Hush

Hush is a story with no words. A plot without the comfort of words sometimes reveals nuances in the story that words would fail to decipher. The story revolves around a suspended moment approached through its past and present.
The lack of words here not only heightens the suspense but also pointedly reveals a section of our social construct that we do not wish to talk about. The interesting part about Hush is its genre. It’s not a ‘mystery’, it does not delve into the intellectual process, a ”who-dun-it”- its rather steeped in suspense as defined by Hitchcock, that involves the reader into the “emotional process”. It wastes no time in the goings on, rather puts the reader in the centre of the unfolding action.
Rajiv Eipe thinks cinematically. Lack of words does not necessarily remove the soundtrack in your head as you move from panel to panel. My experience of Hush was synching Wire’s Pink Flag to the pages. Even though I seemed to “read” it silently, it made the perfect OST to the book!

I came across a reference to “Hush” at the flipkart blog. What I saw there got me mad. “Hush” was included among the top 10 “classic” alternative graphic novels of our times!
“Hush” is partly hype, cleverly shoved down an unsuspecting, graphic novel illiterate audience. An ok cover. Pretty good print job. Black and white. The comic in itself is just 17 pages out of 36. Might be a first in India, but stuff out there produced over the last two decades beats the pants off this one. Its about abuse of a daughter by the father. But read Daddy’s Girl by Debbie Dreschler and Why I Killed Peter by Alfred and Olivier Ka.
if you ask me specifically about Hush, don’t bother too much. Invest in something better like Jamie Delano’s Narcopolis or that book at the top of that “hyped” list on the Flipkart blog - The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers Omnibus by Gilbert Shelton or Robert Crumb’s Genesis. You will have no regrets.

Hush is a rare concept that I gladly welcome - radically transforming the way we read, grasp and share stories. Thought it might get clubbed under the genre of graphic books or comics for mature audiences, Hush has been produced in a very different manner.

It doesn't use words (seemingly living up to its title). It doesn't shout out loud. It makes use of grey sketches that makes the story stand out vibrantly. While the story might be disturbing to a few, what made this reading noteworthy for me was that the art form was used exceptionally well. Such is the power of Hush's graphics that it makes you believe that a written-narration instead would have ruined the story.

Because of the lack of words in the novella, there is a tendency to rush through the story to the end in search of an explanation. At least that's what happened to me. But Hush is worth a second reading - not only to appreciate the dark tones of Eipe's artwork but because the real story lies hidden in its more subtle nuances and crevices. It's shorth length and relentless mood make for a spare and economical narrative - not a brushstroke is in excess, not a panel redundant. A quick but intense read.

Though a lot has been written about this book i was highly dissapointed when i read it or browsed through it to be precise.The story may be a good way of expressing through graphics and the content maybe contemporary but i think it has ended very abruptly. A lot of things are unexplained. Reading the reviews i was expecting a lot from the book. For a good crime thriller it is not only the pictures or graphics that matter but the way of explanation and proper understanding of the reader should be kept in mind. All i can say is that i am not satisfied