The Book Lost Souls Review

 

There are certain things in life that have the ability to reach you at the right moment in time. And before I speak about it, I would like to give you a bit of context. 

 Years ago I moved out of my mother's house, miles away from everything I was used to; my neighbours, friends, family and those streets I've walked so much I could tell where I was, even with my eyes closed. 

This was a big step for me; to leave the nest and find something that I could call home, by myself. 

For some, this experience might seem irrelevant, for others, it will be like they could see themselves in these words. It's a powerful feeling, to be able to gather your strength, to take a deep breath and just fly away into the unknown. 

For the first time I was going to face the world, alone. What would happen, would happen because of my decisions, my own hands. 

The first nights were a mixture of excitement, the city noise, as I was living in the capital at the time, were enough to render me sleepless for a while. That, or the nervous tick that was overtaking my stomach.

The excitement of moving was gone and I started to feel homesick. I missed those oh, so familiar streets of yonder, and I missed my friends. 

I started to feel an overwhelming feeling of loneliness. A loneliness so palpable, so real, I could almost taste it. 

I have to admit I cried for a few nights to sleep. 

My only choices were, either go back home and admit I couldn't do this, or overcome this feeling. And the first option was not really an option.

That was when I came across J. Michael Straczynski's The Book of Lost Souls, released between 2005 and 2006, with art by Coleen Doran, and published by Icon Comics.

The premise is simple, and I wouldn't want to expoil the book for you, if you haven't read it; the main protagonist, after some unexpected events, is given the task of saving people that got lost in life. Either due to sadness, anger, or any human feeling that, given time and space, becomes your entire self, instead of a part of you. One of the examples is the history of a wife that, mistreated for so long, creates in her mind the fantasy that she's a princess, waiting for the shining knight in armor to come and rescue her from the dragon who keeps her captive. 

I will not tell you how it ends, but, simple as the history might seem, it was in this simplicity that I found solace. 

My dragon was that feeling of loneliness. Of being…lost.

And, I wouldn't miss the opportunity to mention a cat, whose name is Mystery. Because all cats are mysterious. A full mouthed, know-it-all, but extremely wise cat, that you will love at first sight, since that's the way it's intended, with cats.

 Admittedly, I tend to be very emotional. Especially back then. But, even after so long, this words still resonate with me;

Hence, The Book Of Lost Souls is still one of the comics I go back to, when things become too much. A reminder that, no matter how lost you feel, how overwhelming things become, you are not entirely alone.

Text by C.M.V.R (MySoulToTake)

Art by Coleen Doran