Customer Reviews

Need More Love: A Graphic Memoir

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been reading Aline Kominsky-Crumb's comix for many, many years - from her appearances in the Twisted Sister anthology to her more recently published work (in comics co-drawn with husband Robert Crumb) in The New Yorker.

This hefty book is part memoir, part scrapbook, part diary, and is packed with personal photos, drawings, and illustrations. Aline Kominsky-Crumb doesn't flinch in her recollections of her wonderfully rich and sometimes dissolute life. Crumb fans will get a thrill at seeing photographs of their old, rambling chateau in a medieval village in France (Le sigh). I paid full retail for this book at Cody's Books in Berkeley, and believe me, it's worth every penny.

There's nothing more appealing than when an unapologetic woman lets her big appetite hang out!

It's a thrill to see these stories, some of which have been parceled out to us piecemeal over the years, collected in one volume, with Aline's artwork, photographs, words lending further context and depth. It's so heavy, I'm afraid it'll fall off the shelf and crush me in my sleep! Actually, there are plenty of worse ways to go...

Much as I love her #1 husband's "aht", as far as I'm concerned, Aline's no second banana. She's the whole dang Bunch!

This is a lavishly produced, witty, moving and life-affirming book. As another reviewer has said, despite the grotesque way she usually draws herself, the author is a genuinely beautiful woman in many ways, and her zest for life, despite her miserable upbringing, is infectious. I hope that this book will lead to greater exposure for Kominsky Crumb, and more comics from her, both solo and in collaboration with Robert, Sophie, or the three of them.

I am a big Crumb fan, but have always found his wife's work somewhat annoying and insubstantial by comparison. Boy was I wrong!

I have come away from this book with a new-found appreciation for The Bunch. She has written and created a deeply affecting, funny, touching, intimate, and very creative memoir, weaving in photos, comics, text, paintings and more to craft a full and complete picture of a very lovable person and a pretty decent artist as well.

To be honest, I too grew up in Long Beach, from a Jewish family that shares much in common with Aline's family. However, like many of my parents' peers, we moved to South Florida in the early 70s, while The Bunch ran off to the East Village and then San Fran. The sweep of her story captures a wide chunk of baby boomer history, and she presents her life in a very self-deprecating, humorous manner.

A very unique book, one you should grab before it goes out of print forever.

I enjoyed Aline's approach to her graphic novel memoir. She can be a pretty harsh critic of herself but seems to have done a lot of insightful thinking about her actions and reactions. I appreciate her truthful and often times embarrassing peak into her life. The photos tell us that she was way more harsh about her appearance than she depicted in her strips. She was and is a beautiful lady. Thank you Aline, I've enjoyed learning about you.

Fascinating, compelling reading for anyone interested in the Crumb clan. Her comics and writing outline the genuine, brave human experience much like her famousse life partner - what's great is that Aline comes at it from a more, hopeful and joyous vantage point.. She's her own person as well as R.C's girlfriend.

There is so much to discover here, including the occasional mention of Justin Green who is another fantastic auto-biographical comics-author (hey guys, check out Joe Matt and Debbie Dreschler too!). You really get the impression that you know Aline after reading this and want to acknowledge her thoughts, experiences, feelings.. I can also identify with her 'ugly' drawing style which is prominent here.. Many intimate moments are made public with total candour and honesty. In the end you'll better for reading it so Woo, you go get it bubulleh!!

An amazing book from an amazing artist.
I have been a fan of R.C.Crumb for a long time and was estatic when I came across this book.Several times when you are going through this book you'll see mention of the movie "Crumb".By all means ,find it and watch it. It is much more about RC,but Aline appears in it many times. And why wouldn't she;she has been an essential part of his life,and he of hers, since 1973.And what a life it has been for these two artists feeding on one another's talents,imaginations and love of life and freedom of expression. The reason I mention this movie is that it brings you into their lives so well as you listen to them talk about their lives ,art and lifestyles. And most important, many of the people you encounter in this book are in the movie and play themselves--in what seems to be virtually unrehearsed. I wrote a Review on that movie on February 14,2007.
I have loved the Comics since I was able to read,starting in the early 1940's. Very much a part of Comics ,has in addition to the storyline ,been the fabulous art that these great strip writers have produced. I find it impossible to pick a favorite since each is such a personal expression of their imagination and skill.
It this book Aline bares her soul to us all ,probably even to a greater extent than most people are able to bare their own to themseles.
The thing about an artist with the love of life ,imagination and skills of Aline ;is that she is able to show the way one reacts to the world around them. She is able to see and tell about things where others only look and wonder why.
Throughout the book, her artist's soul is displayed in every part of her life.From the time she was a child,the families around her,her friends,her art,her choices of homes and what ojects and artistic surroundings she creates;and toward the end of the book she becomes very open to us and tries to show what has been important in her life and what a struggle one must make if they are to really live their life with gusto;or simply let oneself flow along with the stream.
If you are a fan of the Crumbs or Comics or Art or Life itself ;you can't help but be enchanted with this book.I notice that this book was listed at $30 and now offered at a Bargin Price of $8.99 --an amazing value for such a treasure.It has 384 pages,and superbly constructed with glossy covers and dj.The color rendition is excellent as well as the printing ,and on very heavy stock paper.
I really wanted to rate this 5*,but for some reason,only 4* registered.It is definitely a 5* book.

I was amazed at how easily Aline Kominsky Crumb seems to open up to the reader in this plump autobiography. You can tell when you first pick up this hefty book, that Aline has alot to say about her life, her loves, and her work. Even though I'm not a Jewish girl from the "guyland" (as she says it), I found her characters easy to relate to. Highly recommended!!

This is a good one to flip through - strange and funny. It's also quite revealing but I like the lighthearted tone of the author and I never know this much about her, though I knew a bit about Crumb. Can be kind of crude, but you should see that coming if you've seen Crumb...

I have always loved and looked forward to Aline K-C's work. She is about 11 years older than me and everything she goes through, well, a few years later, I go through it too! I think of her as a kind of sister, preparing me for the road ahead.

In this large and slightly unwieldy book, she gives us autobiographical data that might not go down too well with your average nerd-boy in the USA, even though this stuff she goes through and talks about are important aspects of a woman's life that every man who has interest in precisely one half of the planet's residents should get a feel for, at least!

She shows us her more recent artwork and it is wonderful! She has really changed what she does and it is magnificent work. She's always done collages but not quite like the ones she shows us in this book! I could feel my art lust welling within my breast. She's got a pretty good life right now and has done some extensive traveling in recent years, and this has been very good not only for her artwork but for her worldview. I'm glad this has happened for her, and have always believed that in some ways this woman far outstrips her mate.

Get it. It is very interesting and very amusing. Sacre Blu! Old Blabette is still alive and making her periodic appearances not only in Aline's strips but her granddaughter Sophie's as well, and believe me, that kid can draw and has a very level headed, healthy view of this world. It will be interesting to see where the kid goes in the time to come.

Get it. You can't be bored with it, between the pictures and the texts you will get many hours of amusement out of it.