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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
Fathers and daughters. Lucia Joyce. Dysfunctional families. Graphic memoir. Depressing.
A very interesting graphic novel that tells two narratives, one of the author growing up with a strict Joycean father, and the other following the life of Lucia Joyce, daughter of James Joyce. The two bigraphies have parallels and to read them side by side interspersed benefits both very well.
One line in particular struck me, I can't remember exactly, but following Lucia's story, someone said that soon it would be Lucia's name that everyone remembered and her father would be referenced by her name rather than the other way around. I thought that was very interesting, considering that I've been looking at all these books with titles such as "The ___'s Daughter" lately. I'd like to see it reversed or better yet a girl to be recognized by her own achievements rather than her relations.
The story spans from Talbot's childhood well into her adult life and follows Lucia to her death as well. I would recommend this novel for anyone reading about Joyce and wanting a different view on his life.
One line in particular struck me, I can't remember exactly, but following Lucia's story, someone said that soon it would be Lucia's name that everyone remembered and her father would be referenced by her name rather than the other way around. I thought that was very interesting, considering that I've been looking at all these books with titles such as "The ___'s Daughter" lately. I'd like to see it reversed or better yet a girl to be recognized by her own achievements rather than her relations.
The story spans from Talbot's childhood well into her adult life and follows Lucia to her death as well. I would recommend this novel for anyone reading about Joyce and wanting a different view on his life.
Interesting interwoven tale of Mary M Talbot's life and Lucia Joyce. Mary's father was a Joycean scholar and it's interesting to see the parallels.
This was quite a surprise. I picked it up on a whim, seeing a mention of James Joyce on the back, and read through it in one sitting. It's difficult to describe just what it's about. It's a biography of scholar and author Mary Talbot and illustrated by her husband Byran, who is well known in the graphic novel world. But it's also a parallel biography of James Joyce's daughter Lucia, and the narrative jumps from Mary's life to Lucia's, drawing similarities to the two upbringings throughout. Obviously Mary's life turned out much better than Lucia's, who ended up dying in a mental institution (a fate that this book would attribute to her unsupportive parents). The connection is initiated because Mary's own father is a Joycean scholar, one of the pre-eminent of his day, and in many ways his method of fatherhood mirrors Joyce's own (though Talbot's father's ideas are oddly different from Joyce).
This book actually brought to mind Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, a masterpiece of sorts in its own right, in its depictions of father/daughter relationships. Even the art style is similar to Bechdel's though I would argue its more "artistic" and actually more of a pleasure to look at.
Definitely recommend this. It's a short, neat history lesson and an interesting way to tell about one's life.
This book actually brought to mind Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, a masterpiece of sorts in its own right, in its depictions of father/daughter relationships. Even the art style is similar to Bechdel's though I would argue its more "artistic" and actually more of a pleasure to look at.
Definitely recommend this. It's a short, neat history lesson and an interesting way to tell about one's life.