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hjfritz27's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
drsldn's review
5.0
almost perfect except that some of the writing was teeny-tiny and I couldn't read it easily!!
oao's review
2.0
It has maybe the smallest font I’ve ever seen in print.
Overall felt like a missed opportunity to me. This “book” is fun in format— it looks like a board game head on; it features a variety of mediums like books, booklets, pamphlets, newspaper, and one thing I liked the most--a folded board that gives DM’s screen feeling which makes a nice backdrop to aid vibes.
However the storyline(00s, Chicago, mundane, middle age, inner activities, patriarchal hetero dynamics) and the art style didn’t really speak to me.
Didn’t even finish.
I particularly hated the bee story (which is brief and I did finish)([Micheal DeForge did one step better in the same direction). It reads like a normie trying so hard to be weird, you know that unchallenging palatable type of mass produced quirkiness like the Netflix’s Wednesday? That.
Overall felt like a missed opportunity to me. This “book” is fun in format— it looks like a board game head on; it features a variety of mediums like books, booklets, pamphlets, newspaper, and one thing I liked the most--a folded board that gives DM’s screen feeling which makes a nice backdrop to aid vibes.
However the storyline(00s, Chicago, mundane, middle age, inner activities, patriarchal hetero dynamics) and the art style didn’t really speak to me.
Didn’t even finish.
I particularly hated the bee story (which is brief and I did finish)([Micheal DeForge did one step better in the same direction). It reads like a normie trying so hard to be weird, you know that unchallenging palatable type of mass produced quirkiness like the Netflix’s Wednesday? That.
sarahgudeman's review
2.0
Oh… I'm not sure what to say about this besides that I didn't really enjoy it. Having not read any of Ware's other works I didn't really know what to expect, going in.
And admittedly I did not even read all of it… I would estimate that I got about 75% finished before I decided it was making me more depressed than anything else and threw in the towel.
I love the idea, the typography and the style. But not the writing (which was so tiny, physically) and not compelling, to me. This was unfortunate.
And admittedly I did not even read all of it… I would estimate that I got about 75% finished before I decided it was making me more depressed than anything else and threw in the towel.
I love the idea, the typography and the style. But not the writing (which was so tiny, physically) and not compelling, to me. This was unfortunate.
therealkathryn's review
5.0
An incredible collection of stories from the lives of people living in three apartments, as well as thoughts from the building and a bee. The stories are shown in a variety of sizes and media - comic book style, newspaper format, a book with endpapers that will be recognizable to many, and more. The illustrations start with simple forms to tell the complicated, messy stories of the characters' lives. If you read all of the pieces together (which you should), you will start to see motifs and themes cleverly tying together the pieces of charaters' lives.
catcherinthepi's review
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Tough book to rate. I thought the concept was somewhat clever -- basically, an exploration of how providing back story on characters can be read in any order, although the order will probably influence how you view the characters and the story. The pun in the title is cute, I guess, though I thought the conceit of the buildings themselves telling their stories wasn't strong enough. However, I did enjoy how this book of literal epic proportions did ultimately, in gory detail, explore the lives of "everyday people", elevating their struggles, dreams, and emotions to a higher stage.
The physical object of this "book" is large and imposing and tbh awkward to interact with. I have mixed feelings about that. Really hated how small the text was on everything.
I think our main, nameless character had a lot of interesting development. However, she was...nameless. Some people could read that as her standing in for "every woman" (cue Chaka Khan!), but combining that with other aspects of the work, I found it misogynistic. Basically every woman in this story is miserable. It felt like "women have it harder" was hammered way too hard in this book. The women are depressed and alone, commit suicide, or wind up in unhappy marriages and hating their bodies. There's also this very strong association with fatness and unhappiness, which is gross.
For a book that supposedly takes place primarily in an urban environment, it was sorely lacking in diversity. The bee side stories were really fucking weird and too "Leave it to Beaver" for my taste.
The physical object of this "book" is large and imposing and tbh awkward to interact with. I have mixed feelings about that. Really hated how small the text was on everything.
I think our main, nameless character had a lot of interesting development. However, she was...nameless. Some people could read that as her standing in for "every woman" (cue Chaka Khan!), but combining that with other aspects of the work, I found it misogynistic. Basically every woman in this story is miserable. It felt like "women have it harder" was hammered way too hard in this book. The women are depressed and alone, commit suicide, or wind up in unhappy marriages and hating their bodies. There's also this very strong association with fatness and unhappiness, which is gross.
For a book that supposedly takes place primarily in an urban environment, it was sorely lacking in diversity. The bee side stories were really fucking weird and too "Leave it to Beaver" for my taste.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Suicide
gingerliss's review
4.0
It's hard explain that you liked something while it was so bloody depressing at the same time. Building Stories is Chris Ware's very originally put together collection of stories. The box mainly contains stories covering the life of one particular woman but there are several spin off stories about her neighbours and a bee she at one point saves. Although the atmosphere is mostly very gloomy and depressing, it is also somehow very intriguing. Much like Jimmy Corrigan, also a very depressing graphic novel written by Ware but brilliant at the same time. Although this is the story of one ladies life it is very much a story that represents the now. Very much like Ware's drawing style and the way this package is put together.
afaithu's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ericfheiman's review
5.0
Probably Ware's definitive magnum opus in a career already littered with near-magnum opi. Building Stories is actually a large box filled with 14 booklets of various sizes and interconnected narratives. I've already raved about the craft and emotional force of Ware's work in other reviews. What distinguishes this accomplishment is its scale and ambition. Ware manages to create 14 distinctly accomplished and affecting pieces that can be read in any order; and yet they still cohere as an epic, devastating whole. Where can he possibly go from here? Then again, I think I said that about his last published work..
carysjw's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0