Random Things Tours: Class. A Graphic Guide

 

I love graphic novels and I can spend hours reading one of the other. Curiously, my passion for this genre did not started, as it usually happens, in my childhood, but it is relatively a late addition to my bookish life, part of my own journey of expanding beyond the limits of my strict humanistic education and background. Shortly, graphic novel deserve the same appreciation as any other published book, the only condition being to offer a quality content.

As before I was interested in politics and history, I was considering following a career in sociology - following my pen on paper read of the works of Durkheim - I maintain a certain degree of interest for new theories and approaches. But Class. A Graphic Guide, by University of Brighton sociologists Laura Harvey and Sarah Leaney, admirably illustrated by Danny Noble, offers a completely new innovative level of sharing theoretical, scientifically-related knowledge. It goes definitely beyond the usual expectations of an academic content and sociological overview of the category of class, with an inspired match of illustrations and content.

An useful tool to be used in the classroom - both high-school and in the sociology introductory classes, this graphic novel is more than a historical account of the category of class. It offers also short yet clear explanations about the various contextualizations and interpretations of the class, according to different theories and historical moments. 

Class. A Graphic Guide is an innovative approach to sociological theory therefore reaching out to different audiences than the usual classrooms. I am looking forward to discover more creative takes on political, economic and sociological theories. 

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

And Zarathustra Kept Silent...

 Contrary to the general - philosophical - assumption, this time Zarathustra remained silent...

Nicolas Wild is well-known in the world of serious graphic novels lovers by his series of Kaboul Disco, a visual account of his time spent in Afghanistan, where he was invited to draw an adaptation of the new Constitution. His portfolio is widely inspired by his direct contacts with the humans he encountered during his travels and works from all over the world, from Nepal to Ukraine and Lebanon: the opium smokers, the migrants, the students or the vegetable sellers, among many others.

Ainsi se Tut Zarathoustra - an ironic change from the Nitzschean Thus Spoke Zarathustra - outcome all my expectations from the point of view of both the story and the illustrations. It has so many details by creating a realistic story, while at the same time offering an extensive nonfictional background.

The illustrated story is a mixture between history of Iran, religious information, political thriller, socio-political history and travel blogging. Meeting through a game of random circumstances the daugher of a murdered Zoroastrian expert, the author is getting to know a group of Iranian-born Zoroastrians and the everyday life struggle and the intellectual underground in the Islamic Iran. 

There are so many characters to meet along the journey, from curious Europeans visiting Iran, to Revolutionary Guards, crocked politicians, Afghan refugees in Iran and Europe, and fine exiled intellectuals. Set in Iran, Paris and Switzerland, this book is a an intellectually rich journey which is interesting not only for the detailed information and the story in itself - an investigation into the murder of Cyrus Yazdi, an activist on behalf of the Zoroastrians - an ancient religious group based mostly in Iran where it counts around 26,000 members and India, where they contributed to the creation of the city of Mumbay, among others - but as well for the illustrations, that reminded me - in terms of style and black-and-white touch, of Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.  

I was really impressed about how smart the relatively modest resources of the graphic novels can be used. Wisely employed, all those information and points of view were brought together through words and images creating a story like no other.

Rating: 5 stars - but most likely a generous 10