Let me start by saying how much I enjoyed this novel. I found the idea of illustrating how the brain works through the form of a graphic novel very captivating. My first few thoughts while reading was, what type of audience are the authors directing this novel to? It seemed to me that children would be the ideal audience, but I found myself learning and understanding the material better while seeing pictures and the words on the page much better than if I were reading this material in a science class. The pictures help us to process and make connections much more efficiently.
On this characters’ journey through the brain, we meet many different scientists. The book is also broken down into different chapters, which are different aspects of the brain which we learn about. My favorite scientist we meet is Ivan Pavlov, who I am sure majority of us have heard of. Pavlov is known for his experiments on “conditioning”. We see exactly how the experiment works when the dog attempts to escape and is stopped at the sound of the bell and he begins to salivate. We also meet scientists like Camillo Golgi and Santiago Ramon y Cajal. Our main character thinks he is in a forest and eventually he goes through many different parts of the brain meeting and learning about different ways our brain works. Another great moment I enjoyed was on page 47, our main character meets all different Neuro Transmitters. Each one he meets seems like they are part of an action movie and are here to save the day, this is why I think it appeals very much to children. Making the connection between what Nuero Transmitters’ jobs are and thinking of them as little people doing their jobs in a way make it easier to understand.
One of the best moments in the novel was the ending. Throughout the whole novel the character is desperately trying to find his way out of the brain, making funny comments like, “not another one” every time he finds himself in a new part of the brain meeting a new scientist. At the end he thinks he found his way out and wants this mysterious person to come out. The voice replies, “Be careful what you wish for:When you go out of your mind, the perception of reality may become a bit blurry (pg 121)”. This made me laugh. The characters end the book telling its audience that they are completely a part of our imagining, ending on somewhat of a joke.
I think the idea of making this book into a graphic novel and not simply writing an essay was a great idea. Despite having a lot of information which can still be a bit confusing, the authors made it enjoyable to read and learn as our character learned as well.
I agree, this book being given in the form of a comic book was a great idea. It is interesting and exciting to read simply because it is a comic. You said that you think children were the audience they had in mind, but I disagree. I think adults were their target simply because of the topic but it is something that children could possibly enjoy too with an adult there as guidance. Some of the jokes made kids of a certain age simply won’t understand. I’ve noticed that some books recently have had this format. It makes me wonder when and why did it become “childish” or “non-adultish” to read something with pictures in it.
I agree, that making the material into a comic helps in making the subject approachable to those who may just have a better interest in Comics over articles. I too had a question on who the audience was in which they were aiming for, but I guess thats what makes a comic the best choice instead of being exclusive it is rather inclusive in allowing people who enjoy literature to enjoy it to its full potential. For example, Fun Home by Alison Bechdel which is an amazing read actually contains tons of adult content and is not for kids at all, yet it goes through the journey of a young girl trying to find herself through her fathers experiences as well as the ones he may not have experienced. A Graphic Novel or Comic is a great change of pace for many individuals and I personally find it much more appealing in comparison to articles. Thank you for you’re amazing post.
I also like the idea that the book was written in a form of a comic book, I honestly never read the comics in the newspaper but I read all the other distressing stories but know I will definitely take a look at the comic. Even though this book is educational, i really liked how the authors made it funny and easy to read. My favourite part of this book is the last page, page 136. This page actually made me laugh. Natasha, i agree with you, I don’t think that this book were intended for children.Well unless, the kid is Higashida. I believe it was written for an older audience and like you said there were some extremely complicated terms. I honestly enjoyed reading this novel.
I also really enjoyed this book, it was informative without being overwhelming despite how complicated the subject matter is. The complicated content was presented in a very accessible and enjoyable way- making it a pleasure to read and able to stimulate further thought. I began to consider how the different parts of the brain operate with one another and what the outcome could be if one was flawed. I specifically began to consider how a brain suffering from dementia or alzheimer’s disease may operate differently than a neurotypical brain would operate.
Let’s also consider the way that “normal” brains work where there is a stronger side, the right or the left. Right brained people are more creative and imaginative. They take to literature and art whereas left brained people are more scientific and can easily comprehend math. Some people have an even balance of both the left and right brain and find all subjects come easy to them. For someone like you, Jessie, who found it easier to understand through pictures, you would be someone who is called a visual learner. You’re someone who learns better by using picture instructions or someone actually doing a task to show you how to do it rather than just reading the words or letting someone talk you through something. At my job when I train someone, one of the questions I sometimes ask is; are you a visual learner or an audio learner? So that I now how to teach them.
Coming in late here, been recovering from surgery.