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The Unwritten
The Unwritten, Vol. 2: Inside Man
In this volume, Tom arrives at Donostia prison in Southern France and falls into the orbit of another story: The Song of Roland. Unfortunately for Tom, it's a story that ends with a massacre. .Tom discovers the true meaning of "out of the frying pan" after his escape from Donostia jail takes him to Stuttgart in 1940, a ghost city inhabited by the master liar of the Third Reich, Josef Goebbels, and a tortured soul who's crying out for rescue - or death...
Collecting: The Unwritten 6-12
Collecting: The Unwritten 6-12
168 pages, Paperback
First published August 17, 2010
37 people are currently reading
2397 people want to read
About the author
Mike Carey
1,261 books2,965 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
Mike Carey was born in Liverpool in 1959. He worked as a teacher for fifteen years, before starting to write comics. When he started to receive regular commissions from DC Comics, he gave up the day job.
Since then, he has worked for both DC and Marvel Comics, writing storylines for some of the world's most iconic characters, including X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, LUCIFER and HELLBLAZER. His original screenplay FROST FLOWERS is currently being filmed. Mike has also adapted Neil Gaiman's acclaimed NEVERWHERE into comics.
Somehow, Mike finds time amongst all of this to live with his wife and children in North London. You can read his blog at www.mikecarey.net.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 493 reviews
September 30, 2016
So what would happen if Harry Potter became a real boy?
And then grew up with no knowledge of who or what he was, signed the books he thought his dad wrote for him for a while, found out his father may have forged his birth certificate, became a social pariah, and then was promptly framed for committing mass murder.
Now he's awaiting trial in France.
So, a lot of my friends weren't all that impressed with this volume, but I think I liked it even better than the first one. Maybe because I knew a bit more about what was going on?
Not sure.
I will admit that the story was a bit choppy at first, but I thought it all came together very well in the end.
Part of the reason (I think) the story feels choppy in the beginning, is because of the way it tells what's happening at the prison. You see it first from Tommy's point of view, and then you see it from the Warden and his children's. The whole thing is odd, and a bit heartbreaking, but it left an impression on me.
On the upside, you learn a bit more about Tommy's powers, and a little more about who/what Lizzie is, as well. I have a feeling that there may be more to his cellmate than meets the eye, too.
Oh! And I really loved the Hundred Acre Woods rip-off at the end!
There was a menacing feel to everything, but that rabbit's creative swearing had me laughing my ass off!
This may not be everyone's cuppa, but I'm looking forward to more.
And then grew up with no knowledge of who or what he was, signed the books he thought his dad wrote for him for a while, found out his father may have forged his birth certificate, became a social pariah, and then was promptly framed for committing mass murder.
Now he's awaiting trial in France.
So, a lot of my friends weren't all that impressed with this volume, but I think I liked it even better than the first one. Maybe because I knew a bit more about what was going on?
Not sure.
I will admit that the story was a bit choppy at first, but I thought it all came together very well in the end.
Part of the reason (I think) the story feels choppy in the beginning, is because of the way it tells what's happening at the prison. You see it first from Tommy's point of view, and then you see it from the Warden and his children's. The whole thing is odd, and a bit heartbreaking, but it left an impression on me.
On the upside, you learn a bit more about Tommy's powers, and a little more about who/what Lizzie is, as well. I have a feeling that there may be more to his cellmate than meets the eye, too.
Oh! And I really loved the Hundred Acre Woods rip-off at the end!
There was a menacing feel to everything, but that rabbit's creative swearing had me laughing my ass off!
This may not be everyone's cuppa, but I'm looking forward to more.
July 11, 2021
Some next level meta fiction ensues in this volume as Tommy faces truths, lies and conspiracies in the past... both literary and real. More plot twists, reveals and looking at literary fiction in a new way for Tom and Lizzie is this truly meta-fiction, conspiracy thriller that just keeps on surprising. 9 out of 12
December 8, 2015
This volume, unfortunately, did not improve my views on the "the Unwritten" series. I still cannot relate to any character and feel entirely engrossed in the story (probably due to its complexity).I wanted to love this series because it sounded so interesting, but I just like it. Hopefully the third volume will change my mind.
August 27, 2019
I felt like this story jumped a notch or 2 and it's getting better. It also jumps into the story and we see Tommy finally understanding that he really is the character from the book and he begins to accept that, slowly. Tommy is framed and put in prison where he escapes while people around him all die. It's going to be a bloody story.
I think this is what you call meta. I wonder when the meta craze started and it this was at the beginning of the wave, 2010. I know Community did quite a bit with meta. Anyway.
The story has got me hooked and I want to know what is happening. Who is after Tommy? What is going on? There are so many questions right now that need to be answered. I'm going to have to get into the series. I hope I can get all the books. Our library no longer has this edition and I had to get it ILL. I hope I can get them all. I think this concept is a very interesting story device and I hope we see more fictional characters show up in the world.
I think this is what you call meta. I wonder when the meta craze started and it this was at the beginning of the wave, 2010. I know Community did quite a bit with meta. Anyway.
The story has got me hooked and I want to know what is happening. Who is after Tommy? What is going on? There are so many questions right now that need to be answered. I'm going to have to get into the series. I hope I can get all the books. Our library no longer has this edition and I had to get it ILL. I hope I can get them all. I think this concept is a very interesting story device and I hope we see more fictional characters show up in the world.
December 31, 2014
Right. Spoilers here. Fair warning.
.
.
.
.
.
You better have a really good reason for killing a couple children in your book.
It's not just that killing kids in a story is mostly out of bounds. ( though it is, especially if they're strong secondary characters.)
It's not just that as a parent, some biological switch in my head has been flipped that makes me extremely sensitive to kid-peril. (Though it does.)
It's that if you something like this, it better be focal to the story. You better fucking DO it. You better fucking make that shit count. I better cry their names to the unfeeling sky in the middle of the night because you've torn out my heart.
When it happens here, it just feels... incidental. I found it... distasteful, and I was really disappointed that the story had stooped to that for a cheap emotional jab.
Perhaps most importantly, if you're writing a story in which you're going to kill off some kids, you have to telegraph that for your readers. If Joe Abercrombie kills off some kids in First Law #4, I'm not going to be surprised because he's painted a grim fucking picture of the world we're visiting.
This book didn't prepare me for that. The book was strange, and smart, and satirical, and kinda winked at the reader a little bit. Kid killing came at me out of left field, and it really damaged my trust in the story.
The only reason I'm not more viciously angry here is that there's some ameliorating factors in book 8. (I'll mention them in my review of that volume.)
.
.
.
.
.
You better have a really good reason for killing a couple children in your book.
It's not just that killing kids in a story is mostly out of bounds. ( though it is, especially if they're strong secondary characters.)
It's not just that as a parent, some biological switch in my head has been flipped that makes me extremely sensitive to kid-peril. (Though it does.)
It's that if you something like this, it better be focal to the story. You better fucking DO it. You better fucking make that shit count. I better cry their names to the unfeeling sky in the middle of the night because you've torn out my heart.
When it happens here, it just feels... incidental. I found it... distasteful, and I was really disappointed that the story had stooped to that for a cheap emotional jab.
Perhaps most importantly, if you're writing a story in which you're going to kill off some kids, you have to telegraph that for your readers. If Joe Abercrombie kills off some kids in First Law #4, I'm not going to be surprised because he's painted a grim fucking picture of the world we're visiting.
This book didn't prepare me for that. The book was strange, and smart, and satirical, and kinda winked at the reader a little bit. Kid killing came at me out of left field, and it really damaged my trust in the story.
The only reason I'm not more viciously angry here is that there's some ameliorating factors in book 8. (I'll mention them in my review of that volume.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2019
This installment started off as a 3, but picked up considerably by the middle, turning it into a 4 for me. The questions of the nature of narrative in our lives; the (un)truthfulness of stories and whether the veracity or lack thereof makes a difference (using the The Song of Roland as a reference point); and the effect on the work itself when it's been 'tortured' into its opposite by those who twist it into something it isn't for their own purposes: All elevate this story.
The last few pages concerning a character who's been written as a rabbit into a children's story that he's trying to escape from is both creepy and funny, but with meaning.
What is true? Who and what is 'real'? And what does that word even mean? I look forward to the next installment.
As a side note, I recommend reading the short introduction afterwards, not before, as it made not one bit of sense to me reading it beforehand.
The last few pages concerning a character who's been written as a rabbit into a children's story that he's trying to escape from is both creepy and funny, but with meaning.
What is true? Who and what is 'real'? And what does that word even mean? I look forward to the next installment.
As a side note, I recommend reading the short introduction afterwards, not before, as it made not one bit of sense to me reading it beforehand.
January 2, 2020
This gets a lot trippier than the first volume. It’s a little harder to follow, but there are some interesting ideas here. It raises more questions, so I felt like I understood the story less after reading the second volume.
November 29, 2021
Good meta stories are hard to pull but so far this comic is doing it pretty well. First volume was OK but now I'm definitely on board for this series.
January 18, 2015
Right. So, in this volume we have:
A typical prison tale.
Frankenstein.
Children that can't differentiate fantasy from fiction.
Rocket launchers.
Nazi stormtroopers.
A foul mouthed bunny rabbit.
And this is all just pretty much scratching the surface.
I really enjoyed the whole 'power of the story' message that gets hammered home over and over again in this one. There is power in words - there is power in a story.
This seems to very much be the backbone of what is happening in this series thus far. Two volumes deep and I am totally on board. I loved this volume.
February 8, 2017
December 2015:
This one is even better than the first one. I'd forgotten how everything ties together, how detailed it all was, and how all the details are so very, very strange.
Tom Taylor has been extradited to a French prison for a massacre at a famous literary landmark, a crime he didn't commit. Even though he hasn't been tried yet, the court of public has already found him guilty. He's being framed by a shadowy enemy. He doesn't know who they are or what they want, but it all seems to be connected to his missing father, and Tom's identity, which he is having a very hard time accepting, despite appearances by a "fake" flying cat from a book series, a real life incarnation of Frankenstein's monster, and a magical doorknob that opens doors that aren't there. Along with a journalist who embedded himself in the jail to write about Tom, and Lizzie, the three break out of prison when their enemies break in.
But that's just what happens. The real meat of this story isn't the what but the HOW. And the how is gorgeous and unique and really unexpected. Tom's story, which is strange enough, is mixed in with all these other layers. News reports, as the outside world changes as the story does, as the shadowy cabal tries to change the story, to change people's thoughts. And then we have the story of the warden, whose children love the Tommy Taylor books past the point of reason. It all comes together in this weird meditation on human darkness, and the origin of monsters, who are stories gone wrong, betrayed by their creators.
The last several issues depart from the real world as the trio heads through a doorway into an old book called "Jud Suss", and then a COMPLETE departure as we see a rabbit who isn't really a rabbit, trying to escape from the story-prison he's living in, a children's book series he was placed in by Tom's father. It's very bizarre and darkly funny, and caps the whole thing off with the second passage I quoted above.
It all just WORKS. And it's so hard to write about! I don't even know how I'm going to write reviews for all the rest of the volumes. I just want to zoom straight through. But write I shall. I shall do it all for you, peasants.
March 2011: I wasn't sure how I felt about this series after Vol. 1, partly because sometimes it takes time to feel comfortable in complex fictional worlds, but mostly because I wasn't sure where this was going. After Vol. 2, however, even if I don't know specifics, I have a definite feel for this world and the things Carey and Gross are trying to say. That feeling is "awesome."
I can't really sum up the plot of this series very well without giving anything away, so I won't even try. Half the fun is experiencing the ride yourself. Seriously. Go out and buy Vols. 1-2 right now. It's the whole package: fun and intellectually engaging. The Unwritten is basically like the entire reason God invented post-modernism.
"When a book is read, an irrevocable thing happens--a murder, followed by an imposture. The story in the mind murders the story on the page, and takes its place."
"'Every story has a negative space, Mister Rabbit. Things it can't acknowledge. Truths it can imply or flirt with, but never say out loud.'
'Do I look like I give a flying fuck? Let me go!'
'One way of writing for children--her way--is to try to be a child yourself. And then, if you do that . . . the negative space is enormous. Grief. Pain. Betrayal. Mortality. You have to pretend you don't know. To suppress the things you learned as you grew up. To slip back into the garden by being small enough to walk under the door. But you can't make the scary things disappear. You can only lock them away where nobody sees them."
This one is even better than the first one. I'd forgotten how everything ties together, how detailed it all was, and how all the details are so very, very strange.
Tom Taylor has been extradited to a French prison for a massacre at a famous literary landmark, a crime he didn't commit. Even though he hasn't been tried yet, the court of public has already found him guilty. He's being framed by a shadowy enemy. He doesn't know who they are or what they want, but it all seems to be connected to his missing father, and Tom's identity, which he is having a very hard time accepting, despite appearances by a "fake" flying cat from a book series, a real life incarnation of Frankenstein's monster, and a magical doorknob that opens doors that aren't there. Along with a journalist who embedded himself in the jail to write about Tom, and Lizzie, the three break out of prison when their enemies break in.
But that's just what happens. The real meat of this story isn't the what but the HOW. And the how is gorgeous and unique and really unexpected. Tom's story, which is strange enough, is mixed in with all these other layers. News reports, as the outside world changes as the story does, as the shadowy cabal tries to change the story, to change people's thoughts. And then we have the story of the warden, whose children love the Tommy Taylor books past the point of reason. It all comes together in this weird meditation on human darkness, and the origin of monsters, who are stories gone wrong, betrayed by their creators.
The last several issues depart from the real world as the trio heads through a doorway into an old book called "Jud Suss", and then a COMPLETE departure as we see a rabbit who isn't really a rabbit, trying to escape from the story-prison he's living in, a children's book series he was placed in by Tom's father. It's very bizarre and darkly funny, and caps the whole thing off with the second passage I quoted above.
It all just WORKS. And it's so hard to write about! I don't even know how I'm going to write reviews for all the rest of the volumes. I just want to zoom straight through. But write I shall. I shall do it all for you, peasants.
March 2011: I wasn't sure how I felt about this series after Vol. 1, partly because sometimes it takes time to feel comfortable in complex fictional worlds, but mostly because I wasn't sure where this was going. After Vol. 2, however, even if I don't know specifics, I have a definite feel for this world and the things Carey and Gross are trying to say. That feeling is "awesome."
I can't really sum up the plot of this series very well without giving anything away, so I won't even try. Half the fun is experiencing the ride yourself. Seriously. Go out and buy Vols. 1-2 right now. It's the whole package: fun and intellectually engaging. The Unwritten is basically like the entire reason God invented post-modernism.
February 28, 2014
The first few issues are a bit of a slog. Tom is now in prison, after being framed for a mass murder. And really, I just wanted to get those over with. Once he escapes, into a ghostly reality built around a book that's been twisted, the story picks up considerably. This is the sort of thing that I'd been hoping to see from Unwritten, thoughtful metafiction. The last issue is a sort of side story, about a man trapped inside a Beatrix Potter-like animal world, as a rabbit. It can be very funny, and it's actually one of the more thoughtful issues in the collection. But this is the second time that Carey has followed up a cliffhanger with an unrelated story. Reading it in trades, it doesn't bother me so much. But it would definitely have irritated me if I was trying to read the monthly issues as they were released.
November 12, 2024
Tom finds an ally in the Swiss prison..but there's plenty of people ready to get rid of him.
1940 Stuttgart and a sweary Bunny...
1940 Stuttgart and a sweary Bunny...
May 8, 2015
There is no denying that these books are cerebral. There are many layers that the reader can pull back and many connections to be made. One one hand we have Tommy's life mirroring, in many ways, the books for which he was the inspiration. On another level, Tommy is within the orbit of anther well known tale that gives context. Beyond this, Tommy is part of a story that is currently being written. While I find this to the most appealing aspect of this series, the execution leaves something to be desired. There are so many layers they are often insufficiently dealt with. Many layers mean a complex puzzle and a maze for your mind.
On its most basic level, I find the main plotline to be only mildly entertaining, As such, I cannot rate it any higher than 3.5 stars.
On its most basic level, I find the main plotline to be only mildly entertaining, As such, I cannot rate it any higher than 3.5 stars.
August 27, 2012
The people who wrote this series are mad geniuses! If this series keeps up this level of writing, it should become one of the greatest series ever written. It's an astonishingly good story!
August 4, 2015
Tom Taylor, found alone at the scene of a massacre at the Villa Diodati, is shipped off to prison in France. The prison warden's two children are intense fans of the Tommy Taylor books and the warden plots to off Tommy to spare them from seeing their fallen idol. Tom begins having visions straight out of "La Chanson de Roland," and with the help of his cellmate Savoy (a reporter) and Lizzie Hexam, they escape the prison using a magic doorknob straight out of the Tommy Taylor books. They end up in a ghostly Nazi scene where Tom might be in mortal danger.
A short chapter follows, about a bunny in a storybook who appears to have realized that he is trapped in an inane children's book. The bunny, Mr. Bun, has an extremely foul mouth and seeks to kill his creator, which is fairly amusing given that the illustrations look like something from Beatrix Potter.
I loved the way the various works of literature are woven into the story. It's all about the power of words over reality. The similarities between Tommy Taylor and Harry Potter continue to amass. I feel like the author is playing up the similarities to give the reader a sense of familiarity with the Tommy Taylor stories, so the reader can understand how obsessed two children could get over a book, but part of me wonders if it could be considered some kind of copyright infringement.
Originally I had bought these graphic novels for the teen section of my library, because they were on the YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens list, and the concept seemed made for teens. The chapter about Mr. Bun the bunny, however, is making me wonder if this is the right decision. In the first volume, there was some foul language and a bloody massacre. This volume takes it one step further with the use of the "c" word and the deaths of children... That and the fact that it is "suggested for mature readers" on the back cover makes me think I ought to move it to the adult section - because honestly, the themes and references seem more adult to me as well. It's a conundrum...
A short chapter follows, about a bunny in a storybook who appears to have realized that he is trapped in an inane children's book. The bunny, Mr. Bun, has an extremely foul mouth and seeks to kill his creator, which is fairly amusing given that the illustrations look like something from Beatrix Potter.
I loved the way the various works of literature are woven into the story. It's all about the power of words over reality. The similarities between Tommy Taylor and Harry Potter continue to amass. I feel like the author is playing up the similarities to give the reader a sense of familiarity with the Tommy Taylor stories, so the reader can understand how obsessed two children could get over a book, but part of me wonders if it could be considered some kind of copyright infringement.
Originally I had bought these graphic novels for the teen section of my library, because they were on the YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens list, and the concept seemed made for teens. The chapter about Mr. Bun the bunny, however, is making me wonder if this is the right decision. In the first volume, there was some foul language and a bloody massacre. This volume takes it one step further with the use of the "c" word and the deaths of children... That and the fact that it is "suggested for mature readers" on the back cover makes me think I ought to move it to the adult section - because honestly, the themes and references seem more adult to me as well. It's a conundrum...
March 5, 2018
Continuing to really enjoy this series, getting a few answers but also definitely more questions as well. Overall I feel like it's a very interesting world and I just love the book-within-a-book trope so I'm definitely here for it especially since it has so many layers in this particular series. Also I always have to mention this sooner or later but I feel like Carey has a very good grasp of story structure in general, and also specifically with regard to comics in that he really knows how to set up a story to work well within a single volume. A lot of times writers will string out an arc over several volumes or have it start in one volume but finish in the next and Carey seems like he always has things planned out very well and separated in a way that makes sense. Also his one-shot side-stories always feel incredibly relevant, unlike a lot of other comics.
I will leave you for now with this panel, which has no real significance but made me laugh:
I will leave you for now with this panel, which has no real significance but made me laugh:
December 7, 2010
The next installment of Unwritten deepens the mystery and becomes MORE intriguing as the motivation of the players in #1 get a bit clearer. The mechanics of reality inside this world get more interesting and I just can't wait for the next one! Definitely darker and more subversive than I expected, this series is just soo good!
December 23, 2013
Eh, it's safe to say that I didn't like Inside Man as much as the first volume in this series. I still enjoy the idea, because metafiction is very fascinating to this avid reader. I just had too many moments of trying to figure out what where the writer is going with this book. I feel that this volume lacked the clarity I could see in the first book.
As before, the artwork is lovely. I liked the use of mixed media and textures to convey the story. The layout includes illustrated representations of articles, screen caps from message boards, and images of news reporters, which add texture to the narrative. The exploration of folklore and fiction versus reality. Tom is still a sympathetic character who has had his whole life uprooted and his character destroyed by the recent events in his life. This book seemed to much like a detour, and the tone was very dark. In fact, one part of this book irritated me enormously and I still don't see the point in writing that.
Will I continue reading this? Yes. I want to know where this series is going, and since my library has these, I can check them out at my leisure and explore this series between other books.
I wasn't exactly a happy camper with Inside Man, but I think it does have something to offer a graphic novel reader.
As before, the artwork is lovely. I liked the use of mixed media and textures to convey the story. The layout includes illustrated representations of articles, screen caps from message boards, and images of news reporters, which add texture to the narrative. The exploration of folklore and fiction versus reality. Tom is still a sympathetic character who has had his whole life uprooted and his character destroyed by the recent events in his life. This book seemed to much like a detour, and the tone was very dark. In fact, one part of this book irritated me enormously and I still don't see the point in writing that.
Will I continue reading this? Yes. I want to know where this series is going, and since my library has these, I can check them out at my leisure and explore this series between other books.
I wasn't exactly a happy camper with Inside Man, but I think it does have something to offer a graphic novel reader.
June 30, 2011
This started out a little slow to for me, partially because it has been probably a year since I'd read the first volume (and needed to re-familiarize myself with the characters and concepts), and partially because it just gets more interesting and effective as the story moves along.
With this series, Carey's developed the perfect way to balance commenting on the nature and power of "the story" while also weaving a powerful narrative himself. He's managing to have his cake and write about it too.
After being framed for the murders that occurred in the second half of the first volume Tom Taylor (who may-or-may not be the same person as the lead character in the books-with-a-book, Tommy Taylor, written by his mysterious and absent father), finds himself in prison in France. Before this volumes end, we'll see the prison turn into the site of another massacre, a trip will take place to a nightmarish Nazi dreamland, and we'll (in a welcome change of pace) visit a darkly humorous version of the Hundred Acre Woods.
Now, here's hoping I get around to Volume 3 before I forget what happened here.
With this series, Carey's developed the perfect way to balance commenting on the nature and power of "the story" while also weaving a powerful narrative himself. He's managing to have his cake and write about it too.
After being framed for the murders that occurred in the second half of the first volume Tom Taylor (who may-or-may not be the same person as the lead character in the books-with-a-book, Tommy Taylor, written by his mysterious and absent father), finds himself in prison in France. Before this volumes end, we'll see the prison turn into the site of another massacre, a trip will take place to a nightmarish Nazi dreamland, and we'll (in a welcome change of pace) visit a darkly humorous version of the Hundred Acre Woods.
Now, here's hoping I get around to Volume 3 before I forget what happened here.
April 19, 2015
Superior to the first volume as Carey begins to reveal the full extent of his vision and the story moves along at pace.
September 27, 2023
CW: child death, antisemitism/Nazis, blood, gun violence, animal death
Actual rating: 2.5 ish
I'm sorry but I think there was probably a better way to make your point than bringing Nazis into it. I'm sure I've made my feelings clear on fantasticizing Nazis in books by non-Jewish authors.
Will reassess my feelings on this series as I read a bit more, since I own two more volumes.
Actual rating: 2.5 ish
I'm sorry but I think there was probably a better way to make your point than bringing Nazis into it. I'm sure I've made my feelings clear on fantasticizing Nazis in books by non-Jewish authors.
Will reassess my feelings on this series as I read a bit more, since I own two more volumes.
July 29, 2016
This post/review is going to be chock full of spoilers, and is really written for those people who have already read the first two collections. For that reason, I want to sum up my overall view and suggestion of The Unwritten now, so if you’re the kind of reader who doesn’t like to know too much about a story, you can still get something out of this post:
If you didn’t like the first collection because you felt like it was more promise than substance, then read the second collection before you give up on it. And if you haven’t read either of them, then make sure you can read both of them back-to-back so you can get the most out of them.
There. You can keep reading if you want, but be aware that I’m going to get into specific details that might spoil the series for you.
One of my favorite things about the series so far is that it has something to say about literature as a whole. The story arc involving Tom’s imprisonment, and his escape, touches on how children’s stories can have such a profound effect on their audience. Tom may as well be Harry Potter, and the authors take that opportunity to look at the character and its fan frenzy that inspires a sort of worship in the readers. Even more telling is that the authors look at that theme from both sides, where it encourages the development of readers, and where it blurs the line between fantasy and reality. In fact, the story touches on how badly that line can blur and the consequences of such things, but it still suggests that the stories are important, and play a large part in a child’s development.
Furthermore, the last story in the collection looks at the treacly innocence of stories like those by Beatrix Potter and A.A. Milne by placing a very non-innocent character smack in the middle of them. It almost reads like it’s trying to be a riff off of Fables, but the authors instead take the story in a direction where they talk about the sacrifices authors have to make in order to write those freely innocent stories. The vulgar character tries to confront the writer-character with this knowledge, and learns that the stories have to pretend like the dark, terrible realities of life are there, but the characters all have to pretend like they’re not there. By extension, the writers have to do that, and since writing can be an act of catharsis, a lot of those frustrations and anxieties are pushed aside in favor of those stories. Is it valuable? Is it damaging? Again, the authors look at both sides, and don’t really present a definitive conclusion. But it gets you thinking.
There’s something very organic in the way that the authors are developing the story. In the previous book, Tom went to the Villa Diodati, the last place his father was seen, and also the place where Mary Shelley came up with the idea to write Frankenstein. It wasn’t just a lark that he showed up there; he was trying to find answers about who he was. And it wasn’t a coincidence that his father was there, either, because the series is slowly establishing that the places where stories are told have a certain gravity that draw certain forces to it, and his father was looking for answers there, too. Events took a seriously demented turn at the house, and Tom and the story wound up going in another direction, but his showing up at that location wasn’t just random; it was a part of the story. In this collection, Tom runs into the embodiment of the character of the monster, but quickly dismisses him. The monster tells him, “We will speak again when you are ready to admit the truth about yourself,” and then the current story continues on. Even in this situation, the encounter isn’t random. He gets out of his jail cell and wanders around the prison, and that’s when he encounters the monster, but the cell being left open wasn’t an accident, or some latent piece of magic on his part. It was intentional, and part of the larger plot that began in the last collection. It’s a deft sort of storytelling, and one that doesn’t really become apparent until you start reading more of the series.
Of course, that sort of storytelling can suffer, if only because it requires some patience on the reader’s part. The first collection of The Unwritten was a little clunky and disjointed, mainly because there were a lot of strange things going on that were establishing the direction of the story. It’s absolutely necessary, and the writers at least made the premise interesting and promising enough to create the incentive for people to stay with it, but there’s always the risk of readers giving up because of its weirdness. And I guess this is the point where I should restate my point: If you gave up on the first collection because of its structure, try the second one to see if it changes your opinion of the series.
The premise is good, and the characters are interesting, and that alone would be enough for me to keep reading. Now I know that I’m in the hands of some skilled storytellers, and I’m even more interested in seeing what happens next. I just hope that the series doesn’t run out of steam and start forcing the diverse parts of the shorter story arcs to fit the premise. It’s been set up too well to let it suffer that way.
If you didn’t like the first collection because you felt like it was more promise than substance, then read the second collection before you give up on it. And if you haven’t read either of them, then make sure you can read both of them back-to-back so you can get the most out of them.
There. You can keep reading if you want, but be aware that I’m going to get into specific details that might spoil the series for you.
One of my favorite things about the series so far is that it has something to say about literature as a whole. The story arc involving Tom’s imprisonment, and his escape, touches on how children’s stories can have such a profound effect on their audience. Tom may as well be Harry Potter, and the authors take that opportunity to look at the character and its fan frenzy that inspires a sort of worship in the readers. Even more telling is that the authors look at that theme from both sides, where it encourages the development of readers, and where it blurs the line between fantasy and reality. In fact, the story touches on how badly that line can blur and the consequences of such things, but it still suggests that the stories are important, and play a large part in a child’s development.
Furthermore, the last story in the collection looks at the treacly innocence of stories like those by Beatrix Potter and A.A. Milne by placing a very non-innocent character smack in the middle of them. It almost reads like it’s trying to be a riff off of Fables, but the authors instead take the story in a direction where they talk about the sacrifices authors have to make in order to write those freely innocent stories. The vulgar character tries to confront the writer-character with this knowledge, and learns that the stories have to pretend like the dark, terrible realities of life are there, but the characters all have to pretend like they’re not there. By extension, the writers have to do that, and since writing can be an act of catharsis, a lot of those frustrations and anxieties are pushed aside in favor of those stories. Is it valuable? Is it damaging? Again, the authors look at both sides, and don’t really present a definitive conclusion. But it gets you thinking.
There’s something very organic in the way that the authors are developing the story. In the previous book, Tom went to the Villa Diodati, the last place his father was seen, and also the place where Mary Shelley came up with the idea to write Frankenstein. It wasn’t just a lark that he showed up there; he was trying to find answers about who he was. And it wasn’t a coincidence that his father was there, either, because the series is slowly establishing that the places where stories are told have a certain gravity that draw certain forces to it, and his father was looking for answers there, too. Events took a seriously demented turn at the house, and Tom and the story wound up going in another direction, but his showing up at that location wasn’t just random; it was a part of the story. In this collection, Tom runs into the embodiment of the character of the monster, but quickly dismisses him. The monster tells him, “We will speak again when you are ready to admit the truth about yourself,” and then the current story continues on. Even in this situation, the encounter isn’t random. He gets out of his jail cell and wanders around the prison, and that’s when he encounters the monster, but the cell being left open wasn’t an accident, or some latent piece of magic on his part. It was intentional, and part of the larger plot that began in the last collection. It’s a deft sort of storytelling, and one that doesn’t really become apparent until you start reading more of the series.
Of course, that sort of storytelling can suffer, if only because it requires some patience on the reader’s part. The first collection of The Unwritten was a little clunky and disjointed, mainly because there were a lot of strange things going on that were establishing the direction of the story. It’s absolutely necessary, and the writers at least made the premise interesting and promising enough to create the incentive for people to stay with it, but there’s always the risk of readers giving up because of its weirdness. And I guess this is the point where I should restate my point: If you gave up on the first collection because of its structure, try the second one to see if it changes your opinion of the series.
The premise is good, and the characters are interesting, and that alone would be enough for me to keep reading. Now I know that I’m in the hands of some skilled storytellers, and I’m even more interested in seeing what happens next. I just hope that the series doesn’t run out of steam and start forcing the diverse parts of the shorter story arcs to fit the premise. It’s been set up too well to let it suffer that way.
August 19, 2020
I read this a while ago it just noticing I never marked it off. I loved this series. The series didn’t end as well as it began but it’s a 5 star book all the way. 5 stars.
May 2, 2018
Po prvním čtení jsem nenapsal recenzi a teď po druhém, musím tenhle díl o maličko víc docenit. Sice mě pořád míjí linie s alternativním Harrym Potterem, ba, dokonce mě trochu otravuje (páč jsem ho pořád ještě nečetl, i když se k tomu zvolna schyluje), ale jinak musím vysoko ocenit parádní, do detailu propracovaný scénář a geniálně poskládané střihy. Na druhou stranu, jedna ★ tomu pořád chybí - prostě nový Sandman to (pro mne) není.
Kniha se skládá ze třech částí - úvodní Informátor probírá Tomovy peripetie ve vězení. Nejsilnějšími motivy jsou přerod ředitele věznice z morálního syna Francouzské revoluce v trosku porušující zákony spravedlnosti, i lidská práva a ve výsledku sklízejícího své vlastní hořké ovoce: .
Druhým silným motivem jsou právě ředitelovy děti - poblázněné knižní postavou Tommym Taylorem (tj. Harrym Potterem) natolik, že zejména starší Cosi přestává rozlišovat mezi fikcí a realitou (jinak nosné téma téhle série) a v obraně "pravdy" se stává asociální psychopatkou - jednomu spolužákovi téměř , druhého nevybíravě . Jejich je tak příznačným vyústěním příbehu.
Hned po úniku z věznice se Tom, Lizzie a Savoy dostávají do další literární fikce - Žid Süss (předtím to byla Píseň o Rolandovi), kde potkávají... Josepha Goebbelse. A Tom pořád ještě netušíc, co se děje, dosahuje svého prvního vítězství.
Závěrečná část pak tradičně(?) představuje zdánlivě nesouvisející příběh - Pohádky z Vrbiček, jakýsi mix Medvíka Pú, či příběhů Beatrix Potter. Nasraný zajíc, pan Ušák zřetelně a bez obalu odkazoval na Tomova otce. Takže příběhy se už začínají provazovat.
Pokud nebudou autoři příliš tlačit na pilu s Harry Potterem mohla by to být velice slušná série.
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Recenze Tommy Taylor a falešná identita (#1) ★★★★
Kniha se skládá ze třech částí - úvodní Informátor probírá Tomovy peripetie ve vězení. Nejsilnějšími motivy jsou přerod ředitele věznice z morálního syna Francouzské revoluce v trosku porušující zákony spravedlnosti, i lidská práva a ve výsledku sklízejícího své vlastní hořké ovoce: .
Druhým silným motivem jsou právě ředitelovy děti - poblázněné knižní postavou Tommym Taylorem (tj. Harrym Potterem) natolik, že zejména starší Cosi přestává rozlišovat mezi fikcí a realitou (jinak nosné téma téhle série) a v obraně "pravdy" se stává asociální psychopatkou - jednomu spolužákovi téměř , druhého nevybíravě . Jejich je tak příznačným vyústěním příbehu.
Hned po úniku z věznice se Tom, Lizzie a Savoy dostávají do další literární fikce - Žid Süss (předtím to byla Píseň o Rolandovi), kde potkávají... Josepha Goebbelse. A Tom pořád ještě netušíc, co se děje, dosahuje svého prvního vítězství.
Závěrečná část pak tradičně(?) představuje zdánlivě nesouvisející příběh - Pohádky z Vrbiček, jakýsi mix Medvíka Pú, či příběhů Beatrix Potter. Nasraný zajíc, pan Ušák zřetelně a bez obalu odkazoval na Tomova otce. Takže příběhy se už začínají provazovat.
Pokud nebudou autoři příliš tlačit na pilu s Harry Potterem mohla by to být velice slušná série.
------------
Recenze Tommy Taylor a falešná identita (#1) ★★★★
January 14, 2018
Every good guy needs a bad guy to fight and Tom seems to get exactly that. He also seems to accept the magic that surrounds him. He is becoming more and more like the fictional Tommy by gathering a couple of allies and embarking on a quest for the truth.
Tom's trial is moved from Geneva to France while pretty much everyone starts hating the guy with a vengeange, even before his trial. Just like people to switch from seeing him as a messiah, straight to wanting to string him up in the street as a pedophile. Lizzie is communicating with a disembodied Wilson about freeing Tom from jail by getting sent to its women's wing. Tom's fame isn't helping him in jail, but he handles the inmates better than expected. The guards are another thing when they try to kill him.
Tom's trial is moved from Geneva to France while pretty much everyone starts hating the guy with a vengeange, even before his trial. Just like people to switch from seeing him as a messiah, straight to wanting to string him up in the street as a pedophile. Lizzie is communicating with a disembodied Wilson about freeing Tom from jail by getting sent to its women's wing. Tom's fame isn't helping him in jail, but he handles the inmates better than expected. The guards are another thing when they try to kill him.
September 15, 2010
Tommy Taylor is a boy wizard and hero in a billion-dollar fantasy series.
Tom Taylor is the son of the author and has spent his life living in the shadow of his fantasy counterpart.
After a series of bizarre and deadly events, Tom realizes that there is more of a connection between him and Tommy than just their names.
By far one of the best written and freshest comic book series to come along in years. Think Y: The Last Man meets Sandman.
It did take me a bit to get used to Tom. At first he comes off as being a little too “jackassy.” After the first issue, though, we fall into his shoes. While he isn't as charming as Yorick Brown (Y) he is a strong, complex character, the sort of guy you'd like to grab a beer with.
The pace is one of the fastest I've come across in a recent series. A lot happens in each issue. However, by the end of the second trade paperback, there are three issues deviating from the central characters. While I enjoyed these parts, I really just wanted the plot to get its rear in gear (Lost fans can relate).
Many readers will claim that Tommy Taylor is borderline plagiarism of Harry Potter, but that makes the story even better. We instantly know what to expect from the books within the series. The writers (Mike Carey & Peter Gross) make excellent satire of the public's obsession over popular characters.
Finally, the story itself is one of the best to come along in recent memory. The authors tackle major themes (such as the nature of storytelling and how books shape the world) while weaving a beautiful, exciting and fun yarn. Neil Gaiman fans should definitely pick this one up.
Tom Taylor is the son of the author and has spent his life living in the shadow of his fantasy counterpart.
After a series of bizarre and deadly events, Tom realizes that there is more of a connection between him and Tommy than just their names.
By far one of the best written and freshest comic book series to come along in years. Think Y: The Last Man meets Sandman.
It did take me a bit to get used to Tom. At first he comes off as being a little too “jackassy.” After the first issue, though, we fall into his shoes. While he isn't as charming as Yorick Brown (Y) he is a strong, complex character, the sort of guy you'd like to grab a beer with.
The pace is one of the fastest I've come across in a recent series. A lot happens in each issue. However, by the end of the second trade paperback, there are three issues deviating from the central characters. While I enjoyed these parts, I really just wanted the plot to get its rear in gear (Lost fans can relate).
Many readers will claim that Tommy Taylor is borderline plagiarism of Harry Potter, but that makes the story even better. We instantly know what to expect from the books within the series. The writers (Mike Carey & Peter Gross) make excellent satire of the public's obsession over popular characters.
Finally, the story itself is one of the best to come along in recent memory. The authors tackle major themes (such as the nature of storytelling and how books shape the world) while weaving a beautiful, exciting and fun yarn. Neil Gaiman fans should definitely pick this one up.
October 4, 2011
This was nominated for the 2011 Hugo Award, and while it was pretty good, I didn't see it as award-worthy. The book starts a bit confusing and slow, and doesn't really pick up till the end, when you discover it's brilliant. I still think the underlying truths could be hinted at more effectively, ie I know we're to be kept in the dark as much as Tommy is, but if I'd been reading this via comic book instead of graphic novel format, I'd probably have lost interest.
Don't get me wrong, it's a brilliant read. I love how Carey is giving literature power within the world, it's clear this mythology goes very deep. (Especially with the Mr. Bun story- horrifying.) I love the clear nod to Harry Potter without it being pastiche. I love the art, the suffering book. But we're 2 graphic novels in, and I still am not sure what's going on, just like Tommy isn't. And if he's freaking out and demanding answers, it seems pretty dangerous to blurt something ELSE vague and then run away (which one character did.)
I think a problem with this is that Tommy DOES know more than we do, because he knows the book that is supposedly underlying the whole thing- the Tommy Taylor books - and we get only a glimpse.
I'll keep reading, of course. It's brilliant, even if a bit vague and slow at times.
Don't get me wrong, it's a brilliant read. I love how Carey is giving literature power within the world, it's clear this mythology goes very deep. (Especially with the Mr. Bun story- horrifying.) I love the clear nod to Harry Potter without it being pastiche. I love the art, the suffering book. But we're 2 graphic novels in, and I still am not sure what's going on, just like Tommy isn't. And if he's freaking out and demanding answers, it seems pretty dangerous to blurt something ELSE vague and then run away (which one character did.)
I think a problem with this is that Tommy DOES know more than we do, because he knows the book that is supposedly underlying the whole thing- the Tommy Taylor books - and we get only a glimpse.
I'll keep reading, of course. It's brilliant, even if a bit vague and slow at times.
January 11, 2018
Books have power. They can sway thoughts, change minds, cause revolutions. What if someone were to tap into all of that raw power?
Tommy Taylor's father was a well-known author whose Harry-Potteresque books featured a main character also named Tommy Taylor. Because of this, Tommy himself is hugely famous and has been living off of fees from appearances and talk circuits since his father's disappearance many years ago. At the latest convention a woman openly states that Tommy is, in fact, the same person as the one in his father's books, magic and all. Tommy's life begins to fly off the rails as he begins to be hunted by a mysterious cabal and a man who believes himself to be Tommy's nemesis from the books. The more that Tom hunts into his father's disappearance, the more the line between fact and fiction seems to blur.
In book two, Tom's life begins to mirror his character from the books more and more as he gains two companions. Fictional characters appear to him and try to assist him in his quest, to find "the source," something his father was seeking as well.
There are a lot of references to great works of literature, some of which I wasn't completely familiar with. It's a great story with a lot of moving pieces & I can't wait to see where it goes.
Tommy Taylor's father was a well-known author whose Harry-Potteresque books featured a main character also named Tommy Taylor. Because of this, Tommy himself is hugely famous and has been living off of fees from appearances and talk circuits since his father's disappearance many years ago. At the latest convention a woman openly states that Tommy is, in fact, the same person as the one in his father's books, magic and all. Tommy's life begins to fly off the rails as he begins to be hunted by a mysterious cabal and a man who believes himself to be Tommy's nemesis from the books. The more that Tom hunts into his father's disappearance, the more the line between fact and fiction seems to blur.
In book two, Tom's life begins to mirror his character from the books more and more as he gains two companions. Fictional characters appear to him and try to assist him in his quest, to find "the source," something his father was seeking as well.
There are a lot of references to great works of literature, some of which I wasn't completely familiar with. It's a great story with a lot of moving pieces & I can't wait to see where it goes.
March 5, 2013
The second collection of The Unwritten takes a while to get rolling. The entire first arc, to be exact. You would think that having our intrepid hero accused of murder most foul and imprisoned would be a bit more exciting but, in the end, I spent most of these issues waiting for something to happen. All we are really given is a couple of breadcrumbs, a child with an unhealthy imagination and the feeling that something else should be going on.
The Inside Man arc concludes with a bang, though, and that's when this collection really gets rolling. Though Tommy doesn't hang around to see the full fallout of "Inside Man," Carey and Gross pull no punches when it comes to devastating Tommy and the reader, and sending him on a thrilling chase through Germany at the height of WWII.
But what really fascinated me about this collection was the final issue, a standalone "children's tale" (and I use that term lightly with a reason), about a rabbit who is, well not really a rabbit. It is here that Carey and company really whet the reader's appetite for the big picture, and what will keep me reading on to Volume III.
The Inside Man arc concludes with a bang, though, and that's when this collection really gets rolling. Though Tommy doesn't hang around to see the full fallout of "Inside Man," Carey and Gross pull no punches when it comes to devastating Tommy and the reader, and sending him on a thrilling chase through Germany at the height of WWII.
But what really fascinated me about this collection was the final issue, a standalone "children's tale" (and I use that term lightly with a reason), about a rabbit who is, well not really a rabbit. It is here that Carey and company really whet the reader's appetite for the big picture, and what will keep me reading on to Volume III.
April 25, 2015
The hits just keep on coming for Tom Taylor and those around him. In my opinion, one of the most profound aspects of the story collected here is that of the prison warden, Governor Chadron, and his two children, Cosi and Leon. Chadron reads the Tommy Taylor series to his children and supports them in their belief in the reality of fantasy because he views their innocence through the lens of his work in the French prison system where innocence has been lost such a very long time ago.
Carey proves once again that good stories, and even bad ones, have a way in getting inside you and ripping you apart. Yet, we don't complain. We can't. We love this feeling to much and it is what drives us back to the bookshelf for the next volume.
Carey proves once again that good stories, and even bad ones, have a way in getting inside you and ripping you apart. Yet, we don't complain. We can't. We love this feeling to much and it is what drives us back to the bookshelf for the next volume.
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