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Hotel Africa #1
Hotel Africa Volume 1
Elvis brings to life the history of a desolate hotel in the middle of the Utah desert, weaving tales of his widowed mother, an unlikely pair of vagabonds, and a strange hotel guest. Original.
192 pages, Paperback
First published May 22, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 19, 2008
A bit bigger in size than the average manga, “Hotel Africa” weaves stories of Elvis’ experiences past and present — no, not that Elvis.
This Elvis is born of a young white mother who left her tiny hometown and a black musician who met an early death in an accident. Elvis’ mom, Adelaide, returns home to live with her mom, a strong woman who doesn’t let small-town prejudices get her down.
When Elvis was still a child, Adelaide persuaded her mom to open their large house in desert country as a hotel.
“Hotel Africa” bounces between Elvis as a young adult and young Elvis, the precocious kid ever curious about the people who come and go at Hotel Africa. Threaded among these passages are the stories of the guests, from a mysterious man who falls in love with Adelaide to two girls who swear a suicide pact.
The artwork is simply excellent, deftly jumping from comic expression to pensive beauty. Creator Hee Jung Park has a unique style that comes through in the characters’ eyes, and her skill to capture emotions perfectly complements the absorbing storylines.
This Elvis is born of a young white mother who left her tiny hometown and a black musician who met an early death in an accident. Elvis’ mom, Adelaide, returns home to live with her mom, a strong woman who doesn’t let small-town prejudices get her down.
When Elvis was still a child, Adelaide persuaded her mom to open their large house in desert country as a hotel.
“Hotel Africa” bounces between Elvis as a young adult and young Elvis, the precocious kid ever curious about the people who come and go at Hotel Africa. Threaded among these passages are the stories of the guests, from a mysterious man who falls in love with Adelaide to two girls who swear a suicide pact.
The artwork is simply excellent, deftly jumping from comic expression to pensive beauty. Creator Hee Jung Park has a unique style that comes through in the characters’ eyes, and her skill to capture emotions perfectly complements the absorbing storylines.
March 9, 2011
Although I've read quite a few manhwa in scanlation, the stories are mostly too over the top for me. Only a few of the ones released in the West actually stay in my library - for example Narration of Love at 17.
What I like about this first volume is the slice-of-life magical realism feeling and the focus on the relationships with characters. It may have helped that this series is set in the US, too - although I have never had problems reading sf or fantasy manga set in Japan, hmm.
The only thing that was a bit weird is to see the grown-up main character, Elvis Spillane, look like the main character of the Alexandrite manga ^^.
What I like about this first volume is the slice-of-life magical realism feeling and the focus on the relationships with characters. It may have helped that this series is set in the US, too - although I have never had problems reading sf or fantasy manga set in Japan, hmm.
The only thing that was a bit weird is to see the grown-up main character, Elvis Spillane, look like the main character of the Alexandrite manga ^^.
December 29, 2010
This beautifully-drawn series tells the individual stories of many people, including the main character, Elvis, using his childhood home, the Hotel Africa, as a vehicle to weave the stories together in different timelines. While many characters are introduced, we still get some good advancement in Elvis' story. It's an interesting read with lots of pretty men (yay!) and I'm looking forward to reading the next volume.
April 15, 2018
A collection of stories about love that revolve around the character Elvis and the people he encounters.
I was expecting more of a supernatural bend or magical realism in this book, but I am not disappointed about what it was instead. I loved the art, particularly the mother's hair. I am a bit confused about how all the stories connected. For example, there was a Naomi mentioned in one story, then a story told about a Naomi whose story didn't seem to line up with the first one. However, I am fine with a little gray area. The Hotel Africa, a large house in the dessert turned into a roadside inn, seemed out of time with its rotating cast of characters and the ever-present mysterious Gao.
I have volume 2 on my list to read in the future.
I was expecting more of a supernatural bend or magical realism in this book, but I am not disappointed about what it was instead. I loved the art, particularly the mother's hair. I am a bit confused about how all the stories connected. For example, there was a Naomi mentioned in one story, then a story told about a Naomi whose story didn't seem to line up with the first one. However, I am fine with a little gray area. The Hotel Africa, a large house in the dessert turned into a roadside inn, seemed out of time with its rotating cast of characters and the ever-present mysterious Gao.
I have volume 2 on my list to read in the future.
October 22, 2011
This wasn't exactly the type of book I expected it to be but it wasn't bad either. I don't really know if I'll try and read the next one or not. The layout of the story with the constant flashbacks was a little annoying in my opinion. Not much character development, or not as much as I hoped. The story didn't really 'pull me in' as a reader.
July 24, 2015
Unrelentingly melancholic, but nice art if you like that.
September 22, 2020
Upon this reread, bumping this from 4.5 to 5 stars. It truly is just wonderful.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews