When I'm Old And Other Stories (Paperback)

by Gabrielle Bell (Author, Artist)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
These stories originally appeared in "mini-comix"--photocopied pamphlets self-published with total disregard for their commercial viability. Bell takes full advantage of the opportunity self-publication affords for unfettered creativity, and it is exciting to watch her emerging talent tackle all sorts of subject matter, from the autobiographical (a staple of alternative comics) to the fantastic in stories about turning into a 50-foot woman or, in the title story, becoming an eccentric old crone to adaptations of short stories by Hermann Hesse and D. H. Lawrence to the book's centerpiece, a chronicle of a young woman's descent into madness a la Roman Polanski's film Repulsion. Meanwhile, the tone veers from serious goofiness (turning into a giant doesn't keep Bell from showing up for her waitressing shift) to premature angst, as when she bemoans the loss--in her twenties!--of her youthful genius. Her naive drawing style may turn off comics readers used to a slicker, more conventional approach, but it perfectly suits her youthful candor. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description
New York based cartoonist Gabrielle Bell brings together for the first time thirty-five stories from the popular "Book of" series, plus several extra short comics, displaying the broad range of Bell's storytelling and cartooning talent. Her fiction includes Book of Black, a story of Kate, a pretty young rhinopasty assistant who encounters happy-go-lucky street people, a lascivious landlord, vapid co-workers and Trent Reznor on her descent into madness. "Amy was a Babysitter" takes a sweeter tone in which the wanderlusting heroine spins captivating tales about a world she imagines to be outside the small town she wishes to leave. "The Fairy Tale About the Wicker Chair," is an adaptation of a Herman Hesse story about a self-styled young artist whose furniture will not sit still long enough for him to sketch it. "Anatomy of the Heart" attempts to discover the source of and the cure for broken hearts. Bell's autobiographical tales feature the author as an eccentric old lady, a five hundred foot tall woman, in England, in Mexico with a baby, and being charmed and hypnotized by colorful San Francisco characters.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Alternative Comics; illustrated edition edition (April 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891867431
• ISBN-13: 978-1891867439
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #420,505 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)