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A review by afterglobe
Paris OGN Vol. 1 by Andi Watson, Simon Gane
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.
2/5 - It was okay.
Having read through feedback from other readers, I agree with many of the other reviews. The illustrations are vibrant and beautiful, with so much movement within each frame that it feels as if I can actually hear the buzzing of the streets, feel the dappled sunlight, taste the food depicted. Although sometimes the monochrome depictions can be confusing (it's difficult to spot the characters one is meant to follow), this lends to the dizzying feeling of being swept up by a busy city or an overwhelming party. If I were rating the book on illustrations alone, my rating would be much higher.
The story, however, falls flat. It's riddled with stereotypes - starving American artists whose parents run hardware stores back home; sex-crazed French women who hang their perpetually dripping culottes out in the bedroom and pepper their dialogue with French catchphrases despite speaking perfectly adequate English; repressed English characters who of course belong to the nobility and cannot survive without their teas. This parade of caricatures made it difficult for me to care about the characters or to invest in their journeys. Due to the dialogue, I also had a hard time understanding what time this story was set in - the English characters seemed stuck in some bygone Victorian era, the French characters were firmly set in the 1950s or 60s, and the American character seemed thoroughly modern. This was confusing.
The overall effect was of a story that was just... okay. It's worth reading for the art but anyone expecting a sweeping and profound LGBT love story will be left disappointed.
2/5 - It was okay.
Having read through feedback from other readers, I agree with many of the other reviews. The illustrations are vibrant and beautiful, with so much movement within each frame that it feels as if I can actually hear the buzzing of the streets, feel the dappled sunlight, taste the food depicted. Although sometimes the monochrome depictions can be confusing (it's difficult to spot the characters one is meant to follow), this lends to the dizzying feeling of being swept up by a busy city or an overwhelming party. If I were rating the book on illustrations alone, my rating would be much higher.
The story, however, falls flat. It's riddled with stereotypes - starving American artists whose parents run hardware stores back home; sex-crazed French women who hang their perpetually dripping culottes out in the bedroom and pepper their dialogue with French catchphrases despite speaking perfectly adequate English; repressed English characters who of course belong to the nobility and cannot survive without their teas. This parade of caricatures made it difficult for me to care about the characters or to invest in their journeys. Due to the dialogue, I also had a hard time understanding what time this story was set in - the English characters seemed stuck in some bygone Victorian era, the French characters were firmly set in the 1950s or 60s, and the American character seemed thoroughly modern. This was confusing.
The overall effect was of a story that was just... okay. It's worth reading for the art but anyone expecting a sweeping and profound LGBT love story will be left disappointed.