Reviews

Excuse Me: Cartoons, Complaints, and Notes to Self by Liana Finck

mogojojo1013's review

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4.0

Humorous and light at some points, deep and poignant and intimate at others. This is a great read that will make you feel less alone in this world.

lsparrow's review

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4.0

sometimes the most simple drawings can convey the most.

artist_lace's review

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emotional funny reflective fast-paced

4.0

If you suffer from anxiety, or are a woman in or near her 30s, this collection of cartoons may hit home for you. Thoughtfully divided into sections based on topics like “Gender Politics and Politics in General,” “Time, Space, and How to Navigate Them,” and “Strangeness, Shyness, and Sadness.” I found things I could relate to in each section.

My favorite section comes at the very end, “Notes to Self” which consists of several lists: “Things That Make Me Panic,” “Things That Calm Me Down,” “Things I'm Ashamed I Can't Do.”

lauralily24's review

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funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

meredith_summers's review

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emotional funny fast-paced

5.0

floraelmcolone's review

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4.0

God for a quirky and largely buzzfeed-feminism feeling book of comics the last three pages made me cry harder than anything else I’ve read in recent memory

suspendedinair's review

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5.0

It would be an oversimplification to call Liana Finck a millennial Roz Chast, but my brain is simple, so that's what I'll do. This collection of comics is full of the kinds of romantic, work, and existential woes you can only respond to with laughter or homicide.

If Goodreads had the option to upload pictures, I would definitely do that. But instead, I'll describe to you, because SOMEONE SOMEWHERE is reading this, right?, a few of my favorite drawings:

We see two people in a public restroom: one on a toilet, in a stall, and one at the sink, in front of the mirror. The person on the toilet thinks, "I'm not peeing till she leaves." The person at the mirror thinks, "I'm not leaving till she pees." (It's just so relatable. Who hasn't spent an exorbitant amount of time in the bathroom, just to make someone else more uncomfortable?)

Two apples are talking. One says "We need to stop comparing ourselves to oranges!"

A woman is drawing on a sheet of paper. Someone in another room calls, "Ooh, what are you making?" She answers, "Enemies."

Finally, Liana shares a list called 'Things That Will Forsake You.' It's pretty comprehensive; here's what's on it:
1. Your Judgement
2. Your ability to say no and other things you mean
3. Your ability to concentrate on things outside yourself
4. Your ability to concentrate on things inside yourself
5. Eye contact
6. Ability to speak
7. Ability to breathe
8. Ability to stay awake
9. Ability to sleep
10. Your facade
11. All sense of proportion

In short, it's a nice, pretty little reminder that things have sucked for a long time, not just since March 2020.

avglauren's review

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2.0

Well that's over
Poetry in comics is not my thing, but this was funny at times

dorothy_gale's review

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4.0

4★: COMPILATION OF COMICS -- NOT A STORY/NARRATIVE. The majority of the comics were amusing. I liked the author's [b:Let There Be Light|59633863|Let There Be Light|Liana Finck|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1638838334l/59633863._SY75_.jpg|93906575] better.

ingridostby's review

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5.0

I've never related to anything more in my life. I feel like Liana gets me more than most humans on Earth. She's tuned into herself in a highly perceptive way and knows how to get that down, however painfully, acutely, on paper, and it's amusing, hilarious, sad, funny, hopeful, everything.