Jerry House recommended this massive graphic novel (you can read Jerry’s terrific review here). More Weight: A Salem Story gets its title from the purported last words of Giles Corey. Corey, who was pressed to death in Salem, Massachusetts, in September 1692, refused to answer charges of witchcraft,. Corey was tortured to death in an attempt to convince him to admit his “sins.”
The illustrations in More Weight are moody and intense. Yes, at 543 pages, More Weight is a challenge for readers. Some might argue that the book is too long, too detailed. But Ben Wichey wanted to get to the bottom of Giles Corey story and to expose the Salem Witch Trials for what they were.
If you’re up for a long, arduous journey into human depravity and haunting atrocities in the Past, More Weight is your ticket! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Intro: the witch city
Saints & devils
Boon-companions
The first stone
The temptations of Giles Corey
A gospel woman
The invisible world
The arrest
The examination of Martha Corey
Soap-bubbles
Some sport
The boy
The wizard
Liberties
The examination of Giles Corey
A city upon a hill
Civil wars
Oyer & terminer
Blood to drink
Angels of light
By God & my country
The better life
More weight
Seven gables
Inheritors of eternity
Outro: more wonders of the invisible world.
I’m glad you liked it, George. I suspect that in the future MORE WEIGHT will be ranked with such graphic novel classics as MAUS and PERSEPOLIS.
Jerry, I suspect you’re right about the ranking of MORE WEIGHT. It’s an incredible work!
If I want “a long, arduous journey into human depravity ” I’ll study the Trump Administration and family.
Jeff, with Trump, the story only gets worse and worse!
True
Jeff literally took the words out of my keyboard. While I’m sure MORE WEIGHT is a classic of its kind, I simply can’t add anything more to the “long, arduous journey into human depravity and haunting atrocities” that is our current political landscape.
Deb, I relate to your aversion to MORE WEIGHT’s painful and depressing story. But Ben Wickey wants people to know what really happened in Salem. A very dark moment in our History…
Well, it can demonstrate how they can, at least at the local level, get even worse, even though Drumpf likes to have his thugs shoot people and imprison families rather than crush them to death.
Todd, I would think sending 300,000 Haitians back to Haiti would rival the terrible events in Salem.
Particularly if they are making lives here. As opposed to embezzling with all four fists when not more generally making life worse for nearly everyone else.
The Salem thugs were more hands on.
Todd, the Salem thugs got away with most of their crimes.
The majority of petty dictators do.
Not for me
Maggie, MORE WEIGHT is a book that will keep you up at night…