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Avigon
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56 pages, Paperback
First published November 6, 2000
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 4, 2016
Meticulously designed in a style reminiscent of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, this little fairy tale makes quite a first impression. Like its stretched, ultra-thin figures, though, it would have benefited from some meat on its bones: the undernourished plot is virtually crushed by the overbearing visuals, and the story's dark surrealism feels rather lifeless and empty as a result. Which is ironic, considering this is the story of a clockwork brought to life.
September 22, 2010
This is the one I'm really proud of :)
May 14, 2012
Avigon is the greatest clockwork ever made. Her creator, Pulsifer, is the Master Clockworker of the realm, and gave her the ability to think and feel. Avigon now begins to question herself. Is she more than a clockwork? Are her feelings real, or it is just that she's been created to be that way? In order to discover who she really is, Avigon must leave her creator and venture out into the world.
This was a really cool twist on the much explored "are machines capable of human emotions" story. Avigon is the most exceptional clockwork ever created, and because of this she has much more feeling than any other clockwork. She lives and works for Pulsifer, as an assistant but also a guard. Although she doesn't look it, she is a combat clockwork. When Avigon begins to truly struggle with who she is, the only thing she can do is run away and explore it.
Pulsifer lets her go. This has happened before with other clockworks and they always come back. Pulsifer is confident that Avigon will come back too. And she does come back. Avigon has one unfortunate experience after another. She researches clockworks at a library, where she meets a university student. They become friends (she is so expertly crafted she doesn't look like a clockwork). Avigon hoped that he would be able to love her even as a clockwork, but she soon realizes that is not true.
She abandons her key and allows herself to wind down and is found by an amateur clockworker who takes her in. He knows she's a clockwork, and claims he's in love with her. When Avigon says she does not love him back, he says it's not a problem, he can just reprogram her so she will. Avigon begins to realize that she really had the most freedom when she was with Pulsifer. Out in the world she is something to either be taken advantage of or looked down on.
There's a side plot going on about Pulsifer being challenged as Master Clockworker, and Avigon being sold to the empress, but mostly it was about Avigon's journey. It was a good story, and such an interesting twist with her deciding to return to Pulsifer and being happy about it, and satisfied with her life now.
The art was very interesting. Black and white and everything is drawn very long and thin. It gives the world and people a strange and slightly creepy feeling.
This was a really cool twist on the much explored "are machines capable of human emotions" story. Avigon is the most exceptional clockwork ever created, and because of this she has much more feeling than any other clockwork. She lives and works for Pulsifer, as an assistant but also a guard. Although she doesn't look it, she is a combat clockwork. When Avigon begins to truly struggle with who she is, the only thing she can do is run away and explore it.
Pulsifer lets her go. This has happened before with other clockworks and they always come back. Pulsifer is confident that Avigon will come back too. And she does come back. Avigon has one unfortunate experience after another. She researches clockworks at a library, where she meets a university student. They become friends (she is so expertly crafted she doesn't look like a clockwork). Avigon hoped that he would be able to love her even as a clockwork, but she soon realizes that is not true.
She abandons her key and allows herself to wind down and is found by an amateur clockworker who takes her in. He knows she's a clockwork, and claims he's in love with her. When Avigon says she does not love him back, he says it's not a problem, he can just reprogram her so she will. Avigon begins to realize that she really had the most freedom when she was with Pulsifer. Out in the world she is something to either be taken advantage of or looked down on.
There's a side plot going on about Pulsifer being challenged as Master Clockworker, and Avigon being sold to the empress, but mostly it was about Avigon's journey. It was a good story, and such an interesting twist with her deciding to return to Pulsifer and being happy about it, and satisfied with her life now.
The art was very interesting. Black and white and everything is drawn very long and thin. It gives the world and people a strange and slightly creepy feeling.
January 10, 2014
This is a beautifully drawn tale of trying to find your place. It is dark and bittersweet and truly imaginative.
September 8, 2020
Avigon hit me right in the feels. I love a good steampunk story and anything that blurs the lines between mechanical-human relationships is interesting to me.
March 20, 2018
This is a very cute tale of an artificial being looking for a place where she can belong. I enjoyed Avigon's journey, spiritual and physical, seeing how different people reacted to her. The awkward concern of Avigon't creator, Pulsipher, made their relationship quite interesting. The tale has a slightly fairy-taleish manner, with plenty of archetypes that seem easy to identify at first blush, only to have them completely inverted.
Overall, I found the ending slightly unsatisfying, as Avigon eventually just returns home, to where she is most accepted, but not truly happy. I'm not sure if Gilson was trying to pose a question about where we all fit in, something about family loving us despite our faults, or if we, the reader, were just supposed to accept Avigon's unsatisfying lot in life. It was a nice ride, however, and I'd definitely recommend it for that.
Jimmie Robinson's art has clear goth stylings, which is neither good nor bad for me, but I figured that it was worth mentioning for those who are turned on/off by such art styles. His storytelling is very clear, and he is very good at crafting unique figures with easy-to-read emotions and singular body language.
Overall, I found the ending slightly unsatisfying, as Avigon eventually just returns home, to where she is most accepted, but not truly happy. I'm not sure if Gilson was trying to pose a question about where we all fit in, something about family loving us despite our faults, or if we, the reader, were just supposed to accept Avigon's unsatisfying lot in life. It was a nice ride, however, and I'd definitely recommend it for that.
Jimmie Robinson's art has clear goth stylings, which is neither good nor bad for me, but I figured that it was worth mentioning for those who are turned on/off by such art styles. His storytelling is very clear, and he is very good at crafting unique figures with easy-to-read emotions and singular body language.
January 1, 2018
too short to really enjoy
October 2, 2022
A little bit short but I liked the way the story went and the artwork is totally my vibe.
December 3, 2016
This little book doesn't suffer for the amount of love put into its idea so much as the hollow, birdbone structure of the story. I can see where the author may have wanted to go (somebody shares my "machines as pinocchio" obsession), but with precious little to work with to advance the story and characters, it makes it hard to get a reaction from the reader. I could see little mallgoth me going gaga in high school for sure, but I admit I'd love to see the author revisit it older and wiser. (The intro drips with late-90s goth distain and pretention in a way I would have admired as a kiddo, too! Ah, memories!)
January 12, 2011
Oh, Avigon. I would have liked to give this one to my middle-graders, except for some middle chapters that wouldn't really be appropriate. In that case, I find that another version - which includes just the first chapter and a bit of a later chapter - is quite appropriate for grades 4-6. Just FYI.
And I, by the way, absolutely love this.
And I, by the way, absolutely love this.
April 15, 2016
I got this from the library sale of random books they were letting go or replacing. It was an amazingly well spent 10 cents. I really enjoyed the drawing style. The story was very interesting to me, the clockwork with a mind of her own trying to figure out her life. Avigon is a neat character and definitely a cool graphic novel.
December 6, 2007
The first graphic novel I've read in ... I don't even know how long. Recommended by a student. Cool artwork, kinda skimpy on closure.
November 27, 2012
The art and the story were both wonderful. Melancholy and fantastical and compelling.
September 22, 2010
The second book is better!
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July 21, 2016Beautiful.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews