The flap copy does reveal the first names of this French graphic novel's two creators -- Philippe and Charles -- but they're credited as simply "Dupuy & Berberian" here.Apparently, D&B have created a long sequence of stories, of which Get a Life is a collection of (some? all?) of the earliest. All the stories are about "Mr. Jean," a young French novelist whose life borrows bits from D&B's own careers (translated from comics to prose, of course).
So this is yet more semi-autobiography, but it's less specific than most -- D&B are really just taking the usual events in the life of a young, reasonably successful artist -- concerns about his work, contacts, and lots and lots of stories about dating and sex.
It's all done in a fairly slick French style, with some true warmth and expression to it but also clearly aimed at a wide audience rather than trying to dig into personal experience for really detailed particulars. It's not the overwhelming surprise Three Shadows was, but it's pretty good. And semi-light comedies about dating and finding one's place in the world will never get old.
1 comment:
Glad to see Dupuy and Berberian being published in English now as well. What I liked about the monsieur Jean series is that it might be just another twentysomething or thirtysomething slice of life comic, but it's French slice of life.
A few years back they also did a graphic novel about erm, producing a graphic novel, which is perhaps their best work.
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