Regular readers of Beaton’s blog Hark! A Vagrant will be familiar with the content in this book, and if you haven’t seen the blog, please check it out. If you like what you see, you can read this lovely book containing comics about literature, comics, history, and often times, Canadian history! In sub categories, there is a fair amount of Feminism and Political History. A few times, her comics are just random out there humor which I also love.

Beaton and I have the same interests in all the above. I get and understand almost all of comics in the book and their allusions. It is funny and apt. Here are the subjects she tackles in her comics in this book: Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Crime & Punishment, Nancy Drew, Batman, various works of Shakespeare, The Great Gatsby, Sherlock Holmes and Watson, and much more.

Her commentary is very insightful and intelligent not only in the comics, but in the few times she explains her work. You learn things such as the following:

• H. G. Wells allegedly called Jules Verne an “old fusspot”
• General Montcalm was very romantic
• Brahms fell asleep at a Liszt concert

It is whimsical, fun and educational!

Read February 26th to March 5th 2013.