Scan barcode
anneschreurs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
nwhyte's review
3.0
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3194290.html
This won the Prix St-Michel for Best Dutch-language Album of 2015, and I hunted it down to broaden my knowledge. It's the story of Simon, a failing bookseller who witnesses a woman committing suicide on the train line in the Biesbosch near his storage cabin. The experience brings back his memories of the death of a childhood friend who had been bullied at school; he also gets entangled with a young student who is researching magical realism, while his wife Laura continues to press him to close the family store for good. The art is nicely done and well observed; the plot doesn't quite deliver, but it is an interesting journey.
This won the Prix St-Michel for Best Dutch-language Album of 2015, and I hunted it down to broaden my knowledge. It's the story of Simon, a failing bookseller who witnesses a woman committing suicide on the train line in the Biesbosch near his storage cabin. The experience brings back his memories of the death of a childhood friend who had been bullied at school; he also gets entangled with a young student who is researching magical realism, while his wife Laura continues to press him to close the family store for good. The art is nicely done and well observed; the plot doesn't quite deliver, but it is an interesting journey.
globosdepensamiento's review against another edition
4.0
Quería que mi primera lectura del año fuera otra, pero me puse a hojear este debut de la animadora Aimée de Jongh (que vendrá a la HeroesCon de Valencia) y ya no pude parar. Ha sido un giro inesperado del destino (en el que no creo) porque, bueno, ha resultado que el tema de fondo es el aprender a dejar atrás el pasado, aceptar los errores cometidos como parte de quienes somos ahora y saber empezar desde cero una nueva etapa, aunque duela.
Y lo he leído el 1 de enero de un año en el que tengo puestas muchas expectativas y que va a suponer un cambio en mi vida en muchos aspectos. Así que ha sido una experiencia rara, pero redonda. Feliz año nuevo, indeed.
Y lo he leído el 1 de enero de un año en el que tengo puestas muchas expectativas y que va a suponer un cambio en mi vida en muchos aspectos. Así que ha sido una experiencia rara, pero redonda. Feliz año nuevo, indeed.
kathleenverhetsel's review
4.0
Ik wist niet goed wat ik moest verwachten van deze graphic novel, want ik ken Aimee vooral van haar korte stripjes over haar dagelijkse leven. Maar ik was aangenaam verrast. De tekenstijl is knap en veel realistischer dan wat ik van haar gewend ben. Het verhaal was ook behoorlijk interessant en complexer dan ik in eerste instantie dacht dat het ging zijn. Dus ja, graag gelezen.
n8duke's review against another edition
2.0
A book about an AWFUL white man going through a difficult time. I did not care for this, but the art was nice.
monique_horn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I loved the illustration style in this graphic novel-- there is just something so appealing about the simple contrast of hard blacks upon a white canvas. More than that, the harsh contrast helps to portray how dark the narrative is. I think that the illustrative style of the images suited the overall tone of the narrative and levied some of the weight of the heavy subject matter.
However good the illustrations were, though, the plot left something more to be desired.I personally think that the suicide of the woman and the accidental death of Simon's friend could've been separate stories, as they are two completely different events taking place in two separate parts of his life. I understand the present story needs to have something that triggers, and therefore leads into past events, but I don't think that the present event needs to be as extreme as what happened in the past-- the woman's death triggering memories of Simon's friend's death for example. It would've been better if the trigger was something simpler, like Simon running into one of the boys that bullied his friend, and that was the thing which triggered his trauma-- this event connects the past and present and gives focus to one key event. Since there are two deaths in the plot they somewhat take away from each other, and the significance of what happened to Simon's friend is dulled and doesn't have the impact I felt it could have-- especially since the death of the woman happens at the beginning of the novel. I felt the story struggled to bring the two events together succinctly and because of this the entire narrative suffered.
I personally don't think the symbol of the honey buzzard worked. I liked the "idea" of the symbol. I thought that it could have been something that was really beautiful and poetic but I don't think it added anything to the story. I feel as though symbols are meant to add a deeper understanding to the subtext, but this symbol meandered and never quite got there in the end. I kept getting the feeling that this was one of he earlier ideas the author had for the story they just couldn't let go of.. which I get, but at the same time you should always do what is best for the story.
Overall this was a very quick read that I enjoyed enough, but I feel as though so much more could've been done and the author could've taken their time and delved further into the depths.. but alas.
4/10
However good the illustrations were, though, the plot left something more to be desired.
I personally don't think the symbol of the honey buzzard worked. I liked the "idea" of the symbol. I thought that it could have been something that was really beautiful and poetic but I don't think it added anything to the story. I feel as though symbols are meant to add a deeper understanding to the subtext, but this symbol meandered and never quite got there in the end. I kept getting the feeling that this was one of he earlier ideas the author had for the story they just couldn't let go of.. which I get, but at the same time you should always do what is best for the story.
Overall this was a very quick read that I enjoyed enough, but I feel as though so much more could've been done and the author could've taken their time and delved further into the depths.. but alas.
4/10
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, and Suicide
ekfmef's review
4.0
This is the first graphic novel I've ever read so I have no idea what the norm is. I think you shouldn't read this with your mind but with your heart. Wow. What a reading experience. Yes, it's a bit contrived, it doesn't fit the medical facts- and yet... it hits you like a sledgehammer. I wish it had been longer, to give De Jongh more time to develop the story arcs close to the end.
areaxbiologist's review against another edition
4.0
Gorgeous, brutal, Gus Van Sant-like, and full of tiny brilliant details. Deals with death, the paralytic feeling that it's better to make no choice than choose, and losing out to the future. What is the right way to give up when you're fighting a losing battle? The author connects this through the story of the honey buzzards, a childhood accident, a suicide, and the death of an independent bookstore. As Simon (the independent book store owner) comes to terms with his experiences,
failures, and his need to choose, his brain creates an 'angel' to help him see that he cannot change the past. I loved how sad this was. I like sad acoustic guitar songs for the same reason I like this book. They use their beauty to make the tragedy more poignant.
failures, and his need to choose, his brain creates an 'angel' to help him see that he cannot change the past.