I had to steal this book from the makeshift bookshelves beside Kael‘s desk, since I panicked a little about not having anything to read between work and home. I am neurotic that way, yes. But, anyhoo. Open Secrets was over and done with, Lorrie Moore’s A Gate at the Stairs was still snuggled in my shelves back at the apartment. I needed something to read, okay?
So. Mouse Guard: Fall 1152, graphic novel by David Petersen. Awesome premise. Awesome, awesome. A mouse civilization. Cute widdle ferocious mice, the Mouse Guard, protectors of micekind. A mouse civilization. Everyday perils–predators, mostly–of mice made so compelling. I mean, come on, look at these fucking adorable, erm, bad-ass mice:
See? So. Three of the Mouse Guard’s finest–Lieam, Kenzie, and Saxon–are sent to find a missing grain merchant. And they discover so much more–a nefarious conspiracy to overthrow the centuries-old system, and the beginnings of what might just be a grand mouse war. Add that to their usual prey-and-predator world, this concept is insane.
It’s definitely fast-paced–I read it in less than the time it took me to gobble a Venti at Starbucks. It has a simple enough plot, though–this not-quite good-vs.-evil angle going on. It’s a fascinating book. And I don’t need to reiterate how gorgeous the art is–I especially loved how I kept having to stop thinking about the mice as cute. One minute you’re fighting the urge to squeal and burrow into the book–the next you’re cringing at all the blood flying out. Good one, Petersen.
The thing is, it’s the first in a series–although it hints at complexity, it still has the overall feel of a prologue to the shit that’s really going down, y’all. Aherm. So, well, yeah. That’s my two cents.
Rushed and spacey blog post, much?
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PS — In the later part of the book, Blankity-Blank says,
It is not we who are trapped in with them, but they who are trapped in with us.
That is so totally Rorschach of Watchmen, y/n? What is happening here?
Other Sashas 
Lol I get panicked too when I don’t have something to read between work and home. A couple of times when that happened, I printed out a short story from the web at the office ;). Or now that I have my iPhone I can read something on it.
I’ve been dying to read Mouse Guard, but my libraries don’t have it :(. I did get an episode of it on Free Comic Book Day last Saturday..
See? I knew I wasn’t alone in this neurosis, haha. It’s never occurred to me, though, to print out a short story. Maybe because I like the smugness that comes with holding a book in that in-between time, hehe?
Let’s hope your libraries come to their senses. :]
Oh I get that haha! But one I don’t like about book is the weight. I sometimes wish I could just carry about 50 pages at a time instead of the whole book. That said, I still prefer to read short stories in a book rather than printed. Though on emergency, anything will do ;D
This attitude is why I have too many books, I think. For a two-hour lull, I have to go to a bargain bookstore and find something that would keep me company, haha. Of course, I end up buying something, but with no time to read it. Augh.
I read Mouseguard last year. I enjoyed reading it but felt like something was missing from it. Haven’t read the next book in the series yet.
Yes, something was missing. It does read like a prologue — it was too simple, only hinting at the complexity later on in the series. Or I should hope is in the rest of the series. Yes, enjoyable, but ultimately, lacking depth, methinks.