The Alcoholic (edition 2009)

My inclination is to compare The Alcoholic to Alison Bechdel's Fun Home simply because they are both (presumably) auto-biographical, highly personal, and oddly (and darkly) comic. But that's not really fair to The Alcoholic. Fun Home being a far superior effort, The Alcoholic pales by comparison. Standing on its own, The Alcoholic is a fine example of the graphic novel used as personal memoir medium. Although, I don't know exactly how much of this is autobiographical. Ames tends to throw himself into his work as the main character and we, the readers, are left wondering how much is true and how much is fiction. (Ames doesn't give many clues.) So much of this is painfully personal that I have to believe some of it is true. And that's what made this a great story. Told non-linearly and crafted in exquisite black-and-white drawings by Dean Haspiel, this coming-of-age-and-beyond tale of substance abuse, sexual confusion/discovery, pain and loss runs the gamut from travels abroad, lovers gained and lost, personal successes and tragedies, and even the devastating effects of 9/11. Oh, not to mention an elderly great aunt who probably loves him too much. Not a heart-warming tale by any stretch, but touching to the point where I felt like I'd taken a journey with this guy. All in all, an easy and short read, well worth the hour it will take, and well worth the $15 you'll likely pay for it (since you, like me, will probably reach for it again some day and retrace the steps of Jonathan A's journey). ( )

I'm sure this semi-autobiography won't be liked by many people. Its content was too personal, its humor was too light and ironic, and its sadness was too deep. Those are the reasons I like this book a lot. The author is so honest that you can feel his struggling and pain. The hero in this book, Jonathan A., had a very sensitive personality and was always thirsty for love/relationship in his life. But the way he tried to hold those relationship was a little clumsy in my eyes. Life is sometimes funny but mostly ruthless for him. These kind of people tend to addict to something to escape from their unhappiness. Unfortunately, Jonathan addicted to alcohol and became a alcoholic. Overall, I really like this book. I can feel his feeling which reminds me how tough our life could be. But in the end, it's himself to choose his own life. ( )

The journey of a confused teenager and his transformation and trials to become a 40 something raving alcoholic writer who finally faces his demons.

I actually think that I'm a very poor person to accurately review this book as I finished it initially thinking it was a flippant use of paper and a waste of a good afternoon. It struck me later on that this is really the tale of a crippling disease and if you've never been in contact with that disease (like me) then it really does seem like a wasted life full of excuses.

Reflecting further today, it seems to keep rising in my estimation as I ponder the sheer hell of alcohol addiction. It's very vague as to how much, if any, of the story is based on the author's real life but it is one of those books that follows you around for a few days, just in case you were planning to move on too soon. ( )

Apparently semi-autobiographical this is the story of regrets and failing to actually be honest to yourself. The story of a man's love affair with alcohol and other drugs and the way it influences his life and relationships with other people, including his best friend with whom he nearly had a love affair but was too afraid to admit to himself that he was gay (or at least bisexual). It's also a story of regrets and trying to live with not living up to your expectations.

It's not a bad story but it didn't quite move me. ( )

When I sat down to write this review, I was entirely unsure of what I wanted to say. I wasn't even positive how I could summarize this unique graphic novel. To help me organize my thoughts, I started reading other reviews online. I found one review I think you guys should read at The Examiner. The very first line succinctly tells you what I wanted to but for some reason couldn't find the words: "The Alcoholic, a graphic novel, is a tale of sexual confusion, romantic obsession and addiction counterpointed by a deep and loving familial bond."

It reads like a self-reflective memoir with the protagonist, Jonathan A., a stand in for the author Jonathan Ames, half-fact, half-fiction. Ames freely admits that bits and pieces from his own life - including his image - grace the pages, but he contends that overall it is a work of fiction. One thing I would like to say is that this graphic novel touches on some very serious issues; it does so lightly, with care, and yet it never dismisses or trivializes those issues. ( )