December 30, 2007

Me Write Book: It Bigfoot Memoir


Roumieu, Graham. Me Write Book: It Bigfoot Memoir. Toronto: Plume, 2005.


"Listen, I tired of tabloid distorting things about Bigfoot. Those jackal have try for years to devour me and slander good name. I write this to set record straight once and for all. Maybe also for cathartic value. For money too. So if you like hear about Bigfoot from Bigfoot this Bigfoot book for you. Come share the crying, the laugh, the cuddle, the smashing. First you accept me, then you love me."

This gentle illustrated memoir appears to be written for a sophisticated adult audience, but has enough gore, head-ripping, hollywood gossip, drugs, cussing, graphic bathroom humour, ninja moves and rock ballads to keep any teenager interested.

It may just be the funniest freaking thing I've ever read. Graham Roumieu is pee-in-pants brilliant. Thanks to my brother for this one!

Blankets

Thompson, Craig. Blankets. Marietta, Georgia: Top Shelf Productions, 2003.

Drawing on his own experience, Craig Thompson gives us the story of a teenager navigating his own relationship with faith in a rigidly fundamental Christian family, the push-and-pull of brothers growing up together, and, most poignantly, the all-encompassing arc of first love.

This graphic novel is one of the most beautiful things I've read in a long time. The story is moving, poignant, angsty, and portrayed with a surprising depth of emotion. By turns subtle and explosive, the ink illustrations are consistently expressive, nuanced, story-driven, exquisite. They make playful use of space but are always easy to navigate. The story is bittersweet, more tender than gritty, but saved from sentimentality by the power and emotional honesty of the illustrations.

At 582 pages, Blankets might look intimidating to those unused to the pace of graphic novels, but the length seems perfect: just long enough to read like a novel, satisfyingly substantial without requiring epic effort. I would probably have read it at a single sitting if I hadn't started so damn late at night.

This is the graphic novel the comic-ravaged twenty-five year old recommends to his (or her) girlfriend to get her hooked. A book that sparks conversation when you try to find it in a bookstore. It is the kind of book you find equally on the lists of avid comic book readers and of literature snobs just skirting the edges of graphic novel land. Several of my friends have been telling me to read it for ages. I'm glad I finally did. It's a beautiful story. One of the best graphic novels I've read. Great for teens and adults alike.

December 22, 2007

Lesser Blessed

Van Camp, Richard. The Lesser Blessed. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1996.

This is not a review, it is simply a recommendation. This novel knocked me on my ass and you should probably go read it. Please go read a review (maybe this review), as I'm probably not going to write one. This is a big big story stuffed into a short 119 pages. It is also stunning and hard and very funny and beautiful and utterly readable.