Sailor Twain or: The Mermaid in the Hudson
Author: Mark Siegel
Publisher: First Second
ISBN: 9781596436367
The story is set over a century ago in the New York of the 1880’s. A steamer ship called the Lorelei on the Hudson River filled with mystery and curious characters. There is Sailor Elijah Twain, the skirt chasing Jean, and the mysterious appearances of bibles that continually appear in drawers, a mysterious story filled with lore about mermaids and many other mysterious happenings on deck. There is also a wounded mermaid, secretly living in Sailor Twain’s cabin after Elijah has found her near mortally wounded one stormy night.
Beautiful black and white drawings showcase the wonderful storytelling of Mark Siegel, who first published Sailor Twain as a webcomic. The drawings are deceptively simple, but look closer. The gorgeous depths of his black and white sea is amazing. The expressive faces of his characters are mobile and emotional. The lines of the costumes are beautifully done. One can almost see the fabric move or the ocean ripple.
Then there’s the story. Richly detailed and wonderful. A combinations of horror, mystery, lust, tragedy, obsession and love story beguiles with the siren song of the mermaids of old. It beckons, seduces and draws the reader in. The writing is deft, delicate, and simply brilliant even without the art, which is achingly lovely. It is myth come to life on pages and brings home the powerful message of how important and powerful it can be. It shines a light on storytelling, true storytelling, filled with wonderful language and emotion. The narrative is complex and stunning.
Siegel draws the reader into a world of past and present, on the river and underneath in a magical, misty way. He weaves images and words together in an intricate and compelling tapestry that leaves you breathless and in love with story.
I don’t know what I love more – the writing or the art. Sailor Twain is mesmerizing and one of the best comics or graphic novels I’ve ever read. I can’t wait for the book to be published in October.
Publisher’s blurb:
One hundred years ago. On the foggy Hudson River, a riverboat captain rescues an injured mermaid from the waters of the busiest port in the United States. A wildly popular–and notoriously reclusive–author makes a public debut. A French nobleman seeks a remedy for a curse. As three lives twine together and race to an unexpected collision, the mystery of the Mermaid of the Hudson deepens.
A mysterious and beguiling love story with elements of Poe, Twain, Hemingway, and Greek mythology, drawn in moody black-and-white charcoal, Sailor Twain is a study in romance, atmosphere, and suspense
About the author
Mark Siegel was born in Michigan, grew up in France, and now lives in the Hudson Valley in Tarrytown, New York. A graduate of Brown University, he is the creator of one previous graphic novel, To Dance, a collaboration with his wife Siena Cherson Siegel, as well as several award-winning books for children. He is the author of Sailor Twain, or the Mermaid in the Hudson, which has been serializing online, and will be released in print on October 2, 2012.
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Disclosure: A free copy of this book was furnished by the publisher for review via NetGalley, but providing a copy did not guarantee a review. This information is provided per the regulations of the Federal Trade Commission.
