Opening
Bibliographic Information:
The
Professor’s Daughter / (artistic design) by Emmanuel Guibert
ISBN-13:
978-1-59643-130-0 / First Second
p. 80/ $16.29 (Amazon)
2007
Body of Content
Summary: The Professor’s Daughter is a
graphic novel that tells an imaginative story –of a professor’s daughter who is
star-crossed with one of her father’s archaeological finds – Immotep IV – a mummified
Pharaoh of Egypt. Set in late 19th
century London, the action unfolds as the professor is away from London – while
his daughter Lillian and the Mummy fall head-over-heels in love with each
other. In a series of events, Lillian
mistakenly poisons two men – fearing that they would separate her from her
love. The police come to arrest her, and
the Mummy must come up with a plan to save her.
Supporting characters include the Queen of England, Lillian’s father,
and even the Mummy’s father – Immotep V.
Critique: There
is a reoccurring theme in YA literature these days – of female characters
falling in love with monsters – or the undead – or some combination of both. Stephanie Meyer wrote a monster love triangle
– in her Twilight series. Meyer placed a young teen (Bella) between one
sparkly vampire and one ferocious werewolf. A similar treatment occurs in Tantalize – with a vampire cook and
werewolf hybrid trying to keep the love and attention of the female
protagonist.
In The Professor’s
Daughter, the newest addition to the reoccurring theme is a dead mummy. This novel is a little more self-aware than
the aforementioned titles – and overall, the graphic novel fits in the genre of
humor (along with a few other genre labels).
The lure of such characterizations is complicated. At some level, by placing the love interest
as a social outcast – as a monster – as someone not fully understood – as off-limits,
etc. – the writers appeal to the feelings felt by teenage girls. In some cases, the teenage girl’s parents do
not approve of her love interest – seeing the boyfriend as a rebel, a loser, a
misfit, or some combination of lackluster quality. But in the eyes of the teenager, they believe
they have found love, even if others in their life stand as obstacles to her
love.
This graphic novel is fully aware of this dynamic – and on
repeated occasions, it makes light of the ridiculousness of having a young
female feeling hot-and-bothered for a dead pharaoh. But at the core of the story, obstacles
impede the would-be-lovers. The graphic
novel is aware of this characterization in literature – and some of the funnier
moments unravel at the expense of the metaphor.
Teaser: Caught up in a murder case, a young girl faces prison –
while her love – a mummy – looks to rescue her into his loving arms.
Information about the Author: Emmanuel Guibert specializes
in graphic novels – most notable the aforementioned The Professor’s Daughter, along with a series called Sardine in Outer Space. A more recent project, Guibert follows the
story of a reporter in The Photographer
– with the titled protagionist following a doctor’s mission in Afghanistan
during the 1980s. Guibert lives in
France – in the capital city with his wife and daughter (First Second, 2011).
Supplemental Material
Genre: Crime Drama / Romance
/Graphic Novel / Humor
Curriculum Ties: History – England, Egypt, archaeology
Booktalking Ideas: 1)
What are some of the unusual love interests in literature? 2) “How many mummy
puns can you think of in two minutes?”
Reading Level: The
reading level is aimed at teens – of high-school age – (15-18). Interest level could drop to ages 12+ given
that 6th graders study Egyptian history within their social studies
curriculum.
Challenge Issues and Defense: There is one brief scene of
partial male (mummified) nudity. There are some scenes of violence – including gunfire. Serious challenges are unlikely to arise.
Personal Reasons for Inclusion: The
title of the book intrigued me. After
reading it, I loved the ridiculousness of the premise and subsequent plot.
Last Thoughts
References:
First Second. (2011). Guibert [Webpage]. Retrieved from http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/
guibert.html
Listening to (Music):
Artist – Hans Zimmer & Klaus Badelt / Album – “Pirates
of the Caribbean: Original Score”
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