Suggestions and hints are Carroll’s tools when telling all these stories, and she never really shows the reader anything that can be implied instead. The middle story, His Face All Red, is another favourite – this one, because it’s left completely up to the reader what the brother’s fate might be at the end. I also love that, despite the Bluebird overtones, the danger in this story comes from another direction entirely. From a visual perspective this one was definitely a favourite: red, blue and yellow are used to great effect and the page layouts are particularly stunning. I was most struck by the cold, dangerous atmosphere beyond the house, the isolation, and the house not really being a place of refuge or safety. It’s not the strongest beginning, but it sets the tone for the rest of the collection. The first story is Our Neighbour’s House. Because the monsters of the world like to pick off those who won’t be missed. Each one of them alone, despite the company. A girl who wants to follow her father’s advice but is overruled by her older sister a young woman married off to a man she does not know a brother with none of the successes that his sibling is blessed with the ordinary friend of a seemingly gifted young woman a younger sister staying with her older brother and his fiancée for the holidays. The stories build in intensity from slightly spooky to outright creepy, and while some are not as successful as others, they’ve each left an impression on me.Įach tale is told by or from the point of view of someone who stands slightly apart from their world. Each story deals with barely understood things, strange presences in our world whose purposes are not clearly known – a man in a wide-brimmed hat a voice singing in the dark a deep, dark hole a ghostly presence with a pulse a peculiar tentacled thing wearing a human skin – and is illuminated with a gorgeous palette of saturated colours offset by black pages, borders and backgrounds for the most part. Through the Woods is a collection of five eerie short stories told and illustrated in Emily Carroll’s distinctive style. Look through the woods if you dare, there’s no promising you’ll come out unscathed.The things that unsettle me most are those for which no explanation is given. It’s a beautifully crafted and poetic book that shows off Carroll’s skill as both an artist and a storyteller. It’s a book that should be looked after and treasured, to be brought out on cold winter nights and read by the fire with a mug of steaming hot chocolate. Through The Woods looks and feels like a modern day collector’s item. The only problem is that the collection as a whole is too short, which is a testament to Carroll’s talent because you simply don’t want the stories to end. There’s a distinct feeling of timelessness rooted in Carroll’s collection, something that will allow these tales to remain captivating in years to come. They’re gothic and haunting, the very definition of an adult fairy tale. They don’t feature pretty princesses in castles or dashing princes saving the day. These Grimm-inspired graphic tales are not made of the same magic that fuels children’s fairy tales. Starting off with the eerie Our Neighbor’s House and finishing with the macabre The Nesting Place, Carroll engulfs the reader in vivid colours that evoke feelings of fear and unease. Like all the best Grimm fairy tales, Carroll conjures visions of monsters and terrors that lurk in the darkness and haunt our dreams, bringing them to life with her sinister yet stunning illustrations. With Through The Woods, the award-winning comic creator has crafted a strange, chilling and captivating anthology containing the acclaimed His Face All Red and four brand new stories. Most strange things do…” If ever there was a perfect line to sum up Emily Carroll’s graphic story collection, that’s it.
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