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Parables: An Anthology Softcover
Collecting Gagne's first four limited edition graphic storybooks in one captivating volume. Discover the mystery of He! Follow the Shadows on their great migration! Witness the self-destructive behaviors of three misguided creatures, and accompany Rex, the little fox, on his quest for enlightenment! Whimsical characters, fascinating landscapes, and thought provoking stories that will delight and inspire readers of all ages. Featuring a gallery of preliminary pencil sketches.
- GenresArt
128 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 21, 2019
Odd little messed up stories with adorable messed up art. Love it.
November 5, 2018
It amazes me how simplistic and yet gorgeous this book is. The artwork is no different than what you see on the cover and yet there is so much detail and so many amazing creatures that you find yourself immersed in each page. The stories are lesson-learning and heartfelt. I ended this book with a sigh and gave it a BIG hug. Loved it!
October 22, 2024
Despite the title, I have NOT tagged "anthology" because all of the stories and art are by Gagné, rather than multiple creators.
I got this book direct from Gagné at a convention, where he drew me a cute sketch of Rex inside, but I honestly didn't even know he even existed until seeing him there, so at most I knew he drew monsters and this one fox, based on the samples he had at his booth. So, this book is mostly in line with what I know (plus, since then, I have also played Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, which is The Great Shadow Migration come to life) and, therefore, gets a higher rating than if I had started with The Saga Of Rex and come to this one. I mean, frankly, The Octopus by itself would have put me off Gagné's work entirely, since is a huge negative stimulus for me. Doing that to ITSELF?? Absolute HORROR.
So, star off for The Octopus. The rest is almost exactly what I expect, and (as mentioned) more highly rated than maybe it should be, especially since The Bird actually isn't *too* much better, but at least(?) that one was more about . I'm probably even being a little too generous since the rhymes are a bit... forced... but then, most children's book rhymes feel forced. I don't remember the last time I truly enjoyed the metre of a rhyming book vs. just enjoying the book as an artbook that happened to have words.
Oh, the other two stories: The Mystery of He, and The Spider... they're okay. The Spider is a little weird (and ambitious!), but otherwise I don't have much of an opinion on it. The Mystery of He has some... interesting interpretations of unicorns, and a curious moral about prejudice that I don't know how I feel about it (). Mostly I still treat this as a cool artbook (and ignore the last story).
Recommended for weird people who like creepy things, I guess! NOT recommended if you adored The Saga of Rex and want another cute thing (or, at least, stop reading before the end of the book).
I got this book direct from Gagné at a convention, where he drew me a cute sketch of Rex inside, but I honestly didn't even know he even existed until seeing him there, so at most I knew he drew monsters and this one fox, based on the samples he had at his booth. So, this book is mostly in line with what I know (plus, since then, I have also played Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, which is The Great Shadow Migration come to life) and, therefore, gets a higher rating than if I had started with The Saga Of Rex and come to this one. I mean, frankly, The Octopus by itself would have put me off Gagné's work entirely, since is a huge negative stimulus for me. Doing that to ITSELF?? Absolute HORROR.
So, star off for The Octopus. The rest is almost exactly what I expect, and (as mentioned) more highly rated than maybe it should be, especially since The Bird actually isn't *too* much better, but at least(?) that one was more about . I'm probably even being a little too generous since the rhymes are a bit... forced... but then, most children's book rhymes feel forced. I don't remember the last time I truly enjoyed the metre of a rhyming book vs. just enjoying the book as an artbook that happened to have words.
Oh, the other two stories: The Mystery of He, and The Spider... they're okay. The Spider is a little weird (and ambitious!), but otherwise I don't have much of an opinion on it. The Mystery of He has some... interesting interpretations of unicorns, and a curious moral about prejudice that I don't know how I feel about it (). Mostly I still treat this as a cool artbook (and ignore the last story).
Recommended for weird people who like creepy things, I guess! NOT recommended if you adored The Saga of Rex and want another cute thing (or, at least, stop reading before the end of the book).
January 15, 2018
A friend met the author/artist at a book com and showed me another she'd bought, Freaky Flora: From A to Z, also by Michel Gagne. It has imaginery, colorful impressions of beautiful plants and flowers. Our library doesn't carry it, so i requested it but might buy it myself--altho' trying hard to downsize my books, along with everything else.
Our library did have others by Michel Gagne so i checked out Parables: An Anthology. It's black and white, but has equally imaginery drawings in short stories. My favorite is The Spider.
This seems to be oriented to kids, and i think they'd enjoy it, especially the stories and photos with darker themes, like The Great Shadow MIgration.
Thank you, Michelle, for introducing me to books and authors i'd never have run across myself! What a talent Michel Gagne is!
(I've been paging thru this for a few days, but finally am reading thru the stories so i can appreciate their cleverness.)
Our library did have others by Michel Gagne so i checked out Parables: An Anthology. It's black and white, but has equally imaginery drawings in short stories. My favorite is The Spider.
This seems to be oriented to kids, and i think they'd enjoy it, especially the stories and photos with darker themes, like The Great Shadow MIgration.
Thank you, Michelle, for introducing me to books and authors i'd never have run across myself! What a talent Michel Gagne is!
(I've been paging thru this for a few days, but finally am reading thru the stories so i can appreciate their cleverness.)
April 13, 2015
The art inside is just as fun, whimsical and unique on the inside as it is on the outside. Unsurprising, as the author is a professional illustrator. I really enjoyed looking at the pictures.
As for the writing... the intro tells the background of how he originally was going to collaborate with a writer, but then got carried away and wrote it all himself. I have to say, I wish he'd stuck with getting a writer to help. The story ideas were interesting, but the terribly poor pseudo-rhyming and the irregular cadences were kind of painful to read. I look forward to sharing this book with pre-reading kids and seeing what they come up with, rather than reading it to them.
As for the writing... the intro tells the background of how he originally was going to collaborate with a writer, but then got carried away and wrote it all himself. I have to say, I wish he'd stuck with getting a writer to help. The story ideas were interesting, but the terribly poor pseudo-rhyming and the irregular cadences were kind of painful to read. I look forward to sharing this book with pre-reading kids and seeing what they come up with, rather than reading it to them.
April 16, 2008
The parables don't make any sense, but oh... the art.
December 19, 2012
Michel Gagne is my 7 year old's favorite artist. She treasures his other books, "Odd Numbers" and "The Towers of Numeria".
May 26, 2014
A great trip down fantasy road.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews