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tyranosarahrex's review
2.0
Industry - 1 star
Infinite wait - 2 stars
A strange and curious place - 5 stars
Infinite wait - 2 stars
A strange and curious place - 5 stars
jwinchell's review
5.0
This is a masterfully done graphic memoir: it's an authentic outpouring of Wertz's quirks/surliness, struggles to come to terms with her lupus, battles with her alcoholism, and her evolution as a cartoonist. I cracked up at her interactions with her bro; freaking nerds! Librarians everywhere should read the final section "A Strange and Curious Place."
basilbasil's review
3.0
Not a lot of "deep truths", but I know that wasn't the point. Certainly entertaining, Wertz has lived a lot of life and has a great sense of humor.
ivanssister's review
3.0
Take away the lupus and the artistic expression, and I feel like Julia and I have a lot in common. Her humor (and Buster Bluth impressions) made the tale of her diagnosis and struggle with lupus an interesting read.
wanderaven's review
4.0
Last year, I read Relish by Lucy Knisley and it made me all fired up about reading more graphic novels. Granted, Knisley's book was pretty much tailor-made for me; I loved the illustrations and, of course, the whole food thing. But I thought that if there were books like hers out there, I definitely wanted to experience more of them.
It's been a busy few weeks to the start of the new year, and so although one my new year's resolutions was to read more graphic novels, I've definitely been behind. Then my sister told me about one she read, explaining that she thought I would particularly appreciate the final story in the book. My local library doesn't carry it, and the same day I was going to order it online, it showed up in the mail, a gift from my sister.
I love her explanation for the title: "The title 'Infinite Wait' is a very elaborate inside joke. Normally I do not like the pretentious, lyrical titles of little to no substance or direction, but the idea of someone plucking this book from the shelf, expecting the next New York, literary elite effort and finding a comic book of jokes and rude words is highly amusing to me."
Industry is about Wertz's non-comic-book related jobs over the years, and how she talked (and drew) her way into her dream job. The Infinite Wait is how she fell ill with lupus, and her process with the disease. The final story, which is the one for which my sister gifted me the book, A Strange and Curious Place, is certainly the one to which I can most relate. Wertz writes about how, throughout any traumatic or needful times in her life, she's turned to books and libraries for the first help. This has also always been my method for dealing with life's challenges, as well. The story is endearing, sweet, and explains better than I probably ever will the sometimes inexplicably emotional connections we have to books.
It's been a busy few weeks to the start of the new year, and so although one my new year's resolutions was to read more graphic novels, I've definitely been behind. Then my sister told me about one she read, explaining that she thought I would particularly appreciate the final story in the book. My local library doesn't carry it, and the same day I was going to order it online, it showed up in the mail, a gift from my sister.
I love her explanation for the title: "The title 'Infinite Wait' is a very elaborate inside joke. Normally I do not like the pretentious, lyrical titles of little to no substance or direction, but the idea of someone plucking this book from the shelf, expecting the next New York, literary elite effort and finding a comic book of jokes and rude words is highly amusing to me."
Industry is about Wertz's non-comic-book related jobs over the years, and how she talked (and drew) her way into her dream job. The Infinite Wait is how she fell ill with lupus, and her process with the disease. The final story, which is the one for which my sister gifted me the book, A Strange and Curious Place, is certainly the one to which I can most relate. Wertz writes about how, throughout any traumatic or needful times in her life, she's turned to books and libraries for the first help. This has also always been my method for dealing with life's challenges, as well. The story is endearing, sweet, and explains better than I probably ever will the sometimes inexplicably emotional connections we have to books.
ajaggers324's review
5.0
This is an excellent example of graphic medicine and a book I think everyone should read. It is funny, but also serious. The short story, "The Infinite Wait," is a great read for healthcare professionals to read to get a look at what might be happening below the surface. It gives you great empathy for people dealing with chronic illnesses.
I particularly enjoyed the parts where she talks about getting into comics and discovering that comics was what she wanted to do. It speaks to anyone is adrift about what they want to do. You never know what might strike a chord with you.
Do not expect high brow literature. This is not that. Do expect hilarious stories. An earnest point of view. A glance in what it is like to be an unapologetic person. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am a librarian and this book is now on the shelves of my library.
I particularly enjoyed the parts where she talks about getting into comics and discovering that comics was what she wanted to do. It speaks to anyone is adrift about what they want to do. You never know what might strike a chord with you.
Do not expect high brow literature. This is not that. Do expect hilarious stories. An earnest point of view. A glance in what it is like to be an unapologetic person. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am a librarian and this book is now on the shelves of my library.
kricketa's review
5.0
first read, october 2012:
a collection of three short stories from wertz: all the jobs she has ever worked, her systemic lupus diagnosis (josh: "i'm gonna call it 'poopus') and a love story about her childhood library. all of them fantastically illustrated & hilarious.
of note: some of these fart jokes i'd already read on her website, and i still laughed my ass off reading them the second time.
Second read, August 2023: Wow, you can tell me the same fart joke thrice and I'll laugh each time.
a collection of three short stories from wertz: all the jobs she has ever worked, her systemic lupus diagnosis (josh: "i'm gonna call it 'poopus') and a love story about her childhood library. all of them fantastically illustrated & hilarious.
of note: some of these fart jokes i'd already read on her website, and i still laughed my ass off reading them the second time.
Second read, August 2023: Wow, you can tell me the same fart joke thrice and I'll laugh each time.
librarianmillie's review
5.0
I love Julia Wertz. Her graphic novels really capture the essence of living like a misanthropic piece of shit through your 20s. (No judgement, Julia and I are very close in age and share similar life views. I ,too, was a misanthrope through most of my teens and early adulthood.) Whereas most of us grow-out of that stage, or sell-out if you ask my friends from high school who still wear bondage pants, Wertz keeps the artistic dream alive and is all the better for it. Drinking at the Movies put a humorous view on addiction and agoraphobia, The Infinite Wait and Other Stories is darker, more nuanced, and self-reflective. I missed some of the humor of Wertz's earlier work, but I appreciated how honest this book feels. Plus I have to say the first section of this book, where Wertz goes through every shitty job she ever had, could be a blueprint for my college years and beyond. The last section where Wertz thanks the library and librarians for forming who she is, as a librarian myself, almost made me cry. This is a great book and Wertz is a great artist.