Tree of Smoke - Denis Johnson (2007)
Denis Johnson's 2007 novel and Pulitzer finalist Tree of Smoke is HUGE. In both length and emotional depth. Taking place in Vietnam from 1963 through 1970, it is a complex, desperate, brutal and even sometimes touching tale about war and its effects on all peoples involved. There are a lot of characters, major or minor, who play absolutely crucial roles in the plot, and I'll admit that it was difficult to keep track of it all, especially with this being a 702 page monster. But all of the violence, deception, betrayal, corruption, etc. made for a fascinating and intricate story that overwhelms in so many positive ways. Johnson's prose is poetic (which is no surprise, as he is also a poet), and even in those moments of reading details that I wasn't fully processing, I could appreciate his mastery of the art. I look forward to reading this again at some point in the distant future.
The Complete Persepolis - Marjane Sadrapi (2007)
I know that The Complete Persepolis is an insanely popular, critically acclaimed graphic novel, thus why I am surprised it took me so long to getting around to read it. It details the life of author Marjane Satrapi's childhood and early adult years in Iran, around the time of the Islamic revolution and the war between Iran and Iraq. Her writing is incredibly easy to follow, detailed and informative, and the simple black and white art is a charming touch. it was a bittersweet experience reading about a young muslim female growing up in the middle east during a time of war. Typically, I'm much more interested in reading dark, surreal comics or superhero ones, but it was easy to appreciate Satrapi's story.
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