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The Sculptor


Summary: Everyone wants success, but what that success is depends on the individual. However, to find that success many people are willing to make sacrifices in order to attain it.  David, a sculptor, is just such a person. What he sacrifices though makes him unique. David sacrifices his life . . . literally. Frustrated with his lack of any artistic accomplishments David strikes a bargain with Death: his life for success. His passion for that success blindly leads him to what he thinks will make him happy. What he could not have predicted is that he would soon fall in love. Meg is a fellow struggling artist whose emotional state is a fragile one, but David falls for her anyways. One condition of his agreement with Death states that no one can know about their contract. Another condition is that David only has 200 days before he dies. Because of this David finds himself torn between being with Meg, creating for his art, and fitting everything in before his time runs out. Will David tell Meg about his agreement? Is there a way for him to break his agreement with Death? Whatever he decides, it must be done quickly because Death is waiting.

Reference: Scott McCloud (2015). The Sculptor. First Second. New York, NY.

Why I Picked It Up: After having read and thoroughly enjoyed Understanding Comics for my grad class, I wanted to read some of his original graphic novel material. Zot! was difficult to get a hold of and this story was soon to be released, so I waited for it to come out.

Why I Finished It: The story line is so intense, the characters have good depth, and the various paces are so perfectly balanced that it kept the story's tempo flowing. I had difficulty putting it down. At times I felt David's anxiety so intently that I felt my own heart beating quickening.  There was no way I wasn't going to finish it.

Recommendations: I would recommend this novel for everyone, but I would definitely suggest this one for people who have never read a graphic novel before. The story is easy to follow, the panel layouts aren't "avant-garde", and the illustrations don't get in the way of understanding the novel. So grab yourself a good cup of coffee, a warm comforter, and a soft spot on the ol' couch because you'll definitely read this one all the way through.  

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