Ghost World graphic novel review

This morning, I heard about a reopening event for two public libraries in Irvine. The smaller one was closer to my home, but I decided to go to the public library, located six miles away. When I arrived there, I noticed the area was very crowded, and it took me a while to find an empty parking space. I checked out some crafts booths, mostly for kids, and I decided to make a bookmarker and a visor. I ate a small cup of popcorn and I sipped apple juice from a box drink. I entered the crowded library, walking around, browsing, and trying to find a seat so I can finish my light snack. I went online to register for a library card, but I also have to stand in line to get the card. The line was too long, similar to a concert line. So, I walked around browsing books until I ended up by the graphic novels, and I noticed some interesting graphic novels.I decided to read the graphic novel, Ghost World, while I waited for the lines to become short. I finished reading it within two hours. I have seen the movie, Ghost World, when it first came out in the theater, as well as I have later watched the movie, a couple of times, on the indie channel. As I was reading the graphic novel, I was trying to compare it to the movie, and I eventually realized that the graphic novel is different. But the three main characters have the same name, Becky, Enid, and Josh, although the scenes are different. The plot of the story is similar, focusing on two girls who start to grow apart after high school because they have different interests. Enid wants to change, grow, and move far away to experience life, while Becky misses her high school teenage years and she wants to remain best friends in this small town. Enid decides to apply for a college that her father has been pressuring her to attend. They both have a crush on their friend, Josh, but they feel that he isn’t interested in them or anyone, even though they often flirt with him and jokingly mess with him to get his attention.I noticed few similar ideas from the movie, but the graphic novel scenes were still different. I thought the movie was like a dark comedy as well as racist. But the graphic novel is about two regular girls growing up and figuring things out after high school.Although Enid goes after Josh and makes out with him, she moves on because she wants to go to college. She gets her driver’s license and buys a used hearse. She goes on a road trip with Becky, and they often fight about trivial matters. She ends up selling the hearse. She also receives a letter from the college, rejecting her application. She decides to go after her initial goal, which is to get on a bus and move somewhere far away for a change of lifestyle elsewhere. Meanwhile, it appears that Becky and Josh are getting close. She works at a coffee shop or a diner, and Josh often stops by to hang out with her.The graphic novel, Ghost World, was created by Daniel Clowes. It was initially created in different issues, starting at issue 11 to issue 18, from June 1993 to March 1997. The book was published in 1997 by Fantagraphics Books. The two girls appear to be bored after high school, as they try to figure out what they are going to do with their life and future. They are annoyed by everyone they encounter, making fun of everyone, including people from their high school. They run into old friends and former classmates, and their old classmates seem to know what they want to do, pursing a particular career. One of their former high school classmates has cancer, and her face now looks deformed.The 2001 movie adaptation was directed by Terry Zwigoff, written by Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff, produced by Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, and Russell Smith. It starred Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Brad Renfro, Illeana Douglas, Steve Buscemi, and Teri Garr. Enid is infatuated with a lonely man, Seymour, and he becomes one of the main characters in the movie because of Enid and Seymour’s relationship. The graphic novel hints of a similar lonely man that Enid and Becky plan to follow from a personal ad in a newspaper, but Enid never pursues such a man. The graphic novel just focuses on the two girls mostly hanging out together, at different places, making fun of different people, as well as wandering aimlessly, bored to death of their banal town and their own pathetic life. I also thought the two girls seemed lost and confused, not sure what they are going to do next in their life. They also seemed to be walking around in circles, always ending up in the same place, like they are stuck in a rut and they don’t know how to get out. They seemed to lack direction and focus as well as they appeared to be scared of growing up, moving forward in their life, and going on their own.In the movie, Enid actually helps Seymour find a woman, which he dates for a while. Another interesting part of the movie involves an eccentric high school art teacher, in which Enid has to take an art class during summer school, in order to graduate high school. Enid also has a drawing journal, where she draws different people whom she encounters in her community. Certain scenes indicate that she is moving towards considering art school or an art career. The graphic novel starts after the girls had graduated high school, and there was no mention of Enid needing to take any class during summer school. But the graphic novel notes that Enid never took driver’s education class in high school and she doesn’t have her license. She ends up taking her driver’s test after high school, which encourages her to seek a used car and she ends up buying a used hearse. Enid displays some progress because she is trying to change and grow in order to move on elsewhere. In the movie, neither Enid nor Becky has a car because they wander around aimlessly on foot in the streets, hanging out at different places and running into different people they know in their community. They appear to be stagnating in their hometown. They beg people they know to drive them somewhere. This town is similar to downtown Los Angeles or Hollywood because it appears to be a very old, vintage place, almost like a dying town or ghost town, but the characters appear to act like New Yorkers from NYC because most people in downtown Manhattan don’t drive either.Moreover, in the movie, there is an old man who sits at a bus stop bench, waiting for a bus that never shows up. The girls often stop by and chat with him, informing him that the bus line was discontinued. He always denies it and faithfully waits for his bus on a daily basis. In the graphic novel, a similar man is mentioned once, and that man disappears from the bus stop when the girls notice that the bus has returned to its usual bus line, stopping at that particular bus stop bench, which gives Enid hope for her future escape out of this boring town.Both the movie and graphic novel are entertaining, but in a different way. But I still felt they were different because of different scenes. I guess I prefer the graphic novel version because I have always liked reading books better than watching movies based on books, even though I watched this movie before I read the graphic novel it was based on, in this case. In both the graph novel and movie, Enid is Jewish and Becky is Waspy.  In the movie, Enid tends to have a dark, wicked humor, which is fun, but Becky appears to be quiet and proper. In the graphic novel, Enid is more artistic and edgy, while Becky has a clean style.You can watch this full movie on YouTube for free. The graphic novel is available in bookstores and public libraries.