Balance. This book achieves a striking balance between words and drawings that makes you pay attention to both. Ai Weiwei addresses memory, politics, art, folklore and mythology and no one topic overwhelms the others. There are statements that will grab you, but they don’t detract from the whole. This book disproves any idea that a graphic form of narrative is dumbed down or lazy. It’s memorable and yet I want to read it many more times.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Zodiac is a graphic memoir which visits moments in the legendary artist Ai Weiwei's life through the lens of the Chinese zodiac.

In all honesty, I didn't know much about Ai Weiwei before going into this book, and from a facts-about-his-life standpoint, I still think I know very little. But rather than mundane personal details, Zodiac delves instead into philosophical perspectives, into the concepts of freedom and intellect and art. I may not know much about Ai Weiwei, but this was certainly a thought-provoking and stunning glimpse into the way his mind works.

Artist Ai Weiwei has risen to global prominence by creating memorably striking works of art, often on a very large scale, that bring attention to a variety of global injustices with a particular focus on those committed by his native China. As one can imagine, the Chinese government is less than thrilled about being depicted in anything approaching a negative light, and so Weiwei was at one time taken into custody and then ultimately placed on house arrest for several years, before being able to move to Europe in 2015.

In Zodiac, a memoir in graphic novel form, he recounts significant moments from his life, ranging from his childhood in the Chinese countryside to the reaction towards some of his art installations to the treatment he received from his own country. Presented in lovely pen-and-ink style drawings by the Italian comic artist Gianluca Costantini, the book is structured as if he is relaying these stories to his young son, mixing them in with folklore oriented around the animals of the Chinese zodiac calendar. This allows the narrative to jump back and forth in time, focusing on themes and ideas rather than a strict chronological retelling, much as a real conversation might.

Anyone seeking a deeper knowledge of his life would be better served looking elsewhere, but it definitely feels like readers will come away knowing more about his philosophy. His thoughts about artistic expression and our right to it, along with the very essence of human nature are quite interesting, though it would be nice to see them fleshed out a bit further. Lovely to look at and entertaining to read, Zodiac is a nice treat for fans of Ai Weiwei and will also serve as a good introduction for those who are less familiar with the artist.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. (full review to come)

I'm not a big fan of this art style, but I think it fits with the overall tone of the book, and lends itself well to conveying the stories. The concept of telling a story related to each animal of the zodiac is an interesting one; however, I feel some of the stories are well-assigned to its corresponding zodiac animal, while others had only a tenuous connection between the story and its zodiac.

Overall, this graphic novel gave some interesting insights into the mind of its author and his life. Also I read about the author's history with oppression from the Chinese government, and also the various causes that he speaks up for, most recently in support of Gaza, and I whole-heartedly support him, because he is right.

Ai Weiwei is a man of many talents. an artist, political activist, poet, photographer, architect, filmmaker. He has been very vocal in his criticism of the Chinese government, been imprisoned, beaten and detained. Zodiac is his first biographical graphic novel. Telling twelve stories from Ai's life each identified by an animal from the Chinese Zodiac.

The book opens with Mouse, Ai is speaking with his father about books. They are in a labor camp, his father, a poet, was banished to the camp in the far northwest of China for speaking against the government. The only books that the Chinese people had were by Mao Zedong or by Enver Hoxha. Each story builds a picture of these pivotal moments in Ai Weiwei's life that made him the courageous man he is.

That one man coming from such humble origins can do so much is an inspiration. No one should ever say what can one man do? He can do a lot!

Brilliantly written and drawn! I am a big fan of Ai Weiwei and I like the unique approach he took in writing his memoir. I'm sure the physical copy of this book will be even more brilliant!

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

Sadly, I was not able to fully appreciate this graphic novel. I read it on my phone and the reading experience in that respect was rather poor. It is an interesting story and one day I will re-read it and hopefully enjoye it more.

A graphic novel as a memoir is indeed a very unique approach but at the same time, perhaps very fitting for an artist: the life of Ai Weiwei, the story of his father, told in beautiful illustrations and through the 12 Chinese zodiacs. I enjoyed reading this, though at times I wish there would have been more context - if you don't know Ai Weiwei or his work at all, it might be bit hard to follow. 3.75 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Clarkson for the ARC!

A swirl of memoir, mythology, and memory itself, Ai Weiwei’s "Zodiac" is simply a delight. I’m not sure artists can ever write about themselves as lucidly as they can write about art, and that seems to be Ai’s operating principle here. He is present only to unite the twelve Zodiac-themed chapters, and the book seems otherwise disinterested in him as a person. Instead, through stories embedded in stories embedded in stories, readers are treated to reflections on the importance of art, its role as a political force, and what it means to the artist.

I haven’t read Ai’s other memoir, and, to be honest, I don’t know much about him, but the decision to frame this as a graphic novel serves an interesting rhetorical function. All memoir is self-mythology, but by depicting it visually, there’s an aspiration of objectivity here. It allows the author to remove himself when he chooses, and this further creates room for a multitude of folktales and insights from other artists. This is a memoir that humbly hopes to be bigger than its writer.

At one point, Ai writes, “time collapses in photos,” and this also seems to be the impetus behind the book’s modality. So much of the author’s work is political, and so much of politics is about who controls history. By using illustrations, history almost folds in on itself here, eliminating political meta-narratives entirely. Ai rejects the impulse to glorify history in any capacity, instead concentrating on beauty and relationships.

In the end, his guiding theme is hope, a concept he returns to with anthemic fervor in each of the book’s cyclical chapters.

Ai Wei Wei's new graphic memoir is interesting. Structured around the Zodiac, and the artist telling stories to his son, he considers his life, art, and ideas about peace and freedom. I can't help but shake the idea that his work is subtle propaganda. I liked the art, but I find the artist (AWW) is vague. It's interesting to see how growing up on a labor camp as a dissident shaped his perspective on art. I enjoyed this, it brought some clarity to the work of a very popular, very controversial, very "pro-free speech," artist from China.

This graphic memoir uses the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac to relate the experiences of Ai Weiwei in regard to the Chinese Cultural Revolution and beyond. Each chapter focuses on a different zodiac animal beginning with mouse and ending with pig. I feel like I learned a lot about the Chinese zodiac, modern China, and the artist Ai Weiwei while reading this book. At the same time, I think there’s a lot more to all those subjects than can be covered in a single graphic memoir.

The book is illustrated by Gianluca Costantini. Most of the pages are black and white sketches, which lends the book a sense of starkness. Like all these extra trappings have been stripped away and Ai Weiwei is telling his story how he sees it. Each chapter begins with a full-page piece depicting that section’s zodiac. I found some of the artwork unsettling, especially the cover art. I think that was intentional. Some of the events and circumstances described in the book are very unpleasant and the cover art is in line with that.

While I enjoyed this beautiful book, I can’t say that I loved it.

The reflections via the lens of the zodiac was very neat and there are a few of the art panels and lines that absolutely floored me, but without a narrative threading throughout, I just wasn’t all the way enamored with this one.

My thanks to the publisher for the eARC.

This book is beautiful and deeply moving. As I was reading this, I could barely tell that it was a memoir. I found myself wanting to know more about the folklore and society of the authors life. I finished this book wanting more.

"We do not cooperate with anyone, anything. This is a challenge to all the powers, authorities, and the system. It is small yet not to be ignored, like a nail in the eye, a thorn in the flesh, a little grain of sand in the shoe—it reflects a valuable cultural spirit." - Ai Weiwei, interview for Art World Magazine

Zodiac is a graphic memoir by one of our greatest contemporary artists, Ai Weiwei, whose political art and anti-oppression activism has stirred up what the late John Lewis called "good trouble". The art, by Gianluca Costantini, is evocative, and the book is organized into 12 chapters that reflect the Chinese zodiac signs; the stories within each chapter evoke some aspect of that animal. It's a great introduction to Ai's biography, from growing up in Mao's China, to discovering art as a tool of self-expression and activism, to being detained for his art. I think anyone who's familiar with Ai Weiwei's work, or who hasn't heard of it yet, would enjoy this book.

I had two wishes for this book: 1) that Ai Weiwei would contribute to the art of the memoir in some way. Costantini did a great job of bringing Ai's life and art to the page, but Ai Weiwei is an artist, and I wish he brought some of his own talents to this graphic memoir format. 2) That this memoir went into more depth about Ai Weiwei's emotions. It's a great manifesto for the power and purpose of art in contemporary society, but as a memoir, I wished he'd had deeper introspection on parts of his life that informed his art.

Overall, though, I very much enjoyed this graphic memoir.

"Any artist who isn't an activist is a dead artist. I try to create works with honesty and that bear relationship to my life, to reflect the place and time in which I live. I hope that when future generations see my work, they will understand my struggle as an artist. I hope that they will be conscious of artists' efforts to protect freedom of speech and expression." - p. 165

"When you start an action, you are not able to know how many potential stories and changes that can generate."

This graphic novel is an insightful and well illustrated look into Ai Weiwei's life organised through each zodiac chapter. Each story is easy to consume with their short concise points making for a quick read. Personally, I would've enjoy this book more if I had known more about the artist to begin with.

This graphic memoir organized with each chapter as a year of the Chinese Zodiac, combines myth and story as well as politics and philosophy to explore an artist’s experiences and thoughts. It cohesively weaves all of these aspects to show the reader the importance of free expression and the power of art to fight oppression. Though I may not agree with every view expressed, the freedom to have different viewpoints and express them is the point of the book.

The graphics, not done by the artist but by Italian cartoonist, Gianluca Costantini, are consistently engaging and lively, creating a contrasting feeling of wanting to linger with the images, but wanting to continue reading the story that will make you want to read this book more than once.

Kicking off this year strong. I didn’t know what to expect of this boo, neer heard of the artist. But now it is clear i have to learn more
This little graphic novel themes around the 12 zodiac signs lets the author recount many stories, of his life, his family, history or myths. All of them are quite profound and iteresting, giving a lot to think about. I saved a few tidbits here and there to remember, but the whole book is worth revisiting at some point. It speaks of humanity, art, freedom of speech and perception of time. It als revelaed gaps in my general knowledge that are wrth filling in later
In general very enjoyable read, worth the time. Even tho I am not totally in love, I still find this book quite important.
My only criticism is on the art. Due to no lineweight and variation in the lines, not making the outlines fully clear, t is sometimes difficult telling objects apart

Prior to exploring this book, Ai Weiwei was unfamiliar territory for me. However, his life proved to be intriguing, and I found his art and design style both appealing and captivating. The book engages in meaningful discussions about the nature and purpose of art and poetry, cleverly woven through the unique lens of each Chinese zodiac sign.

This graphic novel serves as a crucial analysis of art and freedom in the contemporary world through the perspective of a Chinese activist. While it didn't resonate with me on a personal level, given my aversion to political topics, I firmly believe it's a narrative that deserves global attention. It offers insights into the profound impact governments or political parties can have on our lives, challenging the notion that such influence is confined, and delving into how it reverberates through generations.

Drawing inspiration from the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac and their associated human characteristics, Ai Weiwei adeptly interlaces ancient Chinese folklore into tales of his life, family, and career. The narrative encourages readers to embark on a philosophical journey of self-discovery through the realms of art and freedom of expression.

A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and Ten Speed Press.

I didn't know what to expect from this graphic novel. I'm a huge fan of the artist and was extremely lucky to see his expo made for Marseille, so I was really excited. I was expecting it to read like a memoir, but it feels more like stepping into a contemplative journey through time, art, and personal struggle. This graphic novel, far from being a conventional memoir, is an intricate tapestry that weaves together Ai Weiwei's reflections on life, art, and freedom through the mythical lens of the Chinese zodiac.

From the outset, Zodiac captivates with its unique narrative structure. The story unfolds not linearly but as a series of vignettes, blending Ai Weiwei's past experiences with Chinese zodiac mythology, cultural tales, and intimate conversations with family and friends. These elements come together to paint a broader picture of the Cultural Revolution's impact and the relentless spirit of those who dare to challenge it.

Each page of this memoir is a testament to the enduring power of art and expression. While the narrative takes readers through various periods of Ai Weiwei's life, it also delves into the philosophical, exploring the artist's and his contemporaries' motivations, struggles, and triumphs. The art, while simple in its black-and-white presentation, is intentionally styled to focus the reader's attention on the narrative's depth and complexity. While I personally hoped for more intricate visuals, the starkness of the illustrations serves to amplify the memoir's thematic weight, compelling readers to engage more profoundly with the text and its underlying ideas.

Zodiac is not just a book but an experience, one that demands revisiting. Its layered narrative and philosophical underpinnings offer new insights with each reading. Although it can be consumed quickly (I read it in an hour), the true value lies in its lingering effect, inviting readers to ponder and reflect long after the last page is turned.

In sum, this book is a compelling blend of art, history, and philosophy, offering a rare glimpse into the mind of one of the most influential contemporary artists. It's a work that challenges, enlightens, and inspires, much like Ai Weiwei himself.

Recommended for those who appreciate graphic novels with a deep, introspective edge and anyone interested in the intersections between art, society, and personal narrative.

I’m not sure what I was expecting but overall I enjoyed this one. Sometimes I liked the simplicity of the storytelling and drawing but overall I think I wanted more from it. I’m not sure I left this feeling like I really learned much more than I already know about Weiwei.