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sydneyrp143's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
eamwilliams504's review against another edition
2.0
Wanted to try more graphic novels and comics this year...not sure this was where to start but at least it only took 10 mins to read.
Interesting concept...
Interesting concept...
haddocks_eyes's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rebeccacider's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty art, and I always welcome a graphic novel about back-to-the-landers in a dystopian setting, but I felt the story was weak.
The gender politics here were weird - Maggie's "regressive" domesticity is portrayed as a natural consequence of being constantly pregnant & breastfeeding. But her actual work "at home" includes heavy-duty tasks like animal husbandry. Meanwhile, the male work (agriculture) is outside the home - Maggie's husband and Eric literally drive to their field. There could be some worldbuilding reason that their arable land isn't right next to the house, but it seems like an artificial way to make the point that living off the land == gendered labor.
Meanwhile, because Syd is enjoying her work, we get the impression that women's labor is all fun and games (knitting! cheese-making!) while men's work is real labor. The storytelling reflects Syd and Eric's experiences of their new life, but as a consequence we never get to see Syd washing laundry all day or slaughtering all those chickens.
Tl;dr: this graphic novel raises some interesting questions but would benefit from an infusion of feminism.
The gender politics here were weird - Maggie's "regressive" domesticity is portrayed as a natural consequence of being constantly pregnant & breastfeeding. But her actual work "at home" includes heavy-duty tasks like animal husbandry. Meanwhile, the male work (agriculture) is outside the home - Maggie's husband and Eric literally drive to their field. There could be some worldbuilding reason that their arable land isn't right next to the house, but it seems like an artificial way to make the point that living off the land == gendered labor.
Meanwhile, because Syd is enjoying her work, we get the impression that women's labor is all fun and games (knitting! cheese-making!) while men's work is real labor. The storytelling reflects Syd and Eric's experiences of their new life, but as a consequence we never get to see Syd washing laundry all day or slaughtering all those chickens.
Tl;dr: this graphic novel raises some interesting questions but would benefit from an infusion of feminism.
nick_jenkins's review against another edition
3.0
This would have been much better if it had been longer. I have no idea why Goldstein decided to truncate what is obviously a much more fully imagined and interesting world.
angelofthe0dd's review against another edition
4.0
This short graphic novel is set in a post-apocalyptic world, but it could be set anywhere the line between life and death is a fine one. The theme of the book is: there are two kinds of people in world (with respect to living day to day). There are those that are willing to become worker bees in a large collective. Their lives have no meaning outside of their contribution to the rulers of the hive and the continuation of the hive as an artificial human ecosystem. For worker bees, the emptiness of their lives is an inner, bitter pain. But, their masters have a remedy - food and distraction! The hive is hard-wired with 1000s of media outlets to help chase away the thoughts of what does it mean to live.
On the other hand, there are some who do not want to be in the hive. They want to live out their lives the way all other animals do: scratching out a living from the Earth, trying to stay one step ahead of death each and every day. For them, there are no distractions. They want the question of life to stare them directly in the eyes. They're willing to trade modern comforts in exchange for the feeling of independence and having control over their fates. They write the story of their lives - for better or worse.
On the other hand, there are some who do not want to be in the hive. They want to live out their lives the way all other animals do: scratching out a living from the Earth, trying to stay one step ahead of death each and every day. For them, there are no distractions. They want the question of life to stare them directly in the eyes. They're willing to trade modern comforts in exchange for the feeling of independence and having control over their fates. They write the story of their lives - for better or worse.
pathfinder's review against another edition
den va allt den skulle vara! Intressant kort berättelse, framför allt så bra upplaga och tydliga paneler och lättläst och koncis. en glimt av en värld :)
dawnoftheread's review against another edition
5.0
http://www.unshelved.com/bookclub/2015-12-4#9781935233336
_morgreads's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75