The latest book of Nigel Peake's labourious drawings is a story book. In The Dark is a sombre story although it's not until you get to the very end of the book (unless you've cheated and taken a sneaky peek) that a rather subtle explanation is suggested; the drawings (and I presume the narrative) were completed over two consecutive winters; one spent in Austria and the other in Switzerland.
The story takes a boy on a slightly spooky journey through and beyond the woods; a journey that leads, ultimately, to an enlightening experience (I won't spoil it for you). But there's a bleakness to the story and the monochrome drawings that, perhaps, is not surprising given the regions in which the story was rendered…or maybe that's just Peake for you. Either way, having only enjoyed Peake's art before, it's great to see written narrative joining his linework.
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