.
4. Make release notes when you have sent the book on to the next member.

I hope everyone enjoys reading the book. I'm looking forward to reading all of your comments.
Bookry participants (in order of shipping - please check back as this can change!!):

NICNIC2 (UK) Vekiki (UK)
R4Andre (Portugal)
pippis (Finland)
Appelsiini (Finland)
Vedranaster (Croatia)<--here
Okyrhoe (Greece)
Cinnycat (US)
 

Journal Entry 3 by Vekiki at -- somewhere in Greater London --, Greater London United Kingdom on Thursday, December 22, 2011

Yay, traditional festive reading has arrived ;)
thanks for sharing 

Journal Entry 4 by Vekiki at -- somewhere in Greater London --, Greater London United Kingdom on Sunday, January 01, 2012

Released 4 mos ago (1/1/2012 UTC) at -- somewhere in Greater London --, Greater London United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I really enjoyed this - the story telling is nicely done, and the construct is (while not exactly the most original idea) used well. I really liked how the ending twisted itself around. I also really enjoyed the two introductions and the article by Moore at the end.
Thanks for sharing :)  

Journal Entry 5 by R4Andre at Celorico da Beira, Guarda Portugal on Thursday, January 19, 2012

Recieved last tuesday, I'll read and send. 

Journal Entry 6 by R4Andre at Celorico da Beira, Guarda Portugal on Friday, February 10, 2012

Great book. Disturbingly close to actuality. 

Journal Entry 7 by pippis at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Tuesday, April 03, 2012

Book arrived on my day off (well I should be writing an essay..), so you can guess what I'll be doing for the rest of the day! Yay! 

Journal Entry 8 by pippis at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Wednesday, April 18, 2012

I tend to interpret dystopias through feelings instead of plain sense. Somehow they become more possible, more realistic and what supposedly the favoured outcome, more scary. V's Britain is as ugly, threatening and appaling as any country could be under totalitarian rule. The whole time I kept wondering what the other countries around the world would be like at the same time, would the whole world have fallen into similar state in the aftermath of natural disasters and nuclear ruin. How fast could we fall into similar state as people in V? Would we really be willing to give up all that's beautiful and valuable, the arts and free will? And gay rights...don't think we've come far enough to say that everyone's equal in today's world either. I couldn't help but think of V and its Norsefire party just last week as a Finnish MP's assistant tried to "joke" about on her blog about mandatory sleevebands for immigrants and different minorities in Finland. http://www.helsinkitimes.fi/news/index.php/finland/finland-news/domestic/1954-ts-finns-party-mp-s-assistant-suggests-armbands-for-immigrants Don't know whether that kind of thinking is more scary or stupid, but it was the most mind-numbing thing anyone has said in a long time. That kind of people are the reason why I wish Anne Frank's diary was made a compulsory read to every elementary school kid, to make them understand the horrors of mankind from young enough age and learn some empathy.
Though I shouldn't make comparisons between the movie V and the comic, I have to say that Evey is far more credible in the movie version than in the original story. Perhaps her portrayal in the comic is just some sort of male clumsiness or it could be that she was intentionally made into an overly annoying little girl who's totally blind to the world around. The different order of events didn't bother me, but it's a shame the movie is way shorter than the original story. An absolutely wonderful read! 

Journal Entry 9 by pippis at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Released 1 mo ago (4/18/2012 UTC) at Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Travelling to Appelsiini next! 

Journal Entry 10 by Appelsiini at Lempäälä, Pirkanmaa Finland on Friday, April 20, 2012

This one arrived today, thanks pippis! :) 

Journal Entry 11 by Appelsiini at Lempäälä, Pirkanmaa Finland on Thursday, May 10, 2012

Finally I had time to read this! I enjoyed the movie and I enjoyed this book, that's weird because 99,9% of the movies based on some book fail somehow. Well, yet again the book went deeper and explained more things behind the scenes. Thanks for sharing this one, I'll send it to Vedranaster today! 

Journal Entry 12 by Appelsiini at Lempäälä, Pirkanmaa Finland on Thursday, May 10, 2012

Released 2 wks ago (5/10/2012 UTC) at Lempäälä, Pirkanmaa Finland

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to Croatia! Happy Bookcrossing! 

Journal Entry 13 by vedranaster at Zagreb, Zagreb City Croatia on Thursday, May 17, 2012

Arrived from Appelsiini this morning. Yay!
Thanks everyone for sending, and NICNIC2 for sharing! :D

Really looking forward to reading it, as I've heard that the ideas in the graphic novel are more "anarchistic" and extreme when compared to the way they were presented in the film.

I'm currently reading a book spiral The Girl with the Dragon Tatto, and have the Sandman IV book spiral also waiting for me, but I don't think it'll take me long to get to this one nor to finish it, as all three books are very interesting.