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lindsayb's review against another edition
3.0
Not being quite the arty type, I was introduced to and fell in love with Man Ray's work during an art appreciation class my freshman year of college. I melted when I got to see a lot of his work in the flesh at an amazing Surrealist exhibit at the Met in 2002. "Le Violon d'Ingres" has adorned the background of my MP3 player ever since I got it five years ago. His output with Kiki de Montparnasse as his muse remains some of my favorite work of his, but never have I come across anything about the personal life of this woman. So I was extra excited when I read about the existence of this graphic novel.
This hefty tome covers a near yearly account of Kiki's life, and we get a clear picture of just how rooted she was in the art world from the late 1910s onward. I wondered, though, by the time I was deep in the novel, about the aims of the author. I had a feeling he wanted to elicit a feeling of sympathy for the tragedy in Kiki's life, but I found her to be simply neurotic much of the time. Sure, her hard-knock upbringing didn't give her a terribly strong foundation, and there were a few instances where I truly felt sorry for her, but mostly I just saw a woman who didn't know what she wanted and demanded a lot without any real consideration for those around her. Her naivete seemed to have persisted through most of her life. This hardly seems emancipated, as the book's synopsis claims her to be...unless you consider emancipation the ability to live in Paris by hopping from one man's bed to another and doing lots of blow. Not quite the person I'd suggest a young woman to look up to. DESPITE THIS, I really did appreciate the chance to get a glimpse into the life of this legend, which I might not have otherwise come across, and it has prompted me to go back and search through all my books for images of Kiki now that I have a better understanding of her as a person.
This hefty tome covers a near yearly account of Kiki's life, and we get a clear picture of just how rooted she was in the art world from the late 1910s onward. I wondered, though, by the time I was deep in the novel, about the aims of the author. I had a feeling he wanted to elicit a feeling of sympathy for the tragedy in Kiki's life, but I found her to be simply neurotic much of the time. Sure, her hard-knock upbringing didn't give her a terribly strong foundation, and there were a few instances where I truly felt sorry for her, but mostly I just saw a woman who didn't know what she wanted and demanded a lot without any real consideration for those around her. Her naivete seemed to have persisted through most of her life. This hardly seems emancipated, as the book's synopsis claims her to be...unless you consider emancipation the ability to live in Paris by hopping from one man's bed to another and doing lots of blow. Not quite the person I'd suggest a young woman to look up to. DESPITE THIS, I really did appreciate the chance to get a glimpse into the life of this legend, which I might not have otherwise come across, and it has prompted me to go back and search through all my books for images of Kiki now that I have a better understanding of her as a person.
christajls's review against another edition
4.0
The story of Kiki de Montparnasse is both an admirable and a tragic one.
The back of the book describes her as “one of the first emancipated women of the 20th century.” And the authors of this graphic novel, certainly make that case. But when all was said and done I found myself wondering if that was the most accurate description of the Queen de Montparnasse.
Kiki (born Alice Prin) is the definition of coming from nothing. Born an illegitimate child in a small French village, her mother ran off to Paris, leaving her to be raised by her very poor grandmother. She was a bit of a wild child – running unencumbered through the streets. But when she was twelve they could no longer afford the extra mouth and sent her off to Paris to live with her mother. Unable to live the way her distant mother wanted her to, she began to pursue her own unique lifestyle as model to some of the greatest artists of the early 20th century. And this is where the admirable part of her story kicks off.
To read the rest of this review check out Paris Month on Just a Lil Lost
The back of the book describes her as “one of the first emancipated women of the 20th century.” And the authors of this graphic novel, certainly make that case. But when all was said and done I found myself wondering if that was the most accurate description of the Queen de Montparnasse.
Kiki (born Alice Prin) is the definition of coming from nothing. Born an illegitimate child in a small French village, her mother ran off to Paris, leaving her to be raised by her very poor grandmother. She was a bit of a wild child – running unencumbered through the streets. But when she was twelve they could no longer afford the extra mouth and sent her off to Paris to live with her mother. Unable to live the way her distant mother wanted her to, she began to pursue her own unique lifestyle as model to some of the greatest artists of the early 20th century. And this is where the admirable part of her story kicks off.
To read the rest of this review check out Paris Month on Just a Lil Lost
sallywilde's review against another edition
5.0
Ouvrage très complet sur la vie de cette muse et artiste des années folles, dans un Paris décidément tout petit où se croise, se percute, s'enlace le destin de ses (futures) célèbres compagnons de route: Man Ray, Breton, Fujita, Modigliani... Les dessins en noir et blanc de Catel Muller sont énergiques et pleins de détails. J'ai aimé par exemple le fait que chaque chapitre est marqué par une nouvelle coupe de cheveux de Kiki, reflet historique des modes de l'époque. Une fois la BD terminée (ce qui prend du temps, on en a pour son argent), une chronologie et une série de biographies des artistes mentionnés viennent compléter l'oeuvre.
elemmakil's review against another edition
4.0
Tämän naisen selkä ja ahteri olivat ennestään minulle tuttuja valokuvien kautta, ja nimi Montparnassen Kikikin kuulosti etäisesti tutulta. Itse ihmisestä en kuitenkaan tiennyt mitään, ja tämä upeasti taustoitettu massiivinen graafinen novelli kertoi hienolla tapaa Kikin melko traagisen elämäntarinan. Vaikka kirja vilisee 1920-luvun taiteilijoita, niin heitä ei tarvitse tuntea tai olla kiinnostunut heidän taiteestaan, jotta tätä jaksaisi lukea.
taleofabibliophile's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Police brutality, and Abortion
jamiezaccaria's review against another edition
5.0
A brilliant graphic novel for a brilliant woman. I confess to knowing nothing about Kiki before reading and am now fully invested in her story. The funny, sad, amazing story of a woman surviving, and at times thriving, in a world often unkind to creative and free women. I hope she knows she got her own graphic novel, I think that would please her. Bravo!
germancho's review against another edition
4.0
Lindo, lleno de historia pero tal vez un poco corto en cuanto al elemento humano.
mangosmar's review against another edition
2.0
Loved the comic style, but the story itself felt more like a collection of moments than a novel. I don't feel like I really got to know the characters. I suppose it's difficult to do a biography differently, but still.