I never thought of a graphic novel as literary or anything more than an adult comic book until I read The Inferno in Bottles. IiB is a well known and highly regarded graphic novella by the Japenese artist / author Kyusaku Yumeni (1889 - 1936). It was originally published in 1928 by Ryoki Magazine and later as a book by Shunyodo. It is now considered a classic of its genre.

IiB presents a counterpoint to the Book of Genesis - perhaps a repudiation of sorts (?). In a dark and disturbing coming-of-age story, two children, an older brother and younger sister, are shipwrecked on a deserted, tropical island. Like Adam and Eve, these youngsters are brought to their world seemingly from nowhere. The author notes that their Eden meets all of their physical needs, and they grow healthily. However, each is a bottle with its own inferno. Where Genesis proposes original sin, IiB upstages Genesis easily. There is a true Original Sin in biology which is significantly worse than anything Biblical - relations between siblings which can wreak havoc upon the next generation (ironically, this sort of original sin is not at all original to humans when one sees how many species have evolved behavioral and biological means of avoiding it).

The story turns dark when puberty strikes. The island boundaries become a horrible prison, as the adolescents are imprisoned by their sense of shame and tortured by their hormones. Having a Bible among their shipwreck possessions, they know of the scriptural concept of OS, and they never transgress. Their sibling bond remains strong throughout, but it gets a distasteful patina that neither character can cope with.

The artistic illustration work provides rich symbolism. Most obviously, it is replete with serpents. On a more subtle level, we begin to see the young man increasingly covered in scars. It appears that he may do penance via self - inflicted wounds, which fall short of slashing his wrists. The illustrations tell the story well without the need of the accompanying text.

Written for adults, it is artistically graphic without being pornographic. Per the subject, it is exploding with sexual tension. The prudish, American reader might not want to leave it on a coffee table. Nevertheless, it enjoys a special status as a work of art. More importantly, it provides a naturalist interpretation of OS that is quite simply more sophisticated than Genesis. ( )