not good subway reading
Each time I consumed it, there remained the completist’s vague sense of unease that every nuance, every reference hidden in every panel had not been fully appreciated. The niggling* feeling was exacerbated by the sheer pageturnness driving me to tear through it in double-quick time. Reading Watchmen for me was like watching Chinatown played at 1.5x speed after four beers. Good, but you weren’t joining all the dots.
So with the film coming out the day after my birthday and the release of the Absolute edition, it’s time to get back on it. This time, the pages are big enough that you can read every headline and graffiti clue hidden away in the panels. This time I’m taking notes.
The artifact itself is huge and weighty and gloriously shiny. Reading it this time is odd for a different reason; the book itself (at least my copy) is toxic. There’s a strong chemical smell coming off the zingy amazingness pinsharp pages of glory, a solvent of some kind that fucks with your head like you’ve left the gas on. I was excited to read Watchmen again, but I didn’t expect to be buzzing off my tits.
My notes now contain insightful observations like, Rorschach is anti-heroic in the sense that the reader identifies mostly with the face the blobs pretty flowers never the sunshine pale horse the eyes owlish and flying skintight…
Let’s hope the film doesn’t spoil it.
* use this word with caution in NYC if you don’t want a David Howard-ing
08-Dec-08 at 6:58 am | Permalink
geez, I thought this was going to detail some bead and breakfast bukakkifest…you should bring the book by the next Balderdash blowout. I’m sure people would like a flip through before checking out the flick.
08-Dec-08 at 11:18 am | Permalink
only a niggard would worry about such niggles!
11-Dec-08 at 5:29 pm | Permalink
The Watchmen trailer seems to suggest it’ll take as long to watch as the original does to read, as every single goddamn shot is in sloooooowest motionnnn.
I have seen the Watchmen Big Bastard Edition in shops, but shall resist it. I will make do with my tattered old paperback copy which reminds me of my best birthday evur (17th, I think. Watchmen, Daydream Nation, Grand Theft Auto), and also the most horrible time evur (2007/8 changeover). We got history, that book and me. It’s going with me to my delicious grave.
14-Dec-08 at 1:15 pm | Permalink
I have never actually read Watchmen and I know nothing at all about it.
Is this one of those books that I simply have to read?
15-Dec-08 at 8:20 pm | Permalink
Fear not! All evidence indicates the film will reproduce every niggling (there, I said it*) visual detail without burdening itself with any of the textual subtlety.
*I mean it, of course, In a Patti Smith sense: “Thomas Pynchon…was a niggler! Niggler niggler niggler niggler niggler niggler niggler!”
19-Dec-08 at 7:21 pm | Permalink
Dom, I’d say now is an excellent time to pick it up. It’s also got a tangible 80s vibe to it that I think you might enjoy.
> Patti Smith
Patti’s delicate phrasing can be admired here.
23-Dec-08 at 11:26 am | Permalink
Thanks for that Air – I shall add it to my last minute christmas list with all due haste and attention.
And hope you have a Happy Christmas and Merry New Year!
01-Mar-09 at 2:29 pm | Permalink
Hey Air. This post inspired me to pick up a copy, given that everyone is pishing their frillies in the lead up to the film release.
Bought it yesterday and haven’t stopped reading it – thanks a lot!
Ross