A Thousand Coloured Castles

Graphic Medicine

by Gareth Brookes

Mild-mannered Myriam is diagnosed with macular degeneration in her right eye, but that doesn’t explain the strange things she’s been children in bright red helmets dancing on the doctor’s ceiling, exotic vines growing from her television set, and thousands of colored castles forming patterns on her kitchen walls. Her husband Fred is certain that Myriam’s visions are a bunch of nonsense, and her family dismisses her odd observations as the results of old age and an addled mind. So when Myriam begins to notice something “off” about the house next door, she has only her own instincts to can she tell the difference between a trick of the eyes and a real crime? The surreal lives side by side with the everyday in this graphic novel about life with Charles Bonnet syndrome, a condition in which a person with partial or severe blindness has complex, often bizarre hallucinations. Gareth Brookes’s rich, artistic crayon drawings pull the reader into Myriam’s vibrant and unnerving world, showing the frustration and fear that arise as a result of this unique condition―and the moments of unexpected beauty.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Psychology

208 pages, Hardcover

First published April 27, 2017

About the author

Gareth Brookes is a graphic novelist, print maker, textile artist, small press publisher, teacher, event organiser and researcher. He graduated from the Royal College of Art in London in 2003. He makes experimental graphic novels and handmade comics utilising unusual materials such as embroidery, pressed flowers and fire. In 2012 Brookes won the First Graphic Novel Prize. His teaching experience includes being a tutor in Foundation Studies at City & Guilds of London Art School and a visiting lecturer in Illustration at the University of Lincoln. Brookes organised the South London Comics and Zine Fair in 2017-18. He is currently a PhD candidate at University of Arts London researching materiality and metaphor in comics.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman suffers from Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) even as her family doubts her visions. Excellent 'gateway' book that explains this complex and (often) misunderstood syndrome. The art only adds to the story; placing the reader in close relation to someone who is trying to make sense of this drastic and terrifying change in perception - highly recommended.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A volume in the admirable Graphic Medicine series, which provides a nexus of medicine, narrative and graphic storytelling to help you understand the complexity and humanity of medical conditions. This is a story of a quiet couple living in the suburbs, the woman experiencing loss of vision AND hallucinations, diagnosed eventually as Charles Bonnet Syndrome. She is diagnosed with macular degeneration, but at the same time see sees crazy things she (pretty much) knows are not real: A group of alien children, a thousand coloured castles.

Brookes uses layers of scratchy wax crayon colors on black construction paper (I think), which makes things a bit visually challenging for us, but a great artistic accomplishment, in my opinion, to capture some of what she is going through. In the process, she thinks she sees a boy next door, and her husband thinks this is all part of her going "batty," but the boy turns out to be real, with a story that comes out to vindicate the woman.

This is a wonderful project for a comics artist, to help us see what the woman sees. She's not psychotic, but this is a neurological condition where perception is altered. Fascinating and heartbreaking condition, to have vision decline combined with hallucinations.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful book by Brookes (who is a friend of mine — full disclosure fans). He is an avant-garde Raymond Briggs, which may actually be the highest praise I am capable of conceiving of. The main characters of this comic are Myriam and Fred, a couple getting into their senior years, living in suburbia much as they always have. But Myriam has started vivid hallucinations, so that that when she does see something truly strange she cannot be sure what is real and not, much less convince anyone else. The plot is solid, but where Brookes really excels is in his mordent, well-observed dialogue — the characters this conjures — and, naturally, his art. As can now be expected, he has used a novel technique here, creating coloured pages conventionally, then entirely covering it in black crayon only to scrape the crayon off. This gives texture and interest to his pages, and also, of course, alludes to Myriam's own occluded vision, placing the reader in a position akin to hers. In this way, Brookes continually disconcerts the reader, making the cosy suburban setting uncomfortable and slightly off, much as it must be for poor old Myriam.

[Derek Newman-Stille · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Thousand Coloured Castles is Gareth Brookes’ exploration of Charles Bonnet Syndrome. Featuring an older woman, Myriam, who is diagnosed first with macular degeneration, this graphic novel explores Myriam’s strange visions as she sees figures like soldiers with ladders on their heads, plants growing out of telephone wires, and people with dressers on their heads. Myriam questions her own sanity and isn’t certain she wants doctors to diagnose her condition. When she eventually discovers that she has Charles Bonnet Symdrome, a condition related to deteriorating vision that causes complex visual hallucinations, she still has to deal with her husband and daughter who don’t understand her condition and disregard her, calling her barmy.

Not only does Gareth Brookes bring attention to Charles Bonnet Syndrome in his comic, he brings attention to the way that the medical conditions of women, and particularly older women, are ignored or treated as personality quirks. Myriam is constantly ignored by her family and perceived as being someone whose perspectives and insights aren’t worth paying attention to.

To read a longer version of my review, visit my website Dis(Abled) Embodiments at https://disabledembodiment.wordpress....

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) is a mysterious condition affecting those with deteriorating vision.

People with CBS experience complex hallucinations including cartoon characters, little people, strange buildings, figures wearing exotic and brightly coloured clothes, geometric patterns, colours, indecipherable writing, animals and bizarre vehicles.

While these visions are indistinguishable from reality, the person experiencing them remains emotionally disconnected and can often discern what’s real from what isn’t by the sheer incongruity of the apparitions.

In many cases CBS goes undiagnosed because the sufferer is afraid to admit to them, thinking that what they are experiencing is a form of mental illness or dementia.

However in most cases they are mentally healthy people who’ve lost most or all of their eyesight.

For more information visit www.CharlesBonnetSyndrome.uk

[from the afterword, 202]

[Przemysław Skoczyński · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coś, co zapowiadało się jak oryginalnie opowiedziana historia o Syndromie Charlesa Bonneta, zaskakuje ciekawym twistem i w gruncie rzeczy wychodzi poza ramy komiksów o chorobach. Świetny jest zamysł, by historię starszej pani, która ma słaby wzrok i widzi wszystko jakby we mgle, właśnie tak przedstawić. Bez szczegółów, bez rysów twarzy i w stonowanych paletach barw. Nie wiem jaką techniką posługiwał się autor, ale wygląda to jak malowane świecowymi kredkami i naprawdę robi wrażenie. Ten efekt niesamowitości, ale też wyobcowania i grozy tworzą oczywiście także wizje, jakie towarzyszą chorobie i fakt, że czasem trudno odróżnić rzeczywistość od przewidzeń, a to pozwala na bardzo niejednoznaczną fabułę. Wizualnie komiks zachwyca, autor jest bardzo oszczędny w słowach, co jeszcze bardziej eksponuje te graficzne cuda. Oprócz tego Brookers świetnie uchwycił niezrozumienie, z jakim spotyka się chora. Córka, która interesuje się jedynie swoim losem, wykazuje się kompletnym brakiem empatii, mąż to niezbyt rozgarnięty, sypiący banałami jak z rękawa i absolutnie nie rozumiejący problemu oraz własnej roli dupek. Mogę chyba zdradzić, że do końca Myriam zostanie z chorobą sama, a my - jako czytelnicy - możemy jej tylko cichutko kibicować.

[Joe Decie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of Brookes previous works will know that he doesn't approach drawing comics in a traditional way. Unconventional but fitting to the story he is portraying, that's his way. This graphic novel is painstakingly rendered in wax crayon. You know, like those scratch board firework pictures you did at primary school? this is a whole book drawn like that, but unlike those crude firework pictures, it's beautiful. I can't really talk too much about the story without giving much away, but it's a lovely story of elderly suburban life, with some great pockets of conversation and some fantastical twists in the tale. But that isn't really selling it, "oh I don't much go in for the elderly suburban life genre" I hear you say. Well, maybe you should. Brookes is a master of understated little moments, colloquial quirks and nostalgia. I like a bit of that. He creates characters you feel at home with, people you may well have sat next to on the bus. It's a rare skill to get right without falling into shallow stereotypes. A joy to read. And the kind of book you'll want to keep, a tactile treat.

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating exploration of an elderly couple living a quiet structured life in the suburbs. The focus is on the women and her managing her symptoms of Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) and macular degeneration. There is some suspense and excitement splashed in but Brookes' unique art style (scratched layered wax crayons) gives the whole book an otherworldly feeling. Sometimes things are not clear and you need to strain just a bit to get the details, somewhat putting you in the shoes of the main character.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating info on this condition. Beautiful drawings, nice characterization...Though tending to stereotype perhaps. The drawings though, became somewhat repetitive and the end of the story felt abrupt to me.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book, on so many levels. The protagonist is an older woman, so I'm already in. Then she seems to be losing her mind - or is she? Her spouse & adult child seem kind of awful, but you can also see their perspectives a bit - it's hard for everyone. But the best part is the artwork, and how it interacts with the story, which turns out to be that the main character is developing Charles Bonnet syndrome. This information is included in the synopsis of the book, but I thought it was important to be obscured as the story develops. The way the fantastical images - of castles flowing freely, growing everywhere, or strangely dressed people who are more or less sinister - integrate into the story is magnificent. This book just gets better and better as it goes on.

[Sukey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delicious graphic novel, forever admire Brookes’ unconventional approach to making comics. There some disgustingly beautiful imagery in here though I found the story a little slow in the beginning. It picks right up halfway through and I was hit with the (beautiful) wammy of being completely unaware of the very real syndrome this book is about. So I learned something too! YAY!
Will definitely come back to reread and study the panels more. The drawings are simple yes, but there is a magnitude of artistry that goes into the colouring AND composition!

[Granit Hysiqi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made the horrible mistake of reading this while listening to Michèle Bokanowski's L'Ange (1982) soundtrack and by doing so create a really eerie atmosphere, basically making the book 10x times more unsettling than it already is.

Almost induced a panic attack on my dumbass self...jeez.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

the husband is an asshole is a weirdly charming way. good book, great art, it’s time for a cuppa.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The drawings are simple and involve everyday scenes, yet create a world which does not feel at all ordinary and where the visualisations feel natural and not out of place. The bright colours and intricate patterns I found very calming. The story included small moments and was humorous and frustrating in an understated way.

[Ketzie Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just awesome.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a regular graphic-novel reader, but I wanted something easy on my brain. Fewer words but more pictures suited me.

The pastel illustrations were nice to rest my brain on and I felt as a conventional medium they captured everyday life - such as the husband's stubborn focus on the mundane over the everyday magic of the wildlife in the garden - along with the surreal elements really well. The characters were believable and felt real.

It's a serious topic but was enjoyable to read. A graphic novel felt like the best way of telling the story.

[Emilia P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooh yeah!
This one was all for the art! About a lady with a problem that causes her to hallucinate and see things in multiple and maybe she's crazy or maybe something really awful is happening. And it's old crotchety British People, very Raymond Briggs, and the main characters are Fred and Miriam! Dawwwwwww. My bbs. Anyway, I liked it, would like to see more of his stuff.

[Matthew Noe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant mashup of the mundane, the traumatic, the surreal, and the stigmas of aging and mental health. Brookes artistic style is like nothing else you'll read. A fantastic addition to the graphic medicine cannon - and an important one as ocular conditions are rare in the literature thus far.

[Titus · Rating 5 out of 5]

My copy of this comic is from the small British publisher Myriad Editions, but after reading it I learned that there’s also an edition published by Penn State University Press. As far as I know, the content of the two versions is identical, but it seems that there’s a fundamental difference in presentation. While Myriad just pitches “A Thousand Coloured Castles” as a fictional comic about a woman who might be losing her mind, the PSUP edition is part of a line called “Graphic Medicine”, consisting of comics intended to spread awareness and understanding of particular medical conditions, and as such PSUP explicitly markets this comic as a depiction of Charles Bonnet syndrome.

I’m sure being published in this way by a respected university press has helped the comic find its way into libraries and such, but I personally think this presentation does it a disservice. “A Thousand Coloured Castles” isn’t by any means a dour educational “explainer comic”; it’s ambitious, nuanced, experimental and highly entertaining. A work of art, through and through. What's more, framing it explicitly as a depiction of this specific syndrome is arguably a spoiler, as without this foreknowledge, the narrative is driven by a strong sense of mystery, the reader being unsure whether something supernatural is happening.

In fact, I'm not convinced that the unusual mental illness is even the comic's main theme. More important, to my reading, is the examination of conservative, elderly, suburban Middle England – the world that’s shaken by the arrival of this bizarre affliction. The depiction of the protagonist's curmudgeonly old husband is spot on – often hilariously so, but also clearly laying bare the inequalities in their relationship, with the man often sidelining and belittling his wife. That said, it's undoubtedly a kind, sympathetic portrayal of this milieu, never going too far into parody or caricature. These are ultimately very human characters, flawed but not evil.

Visually, this is a comic like no other. Compared to "The Black Project", it's very conventional in its panelling and the like, but the art is all done with wax crayons, and the result is gently mesmerising, with a hazy out-of-focus quality that is soon revealed to reflect an important aspect of the plot. The soft colour scheme really captures the dull, sometimes oppressive pleasantness of British suburbia, and this is wonderfully ruptured by outlandish hallucinatory elements.

I suppose this comic would be of interest to people seeking to learn about Charles Bonnet syndrome, but I can't imagine that was Brookes's primary intent with this work, and it would be an absolute tragedy for that to be the extent of its readership. This is no infotainment; it's a brilliant work by one of the most exciting figures from the current wave of alternative comics. Formally inventive and thematically complex, but also boasting a strong sense of humour, this is an all-round great work.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Myriam begins to think she's going insane when, along with her loss of sight due to macular degeneration, she begins to see things she's pretty sure aren't there.

4.5 stars
Wow! When I first started this, I wasn't impressed. The drawings are very blunt, scratchy, and unclear (the author drew them using crayons) and the text was minimal. But I ended up finishing it in one go because you feel for Myriam, and are uncertain yourself on what is happening - it's a safe bet the odd, spiraling castles aren't real, but what about the feral boy in the neighbor's backyard?

Outside of Myriam's sight issue, the relationship between her and her husband fascinated me. It was a pretty picture perfect view of my mom and dad. They're elderly, and follow the same routine each day (just like Fred has his day to take out the dustbins, my mom has her day to get her hair done). Fred complains about his neighbors and his environment, as does my dad. Beyond the similarity to my family, many of the interactions between Myriam and Fred nailed the aspects of marriage of previous generation people (and sadly, some current generation) in just the ways that make me so unhappy. For example, Myriam seems to be going mad (as she puts it), the father calls the daughter and daughter comes over and says "Who's going to look after Dad? Did you ever stop to think about that?"


This is well worth the half hour or less it takes to read. Then you'll want to turn back to the first page and begin again. Kudos to Gareth Brookes!

[Rick Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A graphic novel that sheds light on a rare medical condition sounds like something that would be kind of dull to read, but Brookes took this assignment and crafted an absolutely great piece of graphic literature. Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) is a condition whereby a brain compensates for declining vision by creating visual hallucinations. In A Thousand Coloured Castles, an elderly woman begins to see all manner of bizarre, and at times horrifying, images that begins to afflict her own perception of reality. Her unhelpful husband spends his days complaining about everything, while she suffers in silence afraid to make her condition known. Brookes' uses some very simply but affecting dialogue to demonstrate the dynamics between the couple. What seems like it could have been infotainment, turns into a deeply thoughtful and layered story.

What really makes this great is the artwork. The style appears to be wax crayons on construction paper, leading to very loose and splotchy looking artwork. But it fits with the deteriorating perception of reality incredibly well. The use of crayons lends to a very hazy look which works well for both the environment and the confusing sequence of images the woman has to experience. The soft colors capture the quaint aesthetic of English suburban neighborhoods, while also providing a nice contrast for the strange hallucinations to set in. Simply an all around great graphic novel.

[Beverley Raewyn Bassett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a most enjoyable story about a syndrome I have heard little about. A Thousand Coloured Castles is a graphic novel about Bonnet Syndrome. Myriam’s husband, Fred, is a perpetual complainer and does not like anything out of the ordinary. Myriam, Fred’s wife, is much quieter. She has macular degeneration, and it has a bearing on why she sees many incongruous apparitions such as dozens of children all dressed alike in red bike helmets or flowering vines covering the shelves in the supermarket. She tells her family about her visions, and Fred and their daughter, Claire, conclude she is mentally ill. They tell her to pull herself together; they can’t afford to institutionalize her. When Myriam says she is concerned about what she saw in their neighbor’s yard, they think it is merely another of her strange visions, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Using graphic art, Gareth Brookes portrays how the person with Bonnet’s Syndrome differentiates between the surreal and the real. Graphic art is a medium that lends itself well to showing the range of illusions as well as how misunderstood the syndrome is, and people suffering from it.

[Emily Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ahhhh Gareth I really wanted to give this 4 stars and I very nearly did ! I just had terrible trouble figuring out the illustrations which in turn, left me struggling a lot with getting to know the characters and I couldn't get to grips with the story becuase of it.
I am a huge fan of Brookes , I picked his first book up at a comic convention and was astounded at his work ethic and sheer determination to create such wonderful pieces of art. And I think a reason why I chose the lower rating for this book is because my standards have been set so high after the black project.
With all that said, the book is beautiful. The amount of work that has obviously gone into creating each pastel illustration goes beyond my comprehension. Myriam, the main character is such a sweet lady, and I found myself laughing out loud at her interactions with her challenging husband. Overall a good read.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting. Love the way the art style dictates the feelings of the reader. I felt off balance, confused, frustrated, and got a headache when I read half the book in one sitting. It was so hard to figure out what was happening, and this feeling really contributed well to the beautiful story of a woman with undiagnosed Charles Bonnet syndrome trying to figure out reality when she suspects something nefarious happening next door. I also love the grumpy ways of her husband, Fred. He’s reminds me of Mr. Fredricksen in the beginning of Disney’s Up: grouchy and fussy and displeased with everything.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't want to spoil the book for anyone, because there are really many layers to the reveal of what the story is about. The unveiling is the true delight of the novel. I think the first half left me swimming a little bit, much like the protagonist and her vision. I was drawn to the book for the lovely chalk drawings that left me a little off balance. I still had a really hard time with the unfortunate husband, who got under my skin more than he needed to. But the mysterious unfurling was worth the read.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the concept of this graphic novel, but I thought the execution was a little weak. The ending was odd; I get the point the author was trying to make, but perhaps he could have made it in a different way. I also liked the art for the most part. It was a creative way to show macular degeneration. The main character's family totally sucked but at least, in the end, they figured out what was happening to Myriam.

[Elian · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, I like the story, (though it's confusing at times), but I don't like the art style. It looks cool, but it's hard to tell whats in pictures sometimes, and it just feels blurry.
Edit: I just realized the "blurry" was probably on purpose, since it makes sense to the story, but it's still annoying to read.

[Meepelous · Rating 4 out of 5]

and today I'm looking at A Thousand Coloured Castles by Gareth Brookes. A work of graphic medicine, this edition was published by Pennsylvania State University Press in 2017.

Unlike many of the other graphic medicine titles, this one is more of a novel. As in fiction vs none fiction.

Content notes for seeing things that others don't, spousal abuse, kidnapping, mugging, and guns.

According to Brookes' website "I'm a graphic novelist, print maker, textile artist, small press publisher, teacher, event organiser and researcher. I graduated from the RCA in 2003. I make experimental graphic novels and handmade comics utilizing unusual materials such as embroidery, pressed flowers and fire. In 2012 I won the First Graphic Novel Prize."

What kinds of keywords came to mind reading this book? Mystery, aging, suburbs, house work, family, birds, and losing eyesite.

The official description over on goodreads is " Mild-mannered Myriam is diagnosed with macular degeneration in her right eye, but that doesn't explain the strange things she's been seeing: children in bright red helmets dancing on the doctor's ceiling, exotic vines growing from her television set, and thousands of colored castles forming patterns on her kitchen walls. Her husband Fred is certain that Myriam's visions are a bunch of nonsense, and her family dismisses her odd observations as the results of old age and an addled mind. So when Myriam begins to notice something "off" about the house next door, she has only her own instincts to trust: can she tell the difference between a trick of the eyes and a real crime?

The surreal lives side by side with the everyday in this graphic novel about life with Charles Bonnet syndrome, a condition in which a person with partial or severe blindness has complex, often bizarre hallucinations. Gareth Brookes's rich, artistic crayon drawings pull the reader into Myriam's vibrant and unnerving world, showing the frustration and fear that arise as a result of this unique condition--and the moments of unexpected beauty."

Looking at the art, I'll pull a quote from a review over at Sequential State (dot) com (link below) as they go into some good in-depth detail better then I could. "For this project, Brookes has used a combination of overlaid crayon layers that are quite appealing. Each page is constructed using a base image, which is then covered by a thick layer of black wax. Brookes then scratches off that overlayer, leaving the panel borders and flecks of black wax engrained in the base image. The technique lends a darkness to the images which echoes throughout the comic’s plot. All of the bright colors are muted and darkened, becoming almost grainy with the application of that overlayer." I also happened across some videos from Brookes that show him creating the work, so I'll certainly also link to that as well.

It's a strikingly unique style that shows one of those potentials of graphic novels (over text without extensive pictures) to communicate through stylistic choices.

Writing wise, my initial impression is pretty positive. There's a lot of interesting twists and turns. You feel pulled down by Myriam's asshole family as they pick away at our heroin. It was nice to see an older female character at the centre of this story, especially the way she struggles against all the strange things happening around her. Myriam is not static, her body is changing and she is actively seeking ways to better understand herself and adapt.

Jumping directly to the representation of the spectrum of ability and disability, as it is the representation most central to the story. As someone who had never heard of Charles Bonnet Syndrome I didn't want to get too caught up in my own feelings about the representation. My web searching didn't turn up much commentary from people who either have more knowledge/experience with Charles bonnet Syndrome or analysis from a disabled perspective. The one exception was a short review from Dis(abled) Embodiment by Derek Newman-Stille. I'll link to it obviously.

So, taking my opinion with a large grain of salt, I would say that A Thousand Coloured Castles is a refreshingly uninspiring story about disability. As there is a tendency to fetishize or romanticize people "overcoming" their disabilities. Myriam is obviously concerned about seeing things other people don't, but her character actively pushes against a lot of the more toxic/frantic ways that people who find themselves moving outside of consensus reality are. We also get a taste of some of the complications people face when trying to figure out what is going on with their bodies, whether it be unsupportive community or from the medical system. Although that certainly has the most optimistic conclusion.

Gender, sexuality, class and race are pretty heterosexual, binary, middle class and white, but the way Brookes needles at the idea of the perfect suburban nuclear family helped balance things out.

A really interesting read. A lot of thought and deliberate choices clearly went into the creation of A Thousand Coloured Castles. Four out of five stars I think.

https://sequentialstate.com/blog/revi...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u09zk...

https://disabledembodiment.wordpress....

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating depiction of Charles Bonnet Syndrome, a condition of visual hallucinations in persons who are going blind. The illustrations are amazing- like macular degeneration I imagine- just wish the author wrote about the drawing process.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an interesting premise about a condition I never knew existed. It was fascinating with a bit of a crime twist. Her husband and daughter were such jerks to her throughout the book but at least she got redeemed in the end. The drawings were really unique as well.