MOONSTRUCK "Lunatic" is an unusual and striking graphic novel in the
tradition of wordless books by the likes of Frans Masereel, Lynd Ward
and William Gropper. Part fable, part classic adventure in the tradition
of Jules Verne, H. G. Wells and Méliès, the tale is told in nearly 200
full-page, wordless images in a variety of media from pencil, pen and
ink, ink wash and paint that lovingly evoke the artistic styles of its
period setting, and classic illustrators from Charles Dana Gibson and
Toulouse Lautrec to Edward Gorey. The word "lunatic" derives from Latin,
meaning "of the moon", or "moonstruck" and in this sense it describes
the protagonist of this story: from infancy she develops a magical,
almost intimate relationship with the moon itself, a celestial being who
acts as her friend, lover, mentor. Our heroine is a dreamer, an
outsider, never feeling like she quite belongs to this world. We follow
her through the stages of life, infancy, childhood, youth and adulthood,
at each point guided by the moon toward a fateful journey and an
unexpected destiny. A timeless and charming story of longing, loneliness
and the pursuit of dreams.
