Strange Pictures

<p>Uketsu’s <em>Strange Pictures</em> is real good. It’s one of those rare books that make you realize that a novel is a game, not just a bunch of text printed on a page. And the way that Uketsu reimagines their novel is with drawings and diagrams, making what might be a simple murder mystery thriller feel like you’re a detective rummaging through documents and timetables.</p> <p>It reminds me of all the other novels that feel more like games. Like <em>S</em> by Doug Dorst and J.J. Abrams where the story is told in the margins of a very stuffy book. Or <em>How to Be Both</em> by Ali Smith where each book is split in two but each copy is printed in either order, so there’s no “true” order of reading (except mine). Or <em>Hopscotch</em> by Julio Cortázar where the novel—even though it didn’t work for me—can be read in multiple competing orders depending on your choice.</p> <p>How much weird fun is left to be had with the format of a novel! The format of a book can be reimagined for new kinds of stories, and new kinds of games, over and over again.</p> <p>Isn’t that exciting?</p>