A review by ericfheiman
Cruddy: An Illustrated Novel by Lynda Barry

4.0

My image of Lynda Barry was always of a quirky comic artist with a knack for capturing the nuance of adolescent angst, and then, later, as a motivational speaker for creatives through books like What It Is. Cruddy, though, is something else entirely. Sure, this illustrated novel starts out as a tale of teenage alienation, but quickly morphs into an unholy union of Flannery O'Connor and No Country For Old Men. The world Barry conjures in this tale is grotesque to the point of feeling wholly divorced from any familiar human experience (at least to me). The book would wear out its welcome quickly if the eponymous lead character's voice wasn't so unique and well-realized. Not for the faint of the heart, but fairly unforgettable if one chooses to take it on.