Acclaimed novelist Jonathan Ames writes his first comics work with the original graphic novel THE ALCOHOLIC, illustrated by THE QUITTER artist Dean...
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Sep 28, 2009
Imogen
rated it: 
I love that when you type 'alcoholic' in the search box, two Bukowsi books that don't have the word 'alcoholic' in their titles come up before anything else.
Anyway, I like Jonathan Ames. You like Jonathan Ames, right? We all like Jonathan Ames. Just like all of us, he grew up in New Jersey and then moved to New York. (well, maybe not all of us. Most of us though.) I haven't read all his books and, honestly, the most interesting thing to me (well duh) is how trans women continuously More...
Anyway, I like Jonathan Ames. You like Jonathan Ames, right? We all like Jonathan Ames. Just like all of us, he grew up in New Jersey and then moved to New York. (well, maybe not all of us. Most of us though.) I haven't read all his books and, honestly, the most interesting thing to me (well duh) is how trans women continuously More...
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Oct 13, 2008
Kevin
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Though this graphic novel is billed as a fictionalized account of Jonathan Ames struggles with alcohol, I'm gonna go ahead and label it a memoir. Ames story rings true on ever page and Haspiel's art works really well in this sad and painful book. Besides alcoholism, this book also has interesting subplots concerning homosexuality, virility, and death. Of course, there are some great moments of Ames humor as well. And although readers familiar with Ames will recognize parts of his life that he ha
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Nov 07, 2008
Tosh
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Jonathan Ames, at the moment, is someone who entertain me greatly. In many ways he reminds me of Woody Allen. The character in his fiction is very much the same. Totally self-obsessed and funny. But there is a tragic aspect to this character and the way Ames writes that character and make it funny is what makes him an artist or even... an entertainer.
i pick up his books expecting to be entertained or at the very least to be part of his world. What we have here is Ames world in More...
i pick up his books expecting to be entertained or at the very least to be part of his world. What we have here is Ames world in More...
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Feb 09, 2009
sweet pea
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i started reading this in the waiting room of the Social Security office. which, in retrospect, was the perfect place. reading and chortling with the junkies and elderly. i wasn't terribly excited with the concept of the book. but i couldn't put it down and was sad when it had ended.
a whirlwind tour through Jonathan A.'s bizarre and checkered life, it goes from queer drug dealers to aging cat-loving dwarves and from 9-11 to Monica Lewinsky. the work has enough to keep anyone e More...
a whirlwind tour through Jonathan A.'s bizarre and checkered life, it goes from queer drug dealers to aging cat-loving dwarves and from 9-11 to Monica Lewinsky. the work has enough to keep anyone e More...
Feb 04, 2010
In Jonathan Ames's first comic book, "The Alcoholic", the totally not-autobiographical protaganist Jonathan A. takes us on a tour of his life, intertwining his struggles with alcohol, sexual confusion, and the events of September 11th, 2001.[return]The story is compelling, if a bit glib at times. Ames weaves a good story and pulls off the very tricky feat of having a main character who is at once both sympathetic and a bit of a jackass. Jonathan A. bounces between selfishness, disass
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Feb 23, 2009
Valerie
rated it:
This graphic novel focused on Jonathan A. (the main character) and his alcoholism, and how his battle with it affected everything in his life. There were so many wonderful, poignant, tragic and even funny details... I loved his devotion to his best friend, even when said friend ditched him for no apparent reason. I loved it when he referred to his ex-girlfriend by the city she happened to be living in at the time and came to refer to himself as "her bitch" because he couldn't let her g
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Jan 10, 2009
Jeremy
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Jonathan Ames writes this graphic novel about his struggle with drug and alcohol addiction. The illustrations are simple and clean. I can sum it up pretty quickly, Ames started drinking while he was young, and quickly became a self-absorbed alcoholic which messed up everything in his life.
It doesn’t really get much more interesting than that, he continuously finds something small in his life like a girl he likes, then messes up this new relationship by focusing on himself and his ins More...
It doesn’t really get much more interesting than that, he continuously finds something small in his life like a girl he likes, then messes up this new relationship by focusing on himself and his ins More...
Jun 11, 2011
christa
rated it:
The answer to the age-old do I like him or do I lump him Jonathan Ames riddle is this: He is at his best when he is collaborating with someone else. Done. Signed. Sealed. Sent.
Now I just have to take a stand on Chelsea Handler, and my life will make a lot more sense.
Ames' graphic novel-ish "The Alcoholic" is a words-by-Ames, visuals-by-Dean Haspiel story of a rapidly balding man named Jonathan A. and how he got to this moment: Emerging from a black-out drunk, in the More...
Now I just have to take a stand on Chelsea Handler, and my life will make a lot more sense.
Ames' graphic novel-ish "The Alcoholic" is a words-by-Ames, visuals-by-Dean Haspiel story of a rapidly balding man named Jonathan A. and how he got to this moment: Emerging from a black-out drunk, in the More...
Jun 03, 2011
Ratan
rated it:
Having known of Jonathan Ames mainly from the TV show, Bored to Death or the movie adaptation of his book "The Extra Man", I must declare at the outset that this novel is not what I was expecting. A lot of my expectations had to do with pace. Bored to Death episodes are 22 minutes of tragi-comedy that never lets up. The characters, the plot and the setting all conspire to make sure that there's never a moment of boredom. While the vignettes and anecdotes here are equally amusing and re
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Oct 23, 2010
Tom
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Admitting That I Was Powerless: Jonathan Ames’ The Alcoholic
I’ve unwittingly become the Stanley Kubrick of comic books.
I don’t mean that I have even a fraction of the famous director’s talent, drive or vision. I’ve always respected his work, but he’s from a completely different headspace and left a legacy larger than anything I could ever do. Allow me to explain.
Kubrick had a habit of throwing books at the wall in his office. His secretary would hear him throw More...
I’ve unwittingly become the Stanley Kubrick of comic books.
I don’t mean that I have even a fraction of the famous director’s talent, drive or vision. I’ve always respected his work, but he’s from a completely different headspace and left a legacy larger than anything I could ever do. Allow me to explain.
Kubrick had a habit of throwing books at the wall in his office. His secretary would hear him throw More...
Sep 21, 2010
MariNaomi
rated it:
Overall, this was a really good pseudo-memoir (I say "pseudo" because I caught at least one falsity in there, being somewhat familiar with Jonathan Ames's work, which in turn made me wonder how much of it was untrue). Mr. Ames is an extraordinary storyteller, and I was awestruck by his ability to tells such a heartbreaking, desperate, devastating yet still humorous story.
The artwork, although technically brilliant (and sometimes very creative and beautiful) was a bit mainst More...
The artwork, although technically brilliant (and sometimes very creative and beautiful) was a bit mainst More...
Nov 23, 2009
Brad
rated it:
It's interesting to read Ames' first graphic novel alongside his first TV show, HBO's Bored to Death. Both star flawed, fictionalized, stunted versions of the author. Drinking ruins their lives. They like mystery novels and pine over ex-girlfriends. Colonics orbit their lives. Brooklyn's the star of the show, while New Jersey gets more page-time here. TV's Jonathan has a solid social structure, a best friend and a boss that are there for levity and camaraderie. This comic's Jonathan has a
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May 14, 2009
Just like a Long Island Iced Tea, this book is not for beginners and not for kids. But it is also, like the aforementioned, unbeatable. The Alcoholic is Jonathan Ames’ first—hopefully not his last—foray into the graphic novel world. Teamed with award-winning artist Dean Haspiel, Ames tells the life story of “Jonathan A.,” who, we might assume, is a fictionalized version of himself. (Perhaps thinly fictionalized? Just a guess.) The book covers Jonathan’s rocky adolescence, his sexual misadventure
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Jan 19, 2009
Lindsey
rated it: 
This book has been over-hyped and is very over-rated. My male friends love Jonathan Ames; he gave a talk here in Iowa and I didn't end up going because he wasn't reading from the graphic novel--and they obsessed over the fact that I missed out on him. So, I read the book. Overrated.
I know there is a cult following of Ames, and knowing this, I would like to read his other works, but that's generous after reading "The Alcoholic." Addiction memories have flooded the book market More...
I know there is a cult following of Ames, and knowing this, I would like to read his other works, but that's generous after reading "The Alcoholic." Addiction memories have flooded the book market More...
Oct 29, 2010
Rohit
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The Alcoholic is one of those rare books that can make you cry on one page, laugh your guts out on the next, and leave you with a feeling of utter despair on the next.
It feels like one of those intensely personal books that only someone who has been through an incredible gamut of experiences like the protagonist has could've written. Is Jonathan A. the author - Jonathan Ames himself? Perhaps he is. Perhaps its a question best left unanswered.
Anyone who has had experience with More...
It feels like one of those intensely personal books that only someone who has been through an incredible gamut of experiences like the protagonist has could've written. Is Jonathan A. the author - Jonathan Ames himself? Perhaps he is. Perhaps its a question best left unanswered.
Anyone who has had experience with More...
Dec 11, 2008
Courtney
rated it:
The first time I saw Jonathan Ames read, it was for a collection of stories he had edited about transgendered and transsexual people. Warm, charasmatic, and entertaining, I liked Jonathan Ames as a writer, storyteller, reader--but I did think, as a twenty something queer gender studies major sitting in the audience: what does this bald straight man know about transgendered people?
Now, some years later, I had the exact same reaction when I saw an ad for a reading at Book Court of Jona More...
Now, some years later, I had the exact same reaction when I saw an ad for a reading at Book Court of Jona More...
Apr 15, 2011
Raina
rated it:
So, so good. The story of Jonathan A.'s life, through alcoholism (surprise!), love and loss, a writerly career, and 9/11. Totally accessible illustrations, and a very candid story. As others (Neil Gaiman! for example) have noted, it's a crazy-honest airing of dirty laundry and insecurities and where Jonathan Ames and Jonathan A. end and begin is extremely unclear and that makes it awesomer. Other than a scene or two which I personally found pushing the boundaries of believability. But who a
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Jan 05, 2010
Abraham
rated it:
From the first page, this book reminded me of Harvey Pekar's stuff. And it's not just because, as I found out later, Dean Haspiel -- who partnered with Pekar for The Quitter -- did the art. It's that kind of candid, modern, messy biography that Pekar has become known for. American Splendor is, of course, his most famous example, but I have also read and enjoyed Bebopman! and Ego & Hubris.
But they aren't exactly twins. This book is only semi-autobiographical,and I found it to be rat More...
But they aren't exactly twins. This book is only semi-autobiographical,and I found it to be rat More...
Feb 12, 2009
Christina
rated it: 
I didn't have any expectations about this book, and I still hated it.
"The Alcoholic," which is actually written by Jonathan Ames and drawn by Dean Haspiel (stupid Web site people), is about Jonathan A., a young man who starts drinking at the age of 15, really enjoys drinking, and becomes (guess what?) an acoholic. The book is about his troubles with alcohol and his visit to rehab and his relapse into alcoholism.
I'm sure I'm probably supposed to think that parts More...
"The Alcoholic," which is actually written by Jonathan Ames and drawn by Dean Haspiel (stupid Web site people), is about Jonathan A., a young man who starts drinking at the age of 15, really enjoys drinking, and becomes (guess what?) an acoholic. The book is about his troubles with alcohol and his visit to rehab and his relapse into alcoholism.
I'm sure I'm probably supposed to think that parts More...
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Nov 09, 2011
Erin
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I read a section of this in Best American Comics 2010 and was intrigued not only by the stark artwork but by the frank exploration of one man's battle with addiction. I've never read any Jonathan Ames before but I am a huge fan of his series Bored to Death on HBO so I was really interested in checking this graphic novel out. It was really a revelation. I'm not sure how much of it is based on Ames's real life, but the brutal honesty of it makes me think that Ames has experienced addiction and the
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Nov 23, 2010
Tony
rated it:
Jonathan Ames is gaining fame as the creator and writer of BORED TO DEATH on HBO and my enjoyment of the show peaked my interest in this graphic novel. I'm not sure if he was aiming for autobiographical or what, but either way this is kind of a weak story. A guy drinks and cares little about the world beyond himself, obsesses over a girl, and experiences remorse in his later years. He comes off as wanting us to feel sorry for him, but I couldn't. Maybe it was his lack of building up the supp
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Aug 05, 2011
Colin N.
rated it:
I've really liked some of Ames' work, so picked this up, curious to see what he could do with the graphic novel as a medium. The results are ok, but a bit disappointing.
Ames creates a genuinely moving portrait of a man consumed by his lost love and his life-long struggle with alcoholism. I actually think it is one of the most honest and heart-wrenching portrayals of addiction that I have read. And the love story is genuinely touching. There is of course, his trademark humor here as well, so More...
Ames creates a genuinely moving portrait of a man consumed by his lost love and his life-long struggle with alcoholism. I actually think it is one of the most honest and heart-wrenching portrayals of addiction that I have read. And the love story is genuinely touching. There is of course, his trademark humor here as well, so More...
Aug 22, 2010
Morgan
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I read The Alcoholic straight through in a couple hours, primarily because once I started, I couldn't put it down. Ames has crafted a compelling semi-autobiographical narrative about Jonathan A., a middle-aged writer with a reasonably successful career, and a severely fucked up personal life. It's dark, funny, and oddly believable, even at the points where you find yourself saying "this part must be fiction". It's unsanitized yet unapologetic, as the best addiction stories often are, a
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Nov 19, 2009
David
rated it:
I have to admit, I had never heard of Jonathan Ames before picking this up. The book came highly recommended through more than one comic book podcast that I follow.
The book is allegedly an autobiography - apparently a lot of the people and places aren't accurate, but Ames claims that it's "emotionally true".
The book chronicles his life: becoming an alcoholic in his teens, going clean in his 20's, and off the wagon in his 30's. While his escapades are insane and More...
The book is allegedly an autobiography - apparently a lot of the people and places aren't accurate, but Ames claims that it's "emotionally true".
The book chronicles his life: becoming an alcoholic in his teens, going clean in his 20's, and off the wagon in his 30's. While his escapades are insane and More...
Apr 21, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
The Alcoholic is at times sweet and at other times heartbreaking. I read an excerpt recently in the 2010 edition of Best American Comics and was pretty sure I'd like the book, but I also expected a fair amount of self loathing, considering how much is present in Ames' series Bored to Death. Surprisingly, there is none in The Alcoholic. Ames tells a straight story about his life that winds back and forth between the past and the future. He wakes up in a car with an elderly woman trying to have se
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Jun 16, 2010
Dave-O
rated it:
A memoir that goes somewhere for a little while, and then ends up nowhere. Ames gives little indication that there are any lessons learned from his hard and fast living and that doesn't make him much of a figure to feel any empathy toward. Not that a memoir such as this one is one is required to have its subject draw out any lessons. It's only that Ames seems to stumble somewhat selfishly through relationships and when he becomes fixated on a younger woman who is just named "Seattle",
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Aug 04, 2011
C'est admirablement déprimant. Parfois drôle (autodérision et beaucoup de noirceur), souvent poignant. Je n'ai été capable de le lire qu'à petites bouchées, une dizaine de pages à la fois. C'est exactement de cette manière que je lis de la poésie. Je suis foncièrement incapable de comprendre des vers et de les laisser m'habiter si je les dévore comme une boulimique. Même chose avec The Alcoholic, qui menaçait de m'attirer dans sa spirale de beauté et d'horreur si j'en lisais trop en même temps.
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May 12, 2011
Jake
rated it:
I find Jonathan Ames to be a pretty interesting character. He's a writer (from what I initially understood, pulp crime novels and comedic reflective columns) and a part-time amateur boxer. And that wasn't even either of the characters he named after himself. More well-known is the main character "Jonathan Ames" on the show he created, "Bored To Death." The other is Jonathan A. in "The Alcoholic," who was great.
It may be the most honest narrative I've rea More...
It may be the most honest narrative I've rea More...
Jan 05, 2011
Kyle
rated it:
If you are a fan of HBO's Bored to Death starring Jason Schwartzman, Zach Galifinakis, and Ted Dansen then you should without a doubt read this Graphic Novel by the shows creator and main character Jonathan Ames. In one of the commentary tracks Ames even mentions that Galifinakis's character Ray is loosely based on Dean Haspiel.
The tragic story of Jonathan A's search for love and meaning from his first drink with his best freind in high school, through the booze drenched world of d More...
The tragic story of Jonathan A's search for love and meaning from his first drink with his best freind in high school, through the booze drenched world of d More...
Oct 12, 2011
Anthony
rated it:
This was an easy read, great story by Jonathan Ames, really touching, and very awesome art by Dean Haspiel.
A true to life almost memoir by Ames, my first read of his. I have been a long time supporter of his show Bored to Death, he always entertains me in his noir sort of way. He does, in his own way, remind me of Woody Allen. He writes humor but there is a great tragic aspect to his characters and the way Ames writes that character is sublime and unique, it truly makes him an artist More...
A true to life almost memoir by Ames, my first read of his. I have been a long time supporter of his show Bored to Death, he always entertains me in his noir sort of way. He does, in his own way, remind me of Woody Allen. He writes humor but there is a great tragic aspect to his characters and the way Ames writes that character is sublime and unique, it truly makes him an artist More...
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