Title: Blankets
Author: Craig Thompson
Release Date: August 6, 2003
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
Page Count: 592
Genre: Graphic Memoir
As soon as I started reading graphic novels (which was just a few months ago), I started noticing interesting-sounding ones everywhere. Blankets was one of the first I saw that I was interested in, but its 500+ pages sort of intimidated me at first. I wasn’t sure that I’d enjoy reading so many pages of pictures and text together. Once I realized how much I’m really enjoying this genre, I took the plunge and picked up Blankets from my library. I’m very happy I made that decision because this book was really very good.
I have to say that at first it was difficult for me to know how to classify this one. The book jacket itself calls Blankets a novel, but Amazon.com calls it a memoir and it seems to me that the book is composed of Thompson’s experiences growing up. So I’m going to go ahead and call it a graphic memoir, but someone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong here. Either way, the book is basically a story of Craig Thompson and how he grew up with strict Fundamentalist Christian parents and a younger brother who he loved/hated all at once, how he came to form his own opinion of the church he was raised in, how he met and had a relationship with his first love, and how he became the adult he is today.
This really was a very touching, very sweet story. Thompson chronicles his childhood in an honest way, but in a way that encourages the reader to laugh along with him too. He and his brother didn’t have the perfect life as kids, but I’m sure there are plenty of people who grew up in much the same way – strict parents, Christian summer camp, questionable baby-sitters, etc. While I felt sympathy for some of his not so great experiences, I also laughed out loud at the ways in which he depicted some of these experiences. I particularly loved reading the portions of Blankets that centered on Raina, his first girlfriend. Their relationship was so typically high-school and so adorable that I couldn’t help wanting to read more. I remember my first serious relationship – I was about the same age – and reading Thompson’s story made me remember all those emotions (in a good way!).
I don’t have a lot of experience with graphic novels/memoirs, so I can’t say that I am really able to critique the illustrations in the book at all. But I will say that I enjoyed them – the pictures and words corresponded very well together, and Thompson was able to tell a complete story with just pictures in a few places throughout the book. I truly felt like I got to know the characters, which is not always easy to do with so few words. Overall, Blankets is a wonderful graphic novel/memoir that is not to be missed.
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Book Addiction 
I’ve come to really enjoy graphic memoirs. The cover of this one really caught my eye, so I suspect the illustrations are great.
yes, the cover is really pretty, isn’t it?
I bought this book after seeing Dewey’s wonderful review for it. I still haven’t got round to reading it yet, but I’m pleased to see that you enjoyed it. If you’re after another graphic memoir then I recommend Fun Home, but be warned that it does have some explicit scenes, so avoid if you don’t like that sort of thing.
I absolutely loved this one. I checked it out from the library but really wish that I purchased it.
I totally enjoyed this one when I read it earlier this year. I think you categorized it correctly…and the illustrations were pretty great!
Sounds good. I’ll have to see if my library has it.
This was also one of the first graphic memoirs (I like that classification) that I read and I loved it. The size is sort of scary, but it moves well and I never felt like it was dragging or I was getting stories that I didn’t want. And his relationship reminded me of a high school boyfriend too, in a good way.
So basically, I agree with everything you said. Insightful, right 🙂
I didn’t know anything about this so I looked it up. The cover is very nice and it sounds like a very interesting story. I find it interesting that it’s called a novel and a memoir. That makes me more interested in it! But what clinched it for me is your review, Thank you. I now know this is a book worth reading. I enjoy graphic novels, too. I think the good ones are a nice change from regular books, once in a while anyway!
I hadn’t heard of graphic memoirs until I read your review. I think it’s a really novel concept, and I would definitely want to read this.
I have not been able to get into graphic novels but perhaps I just haven’t picked up the right one yet. This one does look pretty good to me. I love the cover too. I am always a sucker for a good cover.
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