Asterios Polyp, like most of the other texts we’ve read this semester, is difficult to categorize. I’m not sure that is is completely fair to say that you “read” Asterios Polyp, since so much of the story is visual and contained within the illustrations.
The experience of reading/viewing Asterios Polyp was very different than anything else I’ve read. The images and texts are completely entangled, which means your eyes are constantly shifting between looking at the illustrations and reading the text bubbles. I enjoyed this for the first few chapters, but after awhile my eyes got tired and I was sick of looking all over the page to get everything out of the story. When we got the 3D glasses in class, it only made matters worse. Though I do think it is a cool idea, I don’t think the 3D was very effective, and it only made it more difficult to read the story.
While the unconventional set up of Asterios Polyp began to annoy me after a while, I don’t think the book would have worked as well in a more traditional set up, and I think reading/viewing it was a rewarding experience.
