Happy New Year, everyone! I hope 2018 was good to you.
Here on the East Coast, the last day of 2018 ended with a literal thunderstorm. It was AWESOME! It also leads me to believe that 2019 is going to be a weird one (in a wonderful way, I hope).
So, in honor of weird things and kookiness, I submit for your pleasure the first book review of 2019: The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil.
Now, at first glance, you might think that this is a children's book, or the brain child of some prepubescent boy. You would be right on both accounts, if little boys were somehow able to get their writing published...and were smart enough to write this well. But I digress.
TGBTWE is a graphic novel, written in (mostly) poetic form. Indeed, the rhyme scheme gives it an almost Seussian flavor to it, albeit punctuated with prosaic dialogue and the like. It chiefly concerns one poor schlub who's just minding his own business, being an adherent to conformity on his little home island of Here, when he suddenly grows a Gigantic Beard. One that doesn't stop growing, and threatens to swallow up the island and its inhabitants.
The poor schlub in question.
Personally, I think it's a pretty impressive beard. The guy totally looks like Rasputin when it's fully grown. But maybe that's just because I'm a lady (no worries, gentlemen: I'll date the bearded and clean-shaven alike). The resemblance further emphasizes how weird and alienated the character becomes. (I think he'd fit in Viking society, though.)
Why is this fine facial hair alienating, you ask? How did the author come up with such a crazy book? Is this toxic masculinity at its finest, protesting the creeping forces of feminism?
I dunno.
(Actually, I sort of do, but I didn't want to be snobby; so I just said I dunno to be humble. It did not work.)
It's hard to give an answer without giving too much away; but the beard is something from the mainland of There, which is separated from neat and orderly Here, by a sea. The characters are afraid of There, because it's unpredictable and uncontrollable. The protagonist's beard is just an emergence of that insecurity.
Clearly, this guy doesn't want to join ZZ Top.
The rest of the book follows the poor schlub's attempts to be rid of it, and the unwanted attention it causes. The Evil Beard changes Here's society significantly, with a rather poignant ending. It's kind of like Daisy-Head Maisie, but for grown-ups. Also, it sorta-kinda looks like a male version of Rapunzel? Ish?
Or...not. That's cool, too.
It's very refreshing to find new takes on fairy tales (or even brand new ones). Other reviews have compared the story to something by Roald Dahl, but having not read much of his work (I either watched the movies, or listened to a teacher read it), I can't pass fair judgement. Suffice it to say, however, that this is a very good book, and well worth borrowing or buying to keep on your shelf!
Scale: four out of five stars.
Weirdness Rating: Like a teenage boy's fever dream.
