Asterios Polyp

After a recommendation by a friend, I read a graphic novel called Asterios Polyp. I read it two sittings; an evening, then the following morning. It wasn't very good. In it I found a desperation for relevance in the intellectual/literary sphere that clouded all originality. Each narrative move mimed some common literary trope. The central character is a male anti-hero, who is an architect reminiscent of Howard Roark--ideologically pure and the sole member of his rank. My main issues were with the characters. None was likable, maybe because they seemed implausible; I couldn't find a relation to draw toward them. Their intelligences were characterized by standardized measures--X was valedictorian, etc. Descriptions were sparing and only served as labels to give the story its genre. I felt a clear effort to innovate graphically; the illustrations and text were not always presented consistently. The problem is with the narrative which lacks the substance to enliven the illustrative innovations. 

P.S. 

I originally wrote a draft of this after I read it in 2016. I wonder if I'd like the novel more now.