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170th out of 220 books
—
384 voters
Tyranny
In Tyranny, brisk, spare text and illustrations that deal head-on with anorexia propel the reader along on Anna’s journey as she falls prey to the eating disorder, personified as her tormentor, Tyranny.
The novel starts with a single question: “How did I get here?” The answer lies in the pages that follow, and it’s far from simple. Pressured by media, friends, the workplace...more
The novel starts with a single question: “How did I get here?” The answer lies in the pages that follow, and it’s far from simple. Pressured by media, friends, the workplace...more
Paperback, 120 pages
Published
October 13th 2009
by Tundra Books
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The story was really great and painfully true because so many girls slip into eating disorders. I was surprised it was so small and short, though, the book itself. For me, with the drawing style and the way the story was told, it seemed like a brochure on anorexia, or a little booklet they pass out to you in middle school for health class. I guess it seemed so simple and too straightforward and obvious? I'm not sure. I thought it could have been more raw and dark, though I'm definitely not sayin...more
As a male feminist with a fairly good body image, the question of anorexia has always fascinated and horrified me. I've watched female friends struggle with the problem of body image (and how to relate to food in general), and I've never known quite how to react to such things.
When I became a high-school English teacher these issues became a bit more urgent, as I began to wonder if any students were wrestling with them. I rant about the culture and advertising industries which train us all to ha...more
When I became a high-school English teacher these issues became a bit more urgent, as I began to wonder if any students were wrestling with them. I rant about the culture and advertising industries which train us all to ha...more
This is a difficult book to know what to do with. It is probably a best fit for high school students interested in knowing what life is like for an anorexic young woman. It is a graphic novel, and the illustrations convey a great deal of the information allowing words to be kept to a minimum. It is not a story with any subtlety or complexity. It is like a short memoir in graphic novel format with a single plot (no subplots, a single main character [if Tyranny is counted as part of Anna], no sett...more
Fairfield's graphic novel about anorexia was written after more than 30 years personal experience with eating disorders. Anna is a teen whose dreams of the future are lost when she becomes convinced that she is fat. That belief is furthered by Anna's personal demon named Tyranny. it urges her to stop eating, to follow any instruction it gives so that she will get thin and remain thin, and reminds her that as her best friend, it knows what's best for her. Anna's parents are supportive but Tyranny...more
The cover of this had a cool, edgy look to it, so I picked it up and gave it a look. A graphic novel about a young woman's battle with anorexia? Bound to be powerful. Right?
I was expecting more edge and drama from this this than I ended up getting. It had a light-hearted feel to it, mostly due to the art. The illustrations made it look like this would be aimed at younger kids, almost like it could be in Highlights magazine. There was no subtlety in the art or plot whatsoever. While there were s...more
I was expecting more edge and drama from this this than I ended up getting. It had a light-hearted feel to it, mostly due to the art. The illustrations made it look like this would be aimed at younger kids, almost like it could be in Highlights magazine. There was no subtlety in the art or plot whatsoever. While there were s...more
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There are many things that are standard about this eating disorder novel. Like so many, the storyline begins with the main character – named Anna in this case – as she is in the worst stages of her disease. The narration then flips back in time to her early childhood and teen years, highlighting her evolving attitude towards friends and family, food and body image. Like so many novels of the genre, the main character's catharsis comes at the death of a friend who also has an eating disorder.
But...more
But...more
Any book about eating disorders is bound to be heartbreaking. This one was interesting to me in that it didn't begin with any event other than puberty -- losing one's child body and finding it replaced, almost overnight, with another, "bigger" one.
The graphic novel format does justice to the body dysmorphia that so often happens: looking in the mirror as one size, and literally seeing another (bigger) size person looking back. No movie or novel can show that as well as a drawing.
I'd also been u...more
The graphic novel format does justice to the body dysmorphia that so often happens: looking in the mirror as one size, and literally seeing another (bigger) size person looking back. No movie or novel can show that as well as a drawing.
I'd also been u...more
If there is one thing that all-day wrestling tournaments are for, it is reading books. My son got 4th place, and I read all of this book and started Living Dead Girl. I wished this story of a girl-woman dealing with eating/body disorders had focused more on the origins of and teen dealings with anorexia/binge/purge. I say that because I think that young girls need to understand that they are not alone and that body issues are a huge problem for most women. I wanted to see more of her teen friend...more
Fairfield chronicles her experience with eating disorders. She manifests her disorder with a character named "Tyranny." I'm not in love with the illustration style, and the I felt like the narrative could have been tighter. Certainly appropriate for the audience, I suppose, which I'm assuming is made up of girls with eating disorders. But.... I think maybe my problem with it is that it tries to do some sophisticated things with the illustrations - non-linear speech bubbles, an "imaginary" charac...more
Tyranny is the first graphic novel that I have ever read but I accepted it for review as I thought the subject matter was extremely important, not only in the YA genre, but for everyone. The book is extremely informative as to what can happen with eating disorders and it doesn’t try to hide anything.
Tyranny follows the life of Anna as she goes from being a normal teenager with a healthy appetite, to a girl who cant stand to look at herself and wants to be someone different. As the story follows...more
Tyranny follows the life of Anna as she goes from being a normal teenager with a healthy appetite, to a girl who cant stand to look at herself and wants to be someone different. As the story follows...more
One of the quickest reads I have ever had, but extremely thought provoking. How did we get to the point that so many people don't have a healthy relationship with food. This was a good read to follow up from In Defense of Food by Pollan. He is very concerned about the way we view food and I think eating disorders can be caused by our obsession with being healthy. There are other factors, but this book pairs well with that book.
Tyranny is about a young girl who lets part of her being direct how s...more
Tyranny is about a young girl who lets part of her being direct how s...more
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This tiny graphic novel is as strong as Wintergirls (Laurie Halse Anderson) in content, and remarkable for its spare graphic style. We follow Anna from an easy childhood through a long bout of anorexia and then bulimia before she recovers. the title comes from her alter ego, Tyranny, who constantly reminds her how to be "better" until she finally sees a way to defeat and deny the character. The book took me about 20 minutes to read, but will take much longer to digest - it is strong and obvious...more
Told in simple black and white illustrations and sparse text, Tyranny is the powerful true story of one woman's battle with anorexia and bulimia. The graphic novel follows twenty-something Anna as she battles her obsession with being thin. Pressured by friends, media, fashion and ultimately the part of her known as “Tyranny”, Anna's miserable cycle ultimately leads her to discover the inner strength to break free and reclaim her life. Inspired by her own battle with eating disorders, Lesley Fair...more
A really big thank you to the people at Walker for sending this book for me to review. I've never seen a graphic novel deal with the topic of anorexia before, so I was intrigued with it even before I had a copy in my hands. As some of you may know, I had my own experiences with an eating disorder as a teenager, so it is a subject very close to my heart.
The cover of this really stood out for me. It's very striking, the yellow with the drawing of Tyranny. Right from the cover, I realise that one's...more
This sat on my desk for two days, the whole while I thought the title was "Tranny". I thought it was a graphic novel about transvestites and transexuals for teens. A transvestite high school experience, maybe. I knew it was autobiographical. How unique! How interesting!
Then when I finally got around to reading it, it was about an eating disorder. That's a valid issue too, and this book was OK. It takes a lot of guts to write and illustrate an autobiography about a mental illness. And I agree wit...more
Then when I finally got around to reading it, it was about an eating disorder. That's a valid issue too, and this book was OK. It takes a lot of guts to write and illustrate an autobiography about a mental illness. And I agree wit...more
I found the imagery in this story to be somewhat frightening, and while there are plenty of stories about eating disorders, I think the graphic novel format very accurately demonstrates just how horrific they actually are.
I'm not sure who I would give this to, unless someone actually directly asked for eating disorder stories. While I think almost everyone (especially adolescent girls) can understand the main character's obsession with body image, I would be very careful about handing it to some...more
I'm not sure who I would give this to, unless someone actually directly asked for eating disorder stories. While I think almost everyone (especially adolescent girls) can understand the main character's obsession with body image, I would be very careful about handing it to some...more
This is a very clinical description of a battle with anorexia (with a happy ending). The art is interesting, and I like the little stories hiding in the background of the action. I like the symbolic death-like character of tyranny, though I can't quite shake the sense that 'tyranny' wasn't really the right word to identify what she describes. I felt it was too clinical for me to become attached to the protagonist, though, and that is a large deficit when it's her story. We should suffer with her...more
This book is about eating disorders and body issues. It is about a girl who as a child was rewarded for cleaning her plate but admonished if she overate because her mother said she might get fat. As the story continues she dives deeper and deeper into a battle between anorexia and bulimia (she uses laxatives to flush her system after she binges). Her subconscious self enters the picture and calls herself Tyranny. Tyranny confirms her need to be thin thin thin even though she ways under 100 lbs....more
I first heard about this book when I held Body Image and Self-Perfection Month two years ago, when another blogger taking part reviewed it. I was intrigued as to how a graphic novel would deal with such a serious subject, and now I've read it, I'm in two minds.
I think Tyranny is a great way to get your first glimpse of what living with anorexia is like, as it covers years of Anna's life and how it effected her. It's a great way to get the discussion going or at least think about it as an individ...more
I think Tyranny is a great way to get your first glimpse of what living with anorexia is like, as it covers years of Anna's life and how it effected her. It's a great way to get the discussion going or at least think about it as an individ...more
Jan 15, 2011
Kirsty (overflowing library)
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
review-books
I don't usually read graphic novels because I don't always get them. I get confused about where I should be looking and reading. I was offered this for review and accepted it mainly because I thought considering the content matter it would be a fantastic one for the school library once I had finished with it.
Tyranny follows the story of a girl and her battle with Anorexia. I thought it was really touching and poignant dealing with a difficult subject in a very accessible way. What was the most s...more
Tyranny follows the story of a girl and her battle with Anorexia. I thought it was really touching and poignant dealing with a difficult subject in a very accessible way. What was the most s...more
I read my first graphic novel last year and was instantly converted – I thought it might get confusing trying to understand the layout but I love the blend of illustrations and narrative and think graphic novels, when well done, can be an enhanced reading experience.
When I accepted Tyranny for review I think I knew it wasn’t going to be like anything else I’d ever read and that feeling was definitely correct. This is a heartbreaking novel that doesn’t shy away from the truth of eating disorders...more
When I accepted Tyranny for review I think I knew it wasn’t going to be like anything else I’d ever read and that feeling was definitely correct. This is a heartbreaking novel that doesn’t shy away from the truth of eating disorders...more
In Tyranny, author and illustrator Lesley Fairfield documents the struggle of a teenage girl who falls victim to the thinsanity of popular culture. Despite evidence to the contrary, Anna thinks that she's fat, and what starts as a diet to lose "just a few more pounds" soon turns into an uncontrollable spiral of anorexia and bulimia.
Though geared toward girls aged 11 and up, this graphic novel's artwork and subject matter would be very shocking and affecting to readers of any age. there is only a...more
Though geared toward girls aged 11 and up, this graphic novel's artwork and subject matter would be very shocking and affecting to readers of any age. there is only a...more
Aug 11, 2012
Lynn
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anas, eating disorder peeps
Shelves:
graphic-novel,
health
A fairly interesting read. I would like to say Tyranny (the sketchy) scares me, and would also like to place him/her in an area of my life where I need to face a fear.
Overall, light but slightly moving. I feel this is like reading through one of the Elle magazines for it's breezy graphics. The undertone is like the Sandman though.
I mean nice little read that is informative as well, on what goes on in the psyche of every girl's fat dream.. just this one to the extreme.
Overall, light but slightly moving. I feel this is like reading through one of the Elle magazines for it's breezy graphics. The undertone is like the Sandman though.
I mean nice little read that is informative as well, on what goes on in the psyche of every girl's fat dream.. just this one to the extreme.
What a powerful book this is. The graphic novel format makes it very readable, but the subject matter (anorexia and bulimia) is not at all light. It's quite apparent that the author is writing from her own experiences. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to 7th and 8th grade girls and hope it has a strong impact on them. My only negative reaction was that Anna's parents seem quite absent from her situation and that seemed unrealistic to me.
I've read Tyranny a few years back when it first came out. Although I remember it being good, I found this time around to be much better. I believe that the illustrations really make an impact on the story, and it is brilliantly crafted. The work tells a fairly accurate account of a person who is suffering with eating disorders, and is done so in graphic novel format. I recommend this book highly to anyone interested in the subject matter.
Tyranny by Lesley Fairfield caught my eye at the library. It's a graphic novel that looks at causes of anorexia and the devastating effects it has on people.
The book starts near the end of the story with the protagonist, Anna, wondering how she has gotten to this point in her life. She goes back and examines her home life and how little things piled together to make her stop eating and fearing food.
Throughout, Anna's anorexia is personified by this scribble woman whom she calls Tyranny. She nags...more
The book starts near the end of the story with the protagonist, Anna, wondering how she has gotten to this point in her life. She goes back and examines her home life and how little things piled together to make her stop eating and fearing food.
Throughout, Anna's anorexia is personified by this scribble woman whom she calls Tyranny. She nags...more
Fairly typical story of eating disorder from an author still a little seduced by the disease. The graphic novel, while a unique medium to tell the story, also betrayed the author's distorted picture of her body.For example, when the author is checked into the eating disorder unit, the other patients are much thinner than she is. There are even frames where she looks down right healthy despite being in the hospital.
As person recovering from multiple eating disorders, I can attest to the accuracy...more
As person recovering from multiple eating disorders, I can attest to the accuracy...more
Adeptly depicts the battle for control people suffering from anorexia wage inside their minds. Tyranny is squiggly lines that form a skeleton, who constantly berates and tempts the main character. The illustrations are the stronger of this graphic novel's elements, with the narrative lacking a poignancy that this reader would have liked to see accompany the black-and-white drawings.
Having read that the author struggled for years with eating disorders makes this a very valuable resource to have in the school library. The story is believable, although frustrating in the vicious cycles the main character gets stuck in. I like the line drawings--definitely works well in conveying the story.
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Lesley Fairfield is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design in illustration. Her work appears in many children’s books. Lesley’s personal thirty-year struggle with anorexia and bulimia has informed her work concerning body image, which has appeared in “Dance in Canada” magazine and in York University’s International Women’s Studies Journal.
More about Lesley Fairfield...
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