Author:David B
The most acclaimed European graphic novel of the last ten years, Epileptic is David B.'s story of his brother's battle with epilepsy - but it turns into a penetrating and sometimes lacerating self-examination on the author's part, as he delves into his own complex emotions and his family's troubled history, as well as his own youthful fantasy life. Particularly pointed is his description of the family journey from one attempted cure to another, including acupuncture, spiritualism and macrobiotics.
David B.'s drawing is utterly extraordinary, balancing literal representation and expressionist psychological distortion.
An extraordinary graphic novel memoir of a childhood spent growing up with an epileptic brother... Epileptic possesses a charm, rhythm and majesty all its own
—— Time OutA graphics extravaganza...bursting with energy and wild imaginings, a comic tour de force that is as emotionally gut-wrenching as it is visually stunning... Epileptic is a masterpiece - perhaps the masterpiece - of the genre
—— SpectatorA work of deep, deep darkness and luminosity
—— GuardianAn astonishing, autobiographical graphic novel...it's very moving and...very funny
—— The TimesIt is rare to encounter a project this honest and forthright about real human emotions. But saying that Epileptic is merely confessional conveys nothing of what makes it so special. David B. had scrafted the most innovative comics project of the decade. And probably also the most important
—— The Comics JournalA tour de force to rival Maus
—— The TimesAn adult and difficult story but [accompanied by] very simple black and white illustrations, comic book style, and it is exceptionally powerful...show the amazing power and depth that can come from a literary story shown through words and images
—— Ink PelletThe magic of Marjane Satrapi's work is that it can condense a whole country's tragedy into one poignant, funny scene after another.
—— Natasha Walter , Independent on SundayPersepolis is a stylish, clever and moving weapon of mass destruction.
—— David Jenkins , Sunday TelegraphMarjane Satrapi's books are a revelation. They're funny, they're sad, they're hugely readable. Most importantly, they remind you that the media sometimes tell you the facts but rarely tell you the truth. In one afternoon Persepolis will teach you more about Iran, about being an outsider, about being human, than you could learn from a thousand hours of television documentaries and newspaper articles. And you will remember it for a very long time.
—— Mark HaddonI cannot praise enough Marjane Satrapi's moving account of growing up as a spirited young girl in revolutionary and war-time Iran. Persepolis is disarming and often humorous but ultimately it is shattering.
—— Joe SaccoThroughout, there are magnificent feats of connectivity, startlingly complex internal monologues that unfold with perfect simplicity… I haven’t encountered a book about being an artist, or about the punishing entanglements of mothers and daughters, as engaging, profound or original as this one in a long time.
—— Rev’d Katie Roiphe , ScotsmanLively, fresh and expressive…humane, complex and beautiful.
—— Anna Carey , Irish TimesDon’t let the cartoons fool you, this is an exciting and intelligent book and, at many points, highly moving. It doesn’t just tell Alison’s story, Are You My Mother? allows to you to think about your own.
—— Emerald StreetFind everything this author has written. Every jot she makes on the paper enriches the baroque, painful, exhilarating story she has to tell.
—— Candia McWilliam , ScotsmanIt’s first and foremost funny, using graphical and verbal tricks to express the psychological dramas of an American household.
—— MacUser[Sacco’s] ability to cram in detail is extraordinary. And it is the details that linger.
—— The EconomistWhen stretched to its 24ft length in the Saga Magazine office, we pored over it for ages. We predict you will want to do the same.
—— Saga MagazineAbout Joe Sacco’s The Great War, one can write only essays or short, ecstatic sentences... A beautiful accordion-book, it unfolds on the Western Front, with all its monotony and misery: simple, but intricate; wordless, but vocal; brutal, but beautiful. A masterpiece of quietly affecting numbers, the thousands of lines, dots, and crosses that demarcate the thousands of lives, deaths, and crises.
—— Reggie Chamberlain-King , QuietusThe detail in this work is phenomenal, capturing the aloof generals, death in the trenches, and the wounded... [Sacco] makes visceral one of the bloodiest days in history.
—— Socialist ReviewWordless and brilliant.
—— Donal O'Donoghue , RTE GuideSometimes words and photographs are not enough… [An] astounding book.
—— Michael Hodges , Mail on SundayA unique and unforgettable experience.
—— Matthew Turner , Ask MenA meticulous visual depiction.
—— Observer