I just finished reading Eric Chase Anderson's Chuck Dugan is AWOL: A Novel with Maps and thoroughly enjoyed it. If I were ten and reading it for the first time it probably would have been (along with Agent Arthur's Puzzle Adventures and The Dictionary of Imaginary Places) one of my favorite books period. If his style is at all familiar it's probably because you've seen the work he's done for his brother Wes Anderson. His work could be criticized in much the same way that his brothers (debatably) is: strong style but a weak story. It could be argued though that the audience for this adventure story of a teenage boy trying to solve a mystery, bolstered by a map, diagram, or illustration on almost every page may not be particularly interested in sophisticated character development. Combine the wealth of visuals with it being set on the coast of Maine in the 1960s and an overarching Anderson family vibe and you've got a book I'm going to be pressing on friends for a lifetime.
On a related note, I just came across these animated GIFs of Anderson films via If We Don't, Remember Me:
1 comment:
Oh hooray! those Gifs are fantastic!!
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