A Malaysian classic. ( )

This is the second in a series of autobiographical graphic novels by this Malaysian artist. Brought to us by First Second Books, the publishers of the English versions of Joann Sfar's work, it's formatted like an old Far Side cartoon book, though the insides are a continuous story.

Lat tells us about his teen years in the "town" where he and his family move for his education. He meets up with a wealthy Chinese boy, who introduces him to things like owning your own records. Though the circumstances are not quite the same, I can completely relate to Lat here--relatively speaking, of course. There were several friends I had, and I'm sure you had, too--who could not quite grasp why you couldn't have the newest of everything.

The story itself is fun, but nothing extraordinary occurs, so if you're looking for a tragic death or cruelty or anything like that, you'll be disappointed. But if you enjoy graphic novels that put a comic spin on the ordinary--think Life in Hell here (Groening was used as a blurb writer for this book, I think that was a spot-on choice), this is for you. The art is quirky and the scenes are fun, if not laugh-out-loud funny. (The part about wooing the prettiest girl by helping with her art is one of my favorite sections. That trick never worked for me!) I'm sure any reader can find things to connect to, despite the cultural gap. I enjoyed this, and I'm sure those who like the genre will, too. ( )

"Kampung Boy" sequel:

charming, fresh, funny: Mat's life

as a teenager.

In this sequel to Kampung Boy, Lat continues his autobiography from when he starts school and he and his family members become "town people" to when he finishes school. It's amusing, just as KB was, and the glimpse into a childhood from another culture is enlightening. I agree with reviews that say it lacks the focus of KB and that makes it somewhat less successful. Lots of details are provided in the illustrations, but they're not supported in the text, which may leave some readers in the dark. Also, it jumps around from event to event with no clear idea of how much time has passed, which made me feel like I was missing something. A bit disappointing after I liked Kampung Boy so much. ( )

I loved Kampung Boy, and had high hopes for Town Boy. Both books are rich in the sense-experience of living being a particular age in a particular time and place, but what held together in Kampung Boy became scattered and distracting in Town Boy. I would have liked to have seen this volume broken down into several stories, each discussing either a shorter period or a smaller number of throughlines, and giving more attention to its subjects.