Boundless

by Jillian Tamaki

Jenny, post-breakup, becomes obsessed with the mirror Facebook of herself seeing a life that could be hers. An anonymous music file surfaces on the internet and a cult springs up in its wake. A group of city animals briefly open their minds to us. Helen finds her clothes growing baggy, her shoes looser, and as she shrinks, the world around her recedes. A lifetime of romantic relationships are charted against the rise and fall of the celebrity cast of a classic film.

Jillian Tamaki brings her characteristic blend of realism and humor to her first collection of short stories. Boundless explores the lives of women and how the expectations of others influence their real and virtual selves. Mixing objective reality, speculative fiction, out-and-out fantasy, and a deep understanding of the contemporary world's contradictions, Tamaki shows herself to be a short story talent equal to her peers Adrian Tomine and Eleanor Davis. Tamaki's styles shift from story to story, each delicately setting the mood for her characters' inner turmoil: thick chunky blocks of ink become hyper-realist detailing which become brushy drawings of plants, all effortlessly rendered in Tamaki's distinctive hand.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Short Stories, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Adult, Fantasy

248 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2017

About the author

Jillian Tamaki is a cartoonist and illustrator living in Toronto. A professional artist since 2003, she has worked for publications around the world and taught extensively in New York at the undergraduate and graduate level. She is the co-creator, with her cousin Mariko Tamaki, of Skim and This One Summer, the latter of which won a Caldecott Honor in 2015. She is the author of the graphic novels SuperMutant Magic Academy, originally a serialized webcomic, and Boundless, a collection of short comic stories for adults. Her first picture book, They Say Blue, was released in 2018.

Reviews

[Elyse Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book in Berkeley last weekend while attending the Bay Area Book Festival.

Jillian Tamaki is a cartoonist and illustrator living in Toronto.

The vibe of the entire book awesome.... everything art: creative --and reflective.
"Boundless" is a collection of short stories:
"Jenny"... "Darla"...."Half aLife"...."Body Pods"....."Sex Coven"....."The ClairFree System"......and other stories touch on things familiar and not familiar.......

Tamaki's imagination is original - edgy - messy - painful - sweet - funny - and absurd. Tamaki explores the myriad ways we try to connect with each other and to the sometimes cruel world around us.

Each time you read these stories -and spend time being with the graphics it's easy to see something new. Jillian's writing and drawings include love, loss, death, happiness, nature, and philosophy ......

Jillian Tamaki has a wonderful gift for seeing through ordinary life and living soulfully. She urges us to delve deeper into the meaning of life ---
This is not only an observation on human conditions, but its a tribute to the spirit of living and being.
"For the first time in my life, I'm real"!!! HaHa!"

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Twilight Zoneish' in tone and intensity - the stories force us to deconstruct reality in order to see a deeper meaning. I was left with a feeling of drifting; how there are currents of circumstance that may ultimately 'pull' us away from a desired shore of certancy. A very original and intriguing read that will stay with you.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skim and This One Summer are two of my favorite graphic novels, by artist Jillian Tamaki and her writer cousin Mariko Tamaki. In Boundless, a collection of short stories, Jillian writes in a variety of tones and styles, with drawing styles to match the content. Sometimes you see or read an author or artist, and can recognize their “signature” style, but it is clear to me Jillian does not have that, or at least not yet. She has multiple voices. She can be hilarious in writing for young people, as in The Supermutant Magic Academy, or in Indoor Voice. This collection is more absurd, edgier, more impressionistic, showing off her varied interests: love, loss, death, nature (she likes to draw birds!), science fiction, philosophy.

My favorites include “Sex Coven,” about the effects of a weird and ethereal MP3 that produces an euphoric sensation in the listener and begins to make its way into society. I also very much liked “Half Life,” about a shrinking woman, becoming ever smaller and smaller.

It is clear Jillian Tamaki can draw anything.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do you admire an author but somehow their books don't resonate with you? Am I the only one with this problem? I follow the author's work, but somehow her books don't work for me. I had high hopes that this would work better for me, but it was not to be. This graphic novel is a collection of short stories, and while I appreciated some of the art and the premise of some of the stories, overall this one left me scratching my head over all the rave reviews. Maybe it's just me. Sigh.

[Alanna Why · Rating 4 out of 5]

there is a 20-page comic about skincare in here that actually brought tears to my eyes

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love picking up fun little books like this from the library – it allows me to explore a wider range of artists and authors without being afraid of disappointment. This one is a series of vignettes from fellow Torontonian Jillian Tamaki. The subject matter is surreal in almost all of the pieces: a song that makes people move to cults outside of the city, a woman that keeps shrinking, a film’s cast dying slowly and linked to the dating life of another woman. Pretty cool.

[Miglė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nežinau, kodėl - gal dėl to, kad pati piešiu - esu daug jautresnė klišėms ar trendams komiksuose negu literatūroje ar kine. Tai kai kurios istorijos - apie mažėjančią moterį, apie mirror facebook, apie blakes - man pasirodė tiesiog, na, padarytos pagal tam tikrą formulę.
Kita vertus, kažkas atsveria - tai puikus Jillian Tamaki piešimo stilius ir priemaišiui pridėti keli keistesni komiksai.
Labiausiai patiko keli pirmi ir "sex coven"

[Book Riot Community]

In this marvelous graphic novel, Tamaki delivers several stories: Jenny discovers a Facebook-type better version of herself; a mysterious file brings happiness – or is the end of mankind; Helen literally begins to shrink; humans can suddenly see into the minds of animals. Tamaki tackles self-image, perception, and social media in this wonderful send-up of our virtual lives.
Backlist bump: SuperMutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki


Tune in to our weekly podcast dedicated to all things new books, All The Books: http://bookriot.com/listen/shows/allt...

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come!

[Samantha Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very touched by this graphic novel. A compilation of some of the most gratifying and intensely haunting moments of growing up, of female development and empowerment, mortality and identification through idol worship. I found something to relate to in every story, and after every section I had to pause and digest the full weight of Tamaki’s beautiful words and expressive human forms. I loved it. Perfect snow day read.

[cypt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Po tos pačios autorės "That One Summer" nelabai ko tikėjausi, bet - išties fantastiškas komiksas. Pirmiausia, be proto GRAŽUS - atrodo, kad Tamaki gali nupiešti bet ką. Emociją, stilių, judesį, net nežmogišką judesį - bet ką. Turbūt ir gali.

Antra, kas labai labai džiugina, - komiksas pagaliau turi ISTORIJĄ. Tiksliau, tai kaip novelių rinkinys :) - kelios atskiros istorijos. Kiekviena nupiešta kitu stiliumi (!), kiekvienoj pasakojami kiti įvykiai. Istorijos tokios keistos, bet keistos gerąja prasme - kaip mopasaniški įvykiai, kur supranti, kad gilumoj vyksta daug daugiau dalykų nei paviršiuj, + ultrašiuolaikinė tematika su visokiom technologijom, antrinininkais, virtualybėm. Viena novelė panaši į Kafką ir Kondrotą - kaip moteris pradeda mažėti ir visai sumažėja iki molekulės, ir kas jai nutinka. Kitoj atsiranda alternatyvus feisbukas, kur tavo alter ego ima gyvent kitokį gyvenimą nei tu pati ir tave tas nervuoja, pradedi teisti, kvestionuoti tą savo alter ego, tavo gyvenimą pradeda veikt jo/s pasirinkimai.

Bet mano mėgstamiausia novelė buvo ta titulinė - "Boundless". Iš pirmo karto net gerai nesupratau, kas joje vyksta - tiesiog kad pereinama tarp įvairių būvių, kuomet peržengi ribas, - paukščio skrydis, musės trajektorijos, žmogaus ištirpimas ir savo ribų pajutimas. Kaip ir nieko ypatinga - bet tai, kaip visa tai nupiešta, išties panaikina kažkokias ribas net tavo galvoj - atrodo, besivartaliojantis netikėčiausiais rakursais paukštis ir tave įsuka, lyg įneri į popierių. Nu dar to nejudantis vaizdas niekad nebuvo man parodęs - very like.

[Sara the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful series of provocative short stories from one half of the team behind This One Summer. With a touch of dark whimsy Jillian Tamaki examines the intricacies of relationships, identity and connection through a series of very brief, but very lovely illustrated vignettes. Its hard to describe them in the way its hard to recall a dream you really loved. It feels a bit like reading someone's journal, very intimate but a little wrong too.

If you're a fan of surreal fantasy that tackles very real world issues give this a shot.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of it - nearly all of it - was just masterful. Tamaki changes styles of storytelling and art like changing clothes. Amazing artwork and strange and wonderful tales.
Highlights: I loved the on-the-nose critique of"Clair-Free System" and "1.Jenny", the absurdist "Half Life", and the oddness of "Sexcoven". Not all of the stories squarely hit the mark, but I was in it for the process and the artwork too.

Loved this anthology/short story approach to graphic storytelling.

[Virga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knyga, kurią skaitant labai labai gaila pasidaro, kad piešti taip ir neišmokau. Trumpos, fainos istorijos, bet ne jos yra geriausias dalykas šitoj knygoj, o piešiniai!

[Eva Shellabarger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really creative! I don’t think I’ve ever read such concise interesting short stories in comics format. Maybe Julia Gforer. But yeah really beautifully drawn and executed. ❣️

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jillian Tamaki really showcases her own illustration and the extent of what she can do in this graphic novel, as some of the pages within were truly breathtaking and shifted from style to style per short story and whatever mood suited it best. Some of it was quite sketchy and unsettling, whilst some reminded me of etching and aquatint the way she presented the story, which came out quite menacing. Tamaki could practically use this graphic novel as a portfolio, emphasizing her flexibility in her work and illustration.

However, I felt like the storytelling and writing itself was the weakest part of this graphic novel, as while the ideas weren't weak themselves - I feel like they weren't fleshed out enough to carry the weight of being a short story. For someone who hasn't seen Tamaki's work before, I wouldn't recommend this as a starting point.

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not always a huge fan of Jillian Tamaki, but Boundless was a strong anthology of strange graphic stories. I quite enjoyed her mirror Facebook narrative as it felt like a more powerful critique than a lot of what is produced on the subject of social media. The Body Pods story was also a standout, echoing a lot of celebrity conspiracies that one already sees online and seeing these beliefs play out among people. I found the book to be discomforting. It peers into some of the more shady corners of existence and then leaves you there, thinking. This isn't a pleasant place to be, but it is stimulating.

[Raina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh, I adore her art.
I'm such a fan.
I love the use of color here.

I wish the storytelling had stayed with me a little more, but I can't imagine not jumping all over everything she publishes forever.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some lovely short comics stories from one of the most exciting newcomers to the field in quite some time. It seems like only yesterday that an excerpt from Skim in a volume of The Best American Comics prompted me to read the entire graphic novel. Now, it seems, she's everywhere.

All of the stories in this book are excellent. Read them, and see for yourself. I'm going to keep my comments to just two, arguably my favorites.

"Boundless" is a meditation on what it might be like to be free as a bird, or various other creatures. Even these apparent freedoms have their limitations, and the story ends on a darkly humorous note.

"SexCoven" is fascinating, about the birth and life cycle of a viral trend. A piece of ambient music downloaded anonymously from the internet takes on a life of its own. The story seems hauntingly familiar and strange at the same time. In some ways, it feels like a Matt Howarth story, but that may be because, in my head, so much of his comics work is tied to strange and wonderful music.

I have yet to encounter a book by Jillian Tamaki that wasn't worth reading. Such a thing may be impossible. Recommended!

[Ava Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were cool. I didn’t realize it was a series of short stories, not a graphic novel, but I liked the form and can imagine I’ll be picking up more of these kinds of collections.

Tamaki’s great—funny, dark. Her stories reminded me of Welcome to Night Vale with something quiet and unsettling coming in through the radio.

[Janine Dukelow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! Love Justine even more for gifting to me

[Krysta Sa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel really stands out for its style and humor, I for sure want to read a lot more by Jillian Tamaki.

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jillian Tamaki presents some really lovely short comics here. I love the variation in styles throughout. Both genre, theme and art style. It's never boring. I need a followup volume!

[Leah Rachel von Essen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boundless by Jillian Tamaki was one of my favorite gifts of this holiday season. It’s a gorgeous graphic novel that tells a series of ethereal, strange short stories in various different styles of illustration.

I really enjoyed how Tamaki shifts styles from story to story, evoking all thin blue pen-strokes for one tale and lush reddish-orange plant life and broad strokes for another, helping to really create different moods as you read—the plant life fills “1.Jenny” with life, echoing the fullness of her own existence, while the light sketch-strokes of “Half-Life” helps evoke lightness and smallness in the reader. The stories move in and out of surrealism and speculative fiction: a collection of urban animals tell us about their lives—Helen is growing smaller at too steady a rate—a shadow Facebook appears, and Jenny becomes obsessed with the life of 1.Jenny. Those are a few of my favorites from this collection—I also liked the relationship tale of “Bedbug.” Tamaki’s stories are subtle and shifty. I think readers insist on calling her tales critiques because they demand a clear thesis from them, but I don’t think it’s that simple: instead, these stories evoke a familiar millennial anxiety of feeling both lost and endlessly free. “1.Jenny” doesn’t wholly condemn social media, it examines in a more surreal way the good and bad effects that judging yourself against the perceived lives of others and what they post can affect your life. Somehow all of these strange tales come together to tell a story of millennial city life, of love and listlessness, of loneliness and connection. Together, they form a discomforting tone and a steady, drifting gaze over today’s world that appreciates and dreams with its obsessions, worries, and inner beauty.

[Savannah Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so weird and I loved it so much

[spookybookz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me I’m afraid

[Miriam Kumaradoss-Hohauser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the first graphic short story collection I've read, and goddamn is it good. There's body horror, sci-fi, and some stuff that's poignant and emotionally acute.

[Kiku · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so in love with Jillian Tamaki's sci fi. I need so much more of it, and also to eat her art

[Nate D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpectedly, the two stories about the digital media, 1.Jenny and Sexcoven, dig the deepest, both also with a kind of open page format pointing beyond strictly the comic format.

[Elliot Papp · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little black mirror-esque - it's fun to see Jillian Tamaki's narrative and artistic style shift and change between different sections, especially compared to the books created with Mariko Tamaki, which are pretty linear stories told in one style.