Blankets: Craig Thompson

I read a graphic novel after what seems like ages. I think the last one I read was, strangely enough, Craig Thompson’s“Habibi.” I say strangely because am reviewing one of his earlier graphic novels named “Blankets,” in today’s post. As always, first a summary of the book below, partially from GoodReads:

Wrapped in the landscape of a blustery Wisconsin winter, Blankets explores the sibling rivalry of two brothers growing up in the isolated country, and the budding romance of two coming-of-age lovers. A tale of security and discovery, of playfulness and tragedy, of a fall from grace and the origins of faith. Blankets is an autobiographical account of Thompson’s childhood, and teen years. It chronicles his dreams, thoughts, beliefs, and relationships till the time he reaches adulthood. It was voted as one of TIME Magazine’s top 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time in 2012.

I had forgotten the joys of reading a nice graphic novel. To me, a good one combines ease of reading with a good pace, and a good story. Thompson’s novel has all of this and more, making it an arresting page-turner. Beginning with his childhood in snowy, windblown Wisconsin, where he lives with his parents and little brother, Thompson takes us through different stages in his life, and the various relationships that surround him. Right at the beginning, we learn that his family is devout Christian, and has instilled in him a deep faith in the concepts of heaven, hell, and sin. Thompson portrays himself as a vulnerable, quiet, and shy individual who is torn between his own thoughts, and the ones that he grows up with. He also has a strong sense of guilt and wrongdoing, which surfaces time to time, for even the smallest of things. 

“I’m sorry, God, for sneaking out of the cabin and lying and not reading the Bible and not witnessing to people and picking on my little brother and calling someone “ASS” and drawing a lady without any clothes on that one time and disappointing my parents and everything else.” 

All normal things that boys do but Craig is wrought with guilt.

After a while he meets Raina at church camp. Their feelings of alienation, and that of being “different” are mutual, and they are quickly drawn to each other. A flurry of correspondences later, Craig gets to stay with Raina for a few weeks. Within the space of those weeks, Craig and Raina grow incredibly close. They develop feelings for each other, experience the blush of first love, and all the sweet, adorable things that follow. But it’s not long before they drift apart. Life after that moves fast as Craig leaves his home, and goes to university.

“Blankets” is all about relationships. Ones with the people who stay around all our lives, and the ones that are non-existent but nevertheless exist with their absence. In the first category goes siblings, friends, parents, first loves, and above all, with oneself. In the second category goes acquaintances, friends we separated from, lovers we parted with, and bullies we hated, to name some. All of these people contributed in some way to make us what we are. Craig is close enough to his parents, but he is closest to his younger brother. Like all siblings, they fight, but deeply care for each other. They drift apart in the middle but easily spark up their connection when they share some quality moments after a long time. During the time Craig stays with Raina, we see her love and care for her siblings. While she is willing to take care of her elder sister’s baby anytime, she also attends to every need of her adopted brother and sister, both of whom are mentally ill. But what I loved was how Craig develops a deeper connect with himself through the book. All through, he goes by the teaching of the Bible, which is so ingrained in him. But as he grows up, he realizes that his beliefs are different, and he begins to question the things around him. Towards the end, Craig is freed from himself. I thought this gradual transformation was marvelously done.

Families are tight knit, and very Christian, in Thompson’s novel. Although Raina’s parents are going through a divorce her father is confident that he is only “living in a one bedroom apartment... temporarily.”  

Maybe it’s this closeness that Thompson wishes to convey through the imagery of blankets. It is a recurring theme, in the book, signifying the complex threads that knit people together. The book opens with Craig and Phil sharing a bed as kids, and fighting for the blanket. Raina gifts Craig a quilt, and the snow forms an all-encompassing blanket at all times. 

And, of course, the illustrations. Rich. Beautiful. Expressive. Blankets has sketches that speak more than words. Many pages have such exquisite detail, not unlike “Habibi,” that it requires a second reading to notice all of it. Sample some of these:

“Blankets” is not a graphic novel that you can get your arms around the first time. Revisit it. For the poetry of the artwork, and the fluency of unsaid words.

Verdict: Beautiful

Rating: 4.8/5