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| March, Book One John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell |
It took some time for me to finish this book, but not
because of its size (it’s quite short) or because the subject matter was
uninteresting (far from it). Rather, it
took time because (1) life happens and (2) I’m a procrastinator. Anyway, March
is a biographical graphic novel about the life of Civil Rights icon Congressman
John Lewis. For those of unfamiliar with
Congressman Lewis, he is the last remaining person to give an address at the
famed March on Washington in 1963, but there is much more to Congressman Lewis aside
from that distinguished distinction.
Even now, Congressman Lewis remains a prominent figure in the ongoing
struggle for racial equality in America and his words are genuinely heralded as
he was an individual that prominently participated in the Civil Right Movement
of the 1960s alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
But, this is not a poorly written biography of a great man
instead it is a poorly written review of the biographical graphic novel he
authored alongside two other respectable individuals. The book takes place on January 20, 2009, the
date of the Inauguration of President Barack Hussein Obama—America’s first
black president, and it reads as though the congressman is sharing his life’s
story with two visiting children. In his
recollection, he shares with the children the hardships of his childhood and
struggles he faced in simply gaining an education in poor, rural Alabama. He shares his dreams of being a preacher and
his motivations for becoming involved in the movement for social justice. And in truth, his story is a remarkable story—one
that should be read, especially, with the upcoming 50th Anniversary
of the Selma march and the recent release of the film, Selma.
Perhaps, my only issue with the book is with its visual
aesthetics (petty, I know), but it was not visually appealing and sometimes it
was just too cluttered and messy. I know
my own tastes and the artwork did not fall within them, but it is not so much a
distraction that I was unable to enjoy the story being told; it simply meant
that I would not be able to give it a perfect five-star rating on Goodreads.
By the way, in case you were wondering, since the majority
of the books I read are from the library meaning I can’t ask the question of
whether or not it was worth the price of purchase; I will be rating books in
this series with the ratings I give the books on Goodreads.
Goodreads Rating: 4
Stars (Out of 5)
