Originally published between 1993 and 1997, Ghost World is an interesting take on the relationship between two girls in a small American town. Having just graduated high-school, the two seem at a loss for how to begin their transition into adulthood or the next stage and navigate this difficult landscape through cynicism, pseudo-intellectual pretensions or straight-out cruelty. This narrative is somehow close to the banality of real-life, teenage angst and teenage relationships and simultaneously disconnected and morbid. A deeply divisive comic book, reactions from readers vary from a deep and abiding connection to the identity crisis of these characters and complete, visceral disgust with the treatment of the source material. While critically applauded, many have expressed scepticism at the way a middle-aged man wrote the dialogue for two teen girls and accuse the book of being inherently condescending to teenage women.
While this comic is not for everyone, it is a fundamental part of comic history and offers a fascinating insight into comic trends of the 1990s as it is considered a cultural and generational touchstone. In academia, the book has received some attention and for anyone who would like a closer look at what people are saying about this, I would recommend The Daniel Clowes Reader, also available at the David Wilson Library.
Considered a dark comic that deals frankly with adolescence, it has generated a movie adaption released in 2001 which won several nominations and was critically acclaimed. You can borrow the film from the David Wilson Library, which some people consider a light(er) romantic comedy compared to the book. The book can be found in the Graphic Novel section of the David Wilson Library.
