Daniel Clowes

I haven't given anything five stars for a while... but I'm happy to save them for books like this.

For me, Ice Haven was a perfect book. With intricate art, it tells short interlocking stories of suburbia. The comic strip format, different for each story, is experimental, but it's still an accessible read.

Clowes' books are black comedies, cynical and alienating, but on some fundamental level you still sympathize with his characters, and it keeps his books readable and human.

A sad and funny look at the lives of teenage gen-xers. These kids are terrified of the future and adulthood, terrified of emotions, have lots of unresolved trauma that no-one has allowed them to recognise, and are desperate for people to like them for the right reasons. Of course, they don't really know what the right reasons are. They hate everyone who seems to be happier than them, they are cynical about deep interests, and despise anyone who appears unhappier. Enid is our cool hero but show more she's also deeply flawed, doomed to be unhappy unless she can work out how to maintain relationships and treat herself like she's important. Her cynicism, often presented uncritically as coolness, is based on fear and alienation, and a history of always getting hurt. Becky desperately wants to be normal, but neither Enid nor the rest of the world will let her be. In the end she and Enid push each other away rather than risk disappointment. Is this how the world is for kids these days too? A great work of sadness! show less

Maybe it's just because Harvey Pekar just died, but I kept thinking of American Splendor as I read Wilson. It's really not the same--Clowes clearly has a character and a story he is creating here, not embellishing from his ordinary life. But Wilson's misanthropy and bitter musings on life and family remind me a lot of Harvey. Unlike Ghost World and Ice Haven, the narrator here never varies. We've got Wilson in every panel from beginning to end. Sure, he is drawn differently sometimes, but h show more ...more Maybe it's just because Harvey Pekar just died, but I kept thinking of American Splendor as I read Wilson. It's really not the same--Clowes clearly has a character and a story he is creating here, not embellishing from his ordinary life. But Wilson's misanthropy and bitter musings on life and family remind me a lot of Harvey. Unlike Ghost World and Ice Haven, the narrator here never varies. We've got Wilson in every panel from beginning to end. Sure, he is drawn differently sometimes, but he always sounds the same. Another neat thing about Wilson is the way it seems serialized. Each page is a discreet comic with a punchline, as if he were writing this novel one strip at a time, over two years in your Sunday paper. Thank god he wasn't, because it was so funny and poignant, I couldn't have waited seven days in between pages. Highly recommended. show less

"No quiero ir a ninguna parte ni hacer nada ¡Sólo quiero que todo siga como en el instituto!"

Terminar este libro me dejo con una sensación de vacío. Sí ya pasaste por la época en que sales de la preparatoria y no tienes idea de que hacer con tu vida, este cómic lo único que hará será recordarte esa desolación. Sí haz visto la película lo más seguro es que recuerdes un halo de comedia, pero aquí es mucho menos notorio, la historia se centra más n el abandono, la desesperanza, show more la decepción, la amistad, los celos y la dificultad para saber que hacer cuando aún no eres un adulto formado pero ya dejaste la niñez muy atrás.

"Creo que sigo sin saber lo que voy a hacer"

"No lo entenderías porque no te desprecias a ti misma [...] Yo odio todo lo que soy"

Sin duda te sentirás identificado en algún momento y sabrás que pasas o haz pasado por al menos una de las situaciones aquí retratadas y te haáa recordar como la superaste, o bien te hundirá por que 1. aquí no se dan soluciones, y 2. en estos casos el sindicalismo no nos ayuda para nada.

"Me cabrea saber exactamente lo que quiero y no poder encontrarlo"

Muy recomendada sí es que gustas de algo que no sea fantasía, no sea feliz (más bien extremadamente realista) y no de esperanza de que todo saldrá bien con poco esfuerzo, pero que te hace revalorar lo que te han dicho en tu vida y aquello con lo que te recibió el "futuro".

"Me he hartado de contribuir a esta amistad más de lo que sacó"

Tal vez dentro de unos 15 años (puede que menos) vuelva a leer este libro y la sensación que me transmite será muy distinta, todo dependerá de como han salido las cosas, pero se que sin duda me hará nuevamente recordar aquella época en que la duda es ley, el sarcasmo es la mejor defensa y amistades se ganan/amistades se pierden

"Sería enfermizo seguirte así [...] sí lo piensas resulta un poco triste" show less