Claudine &
The Walking Man by Jiro Taniguchi

Someone once told me that I reminded them of the lead in this book. It's only now that I got to finish this, and I completely understand the comparison (which makes this an even more cathartic read).

Anyway, onto the book!

'Quiet is the new loud,' Kings of Convenience once said. :)) While none of the events here are considered 'loud' in the sonic or scale sense, what people consider as uneventful moments are what truly fill up the space of our lives. It's truly odd to think about how milestones are what people use to define a life when it's in these in-between moments where we truly live. I would consider the people who revel in these moments as life's true winners, as it's absolutely easy to just have time pass through us, forgetting how certain moments feel. How easy it is to give our energy to worry, when true mindful living is seeing things as they are, and celebrating them here and now.

While most people say that this book is meditative and quiet (true for the most part), I find the build up of these low-key moments very interesting. I found myself at the edge of my seat for some moments and had me laughing at a few others. Aside from everything else that's been said about this beautiful, down to earth piece of manga, I want you to see how truly funny Taniguchi-san's sense of humor is.

Filed under: Stuff I Wish I Made, I'll Read This Again and Again