Chapter 5 Multimodality at Work in Gōkan
In: Graphic Narratives from Early Modern JapanSearch for other papers by Yukiko Satō in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Frederick Feilden in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Abstract
In chapter 5, “Multimodality at Work in Gōkan,” Satō Yukiko studies the multimodal nature of gōkan (combined booklets). The author firmly positions gōkan as books that multiply the reader’s enjoyment: both reading and looking. Through the close reading of carefully selected texts, the author explores the nature of the “text” in a gōkan, the relationship between text and image, the devices used to keep the reader interested, and the “visual pleasures” unleashed by the mise en page of gōkan. This chapter brings us closer to materials that have yet to be translated into English and enables us to navigate increasingly complex page layouts. A must-read for anyone interested in understanding how to navigate the pages of an early modern Japanese graphic narrative, with a focus on the later, under-researched format.