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In.
A poignant and witty graphic novel by a leading New Yorker cartoonist, following a millennial's journey from performing his life to truly connecting with people
Nick, a young illustrator, can’t shake the feeling that there is some hidden realm of human interaction beyond his reach. He haunts lookalike fussy, silly, coffee shops, listens to old Joni Mitchell albums too loudly, and stares at his navel in the hope that he will find it in there. But it isn’t until he learns to speak from the heart that he begins to find authentic human connections and is let in—to the worlds of the people he meets. Nick’s journey occurs alongside the beginnings of a relationship with Wren, a wry, spirited oncologist at a nearby hospital, whose work and life becomes painfully tangled with Nick’s.
Illustrated in both color and black-and-white in McPhail’s instantly recognizable style, In elevates the graphic novel genre; it captures his trademark humor and compassion with a semi-autobiographical tale that is equal parts hilarious and heart-wrenching—uncannily appropriate for our isolated times.
Nick, a young illustrator, can’t shake the feeling that there is some hidden realm of human interaction beyond his reach. He haunts lookalike fussy, silly, coffee shops, listens to old Joni Mitchell albums too loudly, and stares at his navel in the hope that he will find it in there. But it isn’t until he learns to speak from the heart that he begins to find authentic human connections and is let in—to the worlds of the people he meets. Nick’s journey occurs alongside the beginnings of a relationship with Wren, a wry, spirited oncologist at a nearby hospital, whose work and life becomes painfully tangled with Nick’s.
Illustrated in both color and black-and-white in McPhail’s instantly recognizable style, In elevates the graphic novel genre; it captures his trademark humor and compassion with a semi-autobiographical tale that is equal parts hilarious and heart-wrenching—uncannily appropriate for our isolated times.
267 pages, Hardcover
First published May 13, 2021
142 people are currently reading
8491 people want to read
About the author
Will McPhail
4 books138 followersWill McPhail has been contributing cartoons, sketchbooks, and humor pieces to The New Yorker since 2014, and in 2017 and 2018, he won Reuben Awards for cartooning. He lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,236 reviews
March 2, 2022
I'm incoherent with my love for this graphic novel. I bought it based upon the prologue alone—I thought, if the rest of the book is even half this specific, wry, and surprisingly observed, I'm in.
It's better.
Written and illustrated by Will McPhail, whose cartoons often appear in The New Yorker, IN is about a young, intelligent man who wants to feel, but can't. His journey to letting emotional truth in is laugh-out-loud funny, eye-burningly sad, and strikingly true. And the art—THE ART, THE ALLCAPS ART. McPhail's use of gesture is unbelievably precise, describing the sorts of people we recognize with just a single shoulder slouch, spread open palm, twist of the hips, narrowing of the eyes. Do I have time to talk about metaphor? No. No. I will let you admire it for yourself when you buy it.
IN is less a graphic novel and more a sweet, brutal poem about facing the world head on. Instant favorites shelf 5ever.
It's better.
Written and illustrated by Will McPhail, whose cartoons often appear in The New Yorker, IN is about a young, intelligent man who wants to feel, but can't. His journey to letting emotional truth in is laugh-out-loud funny, eye-burningly sad, and strikingly true. And the art—THE ART, THE ALLCAPS ART. McPhail's use of gesture is unbelievably precise, describing the sorts of people we recognize with just a single shoulder slouch, spread open palm, twist of the hips, narrowing of the eyes. Do I have time to talk about metaphor? No. No. I will let you admire it for yourself when you buy it.
IN is less a graphic novel and more a sweet, brutal poem about facing the world head on. Instant favorites shelf 5ever.
January 12, 2023
I feel like I found bits of myself tucked away in this main character and it was interesting to see how he tackled the hurdles of loneliness and loss. I longed for a bit more towards the end of the story, but things sort of wrapped up a little too swiftly for my liking.
February 25, 2024
Of all the graphic novels I read last year – and I read around fifty – this was easily my favourite. It was also, I think, the only one that made me cry.
It’s a beautiful and bittersweet portrait of modern life that describes, with heartbreaking accuracy, a young illustrator’s struggle with his mother’s illness and his own ennui. McPhail’s delicately lined graphite drawings are delightful, the humour is spot on, and the protagonist’s yearning for personal connection in a world of social media and online dating apps is deeply relatable.
This is a book that I will read again and again and which I urge you to read as well. It’s just perfect.
It’s a beautiful and bittersweet portrait of modern life that describes, with heartbreaking accuracy, a young illustrator’s struggle with his mother’s illness and his own ennui. McPhail’s delicately lined graphite drawings are delightful, the humour is spot on, and the protagonist’s yearning for personal connection in a world of social media and online dating apps is deeply relatable.
This is a book that I will read again and again and which I urge you to read as well. It’s just perfect.
July 5, 2022
One of my top ten graphic novels of the year, In, a first graphic novel by Will McPhail, whose work is best known in the US through his New Yorker cartoons, maybe. I am told this is semi-autobiographical, as it features a guy who does illustration/art for a living. The guy has problems relating to people, doesn't know how to have conversations that get beyond the surface level, but he really wants to. He has had girlfriends, he has had a couple friends, but he is most connected to his sister, his nephew, and his mom, who understand him as socially distant though friendly, but they too know he needs to make real and deeper connections with humans.
At one point he meets and begins dating a woman, though he doesn't yet know how to talk with her. She's an oncologist, so he begins to ask her about that work, though--given his well-ingrained personality--his inclination is just to joke around a bit and have sex. But he knows this is not enough for her, nor for him. Then someone close to him gets sick--okay, it's cancer--so he needs to learn how to make connections there; this pushes him, makes it urgent.
Much of this is very moving; at one point his young nephew says he wants to see him more, and it is a poignant moment. All of it is delicately balancing wry humor (such as about coffee shops with silly names he visits daily) with poignancy. It's sad, it's funny, and sweet. The drawing is amazing, most of in black and white, except when he makes a human connection--asks good questions of others, mainly--we go into color (as with the Wizard of Oz--"that's a horse of a different color!"), and the paneled images have emotional resonance, are lyrical, more layered, more abstract.
Is the oncologist/cancer connection too "convenient" for the narrative (but then I think, if McPhail has written a semi-autobiographical story, then my comment may be perceived as insensitive)?! Well, this point occurred to me as I read it, but to tell you the truth I was very moved by all of it, so I don't object to it on any grounds. Powerful, powerful book.
At one point he meets and begins dating a woman, though he doesn't yet know how to talk with her. She's an oncologist, so he begins to ask her about that work, though--given his well-ingrained personality--his inclination is just to joke around a bit and have sex. But he knows this is not enough for her, nor for him. Then someone close to him gets sick--okay, it's cancer--so he needs to learn how to make connections there; this pushes him, makes it urgent.
Much of this is very moving; at one point his young nephew says he wants to see him more, and it is a poignant moment. All of it is delicately balancing wry humor (such as about coffee shops with silly names he visits daily) with poignancy. It's sad, it's funny, and sweet. The drawing is amazing, most of in black and white, except when he makes a human connection--asks good questions of others, mainly--we go into color (as with the Wizard of Oz--"that's a horse of a different color!"), and the paneled images have emotional resonance, are lyrical, more layered, more abstract.
Is the oncologist/cancer connection too "convenient" for the narrative (but then I think, if McPhail has written a semi-autobiographical story, then my comment may be perceived as insensitive)?! Well, this point occurred to me as I read it, but to tell you the truth I was very moved by all of it, so I don't object to it on any grounds. Powerful, powerful book.
August 25, 2022
Five stars, no buts. Not a single one.
I don’t necessarily read to relate to characters. Great if it happens, too bad sometimes if it doesn’t: in the process, fiction be damned, I’m likely learning something about different people than who I am. In this book, Nick is learning about people, too. It’s a slow process and an honest effort. Bridges take time to span a river. Doors to people’s hearts don’t just swing open.
Nick is trying to relate, and I related to him – big time.
I don’t know how much it matters that Nick qualifies as a millennial, something the book description makes sure to mention, but the blurb certainly gets it right when it speaks of a tale “uncannily appropriate for our isolated times”.
Five stars, eyes wide open, heart aflutter. What a beautiful book.
I don’t necessarily read to relate to characters. Great if it happens, too bad sometimes if it doesn’t: in the process, fiction be damned, I’m likely learning something about different people than who I am. In this book, Nick is learning about people, too. It’s a slow process and an honest effort. Bridges take time to span a river. Doors to people’s hearts don’t just swing open.
Nick is trying to relate, and I related to him – big time.
I don’t know how much it matters that Nick qualifies as a millennial, something the book description makes sure to mention, but the blurb certainly gets it right when it speaks of a tale “uncannily appropriate for our isolated times”.
Five stars, eyes wide open, heart aflutter. What a beautiful book.
April 20, 2025
Nick Moss is determined to establish meaningful human connection—with his mom, his sister, his girlfriend, even the plumber who fixes his toilet—but is struggling. As he sees it, connecting well with others involves a formula that he only has to work just right to get his desired end result. When something happens that changes his life, he finally gets that desired result.
In. is a debut graphic novel by Will McPhail, who's been drawing cartoons for The New Yorker since 2014. His mostly black-and-white illustrations here are mesmerizing—highly expressive and full of life. He captured minute expressions and angles so well the illustrations almost seem to move. The story is good, but easily the most navel-gazing of any I've read in a graphic novel, with nothing of importance to say on the larger level; this is really just one man's awkward life experience. The best reason to read In. is for McPhail's illustrations. A never-ending book of just those wouldn't be enough.
In. is a debut graphic novel by Will McPhail, who's been drawing cartoons for The New Yorker since 2014. His mostly black-and-white illustrations here are mesmerizing—highly expressive and full of life. He captured minute expressions and angles so well the illustrations almost seem to move. The story is good, but easily the most navel-gazing of any I've read in a graphic novel, with nothing of importance to say on the larger level; this is really just one man's awkward life experience. The best reason to read In. is for McPhail's illustrations. A never-ending book of just those wouldn't be enough.
June 4, 2022
Wow! That packed a punch. Nick is detached from most everyone, finding it very difficult to make a connection. When he does, the book changes to full color as Nick starts to daydream about what it all means. Will's writing is witty and wry, his cartoon skills top notch conveying emotion and meaning with a look. He sucked me in for about 150 pages with his dry wit when he delivers an absolute gut-punch I didn't see coming. All the air escaped from my lungs as I inhaled the rest of the book. Just absolutely stunning. My book of the year so far.
Received a review copy from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley.
Received a review copy from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley.
July 13, 2021
On every page Will McPhail pours gentle millennial satire over his characters like salted caramel over an angry lobster melt – his stand-in Nick gloomily says to himself stuff like
I’m going to spend the entire day in coffee shops searching for something that I’m not emotionally intelligent enough to define
Or
I tend to work in public places partly to escape the porn in my apartment
Like in any romcom he meets a young woman and okay... I see now that maybe it is a bit groanworthy that she turns out to be a sexy oncologist...
Hmm.
Actually this book is like a souffle, light, airy, graceful, and you better eat it quick. Could be if you think too much about it, it will deflate into a sticky mess.
I loved it.
Oh, and Mr McPhail's art is exquisite.
I’m going to spend the entire day in coffee shops searching for something that I’m not emotionally intelligent enough to define
Or
I tend to work in public places partly to escape the porn in my apartment
Like in any romcom he meets a young woman and okay... I see now that maybe it is a bit groanworthy that she turns out to be a sexy oncologist...
Hmm.
Actually this book is like a souffle, light, airy, graceful, and you better eat it quick. Could be if you think too much about it, it will deflate into a sticky mess.
I loved it.
Oh, and Mr McPhail's art is exquisite.
December 21, 2022
This got very sad towards the end, but I really enjoyed the first half. It's one of those depressed millennial comedy things that shouldn't work but does. Kinda like Fleabag if Fleabag were a male artist.
December 22, 2021
UPDATE: 5 days later, read this again. Can confirm that it will not only remain on my shelf, but will get regularly read every month or so.
The screen lights up. My package is here, downstairs. Another 6 books I impulse bought online because I was feeling down last week. Walk of shame, because it’s 11:30 AM; I am in my worst pajamas, disheveled hair, wearing a cap to hide the muss. I know I am going to see someone on the way down, but please let it be a quick trip down and even quicker trip back up. Crocs on. Walk over to the elevator, backslap the button. I get to the lobby all good – there it is. Big box. Up we go aga- Oh yeah? I’ll hold the door. Yeah no worries. Of course. What floor? For sure. Fuck…………….. Fuck. I have seen this guy before. He has that cute Rottweiler. Smiled at you there for a second though, didn’t he? Should I say something? Is he waiting for me to say something? It could be that simple, really. I could just say something. Ask him about his cute puppy. Or ask him about dogs in general. His… hat? Isn’t he the one whose wife looks like she is 10 years older than he is? How do I even bring that into play? Do I just up and ask about his wif- You too, have a good one!
Admittedly, this doesn’t happen often. Or ever, really. But it did happen this morning. Why?
Last night, I finished In by Will McPhail. It’s good. Added to my favourites.
There is that moment in current social interactions when you both become complicit in sticking to bullshit, and you both know it, and it’s okay. You both sign an NDA, let’s keep this inhouse and settle out of court, okay? No one needs to know that we are discussing the “intricacies” of my job market to pass the necessary 5-10 minutes before we part ways. Another conversation between 25-30 years-olds and NFTs. I am not even original for writing that. Honestly, you rolled your eyes there because I actually used that example, and it was so hacky. Low hanging fruit. I stepped on the stage and actually said “So, what’s the deal with the internet?” Bull. Shit. But this shit happens daily. Maybe less so, now that we are not in offices all the time. Work from home hasn’t been a complete bust. But these conversations happen between grown adults. I don’t care about crypto and politics. I am increasingly less interested in rap music, so there goes that. We had that for a second. But it’s gone. I am not interested in discussing the stars that appear on E! – I think a few of the Kardashians are hot, in the same way that I think McDonald’s is food. My grip on what “it” is started to loosen when I was 20. Right now, I am comfortably the dad in my friend group. But here is the thing: once in a while, someone says something that changes up the whole game.
My current program is small, and I remember my friend and I talking on that first orientation day, two and a half years ago now. He just sat next to me, cut out all the shit, and asked “Alan, do you believe in God?” Imagine opening with that dude. I don’t much care about the topic of discussion, but rather the energy you are bringing to the table. He opened with something that takes people 5-6 meetups to get to, and even then they do it with trepidation. I respected it.
In a line of conversation, in any social interaction, there is a pre-made, agreed upon set of rules that you can adhere to in order to steer out of trouble, drive through and out of the roundabout. Most will take this route. If you step out of the path, there is a space. It’s all black, its atmosphere tingling with potentiality. Each thought, facial expression, movement, anything that requires energy – these all create blips. Blips of different colour. Lights, life. A path is created. Shooting stars. Your soul is holding hands with their soul, walking on the path of blips and energies that you are creating together. The world is coming into fruition about you, on you go. Here is a depiction of it, inspired by Pixar’s Soul:
Nick, the protagonist of In, experiences much more vivid scenes. There is a beautiful moment where he is sat there, not moving outside of the work sphere of the plumber who has come to fix his toilet. The plumber is rattling out little shit phrases (e.g., “Yeah, I guess that’s how life goes”) and Nick is responding in kind (e.g., “Pays the bills, yeah yeah”). Nick’s running commentary in his head is on point, telling himself to stop the script. Stop it. Don’t play along with it. Change it. Fight the power. Fight the system. Then the script pauses. There is a halt. It grows. Silence is growing, and the two are looking at each other and looking away from each other, while the coffee they are sipping gets cooler by the second, losing heat less rapidly than the pace of their “conversation”. Then, Nick says it.
“I feel embarrassed about myself around people like you, Steve.”
Pause.
Drip.
Pause.
Drop.
Pause.
Drip.
Steve responds.
“I feel like that sometimes.”
Boom.
He cracked it.
Get to the oasis that Nick got to, somehow, someway. Get there. You won’t get there many times in your life.
The screen lights up. My package is here, downstairs. Another 6 books I impulse bought online because I was feeling down last week. Walk of shame, because it’s 11:30 AM; I am in my worst pajamas, disheveled hair, wearing a cap to hide the muss. I know I am going to see someone on the way down, but please let it be a quick trip down and even quicker trip back up. Crocs on. Walk over to the elevator, backslap the button. I get to the lobby all good – there it is. Big box. Up we go aga- Oh yeah? I’ll hold the door. Yeah no worries. Of course. What floor? For sure. Fuck…………….. Fuck. I have seen this guy before. He has that cute Rottweiler. Smiled at you there for a second though, didn’t he? Should I say something? Is he waiting for me to say something? It could be that simple, really. I could just say something. Ask him about his cute puppy. Or ask him about dogs in general. His… hat? Isn’t he the one whose wife looks like she is 10 years older than he is? How do I even bring that into play? Do I just up and ask about his wif- You too, have a good one!
Admittedly, this doesn’t happen often. Or ever, really. But it did happen this morning. Why?
Last night, I finished In by Will McPhail. It’s good. Added to my favourites.
There is that moment in current social interactions when you both become complicit in sticking to bullshit, and you both know it, and it’s okay. You both sign an NDA, let’s keep this inhouse and settle out of court, okay? No one needs to know that we are discussing the “intricacies” of my job market to pass the necessary 5-10 minutes before we part ways. Another conversation between 25-30 years-olds and NFTs. I am not even original for writing that. Honestly, you rolled your eyes there because I actually used that example, and it was so hacky. Low hanging fruit. I stepped on the stage and actually said “So, what’s the deal with the internet?” Bull. Shit. But this shit happens daily. Maybe less so, now that we are not in offices all the time. Work from home hasn’t been a complete bust. But these conversations happen between grown adults. I don’t care about crypto and politics. I am increasingly less interested in rap music, so there goes that. We had that for a second. But it’s gone. I am not interested in discussing the stars that appear on E! – I think a few of the Kardashians are hot, in the same way that I think McDonald’s is food. My grip on what “it” is started to loosen when I was 20. Right now, I am comfortably the dad in my friend group. But here is the thing: once in a while, someone says something that changes up the whole game.
My current program is small, and I remember my friend and I talking on that first orientation day, two and a half years ago now. He just sat next to me, cut out all the shit, and asked “Alan, do you believe in God?” Imagine opening with that dude. I don’t much care about the topic of discussion, but rather the energy you are bringing to the table. He opened with something that takes people 5-6 meetups to get to, and even then they do it with trepidation. I respected it.
In a line of conversation, in any social interaction, there is a pre-made, agreed upon set of rules that you can adhere to in order to steer out of trouble, drive through and out of the roundabout. Most will take this route. If you step out of the path, there is a space. It’s all black, its atmosphere tingling with potentiality. Each thought, facial expression, movement, anything that requires energy – these all create blips. Blips of different colour. Lights, life. A path is created. Shooting stars. Your soul is holding hands with their soul, walking on the path of blips and energies that you are creating together. The world is coming into fruition about you, on you go. Here is a depiction of it, inspired by Pixar’s Soul:
Nick, the protagonist of In, experiences much more vivid scenes. There is a beautiful moment where he is sat there, not moving outside of the work sphere of the plumber who has come to fix his toilet. The plumber is rattling out little shit phrases (e.g., “Yeah, I guess that’s how life goes”) and Nick is responding in kind (e.g., “Pays the bills, yeah yeah”). Nick’s running commentary in his head is on point, telling himself to stop the script. Stop it. Don’t play along with it. Change it. Fight the power. Fight the system. Then the script pauses. There is a halt. It grows. Silence is growing, and the two are looking at each other and looking away from each other, while the coffee they are sipping gets cooler by the second, losing heat less rapidly than the pace of their “conversation”. Then, Nick says it.
“I feel embarrassed about myself around people like you, Steve.”
Pause.
Drip.
Pause.
Drop.
Pause.
Drip.
Steve responds.
“I feel like that sometimes.”
Boom.
He cracked it.
Get to the oasis that Nick got to, somehow, someway. Get there. You won’t get there many times in your life.
March 7, 2021
Funny, poignant, authentic. A graphic novel about isolation feels it would be a bit too on-the-nose right now but it was exactly what I needed to read.
September 11, 2021
An entitled and oblivious white manchild/artist trundles through life convinced his biggest problem is he is not talking honestly to others. On top of the oh-so-witty dialogue, several symbol-laden dream-sequence type scenes and a big, dumb coincidence near the end, there is also an attempt to mash up the manic pixie girl and magical negro tropes into a single character.
Worst of all everyone is drawn with hideous circular googly eyes. Everything else looks fine, but it's like a different person came in to erase and redraw all the eyes in a frantic all-nighter. So distracting.
Super meh.
Worst of all everyone is drawn with hideous circular googly eyes. Everything else looks fine, but it's like a different person came in to erase and redraw all the eyes in a frantic all-nighter. So distracting.
Super meh.
March 8, 2021
This is the kind of story that shows what graphic novels can do as a medium. It's about human connection and feeling life as it comes, breaking through the distancing and alienation of post-postmodern existence and the deadening of daily life and it's use of black and white to reflect emotional distance and alienation paired with color and soaring fantasy architecture to depict those moments of real connection is amazing. the story could easily have been twee and annoying, but it has real emotional impact and I want to read this over and over again. Read this as an ARC and immediately went out and bought a hard copy and I'll likely be giving this to many people as a Christmas present this year.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2021
Hilarious and heartfelt with impressive artwork throughout!
July 8, 2021
Next up is 'Twill & Sons.' Either a coffee shop or a barbers. But it could also be the movie 'Dunkirk.' Who is Twill? Je ne sais pas. Who are the sons? Perhaps they are the translucent stable boys behind the counter who leak cold brew from crystal tanks. Their hair is wet and like new born fish, their twitching organs are clearly visible through their paper skin.
The house blend is aged in the cavities of reclaimed string instruments and their croissants ask not what they can do for you, but what you can do for them.
No wifi. Which is fine.
Barista: "Twill & Sons is a cashless society."
Nick: "How do I...?"
Barista: "It's a barter and exchange system. I can trade you this coffee for a commodity or service of equal value."
*Nick stares at the barista*
Barista: "We also take Apple Pay." pg. 35
When I first started reading this, I was delighted. It's so smart, cute, interesting. McPhail presents us with a white male MC who loves coffee and lives in the city and yearns for real human connections. He's charming, and the way his facial expressions are drawn puts a sparkle on the whole book. We start off with him searching for a bar at night to be sad in.
It's called "Your Friends Have Kids Bar." The window says, "Weaponised Self-Awareness and Cocktails." McPhail often uses buildings Nick (our MC) passes by as means of jokes. It's honestly hilarious and just subtle enough not to be annoying.
Nick says he doesn't want a bar to be sad in because he's sad. That would be absurd. He wants it because he wants to perform the role of 'sad man being sad in a bar.' It's hilarious. The joy that pours out of his face when the bartender buys his hangdog act and asks "Rough Day?" is so adorable. This level of humor is on-point and charming. It's at this bar, performing 'sad man' when Nick meets an amazing woman. She's there on a date with another man, but she's Black, she's bold, she's smart, and she's funny. You can tell she's taken the breath right out of Nick who is almost unsure of how to proceed and visibly can't believe how lucky he is to even be talking to this woman. When her date comes over to get her, his face falls and your face - the reader's face - falls. But then hope is injected in the situation again when she sends him a beer from her table (an inside joke from earlier) and you know this isn't the end of it.
You hope this isn't the end of it.
As the book goes on, you realize that Nick is obsessed with the idea that all of his social interactions are 'performed' and he doesn't feel a genuine connection to people. He's determined to have more 'real,' intimate interactions with people. This can sometimes be awkward, as when he tries to connect with a plumber who comes by to fix his toilet.
Every time Nick has (what he considers) a 'real' interaction' with someone, the book (which is printed in black and white) suddenly bursts into colors for a short time. It's a neat trick, if an old one.
But sometimes I failed to see what Nick was worried about. Sure, a lot of his interactions are 'performed.' All of ours are. Asking "How are you?" "Fine." "Can you believe the weather we're having?" Basic politeness. Not every interaction can be a deep, meaningful discourse on the human experience, nor should it be... something I think Nick has a hard time grasping. His deafness to this fact leads for some really awkward scenarios, like when he asks a naked Wren - right before they start having sex - To her credit, she doesn't kick him out of bed. Also, his interactions with Wren are in black-and-white even though IMO they have charming, funny conversations which are rich in happiness. When his sister asks about Wren, we get this:
"Who is she? What's she like?"
"Wren and I don't know."
"Oh, you're not feeling it?"
"No. I am. I just don't know what she's like." pg. 134
Come on, man. Sure you do. She's bold and funny and intelligent. She's obviously a miracle come into your life. Why this lukewarm evasion with your sister? Can you not see that Wren is amazing? I know you can. Sometimes I wondered what was wrong with Nick.
So the first half of this GN is so funny, clever, novel, and charming. I was ecstatic. Every new thing about Nick that I learned delighted me.
What happens in the second half, you ask? It devolves into a
There's nothing wrong with , but it was jarring because I had no idea that's where this book was going, even though I should have after Wren told Nick she was
And it's fine, it's fine that the book ends that way but it wasn't the joyful, clever, innovative narrative I was hoping for. Instead, it was This put a damper on things.
In the end, I think I'm still going to give it five stars, although my enthusiasm for this awesome plot we were having dimmed once it was turned into a . I'm going to give it five stars because it is just SO FRESH and McPhail's writing is so on-point. His illustrations are also great. He should be very proud of himself. Do you hear me, Will McPhail? Be very proud of yourself and take this moment to revel in creating a very fresh and well done GN.
TL;DR Even though this book turned from a delightful, clever breath-of-fresh air into a , I still think this was smart, funny, and well-made. Maybe the sharp right turn into might not bother other people, I was bummed by it. I was hoping for a solid, deep, interesting yet funny GN about someone with a unique perspective, rather than what it ended up being. Five stars, I'd still strongly recommend it but it's not what you expect from the first half.
The house blend is aged in the cavities of reclaimed string instruments and their croissants ask not what they can do for you, but what you can do for them.
No wifi. Which is fine.
Barista: "Twill & Sons is a cashless society."
Nick: "How do I...?"
Barista: "It's a barter and exchange system. I can trade you this coffee for a commodity or service of equal value."
*Nick stares at the barista*
Barista: "We also take Apple Pay." pg. 35
When I first started reading this, I was delighted. It's so smart, cute, interesting. McPhail presents us with a white male MC who loves coffee and lives in the city and yearns for real human connections. He's charming, and the way his facial expressions are drawn puts a sparkle on the whole book. We start off with him searching for a bar at night to be sad in.
It's called "Your Friends Have Kids Bar." The window says, "Weaponised Self-Awareness and Cocktails." McPhail often uses buildings Nick (our MC) passes by as means of jokes. It's honestly hilarious and just subtle enough not to be annoying.
Nick says he doesn't want a bar to be sad in because he's sad. That would be absurd. He wants it because he wants to perform the role of 'sad man being sad in a bar.' It's hilarious. The joy that pours out of his face when the bartender buys his hangdog act and asks "Rough Day?" is so adorable. This level of humor is on-point and charming. It's at this bar, performing 'sad man' when Nick meets an amazing woman. She's there on a date with another man, but she's Black, she's bold, she's smart, and she's funny. You can tell she's taken the breath right out of Nick who is almost unsure of how to proceed and visibly can't believe how lucky he is to even be talking to this woman. When her date comes over to get her, his face falls and your face - the reader's face - falls. But then hope is injected in the situation again when she sends him a beer from her table (an inside joke from earlier) and you know this isn't the end of it.
You hope this isn't the end of it.
As the book goes on, you realize that Nick is obsessed with the idea that all of his social interactions are 'performed' and he doesn't feel a genuine connection to people. He's determined to have more 'real,' intimate interactions with people. This can sometimes be awkward, as when he tries to connect with a plumber who comes by to fix his toilet.
Every time Nick has (what he considers) a 'real' interaction' with someone, the book (which is printed in black and white) suddenly bursts into colors for a short time. It's a neat trick, if an old one.
But sometimes I failed to see what Nick was worried about. Sure, a lot of his interactions are 'performed.' All of ours are. Asking "How are you?" "Fine." "Can you believe the weather we're having?" Basic politeness. Not every interaction can be a deep, meaningful discourse on the human experience, nor should it be... something I think Nick has a hard time grasping. His deafness to this fact leads for some really awkward scenarios, like when he asks a naked Wren - right before they start having sex - To her credit, she doesn't kick him out of bed. Also, his interactions with Wren are in black-and-white even though IMO they have charming, funny conversations which are rich in happiness. When his sister asks about Wren, we get this:
"Who is she? What's she like?"
"Wren and I don't know."
"Oh, you're not feeling it?"
"No. I am. I just don't know what she's like." pg. 134
Come on, man. Sure you do. She's bold and funny and intelligent. She's obviously a miracle come into your life. Why this lukewarm evasion with your sister? Can you not see that Wren is amazing? I know you can. Sometimes I wondered what was wrong with Nick.
So the first half of this GN is so funny, clever, novel, and charming. I was ecstatic. Every new thing about Nick that I learned delighted me.
What happens in the second half, you ask? It devolves into a
There's nothing wrong with , but it was jarring because I had no idea that's where this book was going, even though I should have after Wren told Nick she was
And it's fine, it's fine that the book ends that way but it wasn't the joyful, clever, innovative narrative I was hoping for. Instead, it was This put a damper on things.
In the end, I think I'm still going to give it five stars, although my enthusiasm for this awesome plot we were having dimmed once it was turned into a . I'm going to give it five stars because it is just SO FRESH and McPhail's writing is so on-point. His illustrations are also great. He should be very proud of himself. Do you hear me, Will McPhail? Be very proud of yourself and take this moment to revel in creating a very fresh and well done GN.
TL;DR Even though this book turned from a delightful, clever breath-of-fresh air into a , I still think this was smart, funny, and well-made. Maybe the sharp right turn into might not bother other people, I was bummed by it. I was hoping for a solid, deep, interesting yet funny GN about someone with a unique perspective, rather than what it ended up being. Five stars, I'd still strongly recommend it but it's not what you expect from the first half.
December 13, 2021
I don't often read graphic novels so it's a delight whenever I stumble upon one which is not only a pleasure to read but also moving, funny and insightful. “In.” depicts the life of an illustrator named Nick who longs for the kind of blissful solitude he once achieved in childhood within the funnel of a waterpark slide. Now that he's an adult he's crafted a life of independence where he works on his own writing projects while occasionally freelancing for ad agencies (a meeting with one is brilliantly spoofed). He frequents trendy coffee shops and bars (with hilarious names such as 'just give us your money at this point' and 'Your Friends Have Kids') while drifting through the city. The trouble is that this independence is also suffused with loneliness and he longs for meaningful moments.
Nick assists his mother with her renovation of a building and babysits his nephew, but even these encounters are often filled with small talk, superficial chatter or blank silence. However, one day he finds that speaking about something close to his heart breaks through the white noise and establishes a real connection. The black and white illustrations of his daily life suddenly flip to a colour-filled phantasmagorical landscape for a brief time. This is alternately a space of dream and nightmare as we sense the tenor of his innermost being. It's a highly effective technique as we follow his journey establishing a new romance with a charismatic doctor named Wren and facing the facts of a family member's terminal illness. As is often the case with literary graphic novels such as “Sabrina” by Nick Drnaso, blank dialogue-less space and minimalist drawings express much more than what words can say.
Read my full review of In. by Will McPhail at LonesomeReader
Nick assists his mother with her renovation of a building and babysits his nephew, but even these encounters are often filled with small talk, superficial chatter or blank silence. However, one day he finds that speaking about something close to his heart breaks through the white noise and establishes a real connection. The black and white illustrations of his daily life suddenly flip to a colour-filled phantasmagorical landscape for a brief time. This is alternately a space of dream and nightmare as we sense the tenor of his innermost being. It's a highly effective technique as we follow his journey establishing a new romance with a charismatic doctor named Wren and facing the facts of a family member's terminal illness. As is often the case with literary graphic novels such as “Sabrina” by Nick Drnaso, blank dialogue-less space and minimalist drawings express much more than what words can say.
Read my full review of In. by Will McPhail at LonesomeReader
April 27, 2023
57th book of 2023. Number #14 in my challenge with Alan: read a graphic novel.
A smart, funny and ultimately sad book about connecting with people in the modern world. McPhail is a cartoonist for The New Yorker, and his talent is very visible. The colour portions of the book were absolutely stunning, the panel choices, the blank spaces, everything was utilised beautifully. I don't read graphic novels much anymore, but my introduction to read as a child was comic books, it's all I read for years. I've still got hundreds in the loft. So other than things like Maus and Watchmen, I haven't actually read a graphic novel for a long time. Forgot how nice it is sometimes. This is pretty easy to breeze through but I found myself looking forward to picking it up again, and I'd definitely read another if he published one. Modern love, grief, and how we open up to people. The art sold it though, lovely style.
A smart, funny and ultimately sad book about connecting with people in the modern world. McPhail is a cartoonist for The New Yorker, and his talent is very visible. The colour portions of the book were absolutely stunning, the panel choices, the blank spaces, everything was utilised beautifully. I don't read graphic novels much anymore, but my introduction to read as a child was comic books, it's all I read for years. I've still got hundreds in the loft. So other than things like Maus and Watchmen, I haven't actually read a graphic novel for a long time. Forgot how nice it is sometimes. This is pretty easy to breeze through but I found myself looking forward to picking it up again, and I'd definitely read another if he published one. Modern love, grief, and how we open up to people. The art sold it though, lovely style.
August 9, 2021
Superb
April 9, 2023
A fantastic graphic novel about trying to be authentic and create real conversations. Another book by a first time graphic novelist that feels fully formed. McPhail does have an extensive background as an illustrator for the New Yorker (I haven't seen any of his work before that I know of).
Our main character spends most of his time alone in his apartment or drinking coffee in fancy cafes. Most conversations are shallow and inauthentic.
He starts to actually try to have real conversations. The first in the book happens when he admits to his plumber that he feels awkward arounds tradespeople. The comic then turns to a full painted style illustrating how great - how alive - this makes Nick feel. It's really lovely stuff.
The story takes some twists and turns including a major illness in his family (the tragedy sparks some authentic interactions). That's perhaps my main complaint with the book - it'd be nice to have a story of being more authentic, especially with family members, that doesn't rely on a tragedy to kickstart things.
Our main character spends most of his time alone in his apartment or drinking coffee in fancy cafes. Most conversations are shallow and inauthentic.
He starts to actually try to have real conversations. The first in the book happens when he admits to his plumber that he feels awkward arounds tradespeople. The comic then turns to a full painted style illustrating how great - how alive - this makes Nick feel. It's really lovely stuff.
The story takes some twists and turns including a major illness in his family (the tragedy sparks some authentic interactions). That's perhaps my main complaint with the book - it'd be nice to have a story of being more authentic, especially with family members, that doesn't rely on a tragedy to kickstart things.
Read
February 19, 2022Every once in a great while, a graphic novel. Yeah. For old time's (read: comic-reading days) sake. Nice break while wading through a big book, too, like me now with one too many brothers named Karamazov.
The protagonist is a sympathetic sort. Lonely guy in the city. Like Holden of Caulfield fame, he seems a bit beleaguered by the phony element in life. You say this. I say that. Small talk, it's called. A social necessity. But our hero wants more.
Hey. At least he's out there. It opens with memories of the water tube at the water park, one where the "grand finale" was a huge water bowl, one where he liked spinning inside ALONE as "a slippery little penny of a boy."
Interactions in the book include Mom, sis, nephew, a plumber, and an oncologist/love interest. The love part gives us some of the best humorous lines, but McPhail will balance that off with some sad stuff, too. Life, meet like.
A nice breather, In. Inhale through the nose. Hold. And exhale. You're feeling better already.
The protagonist is a sympathetic sort. Lonely guy in the city. Like Holden of Caulfield fame, he seems a bit beleaguered by the phony element in life. You say this. I say that. Small talk, it's called. A social necessity. But our hero wants more.
Hey. At least he's out there. It opens with memories of the water tube at the water park, one where the "grand finale" was a huge water bowl, one where he liked spinning inside ALONE as "a slippery little penny of a boy."
Interactions in the book include Mom, sis, nephew, a plumber, and an oncologist/love interest. The love part gives us some of the best humorous lines, but McPhail will balance that off with some sad stuff, too. Life, meet like.
A nice breather, In. Inhale through the nose. Hold. And exhale. You're feeling better already.
November 9, 2021
Art : phenomenal. Body positions and facial expressions are rich with attention to the details. I also loved the big round eyes, that is probably the feature that convinced me to buy the book.
Story : some funny jokes, but overall shallow, immature and self-centered. The main reason why I didn't like it and I'm giving it 2 stars is that the story has no hint of originality. The art does, but it's not enough.
Story : some funny jokes, but overall shallow, immature and self-centered. The main reason why I didn't like it and I'm giving it 2 stars is that the story has no hint of originality. The art does, but it's not enough.
May 28, 2023
This book surprised me, moved me, and finally, made me cry. The struggle to make meaningful connections is all too real. My takeaway - It's worth the effort even when there are setbacks, and sometimes outright failures, otherwise we should plan to live with regret.
October 9, 2020
A graphic novel that tries to have its cake and eat it, and pretty much succeeds. On the one side there is a cool, ironic distanced approach in a lot of the book, which is where the book is funniest. On the other hand is the need of the Nick, the main character, to find a real connection to other people, to be let in and to let in himself. Whenever this happens the world opens up to him, and the novel switches from a black, grey and white palet to full on colours.
We follow Nick, who is a cartoonist, as he tries to find a meaningful relationship, tries to find his place in life, and navigate his mother's illness.
The book is very funny, a dry kind of humour, that aches as much as it makes you laugh. The portion of the book that handles his mother's illness is really only introduced after you've met the mother a couple of times already, which is a smart decision. It is where the humour dissipates and real life hits.
Funny and moving. Not bad at all.
(Kindly received an ARC from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt through NetGalley)
October 8, 2023
8'5/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“¿Qué barrera nos mantiene alejados? El tío está justo delante de mí. Podría alargar el brazo y tocarle. Pero no puedo acceder a su interior. Lo remoto de nuestro vínculo me aterra. Él está ahí. Solo tengo que encontrar el canal adecuado.”
Ópera prima de Will McPhail, creador de chistes gráficos e ilustraciones para "The New Yorker" desde 2014. McPhail usa el estilo de tiras cómicas que se ven en las revistas o periódicos. Un dibujo en blanco y negro de apariencia simple, pero capaz de transmitir muchísimo y de arrancar una sonrisa en la mayoría de los casos, componiendo entre risas una emotiva historia.
Nick no consigue conectar con la gente como a él le gustaría. Ni siquiera con las personas más cercanas como su familia o la chica con la que empieza a salir. Consciente de esto, Nick hará lo posible por llegar al interior de sus seres queridos. Apareciendo el color en las viñetas cuando lo consigue.
Novela gráfica muy recomendable.
“¿Qué barrera nos mantiene alejados? El tío está justo delante de mí. Podría alargar el brazo y tocarle. Pero no puedo acceder a su interior. Lo remoto de nuestro vínculo me aterra. Él está ahí. Solo tengo que encontrar el canal adecuado.”
Ópera prima de Will McPhail, creador de chistes gráficos e ilustraciones para "The New Yorker" desde 2014. McPhail usa el estilo de tiras cómicas que se ven en las revistas o periódicos. Un dibujo en blanco y negro de apariencia simple, pero capaz de transmitir muchísimo y de arrancar una sonrisa en la mayoría de los casos, componiendo entre risas una emotiva historia.
Nick no consigue conectar con la gente como a él le gustaría. Ni siquiera con las personas más cercanas como su familia o la chica con la que empieza a salir. Consciente de esto, Nick hará lo posible por llegar al interior de sus seres queridos. Apareciendo el color en las viñetas cuando lo consigue.
Novela gráfica muy recomendable.
March 2, 2021
February 2021 Reading Wrap-Up
OK. So I've read over 100 indie comics and have a pretty strong understanding of what is good in this genre. This is truly a fantastic debut graphic novel. This is REALLY good as a debut comic.
It's operating on the level of established comic writers. It's very much like a grown-up version of Blankets by Craig Thompson, or like a "male-version" of The Nao of Brown by Glyn Dillon, or like a less melodramatic everyman version of The Sculptor by Scott McCloud. It's already a very good screenplay to one of those romcoms featuring Hugh Grant like Notting Hill. It's one of few indie comics that addresses being an almost thirty-something, the age at which you truly must become an adult. I do prefer things to be more developed, complex, mature and dark but that's personal preference, if it were more up my street I think it wouldn't be as widely accessible as it is! This has adult themes but is very suitable for young teenagers.
It's more emotional than I thought. I'm quite emotionally hardened given I read a lot of existential philosophy and some of the cringey YA comics normally underwhelm me in trying to communicate revelations deeper than their form of articulation. But the ending to this is very well choreographed and powerful. It surprised me, because it begins with some slightly clichéd dialogues, but the imagery later on is really good and accessible to a lot of readers. It's very relaxed and down-to-earth and is trying to communicate something important and universal to anyone who's ever wanted to deeply connect with people.
Small point to the author, next time give your book a more searchable title, it'll make it easier to market and search for on the internet! A subtitle would've gotten around it.
Serious comics readers, please find this. It may read as a 3* casual read to you at worst, but when you consider it as a debut, and consider whether it is complete as a narrative and the potential for it to be developed, you'll realize that even were it mediocre it is phenomenally archetypal! Keep an eye on this author, and Nick Drnaso, too. They're both young graphic artists showing great progress for the indie comics scene, I very much look forward to comics like these getting even more serious, real, explicit, punchy, and raw.
This is my 2nd advanced reader copy (ARC) review. This means I received this ebook for free, in exchange for this review by Netgalley. I'm not financially motivated, as I read library books, so I only read ARCs I actually think will be good enough for me to rate and review honestly.
OK. So I've read over 100 indie comics and have a pretty strong understanding of what is good in this genre. This is truly a fantastic debut graphic novel. This is REALLY good as a debut comic.
It's operating on the level of established comic writers. It's very much like a grown-up version of Blankets by Craig Thompson, or like a "male-version" of The Nao of Brown by Glyn Dillon, or like a less melodramatic everyman version of The Sculptor by Scott McCloud. It's already a very good screenplay to one of those romcoms featuring Hugh Grant like Notting Hill. It's one of few indie comics that addresses being an almost thirty-something, the age at which you truly must become an adult. I do prefer things to be more developed, complex, mature and dark but that's personal preference, if it were more up my street I think it wouldn't be as widely accessible as it is! This has adult themes but is very suitable for young teenagers.
It's more emotional than I thought. I'm quite emotionally hardened given I read a lot of existential philosophy and some of the cringey YA comics normally underwhelm me in trying to communicate revelations deeper than their form of articulation. But the ending to this is very well choreographed and powerful. It surprised me, because it begins with some slightly clichéd dialogues, but the imagery later on is really good and accessible to a lot of readers. It's very relaxed and down-to-earth and is trying to communicate something important and universal to anyone who's ever wanted to deeply connect with people.
Small point to the author, next time give your book a more searchable title, it'll make it easier to market and search for on the internet! A subtitle would've gotten around it.
Serious comics readers, please find this. It may read as a 3* casual read to you at worst, but when you consider it as a debut, and consider whether it is complete as a narrative and the potential for it to be developed, you'll realize that even were it mediocre it is phenomenally archetypal! Keep an eye on this author, and Nick Drnaso, too. They're both young graphic artists showing great progress for the indie comics scene, I very much look forward to comics like these getting even more serious, real, explicit, punchy, and raw.
May 24, 2021
Nick never knows the right thing to say. The bachelor artist’s well-intentioned thoughts remain unvoiced, such that all he can manage is small talk. Whether he’s on a subway train, interacting with his mom and sister, or sitting in a bar with a tongue-in-cheek name (like “Your Friends Have Kids” or “Gentrificchiato”), he’s conscious of being the clichéd guy who’s too clueless or pathetic to make a real connection with another human being. That starts to change when he meets Wren, a Black doctor who instantly sees past all his pretence.
In makes strategic use of colour spreads. “Say something that matters,” Nick scolds himself, and on the rare occasions when he does figure out what to say or ask – the magic words that elicit an honest response – it’s as if a new world opens up. These full-colour breakthrough scenes are like dream sequences, filled with symbols such as a waterfall, icy cliff, or half-submerged building with classical façade. Each is heralded by a close-up image on the other person’s eyes: being literally close enough to see their eye colour means being metaphorically close enough to be let in. Nick achieves these moments with everyone from the plumber to his four-year-old nephew.
Alternately laugh-out-loud funny and tender, McPhail’s debut novel is as hip as it is genuine. It’s a spot-on picture of modern life in a generic city. I especially loved the few pages when Nick is on a Zoom call with carefully ironed shirt but no trousers and the potential employers on the other end get so lost in their own jargon that they forget he’s there. His banter with Wren or with his sister reveals a lot about these characters, but there’s also an amazing 12-page wordless sequence late on that conveys so much. While I’d recommend this to readers of Alison Bechdel, Craig Thompson, and Chris Ware (and expect it to have a lot in common with Kristen Radtke’s forthcoming Seek You: A Journey through American Loneliness), it’s perfect for those brand new to graphic novels, too – a good old-fashioned story, with all the emotional range of Writers & Lovers. I hope it’ll be a wildcard entry on the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award shortlist.
Originally published, with images, on my blog, Bookish Beck.
In makes strategic use of colour spreads. “Say something that matters,” Nick scolds himself, and on the rare occasions when he does figure out what to say or ask – the magic words that elicit an honest response – it’s as if a new world opens up. These full-colour breakthrough scenes are like dream sequences, filled with symbols such as a waterfall, icy cliff, or half-submerged building with classical façade. Each is heralded by a close-up image on the other person’s eyes: being literally close enough to see their eye colour means being metaphorically close enough to be let in. Nick achieves these moments with everyone from the plumber to his four-year-old nephew.
Alternately laugh-out-loud funny and tender, McPhail’s debut novel is as hip as it is genuine. It’s a spot-on picture of modern life in a generic city. I especially loved the few pages when Nick is on a Zoom call with carefully ironed shirt but no trousers and the potential employers on the other end get so lost in their own jargon that they forget he’s there. His banter with Wren or with his sister reveals a lot about these characters, but there’s also an amazing 12-page wordless sequence late on that conveys so much. While I’d recommend this to readers of Alison Bechdel, Craig Thompson, and Chris Ware (and expect it to have a lot in common with Kristen Radtke’s forthcoming Seek You: A Journey through American Loneliness), it’s perfect for those brand new to graphic novels, too – a good old-fashioned story, with all the emotional range of Writers & Lovers. I hope it’ll be a wildcard entry on the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award shortlist.
Originally published, with images, on my blog, Bookish Beck.
March 27, 2024
Questo è uno dei tanti libri a cui mi espone il mio lavoro, e che, senza, non avrei neppure mai incrociato. Me lo sono ritrovato da catalogare, e quindi l'ho sfogliato per misurarlo e poi ho lanciato una rapida ricerca sull'autore per capire come classificarlo.
McPhail fin da subito m'è sembrato un tipo simpatico, un po' disadattato, ben poco "macho". Insomma, qualcuno con cui sarebbe stato facile simpatizzare.
Mi sono prenotato il libro e l'ho consegnato a chi avrebbe finito di trattarlo. Di lì a qualche giorno, cominciando il pomeriggio lavorativo, l'ho trovato ad aspettarmi sulla scrivania.
Il protagonista di questa graphic novel ha confermato tutte le prime impressioni positive che avevo provato per il suo autore: è simpatico davvero, e pure disadattato, nonché quanto di più lontano dal "machismo gilette per l'uomo che non deve chiedere mai". È, anzi, il perfetto esemplare di ragazzo woke che sui social spesso attira commenti imbarazzanti del tipo: "a me l'uomo piace maschio vero, non che si spinzetta le sopracciglia" [ma poi se ha il monociglio-transfrontaliero è un buzzurro incolto che non sa tenersi].
Le tavole sono zeppe di un umorismo, a volte sottile come quando è affidato alle insegne dei moltissimi bar, che non lesina nel criticare la società in cui ci muoviamo. Lo stile è d'un bianconero essenziale e schematico, che si accende però in pagine coloratissime nel momento in cui, a partire dagli occhi, i personaggi si trovano d'innanzi a improvvise epifanie. Questo, infatti, è il racconto della nostra solitudine, dell'isolamento in cui ci ha recluso la possibilità di condividere con chiunque e in ogni istante una propria narrazione di sé.
Mentre il protagonista si barcamena in tentativi non sempre sopraffini d'uscire dal proprio ego per riallacciare un contatto umano con l'Altro, la vita irrompe con una ventata di caos che accelera il suo ritorno all'umanità.
Se non fosse stato per l'eccessiva celerità della seconda parte della vicenda, in cui tutto precipita in una conclusione brusca, questo Entra. sarebbe salito facilmente sul podio delle mie graphic novel preferite.
Nonostante ciò, poiché questo è pur sempre un esordio dopo tante strisce comiche, penso che McPhail abbia ancora molto da dare e dire. Soprattutto alla mia generazione.
Da tenere d'occhio - e da leggere!
McPhail fin da subito m'è sembrato un tipo simpatico, un po' disadattato, ben poco "macho". Insomma, qualcuno con cui sarebbe stato facile simpatizzare.
Mi sono prenotato il libro e l'ho consegnato a chi avrebbe finito di trattarlo. Di lì a qualche giorno, cominciando il pomeriggio lavorativo, l'ho trovato ad aspettarmi sulla scrivania.
Il protagonista di questa graphic novel ha confermato tutte le prime impressioni positive che avevo provato per il suo autore: è simpatico davvero, e pure disadattato, nonché quanto di più lontano dal "machismo gilette per l'uomo che non deve chiedere mai". È, anzi, il perfetto esemplare di ragazzo woke che sui social spesso attira commenti imbarazzanti del tipo: "a me l'uomo piace maschio vero, non che si spinzetta le sopracciglia" [ma poi se ha il monociglio-transfrontaliero è un buzzurro incolto che non sa tenersi].
Le tavole sono zeppe di un umorismo, a volte sottile come quando è affidato alle insegne dei moltissimi bar, che non lesina nel criticare la società in cui ci muoviamo. Lo stile è d'un bianconero essenziale e schematico, che si accende però in pagine coloratissime nel momento in cui, a partire dagli occhi, i personaggi si trovano d'innanzi a improvvise epifanie. Questo, infatti, è il racconto della nostra solitudine, dell'isolamento in cui ci ha recluso la possibilità di condividere con chiunque e in ogni istante una propria narrazione di sé.
Mentre il protagonista si barcamena in tentativi non sempre sopraffini d'uscire dal proprio ego per riallacciare un contatto umano con l'Altro, la vita irrompe con una ventata di caos che accelera il suo ritorno all'umanità.
Se non fosse stato per l'eccessiva celerità della seconda parte della vicenda, in cui tutto precipita in una conclusione brusca, questo Entra. sarebbe salito facilmente sul podio delle mie graphic novel preferite.
Nonostante ciò, poiché questo è pur sempre un esordio dopo tante strisce comiche, penso che McPhail abbia ancora molto da dare e dire. Soprattutto alla mia generazione.
Da tenere d'occhio - e da leggere!
May 1, 2022
Eso que llamamos ahora "conectar" con alguien: relacionarte con un semejante desde la autenticidad, desde la honestidad, sin subterfugios ni comedias. De esto trata el cómic, de lo difícil que resulta establecer un contacto significativo con alguien. Del miedo a exponerse, del miedo al otro, del tiovivo con eje en el ego al que muchos estamos subidos. Y de pronto llega la sombra del adiós y te das cuenta de lo que ha faltado, de la ausencia de visitas al interior de quienes tenemos cerca.
Un dibujo pulcro y elegante que alcanza gran belleza en los momentos en los que el color hace acto de presencia. El detalle de los ojos de huevo en los personajes choca al principio; más tarde caes en la cuenta de lo bien que expresan el estupor permanente, la interrogación existencial, la atonía emocional o el anonadamiento en el prójimo.
Un dibujo pulcro y elegante que alcanza gran belleza en los momentos en los que el color hace acto de presencia. El detalle de los ojos de huevo en los personajes choca al principio; más tarde caes en la cuenta de lo bien que expresan el estupor permanente, la interrogación existencial, la atonía emocional o el anonadamiento en el prójimo.
January 5, 2022
Being aware of your self absorption doesn't negate its existence.
May 21, 2021
4.5, rounded down.
I read very few graphic novels (one or two a year, at most), but this is a very strong debut and a very good use of the medium. I loved the droll humor (until things turn rather dark and tragic), and the color palette on the non-b&w panels is amazing. The autobiographical protagonist, Nick, is extremely relatable, and the situation of feeling isolated and disconnected will resonate with almost everyone after 15 months of pandemic quarantine.
Reading this on a Kindle, however, proved a mire problematic, as the panels and print were rather small and hard to read... a print copy would probably be preferable and solve that problem.
My sincere thanks to Netgalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. and the author for the ARC in exchange for this honest and enthusiastic review. I certainly look forward to whatever else McPhail publishes in the future.
I read very few graphic novels (one or two a year, at most), but this is a very strong debut and a very good use of the medium. I loved the droll humor (until things turn rather dark and tragic), and the color palette on the non-b&w panels is amazing. The autobiographical protagonist, Nick, is extremely relatable, and the situation of feeling isolated and disconnected will resonate with almost everyone after 15 months of pandemic quarantine.
Reading this on a Kindle, however, proved a mire problematic, as the panels and print were rather small and hard to read... a print copy would probably be preferable and solve that problem.
My sincere thanks to Netgalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. and the author for the ARC in exchange for this honest and enthusiastic review. I certainly look forward to whatever else McPhail publishes in the future.
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