Book Of Leviathan by Peter Blegvad
The Book of Leviathan is a stunning work of graphic fiction that follows an infant as he explores the profound secrets of existence through a bizarre voyage through a wonderland that is startlingly similar to real life. Little Levi, who is endowed with a supernatural curiosity in metaphysics and philosophy yet is equally perplexed by the whims of adult behaviour as any innocent, has the added burden of living in a world where anything can happen with the click of a pen.
Book Of Leviathan by Peter Blegvad
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Levi runs into a seething ectoplasmic Hegel and a dreadfully off-target Freud with the help of a smart cat (“Cat”) and a cherished toy (“Bunny”). Levi also thinks about the unfortunate liberties taken with the English language, the relationship between Bennetton and Pablo Neruda, the reason his parents go missing at night (and whether he is truly happy when they come back each morning).
The best parts of Levi and Cat’s exploits, which appeared in The Independent on Sunday during the final years of the previous Millennium, are collected in Peter Blegvad’s The Book of Leviathan. It recounts the anonymous newborn Levi’s excursions into and out of the world in a quirky, referential, alternately gloomy and light manner.
Although they are escapes, only a jailer would view the name “escapist” negatively, according to a wise man who once said.
One of the strangest, most fascinating, and most clever comics I’ve ever read is definitely Leviathan. It’s lighthearted and heavily referencing (with references to poetry, art, and literature on every page) because the characters frequently recognize that they’re in a comic (and at one point, try to escape the page). The painting of Peter Blevgard is an intriguing experiment in style, moving from crosshatching in black and white to watercolour wash, employing colour sparingly yet effectively. Leviathan is aimless and endlessly innovative, and every page is a complete surprise.
