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3.26 AVERAGE
3.26 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
The core thrust of this graphic memoir is intriguing, and Radtke's reflections are often quite poignant, but it's hard to overlook the ethical misjudgment around the photos stolen from Seth Thomas' memorial. I think the book would have functioned better without that storyline, not to mention that it makes Radtke seem extremely callous and self-absorbed. It's a shame, because the exploration of her grief around her uncle's death and her uncertainty around her own potential health issues is a strong enough story on its own to sustain a book-length project, especially when tied into the aesthetic concern of the ruins and abandoned towns. Radtke's writing about loneliness was particularly relatable (although I think she's being a little harsh on Louisville, which I have always found to be a remarkably friendly and relaxed city).
It was so easy to give in to time there—or, perhaps more accurately, to give up on it. To think: 'This is this and it will always be this.'
I'm still curious to read her next book, which delves more narrowly into loneliness, but I hope her conscience did some maturing in between this book and that one.
I will also say that the art style didn't really wow me.
This one was hard for me to get through. The taking pictures thing was weird...she talked about it without actually trying to do anything to return them when she figured out the origins. And apparently didn't even change the name in the book, or reach out to the family. I thought things would connect a bit more/have a bit more pay off, but they kind of just felt like a disjointed melancholy retelling of different things. I didn't feel like there was a clear point, or a reason to care.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Undeniably a beautiful graphic novel but not really my thing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, War
Quite a moving narrative about loss. Very multi-layered. It's not just about the loss of family from genetic heart problems but also about how places can lose their significance. Radtke travels all over the world searching for something -- permanence, I think. She weaves together so many different things, which shows how our minds try to comprehend loss. Images and text align beautifully. I did find the text to be a bit small and had to work to read some parts, but that seems to be something becoming more common in graphic literature.
reflective
medium-paced
The story came together in the end but took a little while to get there. The payoff was somewhat satisfying — impermanence is the only thing we can rely on, etc. I appreciated the idea of why people are angered by decay (because it means everything they built, too, could rot).
I think Radke wanted to write like Alison Bechdel but this didn’t have the depth that Fun Home did so much of the musings, question, and introspection fell flat. The best parts were Radke’s retellings of history, stories, etc just not her own.
The art style wasn’t for me though. Wished there were better shadows and a some less rigid lines to make it feel more alive. But maybe it was meant to feel dead?
Edit: dropped this a star after leaning Radke used a real persons name and death and didn’t consult or reach out to the family. Tragic to have to learn that your child’s memorial was vandalized through a book.
I think Radke wanted to write like Alison Bechdel but this didn’t have the depth that Fun Home did so much of the musings, question, and introspection fell flat. The best parts were Radke’s retellings of history, stories, etc just not her own.
The art style wasn’t for me though. Wished there were better shadows and a some less rigid lines to make it feel more alive. But maybe it was meant to feel dead?
Edit: dropped this a star after leaning Radke used a real persons name and death and didn’t consult or reach out to the family. Tragic to have to learn that your child’s memorial was vandalized through a book.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
This was a moving piece about moving through life and soaking up everything possible while also pointing out that we will never be able to do that and eventually everything we know will rot and disappear.