Alan Moore

[ThunderPerfectWitchcraft]

Has anyone read "Jerusalem" form Alan Moore? I did, and I'm rather split about it: It hasd some really good moments, and some rather cheesy, or even downright flat passages at other places, but overall, I found the attempt to create a "modern working class fantasy" linked to the regional experience and history of a place quite cool. When it comes to urban fantasy, it was - all problems aside - the best I've read till now.

Right now I'm at Illuminations, a collection of short stories. From the language, it's okay - but many of the ideas are rather shallow, and often I could tell the ending after a few sentences - and while I'm not all for "the ending must be surprising", this is slightly frustrating. Right now I'm at "What we can know about Thunderman", and it is the longest, most personal, and probably best story in the book - rather enjoyable, and it had some very good, amusing, and absurd moments; I think you can tell that the author had some personal experience that he could work with, and maybe that is what is missing in the other stories and existent in Jerusalem (not sure about this, though).

One good quote I stumbled over in the book was "Maybe fascism was always weaponized nostalgia". Just searched for it, and this article sums it up quite well: https://www.northernpublicradio.org/wnij-news/2022-04-29/perspective-weaponized-nostalgia
What do you think about this?

Also, if you've read a novel or story from Moore: What do you think about it? How does it compare, for you, to his comics? I've read and liked Watchman - was good for a comic, but imho Jerusalem was better.

[jjharley]

While I have never read Jerusalem, I really ought to - because I am also a Northampton native like the great man himself and I am aware that the book is closely linked to the town's real history in some sort of fantasy/science fiction type way.

I have however read both V for Vendetta and Watchmen - both as long collated editions years after original publication. Initally, growing up in my early teens, I loved them both! Particularly V for Vendetta, being set in England in a dark alternate version of the '90s my hometown's influence shows itself greatly, it also captures well the dark, depressing nature of English urban life - particularly for the working classes. As I've grown up I have a bit of distaste for V for Vendetta though - it's simply too fixated on misery for my liking nowadays.

I loved Watchmen more though, as most people do. Initally on first read I thought Rorschach was the book's hero - it's a teenage boy thing I think lol - nowadays I realise that, while I have a little bit of love for his brutal style of justice, it's not an archetype to idolise by any means. On second read onwards, I just like to revel in the Golden Age vibe of the characters and illustration rather than thinking too deeply about the message.

I'm interested to see what others have to say...

[ThunderPerfectWitchcraft]

Hehe. Didn't read many Anglo-american comics; my youths heroes were mostly Franco-belgian, but yeah - thinking back, I enjoyed Watchmen quite a lot. Probably one of the few "classical" superhero-comics I ever read complete.

I wonder how it is to read the book knowing the locations. I couldn't read some sections, btw.: parts of it are written in some deep local dialect, and as a foreign speaker I had basically not a chance to comprehend it :D.