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thegayngelgabriel's review against another edition
3.0
Porcellino's minimalism is deft and often affecting--there's sometimes that particular kind of magic/rhythm where something happens in the moving between panels that comes together to make something bigger than any of the individual panels themselves--and his portrayal of his own deeply ill thought patterns is brutally honest and visceral, but.
Spoiler
But! I worry about the way he portrays various kinds of medical (and alternative) treatments, and the hope for a recovery that he doesn't seem quite able to shake.Spoiler
bessadams's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.5
superdilettante's review against another edition
5.0
John's suffering is so intense, and his attempts to make sense of it are heartbreaking and dear.
blurrybug's review against another edition
4.0
First of i want to say I don't agree with everything in this book, however I don't have to cause this is a story about someone's life-journey and therefore not about agreement but sharing insight to his life and how he went through the event of becoming sick, needing emergency surgery and how illness affected him.
It really shows throughout the books the ups and downs with diagnosis, misdiagnosis and how disease and illness can affect relationships around you.
his meeting with the dreaded "Void" breakups and heartache, anxiety and treatment it all felt relatable and very raw.
The art is in black and white very simplistic as if it meant to not create a distraction from the story it self.
I was debating if it was a 3,5 or a 4 but settled on a 4 as it did affect me.
It really shows throughout the books the ups and downs with diagnosis, misdiagnosis and how disease and illness can affect relationships around you.
his meeting with the dreaded "Void" breakups and heartache, anxiety and treatment it all felt relatable and very raw.
The art is in black and white very simplistic as if it meant to not create a distraction from the story it self.
I was debating if it was a 3,5 or a 4 but settled on a 4 as it did affect me.
jannie_mtl's review against another edition
4.0
A poignant memoir of the author/artist and his struggles with mental and physical illness.
boygirlparty's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book with tears streaming down my face. If you are prone to depression, have had any kind of mysterious illness or medical mystery, have seen a loved one suffer through medical treatment, or are simply a compassionate person, expect this one to hit you hard. Especially the eponymous story.
I have always loved the work of John P. and the deceptive simplicity of his work.
His work is so relatable; Reading it, he feels like a long lost friend.
And maybe it's that feeling of knowing him through the years -- combined with his perfect pitch story telling and simple, effective line work -- that affected me so much.
These stories are united by hospital visits, psychological issues, allergies, pain. Things that hurt just to read about.
It's a beautiful autobiographical graphic memoir (MariNaomi tells me this is the preferred terminology for non fiction comics) told in shorter vignettes about true helplessness, illness and depression; striving to find solace in simplicity, in religion, in acceptance, in self-imposed rules; change and recurrent themes in life.
"I guess I just need to act as if I'm going to survive." p.75
"Maisie… don't forget -- whatever happens -- my whole heart loves your whole heart…" to his cat. p. 78
I have always loved the work of John P. and the deceptive simplicity of his work.
His work is so relatable; Reading it, he feels like a long lost friend.
And maybe it's that feeling of knowing him through the years -- combined with his perfect pitch story telling and simple, effective line work -- that affected me so much.
These stories are united by hospital visits, psychological issues, allergies, pain. Things that hurt just to read about.
It's a beautiful autobiographical graphic memoir (MariNaomi tells me this is the preferred terminology for non fiction comics) told in shorter vignettes about true helplessness, illness and depression; striving to find solace in simplicity, in religion, in acceptance, in self-imposed rules; change and recurrent themes in life.
"I guess I just need to act as if I'm going to survive." p.75
"Maisie… don't forget -- whatever happens -- my whole heart loves your whole heart…" to his cat. p. 78
naiya_i's review against another edition
4.0
This book reminded me a bit too much of myself. Parts of it were a bit hard to read because of that.
acinthedc's review against another edition
3.0
Porcellino depicts a period of turmoil in his life. In the first piece he's sick, the doctors can't figure out what's wrong, and he ends up having surgery. As he recovers and moves from Denver to Chicago, his marriage falls apart. In the last piece, he dives into his mental health problems - generalized anxiety, depression, and obsessive compulsive tendencies. This latter piece is the strongest. Porcellino does a great job of relaying his experiences as a person with a mental illness. He describes the frustration of knowing he's not well, the inability to stop his compulsive behavior, and his repeated searches to get better through a variety of means - dietary, naturopathic, talk therapy, exposure response prevention therapy, and medication. The artwork is simple and the storytelling is straightforward. Overall, a compelling memoir. 3.5 out 5