Manga Versus Normal Books

Many things separate a manga from a book that any person would read. Three of the main ingredients in a manga are artwork, dialogue, the way the manga is read,  and narration.

Unlike most fiction books written today, there is no set narration style in manga. The narration depends solely on the manga-ka, or the author of the manga. Most manga-ka will write the narration in the point of view of the central character or have no narration at all and rely only on the dialogue and the artwork of the story. For example, in the manga Black Cat, the only narration happens in the specification of the location in the artwork and in Train Heartnet's and Sven Volfied's flashbacks, when they narrate, and even then the narration sequences are far and few between.

Without the narration that is present in most books of any genre, manga must rely on the dialogue of the characters and any particular characters thoughts that are not spoken. These two devices are separated by the way they are presented in the panel. Once again in Black Cat, spoken words appear in speech bubbles and unheard thoughts are shown as words connected to a character by a black line. Another technique is to show onomatopoeia, or sound effects. These are usually shown in a different font and size.

Another aspect that sets manga apart is the fact that the setting is not specified n dialogue, but in the artwork of the story. The backdrop provides a lot of the backstory and the manga relies heavily on the artistic ability of the artist.

Finally, the way that authentic manga is read plays a huge role in a manga's difference from contemporary books. In an 'unflopped' manga the story is read the way it would have been in Japan, or backwards for the rest of the world. This preserves the integrity of the artwork and prevents confusion and mix ups in the manga itself. For example, if the author had a character wearing a shirt that said 'BOY' in a 'flopped' manga it would read 'YOB' whereas in the 'unflopped' version it would remain unchanged.

Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan

I know that the Ranger's Apprentice Series could be considered an easy read, but, frankly, I do not care. The story begins in the book Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan and is a very good read. The story of Will, a boy who has grown up in the Ward at Redmont Castle, in the sovreign kingdom of Araluen, with no knowledge of who his parents are. Alone and bullied by Horace, a boy twice his size, Will takes refuge in his natural climbing abilites and the knowledge that no one ever looks up.

Nervous, unlike his wardmates, about the coming Choosing Day, a day when the craftsmasters would consider the wards for their own apprentices and decide their futures. If a ward is not chosen, he is sent to work on one of the farms that supplies the fiefdom with it's grown produce. After his wardmates are chosen, Will is considered but no one, except the quiet and forbidding Halt, the Ranger, is willing to accept the small boy as their apprentice. From that day forward, Will is a Ranger's apprentice.

The Rangers were a mysterious group shrouded in obscurity, leading the common people to believe that they were sorcerors who practiced black magic. The skills required to be a Ranger, stealth, silence, and, most of all, the ability to strategize on the spot, make the Rangers a group feared by the commoners and enemies of the crown alike. Will has been thrust into this world and already the people of the town see him as someone to be respected, for fear of what he would do to them. The training he goes through is grueling, but he makes it out okay. By the end of the book, he is well on his way to becoming a great Ranger.

Will's struggles could be connected to anyone's difficulties in this modern world. His denial into the other crafts that were available to him was based on his height and stature; he has always been rather small for his age. However, his abilities more than make up for his lack of height and parentage, but only Halt is able to recognize that. Being accepted into the Rangers will give Will the opportunities that he would never have had access to if he had not become Halt's apprentice. This act of determination and trust in his own abilities gives Will the strength he needs to survive his harsh training and learn the trade which he will come to adore in time.