Strangers In Paradise: I Dream of You [Paperback]

Terry Moore (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Series: Strangers in Paradise | Publication Date: February 1, 1996

This is the extraordinary graphic novel taught in university classrooms across the nation as a leading example of contemporary literature. From its comic beginnings in the first book, SiP takes a dramatic turn in I Dream Of You. Katchoo returns from a mysterious three-month trip to Canada to find her trusted friend David and roommate Francine angry and demanding answers. But Katchoo can't tell Francine the truth: that she was once a highly paid call girl working for the wicked and powerful Darcy Parker. Now, after two years of hiding within Francine's quiet domestic life, Parker has found Katchoo and threatens to take away the one thing Katchoo holds most dear, the secret love of her life, Francine. In this touching story of unrequited love set against the backdrop of organized crime, writer/artist Terry Moore delivers an unforgettable love story that has become a graphic novel classic, winning the Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Award winning cartoonist Terry Moore began his career in comics in 1994 with the publication of the Strangers In Paradise mini series. Since that time the serialized story has won numerous awards and is printed in seven languages around the world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Abstract Studio (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892597012
• ISBN-13: 978-1892597014
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,517,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for all Serious Comic Fans, October 1, 2001

By 

Patrick R. Gadrow "Pat Gadrow" (Bridgewater, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Strangers In Paradise: I Dream of You (Paperback)

I have been collecting comics for as long as I can remember, and sometime around the time I hit high school, I lost my interest in comics, believing that they were pretty much all the same. I got tired of the same repeating storylines and lame plots. For some reason, I can't remember, I picked up an issue of Strangers In Paradise, trying to waste some time in a book store, probably. What I had come to discover was a wonderful, touching and suspenseful story that went above and beyond what any other comic besides The Sandman was doing at that time. It made you love, and care for the characters in ways that made them seem real (or made you love them so much that you wish they were real). If you are like I was, tired and put up with the comic book industry, you should pick up this book and fall in love with the people in it the way that everyone who reads it does.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Learn more about Francine, Katchoo, and David., May 29, 2002

By 

Mary J. Alderdice "geek, book lover, craft fiend" (Washington DC Metro Area, US) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Strangers In Paradise: I Dream of You (Paperback)

While the jacket blurb does a decent job of describing the general gist of Strangers in Paradise: Volume 2, I don't know that it covers a lot of the tone of the book. There is a lot of material covered in this book, which makes sense, since it compiles nine comics into a single volume: Volume 2, Issue 1: I Dream of You; Volume 2, Issue 2: Someone to Watch Over Me; Volume 2, Issue 3: Echoes of Home; Volume 2, Issue 4: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?; Volume 2, Issue 5: Something I Can't Hear; Volume 2, Issue 6: Tic Toc; Volume 2, Issue 7: I Talk to the Wind; Volume 2, Issue 8: Do You Remember Yesterdays?; and Volume 2, Issue 9: A Good Night's Sleep.

(For those who have not read Strangers in Paradise, Volume 1, I recommend that you do so before reading this.)

The book starts with Katchoo returning from a mysterious prolonged trip about which she will not speak to find that Francine has been coping with the rather explosive breakup with her ex-boyfriend Freddie by eating. And eating. And eating some more. And it seems that, as far as David is concerned, absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder, and his unrequited love for Katchoo has not abated.

But Francine's ballooning weight and David's infatuation are the least of Katchoo's problems. The world seems to be conspiring to make sure she never forgets her past, and that she - and her friends - will pay for her sins. First, the mysterious trip to Canada. Then, she appears to have acquired a follower, one who doesn't have her best interests in mind. But even more frightening than Katchoo's follower is the mysterious dark woman for whom he works: Mrs. Darcy Parker and her minions, Bambi and Samantha. They will stop at nothing to bring Katchoo back into the fold, including using her friends as bait.

But before that, a whole slew of other problems pop up. For instance, if you think Francine is neurotic, you should meet her mother! And running into Freddie and his new fiancee doesn't help her state of mind much, either. And who says that Katchoo can be the only one with secrets? There may be more to David than meets the eye. And do you remember our friend Detective Walsh from Volume 1? Well, if you're a fan, never fear! You get to see more of the moustachioed investigator as he tries to track down the trackers. And what's with Emma and this house in Hana, anyway?

All in all, this volume is much more action- and emotion-packed than Volume 1, and also has a much higher allocation of violence. You get to know the primary characters in this tale (Francine, Katchoo, and David) much better this time around, and begin to feel their pains. If you enjoyed the first volume (you did read the first volume first, right?), I suspect you'll be completely hooked by the time you're done with Volume 2.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS is what I'm in comics for, June 17, 2001

By 

Ron Tothleben ([e-mail]) (Tilburg, Netherlands, Europe) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strangers In Paradise: I Dream of You (Paperback)

The cover of this book says volume II but in reality storywise THIS is where it all starts. Where the 'real' volume I (named "The Collected") gives you a brief introduction to who the main players and Terry Moore (the creator, both artist and writer) are, here is where the story as we know it today really begins. So see this as volume I and see "The Collected" as a big intro-special because that's basically how it is. The book starts of with some mild-mannered interaction between two of our three main-players, named Katchoo and Francine, who haven't seen each other in years after Katchoo took of all of a sudden and unexplained years ago. So it's all fun and jokes at first. But then it turns out that both girls/women have some skeletons in their closet. Problems and emotions which NEED to be worked out for their relationship to be ever as good between them as in the past. Francine turns out to be an emotional wreck and Katchoo turns out to have got herself in quite some problems in the years she was gone. And all the while this is all going on they're also involved in this sort of love-triangle with the third main player named David, who turns out to be a major factor in the story later on. And that's mainly what this first self-contained volume is all about. I think it's great and for me it was the start of what is up to this day one of my favorite series around. I think everyone who isn't too stuck on just superhero comics has a great opportunity to explore something really good in purchasing this volume. THIS is the essential book for this series. If you like it you're probably hooked. When you don't (which I can hardly imagine, but it happens) this series is not for you.