Welcome!
Good day to all who visit this webpage! I am Simon O'Donnell, researcher of magic in my past life and student of the arts in this one. Here you will find a great many things which I find interesting, as well as a log of books I have recently read and a record of various items I have created. Much of this is for my own personal use, but one may receive an introduction of me through what I share here.
In addition: I like to use more archaic syntax, though not in conversation nor professional writing. This will mainly be relevant on this page and few others.
Books I've Read
The Magic Fish (Trung Le Nguyen, 2020)
- Last read: 3 April, 2026
- Personal review: I adored not only the art style in this graphic novel, but also the narrative style, and how the two intertwine. The present is always told in red, the past in yellow and the stories in blue, which aids the somewhat omniscient perspective of the story without saying a word (for example, in the beginning when Alera's story triggers a flashback in Hien.) When this monochromatic scheme breaks, with panels incorporating bits of orange as well, it ties together all three "realms" within each fairy tale. The use of visual foreshadowing is also well done and kept me reading like cliffhangers at the ends of chapters. The fashion and the way the clothes are drawn personally captured me—if only I had more knowledge about Vietnamese culture, then perhaps I could better understand the choices for several of the fairy tale garments, outside of what the author provided at the end, of course.
One of the most magical things about storytelling is an author's ability to connect their readers, listeners, viewers, &c. from all walks of life with their characters, which, in my opinion, The Magic Fish does excellently. I never had an experience like either protagonists—my family has been in this country for at least three generations, all speaking English, and I was fortunate enough not to fear coming out to my parents as I knew they were allies before I knew I was queer—but I still resonated with both Hien and Tien. I felt their struggles, Hien's sorrow, Tien's anxiety, and I understood the way they each saw the different stories they read together, relating them to their own lives, especially Hien.
Overall, I really loved this comic. I think my artist's eye is more drawn to the visual elements here, but that is not to discredit the narrative at all!
Dracula (Bram Stoker, 1897)
- Last read: TBA
- Personal review: TBA
Pride and Prejudice (Jane Asuten, 1813)
- Last read: TBA
- Personal review: TBA