This is another graphic novel I got while I was working for Vintage. I took it based on the recommendation of a couple of colleagues from Waterstone’s, and also on the basis that there aren’t that many graphic novels written by women. AND it’s non-fiction, to top it all off.
I felt kind of ‘meh’ about this, and I’m not sure why. The story is auto-biographical, and subject matter mainly consists of Alison reflecting on the death/suicide of her father in her early twenties, coupled with the discovery around the same time that she herself is a lesbian and that her father was a closeted gay man.
The book is a series of reflections and links back into her childhood, exploring possible clues and threads that she attempts to link with her own experiences coming to know that she’s a gay woman. It’s pretty nicely done, in all, and towards the end there are some great bits exploring links with the literature she and her father both loved (like Homer’s Odyssey, and Joyce’s Ulysses), however most of the references were kind of lost on me, since I was never a fan of either.
I liked this a decent amount, I guess, but it didn’t evoke any strong feelings in me at all, and therefore I can’t really think of anything else to write about.
Next: Bed by David Whitehouse
No comments:
Post a Comment