Ghost World

A sad and funny look at the lives of teenage gen-xers. These kids are terrified of the future and adulthood, terrified of emotions, have lots of unresolved trauma that no-one has allowed them to recognise, and are desperate for people to like them for the right reasons. Of course, they don't really know what the right reasons are. They hate everyone who seems to be happier than them, they are cynical about deep interests, and despise anyone who appears unhappier. Enid is our cool hero but she's also deeply flawed, doomed to be unhappy unless she can work out how to maintain relationships and treat herself like she's important. Her cynicism, often presented uncritically as coolness, is based on fear and alienation, and a history of show more always getting hurt. Becky desperately wants to be normal, but neither Enid nor the rest of the world will let her be. In the end she and Enid push each other away rather than risk disappointment. Is this how the world is for kids these days too? A great work of sadness! show less

"No quiero ir a ninguna parte ni hacer nada ¡Sólo quiero que todo siga como en el instituto!"

Terminar este libro me dejo con una sensación de vacío. Sí ya pasaste por la época en que sales de la preparatoria y no tienes idea de que hacer con tu vida, este cómic lo único que hará será recordarte esa desolación. Sí haz visto la película lo más seguro es que recuerdes un halo de comedia, pero aquí es mucho menos notorio, la historia se centra más n el abandono, la desesperanza, la decepción, la amistad, los celos y la dificultad para saber que hacer cuando aún no eres un adulto formado pero ya dejaste la niñez muy atrás.

"Creo que sigo sin saber lo que voy a hacer"

"No lo entenderías porque no te desprecias a ti misma show more [...] Yo odio todo lo que soy"

Sin duda te sentirás identificado en algún momento y sabrás que pasas o haz pasado por al menos una de las situaciones aquí retratadas y te haáa recordar como la superaste, o bien te hundirá por que 1. aquí no se dan soluciones, y 2. en estos casos el sindicalismo no nos ayuda para nada.

"Me cabrea saber exactamente lo que quiero y no poder encontrarlo"

Muy recomendada sí es que gustas de algo que no sea fantasía, no sea feliz (más bien extremadamente realista) y no de esperanza de que todo saldrá bien con poco esfuerzo, pero que te hace revalorar lo que te han dicho en tu vida y aquello con lo que te recibió el "futuro".

"Me he hartado de contribuir a esta amistad más de lo que sacó"

Tal vez dentro de unos 15 años (puede que menos) vuelva a leer este libro y la sensación que me transmite será muy distinta, todo dependerá de como han salido las cosas, pero se que sin duda me hará nuevamente recordar aquella época en que la duda es ley, el sarcasmo es la mejor defensa y amistades se ganan/amistades se pierden

"Sería enfermizo seguirte así [...] sí lo piensas resulta un poco triste" show less

Ghost World, by Daniel Clowes follows two teenaged girls through their life in a small town after high school. Enid and Rebecca, the cynical and sometimes scared protagonists, go through their days sneering at those around them while clinging tenuously to their own ideas of superiority in order to set themselves apart. The novel is a wonderful portrayal of teenagers in all their bravado and insecurity, as well as the problems that so often plague the notion of growing up and moving on from the familiar.

A graphic novel, Ghost World utilizes tones of blue and white to present a portrait of a town slowly filling with mainstream stores and malls, and the people that occupy it, from the freaks to the those Enid and Rebecca deem pathetic. show more The art style is clear, but cartoonish, sometimes almost creating a caricature of those it is presenting, well in line with the way Enid and Rebecca seem to see the world.

Clowes winds words and images together to create a realistic and slightly mystical setting for Ghost World, with mysterious characters and symbols such as the man continually waiting at an abandoned bus line, or the titular phrase “Ghost World” that appears throughout the town, and that apparently has for quite some time. The quiet mystery of the town combines with the familiar struggles of finding your way in the uncertain future that looms so large after high school to create a story that shows the loss that comes with great change, all the while nothing momentous changes at all. A great read for any, Ghost World will stick with you after reading as an occasionally uncomfortable, often funny, and wonderfully ambiguous read.

Liz K. show less

One of the best graphic novels I've read.
In essense, another retelling of the "Catcher in the Rye" story, but poignantly and effectively so : an adolescent searches for authenticity in life, not realising that their model of it is based on some childish presumptions and a lack of self knowledge -in short, the mortifying experience of someone finding out yet again, that they are trying to run before they learn to walk. Always a painful type of story to read, because we've probably all been there too often.
The last page frequently pops into my mind.
A much richer experience than the film, so if you enjoyed the film, don't miss the graphic novel.

Daniel Clowes has a talent for zeroing in on those who are fighting against the notion that anyone but they has ever struggled with fitting into their own skin. Ghost World follows this struggle through Enid and Becky as they take the only path permissible - forming a tight bubble where one can pretend that they and everyone in it is absolutely, the only people that get anything about the world. The problem with angst-ridden teen bubbles is that reality has this pesky way of poking at the bubble, what with things coming to the surface like discovering things you actually do care about and finding things you might actually want to try.

If you don't remember trying on different personas or if you no longer acknowledge your angst-ridden show more teen days, Ghost World can appear to follow two rather cruel and aimless girls. I did prefer the work of David Boring not only because you get a longer story arc, but because it's clear that Clowes does not spend his time with the deliberately cruel. Instead, he spends time with those that become cruel in their misguided attempts to protect themselves from the cruelties of others. show less

Enid and Becky are teenage girls in a suburban town who are flitting about between various awkward social and sexual interactions as they try to figure out the direction of their lives. Ghost World tells the story of their angst and their encounters with creeps, nice guys, and everyone else in between.

Perhaps my expectations were just too high with this book -- it has a lot of hype, a major film was based off of it, and I had previously enjoyed Clowes's Mister Wonderful -- but I found this book rather disappointing. Clowes is credited with having a keen ear for the youth voice, but I remember being a teen girl and hanging out with other teen girls yet never did I once hear one of them say, "See that guy ... He gives me a total boner!" show more Still, Clowes does tap into a lot of typical teen issues like navigating sexual identity, holding on to nostalgia for childhood while looking forward to the future, and negotiating the fine line of trying to keep old friendships when starting a new chapter. However, the almost unremitting cynicism and cruelty of the two main characters to each other and everyone else around them made it very difficult to care for them or their situations.

The limited palette scheme of black, white, and pale blue made for interesting illustrations. The short, vignette-style chapters allow for the book to be a quick read. Still, all in all, this book wasn't really my cup of tea. I am curious to see how it translates into film though, so I'll be checking out the movie next. show less

Ghost World the graphic novel which was later made into a feature film offers the satisfaction of completing a book in a single sitting, if that is your thing. In my case I took my pleasure, and at times displeasure (the characters are 90s vintage Mean Girls) over a long weekend in the country. Ghost World itself covers several months or weeks in the life of its heroines, best of buds Enid (Coleslaw) Cohn and Rebecca Doppelmeyer, and a strange cast of other characters who appear and disappear in the different chapters that were once stand alone comics. Though each chapter is self-contained, the story has a loose narrative arch. When the girls are not being nasty and obnoxious, they are making bemused and cynical observations of their show more surroundings. Ghost World has been rightly credited with realistic sounding dialogue and expertly capturing teen age angst. At times Enid and Rebecca can be extremely funny but the overall tone of the graphic novel is sadness and loss of innocence. You come to realize over time that their nastiness is rooted in pain and vulnerability. Finishing the book I was glad to have long ago left those years behind me. show less