I picked this up off the shelf because I liked the previous
work by the authors, “Logicomix”. I liked that one so much I went out and
bought a book of Wittgenstein and then also of Bertrand Russel. I actually read
the Russel, maybe I’ll get to the Ludwig.
So reading this was basically in comparison to that book,
and in comparison, this one suffers a bit. The authors’ thing is graphic
history, and it works to a point. My guess is that this one is not as effective
because though there is an interesting story to tell, there are fewer points of
reference for me as a modern reader and there are fewer primary texts for the
authors to draw on. They also insert a fictional character as the vehicle for
they story they are telling, so that the both of democracy has some eyes
looking at it and the reader can relate to that person.
I’m not sure if it works and it implies a linearity to the
development of democracy that might not be true. Overall, the book could
compliment a high school civics class as a way to lighten the mood and engage the
students, but it isn’t history in the terms of this is what happened (if even
that is history at all either).
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