A heartbreaking novella from the author of The Clouds Above.
From the editor of the acclaimed comics anthology NON comes this beautiful, emotive "Picto-Novella." Largely wordless and cunningly rendered, this little book is sure to touch most folks. In The Last Lonely Saturday, an older man sits at his kitchen table, filled with melancholy. Dishes are piled up in the sink, a full pot of coffee burns on the counter; it's a quiet scene of existential despair. It quickly becomes clear that the man is a widower, and today is the day to visit his departed wife's gravesite. Little does he know that what the day holds for him will result in this being his last lonely Saturday.
Both sweet and bitter, realistic and fantastic, The Last Lonely Saturday is an evocative, romantic novella, told in a beautiful two-color, red and yellow palette. His economical images waste not a line, and his narrative flows effortlessly from panel to panel in this heartwarming story of love and love lost.
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Crane's loose, gliding lines burst with character, and his compositional gifts make every panel worth contemplating on its own. -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
From the editor of the acclaimed comics anthology NON comes a beautiful, emotive work of comic art. Largely wordless and cunningly rendered, this little book is sure to touch most folks. The story is both sweet and bitter, both realistic and fantasic, but Crane is certain of what he's getting at, never conflicted. His economical images waste not a line, and his narrative flows effortlessly from panel to panel.
Crane's style is so inspired and universally appealing that I can see him becoming a sort of Edward Gorey of our time - widely respected and so confident in his craft that is is able to create just what he likes, and is well-loved for it. This book makes a splendid gift, and is further proof that comics are more than just fodder for superhero movies...
If the careful dance of mime can be translated into a paper medium, then Last Lonely Saturday would be it. The "comic book" genre has gone many steps ahead with this book. I have given it to senior citizens as well as the "Gen X" people and all respond with the same emotion. With a limited amount of words and the way the artist used mimimal amount of lines, it allows the reader to put his own history into the story. It is like a Japanese drawing using only the lightest of the brush to bring an emotion or feeling to the surface. Truly a book to tuck into your pocket or purse and lend or pass on to friends. Some people, hardened citizens of the world, have gotten choked up with the feelings this book evokes. It really is a fun gift to give.
Today I found myself in a recording studio. Among the trinkets and magazines the man recording us had laying around in his studio for the entertainment of restless people like me with nothing to do while their bandmates obsess endlessly over drum takes, I found a battered copy of this unassuming little book. In the two minutes it took for me to read it, I found myself in tears, turning myself away from my fellow musicians (we play death metal) so as not to be seen and asked why I was crying. They didn't notice. Even now it's difficult to think about it without tears swelling in my eyes a bit.
I do not presume to be any sort of authority on modern comic books, graphic novels, their art or the people who write them, but I like to think I am in touch with things and despite it's simplicity this book appeals to one's heart, through it's art and the story. The ultimately romantic message is beyond the nature of the story's ending. I assume it would make a fine gift for one you care about. Beautiful.
