Clumsy

[brendon]

I wanted to get around to this a while ago. I don't know why but if someone were to ask me of my best comic read for the year, I would have to say CLUMSY. It's very simple art, easy to read, yet, it's a step outside of the comic norm, and for that I greatly respect it. It a heart touching story of long distance relationship, but not a chick flic if you know what I mean. It's the guys point of view, including a lot of funny aticdotes, warm and funny scenes in bed, and other fun stuff that happens with a young couple. Perhaps a bit mushy for some people, but if you've had that type of relationship before you think it's a fun read.

it's by Jeffrey Brown, here's someone elses write up on it:
http://newsarama.com/forums/showthre...&threadid=6079

[DeForgeo]

Thanks for mentioning this. I've heard some buzz about the book, but I keep forgetting to pick it up in the store.

[DJ Kenobi]

Crap, you beat me to it. I loved Clumsy. I've been meaning to do a write up of it here but have been other wise occupied and busy and such.

Clumsy employs a great use of non-linear story telling, portraying scenes seemingly at random through the course of the relationship. However, the end of the book is so perfectly plotted that it throws the idea of random out the window. He lulls you with happy and idiosyncratic moments, but then hits you with raw emotion that he manages to pull off as real, never crossing the threshold into corny or cheap.

I now need to get everything I can by Jeffrey Brown.

[Knigge]

This book is pretty cool. I picked it up cause I quickly read through "Be a man!" and thought it was hilarious, but I wanted to get more bang for my buck, thus buying this book. I thought it was just going to be a bunch of random scenes between his girlfriend, but if you read everything from front to back it all ties into itself. Its very funny, and very sweet. Anyone that's had a serious girlfriend can relate. And anyone that's had a serious long distance relationship can definately relate. Plus, I dig the art. It's easy to read (perhaps a bit too easy for paying ten bucks). And it'll always be in my library.

[DeForgeo]

I finally picked this up. The first part of the book was difficult for me to get through, only because all the scenes are all so personal and intimate that reading it felt like I was intruding on a private conversation.

Great book, I'm looking forward to picking up his other work.

[DJ Kenobi]

I actually had that problem too. I kept putting it down and getting up pacing and around a bit at the really awkward moments. I'm envious of his power to not only capture such a personal moment, but to present it in a way universal enough in its telling that it can affect most any reader.

I have Unlikely (Jeffrey Brown's second book), but haven't read it yet. I think I will today.

[Inkthinker]

I've been having an interesting time reading autobiographical works. I've been looking forward to meeting Craig Thompson at some point, just so I can tell him that Blankets was the first comic I was ever afraid to read, simply because it brought up a host of memories and feelings of my own that are pretty powerful and in many ways uncomfortable, but nonetheless important parts of who I am. It sounds as though Clumsy and Unlikely might be the same, espescially for a kid who was pretty socially repressed/retarded for almost his entire teenage life (I didn't even start dating at all until I left high school).