Y.S. Stephen - Reader | Casual Observer

UNCOMFORTABLE READING Kobane Calling is a kind of book I wish most people would read, especially those interested in international affairs. However, it is that kind of book that a lot of people won't read; firstly because it is a graphic novel addressing a matter of importance - war. The cartoon medium is still grappling with general acceptance, especially with regards to heavy topics. Also,  Kobane Calling  reads in a way that confronts our perceptions about Muslims, the Middle East, Syrian war and the western countries role in it. These combinations make it an uncomfortable reading at times, but this is what makes the book potent. ABOUT THE BOOK Almost everyone with an interest in politics in today's world knows what is going on in Syria.  Kobane Calling  us a graphic novel exploring the experiences of an Italian cartoonist, Zerocalcare , (real name Michele Rech) who went into the region to experience first-hand what is going on there. Think of this a...

I have neither created  nor loved for some time, I swat  at a fly and miss, I am an  old grey dog growing toothless.  I have a typewriter and now  my typewriter no longer has anything to say.  I will drink until morning  finds me in bed with the  biggest whore of them all:  myself. - Charles Bukowski Time, as a concept, is unbiased. You could give two or more people the same period of time to do an activity and you would get different outcomes. Also, two people with the same lifespan and similar life opportunities would often have different tales woven around them at the end of their lives. It seems time, as important as it is, is not as vital as the actions performed within its framework. In this era, we always seem not to have enough time to do all that we want. There is a common feeling that always accompanies the use of time - guilt. The guilt comes from the feeling that we have not used our time wisely enough. For exam...

NARRATION/VOICE The style of narration in Noriko's Story isn't for everyone. Some prefer a book's narrator to keep his or her thoughts directed within the page. However, the narrator in Noriko's Story seems to reach outside of it to speak to the reader, telling us what to feel and what it is feeling. This is intriguing but risky. ABOUT THE STORY Noriko's Story is about... well, Noriko. The story setting is that of a dystopian Tokyo where a rogue AI, unsuitably called HA/HA, has taken over the city and running it as humanely as a psychotic AI can. The spine of the story features Torino's quest to find her parents who had been missing since the beginning of HA/HA's coup. Through her eyes, we explore the harsh ways in which HA/HA manages Tokyo and the lives of the people living under its rule. Apart from HA/HA's efforts to capture humans who are outside of its rule (Toriko included), the book also shows us some of the feats of the rebels tryin...

When it comes to illnesses, especially those that feed on emotional reactions to external stimuli, it is wise to not assume too much but listen to its sufferers and do what you can to empathise - even when you do not understand half of what is being said. This is because, unless you have come under the hand of the illness itself or you are close to someone who has, you may never truly understand what its sufferers go through. The graphic novel,  Mis(h)adra , shines a clearer light on this for me, as I realise the emotional and psychological toll epilepsy takes in its sufferers.  Mis(h)adra  is a fictional account (loosely based on the author's own life) of an epileptic patient called Isaac. The book chronicles how neighbourhood noises, insensitive comments, and Isaac's own negative thoughts, contributes to a debilitating anxiety that gives the illness more power to manifest itself. The book also shares how easy it sometimes can be for people suffer...