Alexandra, a young woman walking through Chicago late at night, encounters a mysterious recreational vehicle that serves as a mobile library. Inside, the shelves contain every piece of writing she has ever read, from childhood picture books to discarded cereal boxes and private diaries. The caretaker, Mr. Openshaw, organizes her personal literary history into a physical archive. Haunted by this discovery, Alexandra spends decades searching for the vehicle again, neglecting her real-world relationships and career as she succumbs to a fixation on her own past through the lens of her reading habits.
This graphic novel targets bibliophiles and collectors who view their personal libraries as a map of their internal development. Readers find a cautionary tale about the dangers of living through books rather than experience. It provides a visual representation of how memories are tethered to specific texts and asks whether a person is merely the sum of what they have consumed. The story offers a stark perspective on the borderline between a love for literature and a destructive obsession with one's own identity.
Inward-looking, contemplative and thought-provoking; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Mindful Reader. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2008
- Language
- EN
