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Parantez
“Sana bu hikâyeyi anlatmak çok güç. Hâlâ kaybolmuş gibiyim.
Tel tel dağılan bir hafızayı anlamak ve anlatmak çok zor.”
Yirmilerinin başındaki genç bir kadının beyninde tespit edilen tümörle tüm hayatı tamamen değişir. Bu zamana dek normal bir genç olarak yaşamış olan Judith’in süregiden hayatında böylelikle bir parantez açılır. Bu parantez tamamen yabancı, değişik, bilmediği şeylerle dolu olan yeni bir hayatın da başlangıcıdır. Hastalığı kabulleniş sürecinden başlayıp onunla mücadelesine, bu sürede değişen şeylere, iç dünyasına, tüm devinimlerine uzanan bu meşakkatli süreçten sonra, belleğinin dağılan parçalarını tek tek geri toparlamaya çalışan genç kadın için istemsiz açılan bu parantezi kapatmanın tek bir yolu vardır: Kendi hikâyesini yazmak.
Dünyaca ünlü Angoulême Uluslararası Çizgi Roman Festivali'nden ödülle dönmüş olan Parantez, yazarı Élodie Durand’ın bizzat yaşadığı ve kendi yazıp resimlediği gerçek bir hikâye…
Tel tel dağılan bir hafızayı anlamak ve anlatmak çok zor.”
Yirmilerinin başındaki genç bir kadının beyninde tespit edilen tümörle tüm hayatı tamamen değişir. Bu zamana dek normal bir genç olarak yaşamış olan Judith’in süregiden hayatında böylelikle bir parantez açılır. Bu parantez tamamen yabancı, değişik, bilmediği şeylerle dolu olan yeni bir hayatın da başlangıcıdır. Hastalığı kabulleniş sürecinden başlayıp onunla mücadelesine, bu sürede değişen şeylere, iç dünyasına, tüm devinimlerine uzanan bu meşakkatli süreçten sonra, belleğinin dağılan parçalarını tek tek geri toparlamaya çalışan genç kadın için istemsiz açılan bu parantezi kapatmanın tek bir yolu vardır: Kendi hikâyesini yazmak.
Dünyaca ünlü Angoulême Uluslararası Çizgi Roman Festivali'nden ödülle dönmüş olan Parantez, yazarı Élodie Durand’ın bizzat yaşadığı ve kendi yazıp resimlediği gerçek bir hikâye…
224 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews
February 5, 2017
Böylesine bir hastalıkla sanat yaparak barışmak? Ben buna saygı duyarım.
5 yıldızın yegane nedeni, 21 yaşındayken beyinde oluşan bir tümör ve ardından gelen epilepsi krizleriyle hayatı alt üst olan bu genç sanatçının bize iyileşme sürecinde yaşadıklarını yine sanatıyla anlatmasındandır.
Hiç çevremde böyle bir sorun yaşayan kişi olmadı. O nedenle sanatçıyı ilgiyle okudum/dinledim. Yer yer kendi hatırlayamadığı kısımlarda (çünkü hastaslık nedeniyle çok ciddi hafıza kayıpları var) annesi ve babasını anlatıcı olarak, kendisine anlattırarak bir diyalog halinde bize sunması da hoş bir ayrıntıydı. Yaşadıklarını parça pinçik hatırlayan bir evladın ailesine dönüp "Ne olmuştu?" demesi ve bizim de halıya oturup ilgiyle dinlememiz gibiydi.
Başarılı. Özellikle sanatçıyı bizimle bu kendisi açısından fazlasıyla nahoş deneyimi paylaştığı için kutluyorum.
Çeviri ve editörlükse şahane. Zaten Desen Yayınları bu konuda çok iyi. Fransızca aslından çevirdikleri kitap da onların kalitesine yaraşır bir iş olmuş.
5 yıldızın yegane nedeni, 21 yaşındayken beyinde oluşan bir tümör ve ardından gelen epilepsi krizleriyle hayatı alt üst olan bu genç sanatçının bize iyileşme sürecinde yaşadıklarını yine sanatıyla anlatmasındandır.
Hiç çevremde böyle bir sorun yaşayan kişi olmadı. O nedenle sanatçıyı ilgiyle okudum/dinledim. Yer yer kendi hatırlayamadığı kısımlarda (çünkü hastaslık nedeniyle çok ciddi hafıza kayıpları var) annesi ve babasını anlatıcı olarak, kendisine anlattırarak bir diyalog halinde bize sunması da hoş bir ayrıntıydı. Yaşadıklarını parça pinçik hatırlayan bir evladın ailesine dönüp "Ne olmuştu?" demesi ve bizim de halıya oturup ilgiyle dinlememiz gibiydi.
Başarılı. Özellikle sanatçıyı bizimle bu kendisi açısından fazlasıyla nahoş deneyimi paylaştığı için kutluyorum.
Çeviri ve editörlükse şahane. Zaten Desen Yayınları bu konuda çok iyi. Fransızca aslından çevirdikleri kitap da onların kalitesine yaraşır bir iş olmuş.
July 9, 2023
This book gives a stunningly clear picture of the various feelings of anger, frustration, despair, and melancholy that haunt the lives of those who suffer a chronic illness. I live with two, actually, and am grateful to Durand for helping me understand those feelings and put them in order.
April 16, 2022
The author of this award-winning graphic memoir tells the story of the time when, on the cusp of adulthood, she developed tumor-related epilepsy. She was in denial about it, even during treatment, but she was actually losing her mind in a steady decline until finally someone found the tumor on an MRI. I have read a lot of graphic medicine memoirs, in spite of the fact that I have (until recently) been almost completely healthy all of my life. But since I just had some months of extensive melanoma surgery and recovery, somehow the trauma she depicts here was--instead of what she intended here, maybe--more terrifying to see her trauma represented visually, and so starkly. It was actually emotionally difficult for me to read it at times.
When she is depicting the worst moments, she uses smudgy, "primitive" techniques, and when she is feeling better, she uses a different style, and the range of illustration is effective. She often writes this directly to her mother, as we see that she and the whole family experienced this, supporting her, fearful for her, completely overwhelmed on her behalf at times. It reminded me of David B's Epileptic, where he tries to capture what his brother was going through during his debilitating seizures, experienced decades earlier than Durand's episodes, when treatment was less advanced. That she lived to tell the tale and is now actually epilepsy-free is good news, obviously, and inspiring, as she uses her art to attempt to create a time in her life when here memory was deteriorating, when she was in peril, and dependent (as most of us will be) on the medical establishment..
When she is depicting the worst moments, she uses smudgy, "primitive" techniques, and when she is feeling better, she uses a different style, and the range of illustration is effective. She often writes this directly to her mother, as we see that she and the whole family experienced this, supporting her, fearful for her, completely overwhelmed on her behalf at times. It reminded me of David B's Epileptic, where he tries to capture what his brother was going through during his debilitating seizures, experienced decades earlier than Durand's episodes, when treatment was less advanced. That she lived to tell the tale and is now actually epilepsy-free is good news, obviously, and inspiring, as she uses her art to attempt to create a time in her life when here memory was deteriorating, when she was in peril, and dependent (as most of us will be) on the medical establishment..
May 20, 2022
French artist Elodie Durand details her life as she began having epileptic seizures while in college in the mid 90's. It's a profound tale and she went through a lot. Elodie began losing time and memory. She'd have no knowledge of doing something with her parents or even visits with her neurologist. Not knowing what's wrong with you is a very scary feeling, especially when it goes on for months. (We went through something very similar several years ago before my wife was finally diagnosed with MS.)
This is a really gripping tale told very well through her pencil sketch art. Durand is able to use different styles to convey her feelings throughout the story. It all works very nicely.
This is a really gripping tale told very well through her pencil sketch art. Durand is able to use different styles to convey her feelings throughout the story. It all works very nicely.
March 18, 2021
I found the early pages confusing and difficult to connect with until I realized the author was trying to literally share her own confusion and disconnection through her art and narration as she gradually realizes she is falling victim to a medical condition that is literally erasing portions of her life. Once I surrendered to the presentation I was filled with terror as things continue to deteriorate for the memoirist and she begins an odyssey through the medical establishment. So scary and gripping.
February 17, 2021
“Dengemi bulmam yıllar aldı.
Doğrusu hastalığın dışında yaşamak, kendime bir gelecek yazmak ve başka anılar biriktirmek için zamana ihtiyacım vardı.”
Doğrusu hastalığın dışında yaşamak, kendime bir gelecek yazmak ve başka anılar biriktirmek için zamana ihtiyacım vardı.”
August 14, 2017
Kesinlike muhteşem bir kitaptı.
Yirmili yaşlarının başlarında hafızasında ufak kayıplarla başlayan epilepsi hastalığının pençesine düşen bir genç kadın ve onun ağzından ve kaleminden ve eskiz defterinden çizgiler ve kelimeler. Böyle acı bir hastalık daha içten anlatılamazdı sanırım. Hepimiz görsek de bilsek de yakından yaşamayınca hissedemeyeceğimiz şeylerin içine bir anda giriyorsunuz ve kitap bir solukta bitiyor.
Ama siyah beyazlığın yalınlığındaki o acı his bende kaldı. Özellikle hastalığı sırasında bir şeyleri kafasında oturtmak, hatırlamak amacıyla tuttuğu defterden karalamaları beni çok etkiledi. Böyle ilkel bir acının ilkel bir yansıması oldu benim için.
Bence herkes okumalı tavsiye ederim.
Yirmili yaşlarının başlarında hafızasında ufak kayıplarla başlayan epilepsi hastalığının pençesine düşen bir genç kadın ve onun ağzından ve kaleminden ve eskiz defterinden çizgiler ve kelimeler. Böyle acı bir hastalık daha içten anlatılamazdı sanırım. Hepimiz görsek de bilsek de yakından yaşamayınca hissedemeyeceğimiz şeylerin içine bir anda giriyorsunuz ve kitap bir solukta bitiyor.
Ama siyah beyazlığın yalınlığındaki o acı his bende kaldı. Özellikle hastalığı sırasında bir şeyleri kafasında oturtmak, hatırlamak amacıyla tuttuğu defterden karalamaları beni çok etkiledi. Böyle ilkel bir acının ilkel bir yansıması oldu benim için.
Bence herkes okumalı tavsiye ederim.
February 27, 2022
İnanılmaz dokunaklı ve çarpıcı bir kitap, gerçekten tüm çaresizliğini/çabasını iliklerime kadar hissettim.
February 19, 2024
Güzeldi. Çok hüzünlü ama bir o kadar da güzeldi. Bittikten sonra bir saat falan başka bir şey düşünemedim sadece Judith'i yaşadıklarını ve neler hissettiğini düşündüm onu anlamaya çalıştım. Bir çizgi romanın bu kadar içine çekebileceğini düşünmezdim. Bütün duyguları ne güzel yansıtmış. Başka biri yazsa veya çizse belki bu kadar olmazdı ya da ben öyle hissetmezdim ama otobiyografik olması süreci ve yaşananları hem çok gerçek yapmış hem de yaşanılan duyguların içine girmemizi kolaylaştırmış. Zira, her sayfada Judith ile ben de sinirlendim, üzüldüm, yoruldum, pes ettim, umutsuzluğa ve çaresizliğe düştüm ve yeniden umutlandım.
November 9, 2016
Gerçek bir hikaye olması ve hikayeyi yaşayan kişinin ağzından konuya tanık olmamız üstelik bunu çizimlerle ifade etmesi oldukça etkileyiciydi.
Çizgi roman sevenler kaçırmasın.
Konu biraz fazla ağır, 20li yaşlarının başında Elo'nun yaşadığı epilepsi ve beyin tümörü teşhisleri, atakları ve yaşadığı hafıza kayıplarından bahsediyor.
Üzerinde düşünülecek çok şey bıraktı.
Çizgi roman sevenler kaçırmasın.
Konu biraz fazla ağır, 20li yaşlarının başında Elo'nun yaşadığı epilepsi ve beyin tümörü teşhisleri, atakları ve yaşadığı hafıza kayıplarından bahsediyor.
Üzerinde düşünülecek çok şey bıraktı.
March 29, 2017
Epilepsi hakkında hiçbir şey bilmiyor muşum :(
Okurken annemi özlediğimi fark ettim :(
Bugün günlerden hüzün.
Okurken annemi özlediğimi fark ettim :(
Bugün günlerden hüzün.
March 22, 2021
4.5 stars
Durand movingly details her memories (some only recovered or pieced together with later help) of how it felt to survive and much later come to accept an extended illness in her twenties that stole much of her mind: basic general knowledge, but also things like memory and the awareness of time that are more fundamental to identity. Her much later conversations with family to better understand the reality of that time are woven effectively into the story, as are details of her treatment. Her conversations with her mom are particularly touching to me.
As someone who’s taken a loved one for stereotactic radiation, I found myself initially wondering if it existed in the story’s mid-90s era, only to have an oddly familiar reaction when the Gamma Knife procedure was mentioned shortly thereafter. Durand explains the procedure’s complex workings really well while still primarily foregrounding her emotional experience around receiving it.
The story is illustrated using basic, uncolored pencil sketches, but they still do a great job evoking Durand’s confused, unanchored, often hopeless feelings. She also includes interludes with the wordless abstract doodles she used to explore her feelings when she didn’t have the words to do so, and they’re surprisingly communicative. The lettering is predominantly handwritten cursive that is legible but adds just a bit of friction I wish wasn’t there, though it may give the story a more intimate feeling I’d miss if it were different.
Durand movingly details her memories (some only recovered or pieced together with later help) of how it felt to survive and much later come to accept an extended illness in her twenties that stole much of her mind: basic general knowledge, but also things like memory and the awareness of time that are more fundamental to identity. Her much later conversations with family to better understand the reality of that time are woven effectively into the story, as are details of her treatment. Her conversations with her mom are particularly touching to me.
As someone who’s taken a loved one for stereotactic radiation, I found myself initially wondering if it existed in the story’s mid-90s era, only to have an oddly familiar reaction when the Gamma Knife procedure was mentioned shortly thereafter. Durand explains the procedure’s complex workings really well while still primarily foregrounding her emotional experience around receiving it.
The story is illustrated using basic, uncolored pencil sketches, but they still do a great job evoking Durand’s confused, unanchored, often hopeless feelings. She also includes interludes with the wordless abstract doodles she used to explore her feelings when she didn’t have the words to do so, and they’re surprisingly communicative. The lettering is predominantly handwritten cursive that is legible but adds just a bit of friction I wish wasn’t there, though it may give the story a more intimate feeling I’d miss if it were different.
December 8, 2020
I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
Recently I’ve discovered that graphic memoirs are one of my favorite genres to read. There’s something so raw about them that really speaks to me. In this story, Durand recounts her struggles with epilepsy and a brain tumor. Using a mix of dialogue with her mother, personal memories, and sometimes disturbing sketches, she explores how much she lost herself during treatment of her illness.
I enjoyed this book. The sketchy-style illustrations really add to the somberness of the story and help give a glimpse into what living in her position might have been like. I liked how the illustrations shifted in style with the tone of the story, often very dark and disjointed in the worst parts of her life. It really helps drive home how serious it was and how much the author truly lost herself in those horrific moments.
My critiques: the script used through most of the story is a bit hard to read. I assume it’s handwritten by the author, but my preference would be to use a typeface that looks like it’s handwritten. Maybe that would take away from the story though. I’m not sure. I also wish it concluded a little better. The ending feels very blunt to me.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. It’s a really good entry into the graphic memoir genre.
Recently I’ve discovered that graphic memoirs are one of my favorite genres to read. There’s something so raw about them that really speaks to me. In this story, Durand recounts her struggles with epilepsy and a brain tumor. Using a mix of dialogue with her mother, personal memories, and sometimes disturbing sketches, she explores how much she lost herself during treatment of her illness.
I enjoyed this book. The sketchy-style illustrations really add to the somberness of the story and help give a glimpse into what living in her position might have been like. I liked how the illustrations shifted in style with the tone of the story, often very dark and disjointed in the worst parts of her life. It really helps drive home how serious it was and how much the author truly lost herself in those horrific moments.
My critiques: the script used through most of the story is a bit hard to read. I assume it’s handwritten by the author, but my preference would be to use a typeface that looks like it’s handwritten. Maybe that would take away from the story though. I’m not sure. I also wish it concluded a little better. The ending feels very blunt to me.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. It’s a really good entry into the graphic memoir genre.
June 23, 2021
No suelo leer cómics pero a veces me encuentro con alguna joyita que consigue sorprenderme y transmitirme tanto o más que una novela.
Esto me ha pasado con este cómic, donde la autora cuenta su propia experiencia desde que, con apenas 21 años, comenzó a tener pérdidas de memoria, en un principio leves, pero que fueron aumentando y derivando en otros síntomas más graves hasta llegar al diagnóstico de un pequeño tumor cerebral que le causaba cuadros de epilepsia.
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Se dibuja a sí misma en las interminables consultas médicas, en las conversaciones con amigos y familiares que cada vez le dan más miedo por no ser capaz de recordar, en su incapacidad de seguir con sus estudios... Pero sin duda las viñetas más sobrecogedoras son las que representan a su propia mente. Es increíble cómo personifica a la enfermedad como un monstruo que está dentro de su cabeza y a veces la controla y anula totalmente. Esa sensación de pérdida, de vacío, de no reconocerse ni saber dónde está ni qué ha hecho. Crea un clima asfixiante y te hace sentir a ti también su propia angustia.
"El paréntesis" son esos años de los que apenas tiene recuerdos. Algunas imágenes desdibujadas de todo lo que pasó, unos años en los que su vida se pausó en medio de una pesadilla. Un retrato psicológico, personal y muy íntimo de todo ese tiempo de miedo e incertidumbre. Algunas de las ilustraciones que aparecen las hizo mientras estaba mal, dibujar era algo que la ayudaba a reflexionar, a ir recuperando la concentración, a expresar lo que sentía y a no desconectar del todo de la realidad. Fue como una especie de terapia con ella misma y, ahora una vez que todo ha pasado, al verlas puedes entender un poco mejor lo que puede llegar a sentir una persona en ese estado, la congoja, el caos y la desesperación que le invadía en sus momentos de crisis.
Siempre he preferido las novelas como forma preferida de conocer una historia, pero sin duda este es un claro ejemplo de que lo visual muchas veces suma y te hace entrar en la narración de otra manera. Me ha sorprendido mucho, si tenéis la oportunidad de leerla os la recomiendo mucho. Impresionante.
Esto me ha pasado con este cómic, donde la autora cuenta su propia experiencia desde que, con apenas 21 años, comenzó a tener pérdidas de memoria, en un principio leves, pero que fueron aumentando y derivando en otros síntomas más graves hasta llegar al diagnóstico de un pequeño tumor cerebral que le causaba cuadros de epilepsia.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Se dibuja a sí misma en las interminables consultas médicas, en las conversaciones con amigos y familiares que cada vez le dan más miedo por no ser capaz de recordar, en su incapacidad de seguir con sus estudios... Pero sin duda las viñetas más sobrecogedoras son las que representan a su propia mente. Es increíble cómo personifica a la enfermedad como un monstruo que está dentro de su cabeza y a veces la controla y anula totalmente. Esa sensación de pérdida, de vacío, de no reconocerse ni saber dónde está ni qué ha hecho. Crea un clima asfixiante y te hace sentir a ti también su propia angustia.
"El paréntesis" son esos años de los que apenas tiene recuerdos. Algunas imágenes desdibujadas de todo lo que pasó, unos años en los que su vida se pausó en medio de una pesadilla. Un retrato psicológico, personal y muy íntimo de todo ese tiempo de miedo e incertidumbre. Algunas de las ilustraciones que aparecen las hizo mientras estaba mal, dibujar era algo que la ayudaba a reflexionar, a ir recuperando la concentración, a expresar lo que sentía y a no desconectar del todo de la realidad. Fue como una especie de terapia con ella misma y, ahora una vez que todo ha pasado, al verlas puedes entender un poco mejor lo que puede llegar a sentir una persona en ese estado, la congoja, el caos y la desesperación que le invadía en sus momentos de crisis.
Siempre he preferido las novelas como forma preferida de conocer una historia, pero sin duda este es un claro ejemplo de que lo visual muchas veces suma y te hace entrar en la narración de otra manera. Me ha sorprendido mucho, si tenéis la oportunidad de leerla os la recomiendo mucho. Impresionante.
December 20, 2021
Wow. This is done so well. The author, as a young adult, had a small brain tumor that caused epilepsy, which caused her to lose time and cognition, and to sleep a lot. Part of the cognition problems it caused was her not understanding how impaired she was, though she was unable to function normally. When the epilepsy was diagnosed, the meds for it further impaired her. The tumor was at first thought to be inoperable, but and advanced medical center was later able to use the gamma knife (intense focused radiation) and successfully destroyed the tumor. Her recovery was slow and gradual, as there were complications, and the epilepsy (and the need for dumbing-down meds) persisted for quite a while, but finally went away.
The art is simple but perfect. It includes scribbled versions of herself that show how out of it she was. It also shows how much she had to depend on her parents to reconstruct what happened and how she acted, in order to write the book. So the book shows both how she felt and how people perceived her - and it does so simply but magnificently.
The art is simple but perfect. It includes scribbled versions of herself that show how out of it she was. It also shows how much she had to depend on her parents to reconstruct what happened and how she acted, in order to write the book. So the book shows both how she felt and how people perceived her - and it does so simply but magnificently.
September 28, 2017
La Durand parla di se stessa e di una malattia devastante che l'ha precipitata in un pozzo, della durata di qualche anno, in cui i ricordi scivolavano via e le giornate si riducevano a lunghi sonni e risvegli angosciati, alle prese con il mostro che aveva dentro la testa. Fra analisi routinarie, medici rassicuranti solo in superficie, volti incontrati e dimenticati e spezzoni di esperienze che riaffiorano a tratti, il suo diario raccontato da altri è un modo coraggioso di offrirsi al mondo ed esorcizzare il proprio nucleo oscuro, di cui è rimasta una piccola cicatrice. I disegni sembrano un Guy Delisle molto espressivo, con pagine decisamente impressionanti (come la 102 103, con la marea di occhi che guarda il testone nero della protagonista) che narrano in una riuscita chiave metaforica i momenti critici del decorso del male. Da segnalare, sul versante della potenza iconografica, i disegni che la stessa durand ha tracciato mentre era in balia della propria malattia, riportati durante la graphic novel, a fare da contrappunto alla narrazione. Sono poco più di semplici schizzi, ma hanno un impatto devastante, soprattutto se ci si sofferma un attimo a pensare alla mano che li ha tracciati e le angosce che aveva dietro. Fumetto da leggere.
March 26, 2021
Parenthesis is a graphic novel memoir written and illustrated by Elodie Durand. It follows the trials of a young woman and her experiences with epilepsy.
Parenthesis is, without a doubt, one of the most personal adventures I've ever read. This story (which is very much a true story, mind you) is so beautiful and compelling – it cuts to the quick. What I find the most interesting about this novel is how Elodie Durand translates their own confusion into the narrative itself. It leaves a few puzzling moments – which was the intent. It was shockingly and brutally effective and is not something I'll be forgetting anytime soon.
Thanks to Top Shelf Productions and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Parenthesis is, without a doubt, one of the most personal adventures I've ever read. This story (which is very much a true story, mind you) is so beautiful and compelling – it cuts to the quick. What I find the most interesting about this novel is how Elodie Durand translates their own confusion into the narrative itself. It leaves a few puzzling moments – which was the intent. It was shockingly and brutally effective and is not something I'll be forgetting anytime soon.
Thanks to Top Shelf Productions and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
November 29, 2016
Hastalık sürecini çok iyi anlatmış; o belirsizliği, çaresizliği, yaşama isteğini... Çizimleri de beğendim. 4/5
February 5, 2017
Sabah başlamıştım bir kaç saat içinde elimden bırakamadan okuyup bitirdim. Etkileyici.
June 7, 2022
Winner of the Revelation Prize, Parenthesis has also won the Liberation Readers’ Prize, and Poland Prize from the Angoulême International Comics Festival! As you may have heard, Parenthesis came to my attention when it was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2022. It has also apparently been nominated for the inaugural Graphic Medicine Awards as well.
Looking at content notes, I was personally triggered by the tumors and discussion of brain surgery, but would otherwise note nudity, memory loss, painful procedures and being a medical mystery/object.
Obviously a graphic memoir where we learn more then a little about a pivotal event in Élodie Durand's life. Flipping over to the back French flap Elodie describes herself as "an artist and illustrator, for both children and adults, who has been working for over 15 years. She graduated from the School of Decorative Arts of Strasbourg and the University of Paris VIII. After debuting with the international award-winning graphic memoir Parenthesis, she has also drawn the children's series Les grandes annees, among other projects." Looking at goodreads, it's clear that Elodie has been fairly prolific, although it doesn't appear that any other works have been translated into English yet. Hopefully that changes soon.
What kinds of keywords came to mind reading this memoir? Coming of age, medical treatment, expressive, family, and France.
The Goodreads description is "Julie is barely out of her teens when a tumor begins pressing on her brain, ushering in a new world of seizures, memory gaps, and loss of self. Suddenly, the sentence of her normal life has been interrupted by the opening of a parenthesis that may never close. Based on the real experiences of cartoonist Élodie Durand, Parenthesis is a gripping testament of struggle, fragility, acceptance, and transformation."
Reading through Parenthesis I was not surprised at all by the number of awards it has received. There's certainly a lot of different things that make a graphic memoir a good read in my opinion, but despite my knee jerk discomfort taking in information that involves brains and tumors the skill that went into the expressiveness of this comic was really awesome. So many interesting things going on with line and page layout, and yet still incredibly easy to read and follow. Spoiler alert, I'm going to highly recommend this book.
The only issue is that some of it is written in cursive. The bane of my comic's existence lol.
Sexuality, gender, and race were obviously a bit one note and not the focus of the narrative.
Class didn't really come up either, but I assume capitalism was a bit easier to weather in the 90s in France maybe. At least as a white French person.
Illness, and the way it disables Durand is obviously central to the story. I really liked how Durand included interviews with her family to fill in some of the blanks she can't remember, and/or was not even aware of at the time. Striking a tricky balance between how Durand felt at the time and what was going on from an outside perspective. Obviously healthcare in France is very different, but the struggles with taking medication and tracking down rare treatments remains pretty relatable.
It also seemed like one of Durand's doctors used forarm crutches. Obviously based off of her real life experiences, but it's also something I rarely see. Namely medical professionals that are visibly disabled.
Looking at content notes, I was personally triggered by the tumors and discussion of brain surgery, but would otherwise note nudity, memory loss, painful procedures and being a medical mystery/object.
Obviously a graphic memoir where we learn more then a little about a pivotal event in Élodie Durand's life. Flipping over to the back French flap Elodie describes herself as "an artist and illustrator, for both children and adults, who has been working for over 15 years. She graduated from the School of Decorative Arts of Strasbourg and the University of Paris VIII. After debuting with the international award-winning graphic memoir Parenthesis, she has also drawn the children's series Les grandes annees, among other projects." Looking at goodreads, it's clear that Elodie has been fairly prolific, although it doesn't appear that any other works have been translated into English yet. Hopefully that changes soon.
What kinds of keywords came to mind reading this memoir? Coming of age, medical treatment, expressive, family, and France.
The Goodreads description is "Julie is barely out of her teens when a tumor begins pressing on her brain, ushering in a new world of seizures, memory gaps, and loss of self. Suddenly, the sentence of her normal life has been interrupted by the opening of a parenthesis that may never close. Based on the real experiences of cartoonist Élodie Durand, Parenthesis is a gripping testament of struggle, fragility, acceptance, and transformation."
Reading through Parenthesis I was not surprised at all by the number of awards it has received. There's certainly a lot of different things that make a graphic memoir a good read in my opinion, but despite my knee jerk discomfort taking in information that involves brains and tumors the skill that went into the expressiveness of this comic was really awesome. So many interesting things going on with line and page layout, and yet still incredibly easy to read and follow. Spoiler alert, I'm going to highly recommend this book.
The only issue is that some of it is written in cursive. The bane of my comic's existence lol.
Sexuality, gender, and race were obviously a bit one note and not the focus of the narrative.
Class didn't really come up either, but I assume capitalism was a bit easier to weather in the 90s in France maybe. At least as a white French person.
Illness, and the way it disables Durand is obviously central to the story. I really liked how Durand included interviews with her family to fill in some of the blanks she can't remember, and/or was not even aware of at the time. Striking a tricky balance between how Durand felt at the time and what was going on from an outside perspective. Obviously healthcare in France is very different, but the struggles with taking medication and tracking down rare treatments remains pretty relatable.
It also seemed like one of Durand's doctors used forarm crutches. Obviously based off of her real life experiences, but it's also something I rarely see. Namely medical professionals that are visibly disabled.
March 7, 2021
Since this was an eARC, the set up was a tad strange on my eReader, so it didn't flow as well as perhaps the physical book or finished eBook copy will. This did affect my enjoyment and even understanding of the book in some respects, as it was difficult to tell who was speaking and even what lines were being spoken by whom.
All that aside, this book, WOW. I can't even BEGIN to imagine what the author and her family went through with her health and how she just lost YEARS of her life and memories and the ability to do simple things, all from a tiny little tumor in a bad place in her brain.
Oh, and if you are a doctor, LISTEN to when the patient and/or their family are telling you that things are getting worse and that the 1-in-a-million chance side effect is happening to the patient. At the very least, run the tests to see if they are right. Because you come across as a COMPLETE JERK if you deny what they are saying is even possible and you come across as an even bigger idiot when they are right and you are wrong! Not to mention, if it's life and death, for crying out loud, err on the side of caution! You don't have to believe what they are saying, but ACT on it and don't be a jerk! Sheesh!
Super important book that I think can be helpful to those going through similar circumstances, both the patient and the loved ones trying to help.
4, sad but realistic and hopeful, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and IDW Publishing/Top Shelf Productions for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
All that aside, this book, WOW. I can't even BEGIN to imagine what the author and her family went through with her health and how she just lost YEARS of her life and memories and the ability to do simple things, all from a tiny little tumor in a bad place in her brain.
Oh, and if you are a doctor, LISTEN to when the patient and/or their family are telling you that things are getting worse and that the 1-in-a-million chance side effect is happening to the patient. At the very least, run the tests to see if they are right. Because you come across as a COMPLETE JERK if you deny what they are saying is even possible and you come across as an even bigger idiot when they are right and you are wrong! Not to mention, if it's life and death, for crying out loud, err on the side of caution! You don't have to believe what they are saying, but ACT on it and don't be a jerk! Sheesh!
Super important book that I think can be helpful to those going through similar circumstances, both the patient and the loved ones trying to help.
4, sad but realistic and hopeful, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and IDW Publishing/Top Shelf Productions for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2023
A very interesting and terrifying graphic memoir about the author’s experience with a brain tumor. When she begins to experience epileptic episodes (that she often does not remember), she denies there’s anything wrong with her. In all other aspects, she’s “healthy.”
Her mental state quickly deteriorates, leading to several “lost years” that she struggles to remember. She must rely on her family’s recollections. In fact, the entire memoir is written to her mother, who was by her side the entire time, through treatment & the long journey to recovery.
I love how the art mirrors the artist’s mental state. She often depicts her disease as a monster looking to swallow her whole or a dark cavern in which she is falling endlessly. Even her renditions of herself change. At times she is shown clearly through her art. When in the throes of post-epileptic amnesia, her image is blurry, muddled.
This book really emphasizes how terrifying & lonely illness can be, even if we are surrounded by our loved ones.
Her mental state quickly deteriorates, leading to several “lost years” that she struggles to remember. She must rely on her family’s recollections. In fact, the entire memoir is written to her mother, who was by her side the entire time, through treatment & the long journey to recovery.
I love how the art mirrors the artist’s mental state. She often depicts her disease as a monster looking to swallow her whole or a dark cavern in which she is falling endlessly. Even her renditions of herself change. At times she is shown clearly through her art. When in the throes of post-epileptic amnesia, her image is blurry, muddled.
This book really emphasizes how terrifying & lonely illness can be, even if we are surrounded by our loved ones.
August 31, 2021
Not a typical reading fare for me, but when it comes to graphic novels I occasionally experiment. Recently read OpenHearted was along the similar lines, but nowhere near as good. This memoir of a young person’s life turned upside down by a terrifying sort of brain glitch was actually surprisingly effective. Through sparse prose and stark black and white art, that ranged from excellent city drawings to diary doodles, the author managed to convey her difficulties with notably unsentimental precision for an optimal emotional engagement. It’s a hauntingly claustrophobic and absolutely terrifying journey or slowly forcibly checking out of one’s life, mentally and physically. Of giving over all semblance of control and just hanging on for dear life. But the author did and lived to tell the tale and did it well, so there’s that. A triumphant return to normalcy after stolen years. An interesting read, emotional without being emotionally manipulative. Not an easy thing to recommend, but certainly worth a read.
July 29, 2024
This is dark with a capital D, pulling you slowly into an unsettling and uncertain world. This was one of those powerful stories which was incredibly difficult to read in terms of the suffering endured by the author/protagonist, so imagine how much worse it must have been to endure it first hand?...
One minor issue with this is, that it often uses one of those “handwriting” fonts which can work well to add authenticity and create a sense of confessional intimacy, but it’s little use if its illegible and can backfire, reduced to a failed gimmick. Now I wouldn’t say it’s quite a failed gimmick, but it creates avoidable problems, which can be annoying. But this had real quality and must have been hard to create, and this is a brave, confronting and insightful memoir and I finished it feeling awe and admiration for the author.
One minor issue with this is, that it often uses one of those “handwriting” fonts which can work well to add authenticity and create a sense of confessional intimacy, but it’s little use if its illegible and can backfire, reduced to a failed gimmick. Now I wouldn’t say it’s quite a failed gimmick, but it creates avoidable problems, which can be annoying. But this had real quality and must have been hard to create, and this is a brave, confronting and insightful memoir and I finished it feeling awe and admiration for the author.
December 1, 2022
This is a moving graphic memoir translated from the French about the author's experiences with a brain tumor and tumor-related epilepsy. It's a perfect example of why disability and comics often go so well together. There's really no other way I think she could've captured those missing and lost moments in her memory than through illustration.
January 1, 2024
Birçok hastaya ve ailesine umut olacak bir kitap; hastalığı hem hastanın hem de ailesinin gözünden baz alarak yazılmış gerçek bir hikaye! Çok etkilendim.
Teşekkür ederim tavsiye eden arkadaşıma, iyi ki okumuşum👌🤗
Teşekkür ederim tavsiye eden arkadaşıma, iyi ki okumuşum👌🤗
November 17, 2017
Ne kadar sarsıcı, zor bir otobiyografik hikaye. Epilepsi hastası yazarın yirmili yaşlarında ciddi hafıza boşluklarına sebep olan hastalığı ve tedavisi için geçmek zorunda olduğu süreçleri okurken içim sıkıştı. Yazarın çizimleri hikayeyi sözlerin ötesine taşıdı, bazen kapkaranlık bomboş bir sayfa hepsinden daha da fazlasını ifade etti. Sarsıcı ve etkileyici bir kurgu. Üstelik hepsi yaşanmış, gerçek!
January 22, 2022
çok güzeldi bir oturuşta bitirdim. birkaç kere de ağladım😝
February 20, 2023
O zapominaniu i tkwieniu w nicości, w miejscu poza czasem, o uczeniu się wszystkiego na nowo i odzyskiwaniu kontroli. O chęci wyzbycia się z sideł niepamięci.
October 7, 2022
Çok etkileyici.
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