I’ve been thinking about Put the Book Back on the Shelf, the Belle & Sebastian comic collection, which I didn’t really like. What I can’t figure out is why I didn’t. Was the art bad? No. Were the stories bad? No. Do I feel like it misinterpretted the songs? No.
The only explanation that makes sense to me is this: It’s like when they make a movie of you favorite book and you sit there and think “But that character didn’t look like that” or “That didn’t happen that way.” It just can’t live up to the expectations of you have. It can’t be what’s in your head. In some ways, I think Belle & Sebastian’s music may be too personal and seeing someone else’s take on songs like “Expectations” and “Beautiful” are just going to fall short because they’re not mine.
I’m still curious about how people who don’t listen to the band would react to this collection. I think I can, at some point, take it on its own merits (I know I need to read it again). I guess, though, it’s not what I wanted it to be, but I think I was asking too much.
