Julie Heffernan

I got off to a rough start with this autofiction graphic novel. The narrative flow is chaotic and frustrating, and the sheer number of words and their rambling, near-free associating quality gave the narration an off-kilter yammering tone that would be worrisome and concerning if you received them in a letter from a friend or family member. The pictures are very pretty, but the word balloons are pure static disrupting the imagery.

Frankly, my favorite parts of the book were when the author show more stopped talking about herself and paused to analyze classical paintings by other artists. She tried to make them about herself, sure, but still managed to convey some fascinating information about the art and the artists who made them. She also shoehorns in her own paintings, which are mostly semi-nude self-portraits of her standing in bizarre floral-heavy fantasy worlds. I wouldn't mind flipping through a coffee table book of her work without all the word balloons in the way, though the repetitive nature might wear on me and the multitude of tiny details often makes me feel like I'm playing the board game Scrutineyes.

I hate read the first half but came to terms with what Heffernan was doing and though I don't like it, my rage abated. It's apt that Emil Ferris is a blurber on the back cover, because this book reminds me of her My Favorite Thing Is Monsters where individual interesting images are stitched together with a flood of words that can't quite manage to bring life to the resulting Frankenstein.

(Best of 2024 Project: I'm reading all the graphic novels that made it onto one or more of these lists:
• Washington Post 10 Best Graphic Novels of 2024
• Publishers Weekly 2024 Graphic Novel Critics Poll
• NPR's Books We Love 2024: Favorite Comics and Graphic Novels

This book made the PW list.) show less

One of those amazing graphic novels that make you really want to linger on every page. Artist Julie Heffernan takes her four month old Sam into the woods for a long walk. She feels stuck and lost after the death of her parents. She ruminates on her life via detailed and organic panels. She gets lost in the woods with her child and faces the fears and insecurities of her past. Along the way she thinks about art, family, growing up a woman. Heffernan's style is kind of like an organic show more Hieronymous Bosch, fascinating to look at. A beautiful book. show less