By Audrey Niffenegger

Place: Publisher & Year: New York: Abrams, 2010

Genres: General fiction, short stories

Format: Graphic novel

Series: “The Night Bookmobile is the first installment of a much larger work, The Library, which has its origins in a dream I had as a teenager” (from the first page of “After Words” at the end of the book).

ISBN: 9780810996175

Audience: Adult

Number of pages: Unpaginated

Setting: Chicago, IL

Time period: Contemporary

Plot summary: Alexandra relates her experiences with the Night Bookmobile and how she came to work at The Library.

Illustrations: Color pictures and panels drawn in a simplistic style.

Appeal factors:

Pacing: Moderate

Characterization: Told in first person through Alexandra.  The most important secondary character is Mr. Openshaw, the librarian.

Frame: The two frames for this story are found in the title – night and book.  This is a dark story that involves many books.

Story line: A short memoir of Alexandra’s life and her obsession with the bookmobile and books.

Subject headings:

From Pima County Public Library:

Bookmobiles — Comic books, strips, etc.

Books and reading — Comic books, strips, etc.

Similar work: Insomnia Café: a graphic novel by MK Perker

Personal notes: Ick.  I did not care for this story at all.  I liked the pictures, but I found the story to be depressing and creepy.

Other : Diversity – woman with an obsession, librarians

Audrey Niffenegger’s website which includes a link to The Guardian where one can read this story online.  Note: the story is posted in installments with the most recent listed first.  Jump to the end page to read the first installment.