Customer Reviews

Unlikely

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

 

 

Unlikely is the second Jeffrey Brown book I have devoured (Clumsy being the first), or perhaps nibbled upon relentlessly is more apt. Like Clumsy, Unlikely is a collection of little episodes, slices of life. Brown has an unerring eye for the little inanities that make up real life... the tiny little moments that real relationships are made up of: when she looked at you from across the room the first time, when she went out to have a toke with your friends instead of staying to watch the end of the video with you, when she didn't pick up the phone because she was sleeping instead of showing up for your date... . There are no huge plot turns here, just the unrelenting incremental buildup and later crumbling of an unlikely love affair. Reading the dialogue (there is really no narrative) and body language drawn in his innocent scratchy childlike lines, we nod our heads in understanding. We have all been there. I love reading Jeffrey Brown. Try it.

This is the kind of graphic novel that actually inspires. While not as beautiful to look at as a typical noir, horror, sex, or superhero GN this series (with AEIOU and CLUMSY) is like having a buddy spill his guts to you while drawing pictures on napkins at a bar. It's intimate and unflinching but not overdosed on self-anything. Not grim, not sensational. I can see that many GN enthusiasts would be bored or unimpressed with the simplicity of the art and the unmelodramatic narrative, but something tells me that Brown is not aiming to convert fans of GNs or to get revenge by virtue of dirty laundry. This is not a dirty diary with airbrushed pictures. This looks and feels more like a series of emotional microscope slides.

decided to delve more into Jeffery Brown. this is book 2 of his self called "girlfriend" book triliogy. although since he said that i think he released a forth. so anyway. similar to Clumsy... but not. the drawings are the same. rough and not very good. but honest and sincere for what they are. i think if he could just nail certain expressions just a hair better people wouldnt complain about most the art as much, but still, he does alright, his lettering is pretty atrocious still. anyway... its similar in that its telling the story of the relationship in exact moments of time. precise little cartoons telling the conversations and actions that took place with no narration. its different cause this time its linear. goes from the pre-beginning of the relationship to its bitter end. no jumping around in time this time. also different is the relationship is not really all that good this time. in clumsy i saw a mostly good, loving relationship with a sorta quick and unfortunate downward spiral at the end. it was alot of cute moments that you relate to and realize why us as humans are social creature. this book on the other hand tells of a mostly frustrating relationship that you can tell is just doomed to fail. there are a few moments cute and honest loving moments... but mostly, unlike in clumsy, where she is mostly sweet most the time, this time shes moody and selfish and overall just not that good of a person. she likes drugs and alcohol pretends she doesnt for him, sorta, well sometimes she doesnt even pretend. she seems to have more personality that the prior girl (who is actually the latter girl in the scheme of time, but im saying book publishing, but i digress) but mostly she is pretty unlikeable. the sex is much less frequent this time and its always awkward and bad. it sucks cause cause i can relate to those moments as well. and it sucks for him especially. cause this was his first times. poor dude, yep this is the story of him losing his virginity. anyway. its another good look into his life. it all feels super honest and not fairy tale spun for any more drama or anything. just real life unfolding before your eyes. jeff brown is a nice person. a sensitive person, but ultimately a needy person. nowadays girls dont really seem to be the girls in a relationship anymore. thats right im saying it. girls are the guys in relationships now. they are the butt holes.

Unlikely is the second Jeffrey Brown book I have devoured (Clumsy being the first), or perhaps nibbled upon relentlessly is more apt.

Uninteresting and overrated. Do not get this unless you are already familiar with Jeffrey Brown. I got all his stuff on a recommendation and it was all horrible.