Customer Reviews

Little Things: A Memoir in Slices

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"Little Things" is cartoonist Jeffrey Brown's "major label debut" with Touchstone Books, following years of self-publishing and independent publishing through Drawn & Quarterly press. Unfortunately, it feels like he has run out of gas as far as memoir/autobiographical material goes. This book is his longest yet, at almost 350 pages--but not much happens. And that which does happen is maddeningly out-of-order.

The illustrations are as whimsical as always, but that's not enough to carry a full book in which Brown does little more than draw in coffee shops, hike outdoors, draw comics, and, occasionally, pine after girls. If his relationship material has been completely exhausted, could it be time to turn to fiction? If there's any magic in the mundane, as the back cover suggests, I couldn't find it here. If you are new to Jeffrey Brown, I would recommend picking up any one of his books previous to "Little Things"--this book is for completists only.

All I had read of Jeffrey Brown's before this was Mini-Sulk and some work he did for Drawn & Quarterly Showcase - all of which is pretty dang funny: little two page chunks of anecdotes, usually about relationships. He has moved away from both areas he's been comfortable with in this pretty large book (for him). Not too much is spent on his relationships (often leaving them to one panel in a larger story) and most of the stories are the size of his previous books. Alot of them tend to focus on , as the title suggest, little things...meeting friends for a hike, getting a cat, having surgery, and so on. It's fun, but he still has this tendency to just end stuff abruptly. I suppose most of the stories really can't have any big revelations but, there ya go.

(Many of my purchases on Amazon have been me rebuying the things I acquired over the years. So I'm going to instantly lose credibility to the people that check my profile for the other things I like. "Five stars? Really?" Guess what? I'm reviewing things that I liked originally, then reaquired in 2011.)

These are the important points that seem to matter to authors like Jeffrey Brown: an uncanny attention to detail, tone, and mood that turn the gears (and pages) so quickly. You might question the emotional weight of a book with an illustration of the author stopping to tie his shoes. This book, written after a trilogy of personal romances (Clumsy, Unlikely, AEIOU), and novelty classic comic-book-style art (Incredible Change-Bots, Sulk), is a healthy chunk of common life. It skims the real moments, and, like the title suggests, focuses on the little things we tend to overlook.

I found this book on sale originally at Borders for $3. After passing it on to a friend, then delving into some of his other books (Undeleted Scenes, Funny Misshapen Body), I remembered the thrill of zooming through this book when I repurchased it this year. What a fun book to read. This might be the definitive book for Brown: a perfect suite of style and grace.

This and "Funny Misshapen Body" complement each other perfectly.

Little Things, a graphic novel by Jeffrey Brown (author of Be a Man, Clumsy), is geared towards the mature audience as the story deals with material such as sex, death and life of a young adult. Little Things is Jeffery's life story told in thin "slices" from various points of time in his life. Jeffery's "slices" are bits and pieces of his life that can be a few hours to a week to longer. People move in and out of the "slices" never seeming to stay for very long or come back, but seem to make a lasting impact within his life. Time never stands still and is constantly moving on to the next story or the next person. The last "slice" of Jeffrey's life deals with the birth/pending birth of his child.

Where the story suffers is that the move through timelines if often disjointed in places, transitioning from present to past back to present in what is often confusing. Where the story seems to fail is that there are no clear transitions in this passage of time. The reader is lost as to the passage of time and place with no clear indication of what might be happening. The graphic novel uses simple black and white lines to create the universe and life that Jeffrey resides. Jeffrey captures the world around him, from rescuing ants in a stream to his young son next to him, with simple and often elegant line drawings that show a deeper meaning to life.

Although the time line can be confusing, the story is an interesting experiment in telling a story.

Jeffrey Brown calls his latest memoir Little Things, but the truth is that the title is a little modest. It's certainly true enough; the book is filled with mundane events, like getting a cat, meeting a boring friend of a friend, conversations with parents and exes. That kind of thing. But those small occurrences are where the magical events of life happen, which Brown is well aware of.

The book begins with a prologue that promises this collection of short stories is "about how things interconnect in life. . . . How everyday stuff is . . . how we find meaning in our lives." Some of the events described are more "eventful" than others--the late-night trip to the emergency room, for example, which results in a gallbladder removal and tens of thousands of dollars worth of hospital charges. Whatever level of importance may eventually be assigned to them, the happenings reach a sum total that is nothing short of poignant and moving. Brown knows when to hold back and when to deliver on the promise of something he's been building toward; it's nice to relax and watch the story unfold knowing the storyteller has a complete vision in mind, a comprehensive tale that will make more sense in retrospect. Enjoy it while it's taking place and then look back to connect the dots.

Brown is already somewhat well known for directing the music video for indie favorites Death Cab for Cutie's "Your Heart Is an Empty Room." He's also written several other graphic works, most of which have centered around his own life. Brown mines his past for rich material and uses it make deceptively simple stories that pack a universal emotional wallop.

All of which is not to say that Brown isn't funny. Make no mistake; he most certainly is. He makes wry observations throughout Little Things with admirable subtlety. That restraint helps keep Little Things afloat, succeeding without sinking into self-indulgence. There's always a risk in such personal works--the danger that the reader will feel as if he or she is looking at the equivalent of the storyteller's vacation slides, secretly eyeing the door and wondering how long it will all last. And of course it has been suggested that, too often, the comic and graphic novel format is used for memoir that doesn't have the substance to sustain an entire work. With an elegant simplicity, Brown is able to dismiss all those worries almost immediately. These stories are too charming to be boring, too friendly to overstay their welcome.

That Brown has been able to make several memoirs work--and work well--in the format is a testament to his strengths as a graphic storyteller. His short stories here feel like hearing about the escapades of a funny friend. You'll almost find yourself anxiously wondering aloud, "And then what happened?"

-- John Hogan