Satoshi Kon's OPUS (2014)

Author: Satoshi Kon  |  Illustrator: Satoshi Kon  |  Page Count: 384

"It's like I was flying forever... but then somehow ran out of forever."

OPUS focuses on a stressed-out writer/artist named Chikara Nagai. His current project is a serialised manga titled Resonance. It's nearing its end but Nagai’s having trouble with some of the characters, they don’t want to go where he needs them to be in order to advance the story. It’s a common problem for fiction writers of lengthy works: the characters either get written into a corner or take on a life of their own and become problematic. In Satoshi Kon’s hands that notion exploded into a wild, spiralling metafiction wherein the pressured creator ends up closer to his creation than he ever thought possible.

It begins with pages from the Resonance manga, meaning our first exposure is both an (almost) ending and a beginning. There are even adverts for previous Resonance volumes, helping to sustain the illusion that it’s a real product. It has its own unique story with purposeful clichés working in tandem with originality, but it's the larger story that'll draw you in a lot more.

There’s no doubt that Satoshi would've used his own experiences within the profession as a basis for the work. Some of the events in Nagai’s life have even been documented as happening in Satoshi's, so it‘s fair to assume that it’s at least partially autobiographical in nature. Most of the best stories are.

NOTE: You ought to know before deciding whether or not to pick up the collection that it’s not finished and it never will be. Sadly, Satoshi Kon passed away in 2010 leaving the anime/manga world a less colourful place. The 2014 Dark Horse edition contains all of Volumes I and II written in 1995-96 but not previously translated into English. Volume I is filled with mind-bending action. Volume II continues in the same vein but also goes to some very dark places.

The DH edition also has a never-before-seen chapter that in some ways eases the ‘no ending’ situation. I like to think that Kon would be pleased it was discovered and included; you'll understand why I say that if you read it.

5 P-MODEL albums out of 5

Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death (1969)

Author: Kurt Vonnegut  |  Page Count: 192

'Like so many Americans, she was trying to construct a life that made sense from things she found in gift shops.'

Slaughterhouse-Five is all things to all people. It's a short novel but it squeezes in historical fact, fiction, autobiography, sci-fi, romance, comedy, tragedy and satire.
The book begins with Vonnegut as narrator telling us why he'll write the novel, giving his intentions and hopes for how it'll eventually turn out, which has already either happened according to plan or hasn't.

It then switches to the third person to tell Billy Pilgrim's story. Does the 'story' begin in chapter two Or is the introduction fictitious, making the narrator a part of the story? Take nothing for granted. It's a metafiction that exposes the fictional illusion and throws doubt on the validity of history as it's written. Trying to comprehend that is less confusing than it sounds when reading.

Billy has come "unstuck in time", creating a situation that plays havoc with his social life. He's forced to randomly experience events from various eras in which he's lived, often triggered by some kind of tragic or comical occurrence. He's a fatalistic character. Fatalism is a trait that is almost impossible to do properly in literature without leaving the reader bored, because characters should have opinions and act to change their destiny. but Vonnegut not only does it well, he excels at it. You'll laugh, cry and even learn something along the way.

There are two primary narrative threads. Firstly Billy's life, the one that has him whizzing through time, is presented in a non-linear fashion. The second is his War days that, although broken up repeatedly by the first thread, are more or less linear in nature. The book flicks back and forth between the two states of being seamlessly - mostly because the language is a very matter-of-fact conversational tone; it tells you what you need to know in as few words as possible. It's packed with metaphors but spends little time setting them up.

Vonnegut is full of confidence and it shows. Post-modern metafiction can be daunting to the newcomer but Slaughterhouse-Five makes it wholly accessible, while still retaining the depth and subtext if we want to look for it.

5 boxes of Trout and a teapot out of 5