Product Description

In a dazzling work of graphic fiction, a surreal journey through a wonderland eerily like real life, The Book of Leviathan chronicles an infant's investigations into life's great mysteries. Endowed with a preternatural interest in metaphysics and philosophy, yet as confused as any innocent by the vagaries of adult behavior, little Levi bears the added burden of living in a world that can literally change at the stroke of a pen.

Aided by a wise pet ("Cat") and a favorite toy ("Bunny"), Levi encounters a frothing ectoplasmic Hegel and a woefully off-the-mark Freud. In less heady adventures, Levi contemplates why his parents disappear at night (and whether he is wholeheartedly pleased when they return each morning); the regrettable liberties taken with the English language; and the relationship between Bennetton and Pablo Neruda.

Peter Blegvad's The Book of Leviathan assembles the cream from Levi and Cat's adventures, published in The Independent on Sunday newspaper in the twilight years of the old Millennium. Quirky and referential, dark and droll by turn, it follows the faceless baby Levi's journeys into and out of the world. They are escapes, but as some sage once observed, only a jailer would consider the term "escapist" pejorative.

Customer Reviews (7)

Thrilling!
Absolutely one of the best books I've ever read. Blegvad's ability to blend charm, wit, and depth is genius. I bought copies for friends.

can i give less than one star?
finishing this short book was about as enjoyable as having teeth pulled. what a chore to wade through this very unfunny thing. if you read this and wonder why you don't get the humor in it; don't worry, there is nothing to get. it is void of humor. what we have here is something for the pretensious who want to think that they are hip. the author of this cartoon is trying sooooooooo hard to be hip that it becomes painful. yuck!

A WONDERFUL JOURNEY INTO STRANGENESS...
I've been aware of the depth and breadth of the mind of Peter Blegvad for many years now, through his musical endeavors (with Slapp Happy, as well as his solo work) - his creations have always been stimulating, bringing with them smiles and incentives for further thought and intellectual and contemplative explorations.I had heard about his comic strip `Leviathan' (which appeared regularly in THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY in Britain), but until I purchased a copy of this collection, I had never actually experienced it firsthand.I'm sorry I waited so long - this is a treasure.

Matt Groening (creator of `The Simpsons' and `Life in Hell') is widely recognized as a purveyor of twisted and useful reflections of real life, is quoted on the back of this volume:`Peter Blegvad's comic strip is one of the greatest, weirdest things I've ever stared at.'I heartily concur.Blegvad combines his senses of humor and irony with his intellectual strengths and his amazing artistic abilities into `Leviathan', giving his readers an opportunity to take one of the wildest rides they're liable to experience.The episodes in this book range from purely humorous takes on a baby's view of the world he inhabits to visual illustrations of puns to hallucinogenic explorations of the conscious and subconscious to sublime meditations on everything from the most seemingly insignificant daily occurrences to the meaning of life and death.Quite a range, right?Blegvad pulls it off beautifully.Perhaps I'm a little prejudiced by already being a huge fan of his music, but none of his outings collected here come across as shallow or pretentious in any way.The subtleties are many, the layers of wit are as innumerable as those in a chunk of mica - each reading reveals something missed the time before.

Leviathan himself - `Levi', as he is called - is a visual as well as a philosophical enigma.He's drawn without facial features, which allows the reader to project his/her own personality/outlook more readily onto the narrator.His parents and his older sister appear in some episodes, but for the most part he's accompanied and guided through the mazes of life (in all its dimensions) by the family cat, who gently imparts wisdom while at times openly expressing amazement that humans manage to survive without caretakers.The artist's hand appears from time to time, allowing him to more directly interact with the characters and events depicted in the strip - and on a couple of occasions, the characters themselves make attempts to escape the bounds of the graphic territory.

I read this book in a couple of sittings - but I've revisited it often and at great length and leisure, with new rewards each time. In his introduction, Rafi Zabor admits that he has encountered a few `intelligent, literate, artistically sophisticated people' who just don't get it - and I suppose that's inevitable in any artistic undertaking.It resonated within me at the deepest level - I can't recommend it highly enough.

Fantastical Absurdity on Paper
Dep!*
*(WOWZA!!)

I was sold when I heard Matt Groening's review, but if that's not enough for ya here's my own...

I read this book in one sitting--how often can you call a comic anthology a "page-turner"? Levi is a literal tabula rasa, Cat is the perfect nonhuman-but-more-adult companion, and let us all stop a moment and ask ourselves... what IS the opposite of bunny?

Confused yet?
This book is a strange "Being John Malkovich" escape into the brilliant mind of Peter Blegvad, who I hope to be seeing much more from in the near future.It stimulates the mind, rewards the intellect, and may even teach you a thing or two.Blegvad somehow weaves together philosophy, literature, myth, and the innocence of childhood in a corrupt world, wrapped in wordplay and inserted into a comic medium it continually makes fun of.

"Leviathan" reminds me of Groening's "Life in Hell," but "Leviathan" is much more, with so much intellectual and visual appeal it leaves Groening's cartoon far behind.Plus, Leviathan plays upon so many levels I'm sure I'll get something new out of each reading.

Occasionally the punning gets a little too blatant, but it's always forgiven before the end of the next comic.

Don't pass this one up.Your brain deserves it!

clever and funny
so many puns, so many references and allusions ... i think this book can be used as an indicator for how well-informed we are: the heartier we laugh at it the smarter we can consider ourselves ... Read more

Product Description
A richly illustrated anthology of stories inspired by objects from Henry Wellcome’s museum, one of the 20th century’s most mysterious and bizarre collections. ... Read more

Product Description
Cartoonist Peter Blegvad's "Book of Leviathan" assembles the cream from Levi & Cat's adventures, published in "The Independent on Sunday" newspaper in the twilight years of the Millennium. Set in a cartoon world apparently free of editors, the strip has been memorably described by The Simpsons' creator Matt Groening as "one of the greatest, weirdest things I've ever stared at. Give me Leviathan or give me death!" Quirky & referential, dark & droll by turn, it follows the faceless baby Levi's journeys into & out of the world. They are escapes, but as some sage once observed, only a jailer would consider the term "escapist" pejorative. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Thrilling!
Absolutely one of the best books I've ever read. Blegvad's ability to blend charm, wit, and depth is genius. I bought copies for friends.

can i give less than one star?
finishing this short book was about as enjoyable as having teeth pulled. what a chore to wade through this very unfunny thing. if you read this and wonder why you don't get the humor in it; don't worry, there is nothing to get. it is void of humor. what we have here is something for the pretensious who want to think that they are hip. the author of this cartoon is trying sooooooooo hard to be hip that it becomes painful. yuck!

A WONDERFUL JOURNEY INTO STRANGENESS...
I've been aware of the depth and breadth of the mind of Peter Blegvad for many years now, through his musical endeavors (with Slapp Happy, as well as his solo work) - his creations have always been stimulating, bringing with them smiles and incentives for further thought and intellectual and contemplative explorations.I had heard about his comic strip `Leviathan' (which appeared regularly in THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY in Britain), but until I purchased a copy of this collection, I had never actually experienced it firsthand.I'm sorry I waited so long - this is a treasure.

Matt Groening (creator of `The Simpsons' and `Life in Hell') is widely recognized as a purveyor of twisted and useful reflections of real life, is quoted on the back of this volume:`Peter Blegvad's comic strip is one of the greatest, weirdest things I've ever stared at.'I heartily concur.Blegvad combines his senses of humor and irony with his intellectual strengths and his amazing artistic abilities into `Leviathan', giving his readers an opportunity to take one of the wildest rides they're liable to experience.The episodes in this book range from purely humorous takes on a baby's view of the world he inhabits to visual illustrations of puns to hallucinogenic explorations of the conscious and subconscious to sublime meditations on everything from the most seemingly insignificant daily occurrences to the meaning of life and death.Quite a range, right?Blegvad pulls it off beautifully.Perhaps I'm a little prejudiced by already being a huge fan of his music, but none of his outings collected here come across as shallow or pretentious in any way.The subtleties are many, the layers of wit are as innumerable as those in a chunk of mica - each reading reveals something missed the time before.

Leviathan himself - `Levi', as he is called - is a visual as well as a philosophical enigma.He's drawn without facial features, which allows the reader to project his/her own personality/outlook more readily onto the narrator.His parents and his older sister appear in some episodes, but for the most part he's accompanied and guided through the mazes of life (in all its dimensions) by the family cat, who gently imparts wisdom while at times openly expressing amazement that humans manage to survive without caretakers.The artist's hand appears from time to time, allowing him to more directly interact with the characters and events depicted in the strip - and on a couple of occasions, the characters themselves make attempts to escape the bounds of the graphic territory.

I read this book in a couple of sittings - but I've revisited it often and at great length and leisure, with new rewards each time. In his introduction, Rafi Zabor admits that he has encountered a few `intelligent, literate, artistically sophisticated people' who just don't get it - and I suppose that's inevitable in any artistic undertaking.It resonated within me at the deepest level - I can't recommend it highly enough.

Fantastical Absurdity on Paper
Dep!*
*(WOWZA!!)

I was sold when I heard Matt Groening's review, but if that's not enough for ya here's my own...

I read this book in one sitting--how often can you call a comic anthology a "page-turner"? Levi is a literal tabula rasa, Cat is the perfect nonhuman-but-more-adult companion, and let us all stop a moment and ask ourselves... what IS the opposite of bunny?

Confused yet?
This book is a strange "Being John Malkovich" escape into the brilliant mind of Peter Blegvad, who I hope to be seeing much more from in the near future.It stimulates the mind, rewards the intellect, and may even teach you a thing or two.Blegvad somehow weaves together philosophy, literature, myth, and the innocence of childhood in a corrupt world, wrapped in wordplay and inserted into a comic medium it continually makes fun of.

"Leviathan" reminds me of Groening's "Life in Hell," but "Leviathan" is much more, with so much intellectual and visual appeal it leaves Groening's cartoon far behind.Plus, Leviathan plays upon so many levels I'm sure I'll get something new out of each reading.

Occasionally the punning gets a little too blatant, but it's always forgiven before the end of the next comic.

Don't pass this one up.Your brain deserves it!

clever and funny
so many puns, so many references and allusions ... i think this book can be used as an indicator for how well-informed we are: the heartier we laugh at it the smarter we can consider ourselves ... Read more

Product Description
64-page stapled softcover. ... Read more

Product Description
Tucked inside issue number 3 of The Ganzfeld, for your reading and looking pleasure, are humorous picture stories on color theory, milk, where we go when we die, and the lost genre of blank books. And that's just the usual. Bringing together a unique group of designers, illustrators, cartoonists, and artists, The Ganzfeld provides the crispest picture of the state of graphic arts to be found anywhere. Issue number 3 features a unique collaboration between The Ice Storm author Rick Moody and artist Fred Tomaselli, a new picture story by designer Geoff McFetridge, and even an illustrated essay by Alfred Hitchcock. Lengthy comics and picture stories are contributed by an international group including Renée French, Ron Regé Jr., and Adam Dent. This installation of the anthology also puts the spotlight on history: Lawrence Weschler writes about Brueghe, two prominent design writers, Andrea Codrington and Julie Lasky, each contribute articles on lost design arts of the past, while the Hairy Who (Jim Nutt, Karl Wirsum, etc.) are given a 30 page retrospective. An invaluable resource and pleasure source for anyone interested in the graphic arts and all their various manifestations.Praise for The Ganzfeld #2:
3.5 stars (out of 4). --Jane
Reading The Ganzfeld is like leafing through a very bright eccentric person's journal. The Ganzfeld is just plain rad--a true artist's book. --The Philadelphia Weekly
Magisterial … It's a pretty rich banquet. --Eye
The Ganzfeld (or the Wholefield, as the few of us versed in German call it) is the most compelling and intelligent collection of visual stories I've seen since RAW. --Stefan Sagmeister

Edited by Daniel Nadel and Peter Buchanan-Smith.
Essays by Rick Moody, Julie Lasky, Lawrence Weschler and Andrea Codrington.
Excerpt by Alfred Hitchcock.

Paperback, 8 x 9.75 in., 208 pages, 128 color & 80illustrationsAmazon.com Review
It's not clear whether the third issue of The Ganzfeld should be regarded as a periodical or a book--but either way, it's gloriously illustrated and esoterically insightful. Its graphically extravagant essays often consider the spectacular results when worlds collide. The cover depicts an ordinary moth given Blakean magnitude by an EverSmart Pro Scanner. Julie Lasky profiles Tony Sarg, who turned tiny cartoon characters into godlike giants by inventing Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Hitchcock explains the elaborately artificial Rube Goldberg devices needed to create "reality" in what he called "My Most Exciting Picture" (Rope). Peter Blegvad illustrates the amazing impact on his imagination of the light-bulb-in-the-milk-glass scene from Hitchcock's Suspicion—it provoked an intellectually superb and astoundingly extended poetical meditation. Lawrence Weschsler unveils his lost essay on Edward Snow, the world's strangest explicator of Bruegel and Vermeer. The Ganzfeld 3 is like that spore that invades the ant's brain in Weschsler's book on the Museum of Jurassic Technology: once it gets inside your head, your imagination will never be the same. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Product Description
When Peter realizes the trolls have heard his wish and stolen his troublesome baby sister, he sets off on a daring rescue mission. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A sweet, whimsical book
We love this storybook, set in Sweden. You get a sense of what things are like there--vacationing in a sod-roofed house, arrived at by fjord--while magical things happen that illustrate a brother's love, and frustration with, his baby sister. We are sorry it's out of print! ... Read more