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jenna_rren86's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, and Violence
Moderate: Mental illness, Drug use, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Self harm, Vomit, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic friendship
mehsi's review against another edition
Voor nu geen rating. Ik heb namelijk geen idee wat ik dit moet raten of hoe ik dit moet reviewen. Het was op punten interessant maar soms had ik het gevoel dat, om dit boek echt te snappen, je high of dronken moet zijn. De art was wel echt heel creatief en origineel en kleurrijk.
kassiani's review against another edition
really liked the art, the story less so.
lanternatomika's review against another edition
5.0
Y'know, a lot of people fantasize about buying a big ol house in the suburbs or the countryside, and I've never been able to relate to that desire. Seems like a pretty boring way to live, tbh. Humans are fascinating, complicated, and they can be beautiful just as often as they're ugly. I think humans are the most interesting things on Earth, and I'm not interested in running away from them.
The City of Belgium is Brecht Evens' exploration of humans amid the cacophony of a city, though even now, I'm not entirely sure what city it was supposed to be. I know for sure that it is Belgium because one of the main characters of the story is moving to Germany with a truck.
That guy is Jona, a man who grew up in this city and is melancholic about leaving, even though he's looking forward to being with his wife. On his last night, he pays a visit to a restaurant, where we meet three other characters: Rodolphe, formerly known as the party hound Baron Samedi, and Victoria, a girl with mental health issues that cloud her experience of life.
His story is the most concrete, as his past starts catching up to him on this fateful night, but I wouldn't recommend The City of Belgium to anyone who's looking for a clear and solid plot line. The characters drift through this one night, the city a colorful backdrop so busy that it can hardly pay attention to any of them. You could basically walk around the streets naked and no one'd notice. What Evens wants you to take away from this book is that he draws so many millions of people in this book, and you're only seeing the stories of three of them. Are they even the three most remarkable people in the city? You get glimpses that suggest they're not.
There are heartbreaking moments, but there are also tender and heartwarming ones. And interestingly, there's a lot going on underneath the surface. This is one you'd wanna read more than once.
Nothing about the writing stands out quite as much as the artwork, though. Heck, I'd say that this isn't even a very original story concept, but Evens really elevates it with his watercolor art style. He switches between so many styles, and there are pages here that look incredibly busy at first, but have detail and texture to them at a closer look. It might be one of the prettiest books I've read all year.
The City of Belgium is one that really flies under the radar - I basically only picked this up because the cover looked pretty and other Goodreaders liked it. But I do recommend it, if only because it's a lot of food for thought.
The City of Belgium is Brecht Evens' exploration of humans amid the cacophony of a city, though even now, I'm not entirely sure what city it was supposed to be. I know for sure that it is Belgium because one of the main characters of the story is moving to Germany with a truck.
That guy is Jona, a man who grew up in this city and is melancholic about leaving, even though he's looking forward to being with his wife. On his last night, he pays a visit to a restaurant, where we meet three other characters: Rodolphe, formerly known as the party hound Baron Samedi, and Victoria, a girl with mental health issues that cloud her experience of life.
His story is the most concrete, as his past starts catching up to him on this fateful night, but I wouldn't recommend The City of Belgium to anyone who's looking for a clear and solid plot line. The characters drift through this one night, the city a colorful backdrop so busy that it can hardly pay attention to any of them. You could basically walk around the streets naked and no one'd notice. What Evens wants you to take away from this book is that he draws so many millions of people in this book, and you're only seeing the stories of three of them. Are they even the three most remarkable people in the city? You get glimpses that suggest they're not.
There are heartbreaking moments, but there are also tender and heartwarming ones. And interestingly, there's a lot going on underneath the surface. This is one you'd wanna read more than once.
Nothing about the writing stands out quite as much as the artwork, though. Heck, I'd say that this isn't even a very original story concept, but Evens really elevates it with his watercolor art style. He switches between so many styles, and there are pages here that look incredibly busy at first, but have detail and texture to them at a closer look. It might be one of the prettiest books I've read all year.
The City of Belgium is one that really flies under the radar - I basically only picked this up because the cover looked pretty and other Goodreaders liked it. But I do recommend it, if only because it's a lot of food for thought.
goggleknits's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
clairedelaney's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
manoncremers's review against another edition
4.0
Een prachtig vormgegeven mozaïek van menselijke relaties in al z'n subtiliteiten. Voor mij wel de meest diepgaande van Brecht Evens, maar zoals altijd neemt de vorm wel de bovenhand op de inhoud.
3.5 sterren
3.5 sterren
robin_dh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ines_vermeylen's review against another edition
4.0
Als je ooit een boek zou moeten lezen alleen al voor de graphics dan is het deze jongens xx