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pemangsya's review
3.0
graphic memoar with the struggle of a woman to revive from her awful sex experience, alcoholism, and addictiion
stormmanning's review
4.0
This memoir of ‘female shame’ really tore in to my heart with its intimate authenticity. Erin Williams’ story does not bow down to normal conventions of removing banality and hiding the grittier aspects of life. This story is raw with honesty and flays your heart open like a fresh wound ready to take a repeated pounding. Maybe it was just me. Maybe it was the simplistic artistic style that did not aspire to perfection but rather existed as a visual representation of Williams’ message of shining a light on all of the things we try to hide. This story is not an easy read but that makes it all the more worthy of your time.
Pros:
Commute was an incredibly authentic story that lent weight and respect to the gritty and honest themes that were present (and darker in nature than I had anticipated). The impact of sexual abuse, addiction and the constant fight for recovery was evident throughout this book. It was real, scathingly honest and painted a picture that was hard to look away from.
I loved the banal elements in this book. At first I thought they were making an irreverent commentary on the unimportance of everything else in her life. Rather, the story highlighted the small, inconsequential events that we take for granted everyday. It lent a positive light on to the small victories that we almost forget about winning.
The message of being a sexual object or being invisible was one I hadn’t considered before but started to notice everywhere once I knew what to look for. It’s mind bogglingly simple as an idea and yet so complex and intricate in real life.
Cons:
I mean this with all due respect considering the content matter of this book, but it seemed to lacked a consideration for the similar circumstances many men face in their lifetime. They are not exempt from painful experiences of sexual abuse, addiction and recovery. I can see why they would have been painted as the ‘bad guys’ in this novel. I even agree with majority of the stereotypes placed on them as a whole. What I would have liked to have seen however, was some indication of the fact that women are not the only ones who struggle with these issues.
The onus of blame in regards to addiction was a tough one to swallow in this story. There never seems to be a ‘right answer’ or one direct person to blame. You can’t even blame the addict. I loved and yet disliked that this story did not have a clear or simple ending.
Pros:
Commute was an incredibly authentic story that lent weight and respect to the gritty and honest themes that were present (and darker in nature than I had anticipated). The impact of sexual abuse, addiction and the constant fight for recovery was evident throughout this book. It was real, scathingly honest and painted a picture that was hard to look away from.
I loved the banal elements in this book. At first I thought they were making an irreverent commentary on the unimportance of everything else in her life. Rather, the story highlighted the small, inconsequential events that we take for granted everyday. It lent a positive light on to the small victories that we almost forget about winning.
The message of being a sexual object or being invisible was one I hadn’t considered before but started to notice everywhere once I knew what to look for. It’s mind bogglingly simple as an idea and yet so complex and intricate in real life.
Cons:
I mean this with all due respect considering the content matter of this book, but it seemed to lacked a consideration for the similar circumstances many men face in their lifetime. They are not exempt from painful experiences of sexual abuse, addiction and recovery. I can see why they would have been painted as the ‘bad guys’ in this novel. I even agree with majority of the stereotypes placed on them as a whole. What I would have liked to have seen however, was some indication of the fact that women are not the only ones who struggle with these issues.
The onus of blame in regards to addiction was a tough one to swallow in this story. There never seems to be a ‘right answer’ or one direct person to blame. You can’t even blame the addict. I loved and yet disliked that this story did not have a clear or simple ending.
lilacsoutofthedeadland_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
3.5
thequeeraunt's review
4.0
Commute is at times an uncomfortable read, but an important one.
Williams' reminiscences about alcoholism, sexual assault, and motherhood follows a meandering train of thought through what one can assume is an average workday. She is introspective and self-critical while also pointing out the social and external pressures that lead to destructive behavior. Her art is simple and direct - color is used sparingly for emphasis, but the majority of the memoir is in grayscale. Do not read Commute expecting a triumphant story of self-actualization. Williams embraces her own journey as a work-in-progress and while the message is perhaps a hopeful one, there is a lot of discomfort along the way.
I would recommend Commute to fans of the graphic memoir as a sub-genre of memoirs, and those who have an interest in the way that shame and social pressures influence us throughout our lives. There's a reason that Williams uses the word "shame" in her subtitle, and it is a theme that permeates the entire work.
Williams' reminiscences about alcoholism, sexual assault, and motherhood follows a meandering train of thought through what one can assume is an average workday. She is introspective and self-critical while also pointing out the social and external pressures that lead to destructive behavior. Her art is simple and direct - color is used sparingly for emphasis, but the majority of the memoir is in grayscale. Do not read Commute expecting a triumphant story of self-actualization. Williams embraces her own journey as a work-in-progress and while the message is perhaps a hopeful one, there is a lot of discomfort along the way.
I would recommend Commute to fans of the graphic memoir as a sub-genre of memoirs, and those who have an interest in the way that shame and social pressures influence us throughout our lives. There's a reason that Williams uses the word "shame" in her subtitle, and it is a theme that permeates the entire work.
dipali17's review
2.0
** A copy of Commute was provided by the publisher and Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review **
This is a very raw and dark graphic novel about shame, sexual harassment, alcoholism and sexism. It was a bit too dark for me and I didn't connect to the illustration style but I'm sure they are others who will better appreciate this deeply necessary memoir.
This is a very raw and dark graphic novel about shame, sexual harassment, alcoholism and sexism. It was a bit too dark for me and I didn't connect to the illustration style but I'm sure they are others who will better appreciate this deeply necessary memoir.
kllyholt's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcoholism and Pregnancy
chelseamartinez's review
3.0
I read this as the first book after a long while of not reading much during my remote teaching due to COVID. To me the most interesting part was learning of the author's return to school and development of a new interior world with an interest in cancer biology. I have a lot of feelings about how I did/did not get to know my students this semester due to remote setting and my own failings, and this was simply a good reminder to not have preconceived notions of where my students are coming from. I didn't agree with some of the global statements as the book wrapped up, but that really doesn't matter. It was interesting to hear how the author's interest in storytelling and drawing also happened later in life. There is a great illustration of a breast pump.
mirzapan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault