Little Things: A Memoir in Slices
by Jeffrey Brown (Goodreads author!)
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 113)
Read in June, 2008
The first time I read Brown's work, I was surprised at the -- well, I won't call it the crudeness of Brown's drawing, more simplicity. His pictures aren't terribly detailed or pieces where you stare and stare at the great perspective. And his storytelling is likewise simple.
An example is the first story or chapter of this which follows the Jeff character through a friendship/dating situation with a girl that leads to a kind of break up and all throughout there is frequent reference to the m...more
An example is the first story or chapter of this which follows the Jeff character through a friendship/dating situation with a girl that leads to a kind of break up and all throughout there is frequent reference to the m...more
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Read in April, 2008
All I had read of Jeffrey Brown's before this was Mini-Sulk and some work he did for Drawn & Quarterly Showcase (which I had completely forgotten I owned - oops!) but it was all pretty damn funny: little two pages chunks of anecdotes, usually about relationships. He has moved away from both areas he's been comfortable with in this pretty large book (for him). Not too much is spent on his relationships (often leaving them to one panel in a larger story) and most of the stories are the size of...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
Emilia, as usual
Jeffrey Brown's art is like a wool sweater. It's extremely comfy, but can also be a bit scratchy and irritating at times. This is probably my least favorite work of his (though I still like it. Honest.) My main problem is the book's format. While Clumsy, Unlikely and his other autobiographical work tends to focus on one relationship or time period, Little Things is jus...more
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Read in April, 2008
More growth from Brown as he moves away from a simple "This happened and then this happened" style of storytelling that plagues the genre of memoir comics. Too often the creators who work in this genre will simply relate a chain of events as if that's storytelling, and the human side of what's happening is forgotten, but Jeffrey does touch on emotion. I'd still like to see a bit more of it, and while I've grown accustomed to his sketchy style of art I'd like to see some growth in that ...more
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Read in April, 2008
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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as refreshing as it is to see jeffrey brown finally doing autobiographical pieces (koff), this was the most disappointing book of all time. its as though some dullard child wrote a "what i did on my summer vacation" essay and it was illustrated by someone only interested in wasting the time of others. there is so much filler here, its unbelievable. panels wasted on deciding what to listen to on headphones, panels where he has to pee, countless panels of him drawing... there is no conte...more
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Jeffrey Brown's graphic novel/memoirs make me laugh, cry, squirm (in sympathy or embarrassment) and groan. Little Things takes a broader approach than some of his previous work, telling short stories from all aspects of his life, ranging over many years. Mr. Brown's artwork is delightful, deceptively simple and almost childlike until you take a better look, and some of his stories hit hard and fast. I particularly enjoyed "Missing the Mountains", in which we get to see Jeff interact...more
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Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
Students of Drawing 101
Not much happens in Little Things, which is kind of the point. Jeffrey Brown tells many stories, and the charm is in the randomness of small discoveries. Like seeing a chipmunk in the forest. Or learning that the "cutie" girl is also a "smartie." I am not sure that there's any theme to the book (other than each story features a phone conversation and presence of a car). Brown's previous books focus on relationships or his cat; Little Things seems to be his forum for everythin
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Read in May, 2008
More autobio from Brown, though this time his vignettes aren't tied together by any central theme or event. These literally are a collection of mostly unrelated little happenings, and the end result is pretty scattershot. I still enjoyed the book, and I remain a fan of the way he continues to prove that even the most mundane lives have moments worthy of recording for posterity, but I prefer his work more when it tells an actual story, not just a clumping of random anecdotes.
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There are a few amusing scenes, but, for the most part, this has very little to no meaning. Which is funny, since the backcover claims this is the artist's most meaningful. If this is an example of his evolution, I would hate to see the prior books. It looks like an exercise done for the benefit of himself and his friends rather than an effort to propel the artform forward.
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Read in June, 2008
This is a graphic novel memoir, one of my favorite genres. It's not the most stellar representative, though. It had a few nice moments, and I liked the drawings OK, but I wanted more from the indie rock boy narrator than what he was giving me, like more about what was going on in his mind or about why these particular events meant enough to him to include in the book.
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Read in April, 2007
i should be finishing the mcsweeney's anthology i am "reading" (carrying around and never looking at) but my half.com graphic novel spree finds are slowly rolling in. this was adorable - the first full-length work of his i've read. it was very exciting to see he had chron's - i like my graphic artists to also be bowel challenged.
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Read in July, 2008
recommended to Sarah by:
Amy
I am beginning to truly love graphic novels...This one is by a young man who works at Barnes and Noble. He relates vignettes of his life in a matter of fact way that make them seem extraordinary. I had seen a portion of one of his strips in an anthology and am now happy that I have found the full text.
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If I could give negative stars, I would here. I thought I'd have to find something to like--he's from Michigan and lives in Chicago! Alas, this was one of the most boring, self-indulgent wastes of time that I've ever read.
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I am crazy for graphic novels. Jeffrey Brown is my new favorite artist/author. I just ordered a bunch more of his online because $20 is way too much to spend on a book I can read in one sitting.
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Read in May, 2008
recommended to Jessica by:
james cox, of course.
I didn't like this one as much as his relationship ones- maybe because of the constant hero-worship of andrew bird, chris ware, et al.
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Read in April, 2008
I enjoy Jeffrey Brown's sweet, honest little stories. But I missed the sex and relationship drama.
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Read in April, 2008
Review is here: http://shazhmmm.blogspot.com/2...
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It's a little different from his others, but it's just as honest. I like it a lot.
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