{"id":17524,"date":"2017-11-16T08:00:07","date_gmt":"2017-11-16T08:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=17524"},"modified":"2017-11-16T10:15:11","modified_gmt":"2017-11-16T10:15:11","slug":"temperance-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2017\/11\/16\/temperance-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Temperance"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy Cathy Malkasian<\/strong> (Fantagraphics Books)
\nISBN: 978-1-60699-323-1<\/p>\n

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: a charismatic leader drags an entire nation into a phony war, manipulating facts, twisting good people’s lives, destroying their innocence and fomenting an atmosphere of sustained paranoia and unthinking patriotism – if not literal jingoistic madness.<\/p>\n

Then he shuffles out of the picture and lets his – generally incompetent – successors deal with the mess he’s created: those remnants divided equally into well-meaning but clueless ditherers and now-fanatical disciples who think only they can run the show\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

The land is in turmoil. Pa<\/em> is raising a ruckus trying to get his monstrous ark built before the ruthless invaders begin the final attack. Eldest girl Peggy<\/em> and little Minerva<\/em> follow as he carves a wake of destructive energy through the landscape. Pa has galvanised the local villagers and they await his command to enter the fortress-city within the monolithic edifice, dubbed \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Blessedbowl.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

When Pa begins once more to assault his oldest lass, only hapless Minerva and the trees are witness to the unleashed savagery. Suddenly, a young man rushes to Peg’s rescue, captivating forever the cowering Min. His name is Lester<\/em>, but despite a terrific struggle the rescuer is no match for Pa’s maniacal vigour. The young man is left brain-damaged and maimed.<\/p>\n

Pa bids Min see to Lester. The Doomsayer is lost in his preparations again. The Crisis has arrived\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

Three decades pass. Min has married Lester and a thriving community exists within Blessedbowl, a permanent subsistence\/siege economy built on paranoia: isolated and united by a common foe that has never been seen and is therefore utterly terrifying.<\/p>\n

Moses-like, Pa remained behind when the ark was sealed, to fight a rearguard action. Min is now his regent, efficiently running the closed ecology and economy, bolstered by the devoted attention of Lester, the amnesiac war-hero who lost so much when the invisible enemy launched their final assault\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

Min controls the community through reports from the distant front and Lester guards the city within Blessedbowl’s hull. But now his befuddled memory is clearing, and Min, hopelessly in love with him, faces the threat that all that has been so slowly built may come crashing swiftly down\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

And this is just the tip of the iceberg in a vast story that – despite being almost a decade old – could well be the best thing you’ll read this year. Created during America’s longest-running war (9 years and by some assessments still running but with another name\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6) this multi-layered, incisive parable examines how families and countries can be twisted by love, fear and the craziest lies leaders can concoct and yet still seemingly prosper.<\/p>\n

As much mystical generational fantasy as veiled allegory, Temperance<\/strong> will open your eyes on so many levels. As events spiral beyond all control the astounding outcome, whilst utterly inevitable will also be a complete surprise\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 and just wait until you discover the identity of the eponymous narrator\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

Mythical, mystical, metaphorical, lyrical, even poetic, here is a modern, timeless tuned-in epic blending Shakespearean passions with soft Orwellian terrors. King Lear<\/strong> and 1984<\/strong> are grandparents to this subtly striking tale of freedom and honour – personal and communal – foolishly but willingly surrendered to a comfortable, expedient slavery.<\/p>\n

Combining trenchant social commentary with spiritually uplifting observation, illustrated in the softest pencil tones – reminiscent of English World War II cartoons (particularly Pont and Bateman, but also the animations of Halas and Batchelor) – this is joy to read, a delight to view and a privilege to own.<\/p>\n

We must all do so \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6
\n\u00c2\u00a9 2010 Cathy Malkasian. All right reserved. This edition \u00c2\u00a9 2010 Fantagraphics Books, Inc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Cathy Malkasian (Fantagraphics Books) ISBN: 978-1-60699-323-1 Stop me if you’ve heard this one: a charismatic leader drags an entire nation into a phony war, manipulating facts, twisting good people’s lives, destroying their innocence and fomenting an atmosphere of sustained paranoia and unthinking patriotism – if not literal jingoistic madness. Then he shuffles out of … <\/p>\n

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