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fbroom's review against another edition
4.0
It was charming and fun to read but it didn't go anywhere really. I'm still glad I spent some time with it.
johnnymacaroni's review against another edition
4.0
A perfect little slice of the author/artists life when she was having fun, working hard and really growing up. I especially love all her colorful coworkers and the way you get a feel for the change in the decades from 70's to 80's.
jwinchell's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not vibing on the semi-fictionalized memoir; it's hard to know where to go with the characters and voices and ideas. That was part of why I didn't entirely trust or like this story. It brought to life a narrow slice of American history and culture for me, but I'm not sure how much it accomplishes beyond that. It read like self-indulgence without much account for the reader's experience. The teal shades bored me, and the art reminded me too much of Beavis & Butthead. I did think a lot about my years working and hanging out in smokey, wacky dives. But it's not often I feel so harshly toward a book. So be it.
meghan111's review against another edition
3.0
The memoirish story of working as a dishwasher/waitress at a coffeehouse diner in Oakland in the late 1970s, very episodic and kind of lacking a plot. There's not really any urgency, and the characters never came to life for me. The artwork is really great, though, and I liked the feeling of the setting. The part dealing with washing a dirty mat in the kitchen area of the diner was viscerally disgusting. BUT, I really hated that ALL the waitresses and cooks were identified by name except for one whose name is given as 'Lesbian.' At first I thought maybe she was just glimpsed as a background character who would only be seen in one panel, but no. She has a storyline and relationships with the other workers. It really rubbed me the wrong, dehumanizing way.
dianametzger's review against another edition
4.0
Super specific, funny, charming, well drawn. My only gripe is that I wanted more more more.
rdyourbookcase's review against another edition
3.0
I chose to read this one because it had an amazing review. To me, it was so-so. It wasn’t what I was expecting. I had hoped it was more of a biography and less of a fictional story. Most importantly, the author felt like a weak character to me. It wasn’t about her, it was about everyone around her. I wanted to see her life more than everyone else’s at the restaurant - but it seemed like even Margaret was more interested in others’ lives than her own. Even though I know that she had a small success at the end, I wanted to see her overall success, not just a step in the right direction.
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
Having read Drawn & Quarterly: Twenty-Five Years of Contemporary Cartooning, Comics, and Graphic Novels, I decided I should read a little more in this genre. I liked what I saw by Pond in the D&Q book, so it seemed like a good place to start.
I had fun reading this autobiography. Pond’s story is not unusual, but her drawings add to the story and I was glad to have met her and the people who were part of the family at the Imperial Café.
I will be looking for more books by Pond.
I had fun reading this autobiography. Pond’s story is not unusual, but her drawings add to the story and I was glad to have met her and the people who were part of the family at the Imperial Café.
I will be looking for more books by Pond.
spauffwrites's review against another edition
3.0
A funny, post-college memoir/graphic novel. I really liked all her descriptions of the customers and co-workers at the diner she works at. My only complaint was that her story didn't seem to have much of a resolution, but I'd recommend it if you like graphic novels and are looking for something brief and entertaining.
pdestrienne's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
The love Mimi Pond feels for this period in her life, and her keen human observational skills, are apparent all through this comic.