Customer Reviews

Lucky

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book doesn't have an overall story, rather it is a quietly observant recording of the minutiae of the daily life of an artist in her 20's, in the ongoing dual struggle of getting by in NYC while pursuing goals - unerringly depicted in tender vignettes that are neither nostalgic, idealized or embittered.

I enjoyed it for all its little moments - which is what it basically is - a carefully drawn collection of many small moments. If there is any statement being made, it may be a reminder that small events are the stuff that make up the bulk of our lives - though not necessarily meaning we ourselves are small because of it, rather thats how things are. As for its humor, for the reader it often comes from the recognition of a certain type of subtle abandon & spontaneity - captured sweetly and accurately.

Unlike many of the autobio comics from the '90s which tend to read like fiction, Lucky is a journal in comics form. Gabrielle chronicled the various experiences she was going through over the course of a few months -- moves to multiple apartments, indecision regarding her boyfriend, tryouts at various jobs -- and the roller coaster of anxiety and relief she experienced during this time. The art has a wonderful clear line and is very expressive without having the characters "overact." (The other end of the spectrum would be Will Eisner's graphic novels such as The Building, Dropsie Avenue, New York, etc. I love Eisner's work dearly, but much of his graphic novels have characters acting with the physical flourishes of silent films stars.) Gabrielle and her friends/characters are shown naturalistically and because of that, we are connected in a more real way.

The narrative flows well. The book is a great read. Recommended.

The other day this popped up in my recommendations box on Amazon.com and reminded me that it's been a while since I'd read a graphic novel. Without checking to see what it was about, I added it to my requests queue at the public library and picked it up a couple days later.

My first impressions when I opened the book were unmoving. The illustrations were simple, and the panels were over-stuffed with narration. But only a few pages into it, my opinion shifted radically. Gabrielle Bell's cartoons--quirky and ironic vignettes on life as a struggling artist in New York--are simple and funny and honest. She has a good way of putting into words and pictures the strange and lovable details of everyday life. It all made me feel a little bit better about being a generally directionless twenty-something who can't seem to find a job. Certainly recommended.

I love Bell's books. The way that most mainstream graphic novels/comics are drawn is annoying to me. They are overdone and comical, even when intending to be serious. It's also frustrating to me how one of the reviews described the book as "bare bones" or "simple". Lucky is wonderfully illustrated and speaks more to the human experience than the majority of books out there.

I had heard good things about Bell, and I settled down with "Lucky", full of anticipation. I got to page 15 and closed the book in disgust. The inner dialogue in the first panel of page 15 reads: "After reading the entire thing three times, the illustration still looked retarded. I had no choice but to send it off anyway and pretend I was a retard. DEER SURS, HEER IZ THE PICHUR THAT I DRAWD. I HOWP THET YEW LIK IT."
This is not okay. It's dehumanizing hate speech, plain and simple. People with mental and developmental difficulties are still human beings, deserving respect and decency. Using words like "retard" and "retarded" is profoundly hurtful, demeaning, belittling, and dehumanizing. I have no interest in reading anyone who uses such thoughtless, ugly language. I'm returning this today, and I won't attempt to read her work again.