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POS: Piece of Sh*t
A young man struggles to build a publishing company, find love, and discover who he really is, with his one true trusted companion being the dog who truly seems to understand him. In the end, he realizes that for far too long he has been a self-absorbed piece of sh*t.nA touching autobiographical story by Swiss BD publisher Pierre Paquet, the spiritual sequel to Paquet’s Eisner-nominated A Glance Backward, which recounted his experience dealing with the death of his father at age 11.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
2 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 15, 2018
I stopped reading this about half way through. The storytelling was so disjointed, it was hard to follow. The stories were often pointless except to show the author was selfish.
April 10, 2019
Spoiler Warning for... everything
When I spotted this book haphazardly in my local book store I didn't think much of it. The art caught my eye but I didn't buy it until much later when I read that the story was about (I assumed) a man's failed relationships and difficulty connecting to other people.
Well the book is nothing like that. What I thought would be about the unconditional love that dogs give you ended up being, honestly, one of the most pointless books I ever read. The book blurb talks about "failed relationships" : there's only one that explicitly fails. The first girl he breaks up with doesn't even get an on screen breakup, she just disappears. There was hope at the beginning, where the man seemed genuinely afraid to interact with women, and I was thinking "Wow! What an interesting complex for a male character to have!"
Not the case! He spends the last third of the book railing anything that moves which is just??? Pierre, what happened? Did your dog cure your anxiety?
There's also this massive part in the middle about lawsuits and courts that's incredibly yawn inducing; I don't think people who read the book wanted to hear about this man's boring lawsuit, I'd much rather hear about him and his dog. I don't know what told the author that this was worth putting in.
In fact, the dog is barely in the novel? I didn't know the dog came to work with him until the book explicitly told me. I'm a real crier for dog death and it felt like the dog wasn't even there half the time, which really muted my reaction when the dog finally died. Sonny's death was sad, sure but it didn't feel like the dog supported him through anything, or the dog did anything particularly interesting, it just hung around getting sick for emotional kicks.
The only good part that actually made me feel something was the protag's relationship with David. I felt the conflict, I wanted it to be solved. They seemed like really good friends! And I was very sad when David died! I wish the whole book could have been like that.
Ultimately this book's biggest flaw is the lack of character development. I've never seen a more slimy, awful, selfish protagonist that I was being forced to sympathize with. The entire book seems to be leading up to something; it's not, it's leading up to the dog's death scene which we all know what happens, and why would you end the book on the dog dying? Pierre never learns anything, never takes a moment to examine his actions, or think about how irresponsible, shallow and stupid he is. I honestly thought this was going to be a book about self-improvement and attempting to go at life with the love and exuberance that only dogs can offer. It's not, it's an autobiography about a sad, shallow, selfish victim-playing man. When the book was calling itself POS I should have heeded its warning and treated it as such.
Its two stars come from the art. Which is absolutely impeccable. Not worth its hefty price tag, but good lord this is a beautiful book to look at.
When I spotted this book haphazardly in my local book store I didn't think much of it. The art caught my eye but I didn't buy it until much later when I read that the story was about (I assumed) a man's failed relationships and difficulty connecting to other people.
Well the book is nothing like that. What I thought would be about the unconditional love that dogs give you ended up being, honestly, one of the most pointless books I ever read. The book blurb talks about "failed relationships" : there's only one that explicitly fails. The first girl he breaks up with doesn't even get an on screen breakup, she just disappears. There was hope at the beginning, where the man seemed genuinely afraid to interact with women, and I was thinking "Wow! What an interesting complex for a male character to have!"
Not the case! He spends the last third of the book railing anything that moves which is just??? Pierre, what happened? Did your dog cure your anxiety?
There's also this massive part in the middle about lawsuits and courts that's incredibly yawn inducing; I don't think people who read the book wanted to hear about this man's boring lawsuit, I'd much rather hear about him and his dog. I don't know what told the author that this was worth putting in.
In fact, the dog is barely in the novel? I didn't know the dog came to work with him until the book explicitly told me. I'm a real crier for dog death and it felt like the dog wasn't even there half the time, which really muted my reaction when the dog finally died. Sonny's death was sad, sure but it didn't feel like the dog supported him through anything, or the dog did anything particularly interesting, it just hung around getting sick for emotional kicks.
The only good part that actually made me feel something was the protag's relationship with David. I felt the conflict, I wanted it to be solved. They seemed like really good friends! And I was very sad when David died! I wish the whole book could have been like that.
Ultimately this book's biggest flaw is the lack of character development. I've never seen a more slimy, awful, selfish protagonist that I was being forced to sympathize with. The entire book seems to be leading up to something; it's not, it's leading up to the dog's death scene which we all know what happens, and why would you end the book on the dog dying? Pierre never learns anything, never takes a moment to examine his actions, or think about how irresponsible, shallow and stupid he is. I honestly thought this was going to be a book about self-improvement and attempting to go at life with the love and exuberance that only dogs can offer. It's not, it's an autobiography about a sad, shallow, selfish victim-playing man. When the book was calling itself POS I should have heeded its warning and treated it as such.
Its two stars come from the art. Which is absolutely impeccable. Not worth its hefty price tag, but good lord this is a beautiful book to look at.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2017
Another shout out to NetGalley for an amazing chance to discover something new.
POS: Piece of Shi*t basically destroyed me, and I'm not even sure if that was the intention.
This is an auto-biographical look at the life of Pierre Paquet. A young man who is trying to launch a book publishing company, find love and happiness, and just generally figure out what is what in his life. It's about love, loss, friendship, and just the ups and downs you get from life.
There are a lot of mixed reviews on this read, and I understand why. People look for different things from what they are reading, and how I see/interpret books isn't the same as everyone else. I very much loved this book, because I felt a strong connection with what Pierre experienced - emotionally. While our life paths are not exactly the same, it touched me deeply.
The art work is unique and gorgeous, the colors are perfect for what is going on in their given frames / pages. All working together this gives the whole graphic novel a very appealing visual effect.
The story moves with 2 different linear stories. They are distinguished by the coloration of the panels. In the "present" the frames are blue tones. You receive glimpses of what the end of the comic will be through these pages. Sandwiched between them are full colored pages that give you a look at how Pierre got to the present.
It's a roller coaster of a ride, and I am grateful for the chance to have read it, and that Pierre decided to share it with everyone. I don't want to explain why due to spoilers, but this brought tears to my eyes, and happiness to my heart. In your life there will be a lot of love and loss, but if you take a look around, you'll see that sometimes even when you feel like you're alone, you're not. There is always someone, or something, friend, family, pet or a loved one - beside you.
This was just a really good display about the hard truth of life.
I recommend it, wholeheartedly.
POS: Piece of Shi*t basically destroyed me, and I'm not even sure if that was the intention.
This is an auto-biographical look at the life of Pierre Paquet. A young man who is trying to launch a book publishing company, find love and happiness, and just generally figure out what is what in his life. It's about love, loss, friendship, and just the ups and downs you get from life.
There are a lot of mixed reviews on this read, and I understand why. People look for different things from what they are reading, and how I see/interpret books isn't the same as everyone else. I very much loved this book, because I felt a strong connection with what Pierre experienced - emotionally. While our life paths are not exactly the same, it touched me deeply.
The art work is unique and gorgeous, the colors are perfect for what is going on in their given frames / pages. All working together this gives the whole graphic novel a very appealing visual effect.
The story moves with 2 different linear stories. They are distinguished by the coloration of the panels. In the "present" the frames are blue tones. You receive glimpses of what the end of the comic will be through these pages. Sandwiched between them are full colored pages that give you a look at how Pierre got to the present.
It's a roller coaster of a ride, and I am grateful for the chance to have read it, and that Pierre decided to share it with everyone. I don't want to explain why due to spoilers, but this brought tears to my eyes, and happiness to my heart. In your life there will be a lot of love and loss, but if you take a look around, you'll see that sometimes even when you feel like you're alone, you're not. There is always someone, or something, friend, family, pet or a loved one - beside you.
This was just a really good display about the hard truth of life.
I recommend it, wholeheartedly.
June 16, 2018
I love trying other types of books beyond superhero or sci-fi but this...this is just messy and not well done IMO. Pass.
December 10, 2017
It's weird: I couldn't stop reading this book, even though I kind of hated every single minute of it.
April 4, 2018
Primeira experiência com livros de estes autores - escritor e ilustrador - e acabei por gostar mais do que achei que iria gostar no início. É um livro auto-biográfico que conta parte do percurso do Pierre Paquet como editor de banda desenhada, ao mesmo tempo que conta alguns episódios da sua vida pessoal.
O ponto forte do livro, para mim, é a arte. Gostei muito da arte do Jesús Alonso. Tanto que até me levou a procurar outros trabalhos dele. A história deixou-me a pensar se a vida do autor teria assim tanto interesse a ponto de a querer publicar e o que é eu retinha do livro, o que é que ele queria mesmo contar. Não cheguei a grandes conclusões porque a narrativa é demasiado fragmentada, são pedaços de histórias, em que ele revela as dificuldades que sentiu a nível profissional e pessoal em muitos momentos da sua vida, sendo o fio condutor da história, e a parte constante ao longo do livro, a relação do autor com o seu cão, no qual, de certa forma, se auto-projecta. Não há muito mais a dizer, não será uma obra imprescindível, mas é uma história, que apesar de todos os ses, vale a pena conhecer. A vida é como é...e por isso os livros sobre a vida - as vidas - são como a própria, são como são. =)
O ponto forte do livro, para mim, é a arte. Gostei muito da arte do Jesús Alonso. Tanto que até me levou a procurar outros trabalhos dele. A história deixou-me a pensar se a vida do autor teria assim tanto interesse a ponto de a querer publicar e o que é eu retinha do livro, o que é que ele queria mesmo contar. Não cheguei a grandes conclusões porque a narrativa é demasiado fragmentada, são pedaços de histórias, em que ele revela as dificuldades que sentiu a nível profissional e pessoal em muitos momentos da sua vida, sendo o fio condutor da história, e a parte constante ao longo do livro, a relação do autor com o seu cão, no qual, de certa forma, se auto-projecta. Não há muito mais a dizer, não será uma obra imprescindível, mas é uma história, que apesar de todos os ses, vale a pena conhecer. A vida é como é...e por isso os livros sobre a vida - as vidas - são como a própria, são como são. =)
December 6, 2017
I'd never heard of Pierre Paquet prior to seeing this graphic novel on NetGalley, but I am definitely going to be seeking him out now. The book is a memoir that explores some of his love life, his publishing career, and his relationship with Sonny, his unique-looking dog. The bond with his dog centers throughout the book, to great dramatic effect. Paquet reflects a bit on his own behavior, but he does well at simply presenting himself without a great deal of editorializing, even when he makes poor decisions.
While the book could have focused solely on his relationship with Sonny and been fine, it's the contrast between his undying affection for the dog and his "easy come, easy go" attitude with friends and lovers that is most striking. It also helps to humanize Paquet when he is making questionable life choices.
The art is some of the most striking work I have seen in comics in *years* -- and I have read more comics than seems possible, so take this as a sincere, heartfelt recommendation. I will be buying copies as soon as humanly possible.
While the book could have focused solely on his relationship with Sonny and been fine, it's the contrast between his undying affection for the dog and his "easy come, easy go" attitude with friends and lovers that is most striking. It also helps to humanize Paquet when he is making questionable life choices.
The art is some of the most striking work I have seen in comics in *years* -- and I have read more comics than seems possible, so take this as a sincere, heartfelt recommendation. I will be buying copies as soon as humanly possible.
December 26, 2017
POS is a beautifully illustrated story that will emotionally wreck it's reader. I read it in one sitting. Pierre's genuine relationship with his dog Sonny is heart-warming, despite how irresponsible of an owner he is. After friends and lovers come and go, from Pierre's life, his dog is the only true friend he's ever had and the ending certainly isn't happy. Pierre's ambition to run his publishing business is admirable and he is clearly trying to do the right things. However, he has a habit of making poor life choices out of fear and loneliness that leave him unsatisfied.
POS is a quick read despite being a chunky book. The pacing is excellent and the artwork beautifully matches the story's tone.
POS is a quick read despite being a chunky book. The pacing is excellent and the artwork beautifully matches the story's tone.
February 18, 2018
This was so mediocre and I don't understand why this guy would think his life was so interesting to make this....blah. Piece of shit indeed...lol.
March 18, 2018
I cried so much for the dog and LUCY!! I HATE people who give back their pets because they can't "handle them" It happens way too often with birds and it pisses me off. I can't imagine giving my birdies away 3
March 5, 2019
It's difficult to rate a book that has unlikable characters. Even if the character is a jerk or just plain evil, they can still be likable in an engaging sense. It's even more difficult with this particular book because the unlikable character is unlikable by design rather than just shitty writing. So I tried to examine this book by other aspects than just the character. It was then that I discovered it wasn't just the main character that was unlikable.
Perhaps the biggest problem with this book is the plot structure. It seems to have a habit of focusing on a specific story aspect and jumps from subplot to subplot without much connection or organic flow. Basically, it reads like this: something happens then, four or five days later, something completely unrelated happens. It's not really a story but rather a sequence of scenes that aren't tied together very well. It's so bad that the epilogue is used to conclude a common story thread rather than be an afterthought side story like it should be.
Like I said before, the main character is unlikable by design, but that doesn't change the fact he is unlikable. What probably bothers me the most is that a good deal of the shit that happens to him is his own fault. If anyone says, "How hard can (pretty much anything) be?", don't get into business with them. It's not just a comment against the book, but general life advice you should take to heart.
The art is serviceable, but I didn't care much for it. It tells the story well enough, but this book was obviously done on a budget. I'm not saying only big-budget books should get noticed, but poverty isn't an excuse for a lack of talent. That being said, my biggest problems are still with the writing, so I still would have liked this book if the art was the same but had a better handle on its structural issues.
I can't really recommend this book. Obviously. I'm generally a negative person, so I'll seemly shit on a book I actually like. But, that is merely nitpicking without taking in the overwhelmingly positive nature of it. This book, however, has serious problems with its ability to tell a story. I get its point, but, like a bad joke, just because you get it doesn't mean it's funny.
Perhaps the biggest problem with this book is the plot structure. It seems to have a habit of focusing on a specific story aspect and jumps from subplot to subplot without much connection or organic flow. Basically, it reads like this: something happens then, four or five days later, something completely unrelated happens. It's not really a story but rather a sequence of scenes that aren't tied together very well. It's so bad that the epilogue is used to conclude a common story thread rather than be an afterthought side story like it should be.
Like I said before, the main character is unlikable by design, but that doesn't change the fact he is unlikable. What probably bothers me the most is that a good deal of the shit that happens to him is his own fault. If anyone says, "How hard can (pretty much anything) be?", don't get into business with them. It's not just a comment against the book, but general life advice you should take to heart.
The art is serviceable, but I didn't care much for it. It tells the story well enough, but this book was obviously done on a budget. I'm not saying only big-budget books should get noticed, but poverty isn't an excuse for a lack of talent. That being said, my biggest problems are still with the writing, so I still would have liked this book if the art was the same but had a better handle on its structural issues.
I can't really recommend this book. Obviously. I'm generally a negative person, so I'll seemly shit on a book I actually like. But, that is merely nitpicking without taking in the overwhelmingly positive nature of it. This book, however, has serious problems with its ability to tell a story. I get its point, but, like a bad joke, just because you get it doesn't mean it's funny.
November 26, 2017
'POS: Piece of Sh*t' by Pierre Paquet with art by Jesus Alonso Iglesias is an autobiographical story and the follow up the the author's 'A Glance Backward.' It was also a bit tough to figure out exactly what this was supposed to be about.
A young man struggles to establish a publishing company. With cash outlays and promises kept and broken. Along the way he pursues love in all kinds of ways. There is also the only faithful companion in his life, his dog.
The story swoops back and forth through time, and it's easy enough to follow that. The problem is with the exact narrative flow. What are we supposed to care about? The love life, the dog, or the problems with publishing company? The title of the book, refers to how the main character feels about himself, I think. It's hard to feel sympathy towards a character who gains and loses friends and treats strangers in such a strange way. It's possible that this is a better story in its original language.
However, the art by Jesus Alonso Iglesias is worth checking out. It's a bit of a loose sketch style, but it kept me turning pages and admiring the art. It's too bad I didn't feel the same way about the story.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Lion Forge, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
A young man struggles to establish a publishing company. With cash outlays and promises kept and broken. Along the way he pursues love in all kinds of ways. There is also the only faithful companion in his life, his dog.
The story swoops back and forth through time, and it's easy enough to follow that. The problem is with the exact narrative flow. What are we supposed to care about? The love life, the dog, or the problems with publishing company? The title of the book, refers to how the main character feels about himself, I think. It's hard to feel sympathy towards a character who gains and loses friends and treats strangers in such a strange way. It's possible that this is a better story in its original language.
However, the art by Jesus Alonso Iglesias is worth checking out. It's a bit of a loose sketch style, but it kept me turning pages and admiring the art. It's too bad I didn't feel the same way about the story.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Lion Forge, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
March 21, 2020
A beautifully rendered chaotic waste of time. Unfocused and meandering, Paquet struggles to choose a story line. Is it about dogs? Dating? Publishing? Is self pity intended to be the dominant thread?
Publishing is hard— everyone knows that. Often people don’t have the resources to fly around the world whenever they want, and enough cash leftover to produce a glossy graphic memoir.
I hope this book does not represent the quality of work this guy publishes!
Publishing is hard— everyone knows that. Often people don’t have the resources to fly around the world whenever they want, and enough cash leftover to produce a glossy graphic memoir.
I hope this book does not represent the quality of work this guy publishes!
August 6, 2018
Social inadequacy. Poor organizational instincts. Untethered from discipline. Pierre is a man unable to fall in love -- with himself, with others, and if one looks closely enough, even with his work, no matter how much time he pours into it. Perhaps this is why P.O.S.: Piece of Shit reads as a coarse, tired, and too-raw exposition of one man's continuous failings: to do everything for oneself is often to do nothing for anybody else. Dogs included.
It's good to see graphic memoirs still making the rounds. And while these titles often circumscribe instances of personal tragedy or of difficulty stemming from an immigrant experience, P.O.S. is a rather intriguing case because there is nothing particularly special or unique about Pierre Paquet. He's just another twentysomething with no idea what he's doing. His ambition finds him running multiple small businesses at the same time, while also juggling a miserable interpersonal life, and also attempting to resolve his emotional displacement through pet ownership. He is, at his best, a driven man who lives obsessively on the principle of living eagerly. At his worst, he is not merely a man unable to fall in love, he is also a man unable to commit to understanding the consequences of such a shortcoming.
The author establishes at the onset that he is not a particularly good person, and has not lived an ideal youth full of well-meaning experience. But what's a guy to do? Bouncing through late nights with rich friends who have zero adult obligations, cycling through dating profiles and exploiting what he finds, and surviving vicariously through his mixed-breed dog because he feels his unlikableness is contagious . . . One suspects this graphic novel is more a story of generational disassociation than of one man's pursuit of ill-fitted happiness.
Alonso's art is a wonderful complement to the narrative. However messy the author's life, the visuals tasked with pulling it all together are warm, confident, and endearing. Tactile inking and very sharp background design make the book's constant shuffling of color and composition worthy of a patient eye. Readers in-the-know of the art and animation scene of NYC will catch a few familiar faces, but beyond such generously weaved-around commentary, the book takes care with visual consistency.
The author surely deserves some ridicule for his singular and unapologetic, male-gaze iteration of surviving petty legal challenges, battling foolish collaborators, and ineffective dating rituals. But the author does good deal of credit, through P.O.S., for his willingness to spear his insecurity once it becomes clear an over-reliance on doggy dogma clouds his judgement.
It's good to see graphic memoirs still making the rounds. And while these titles often circumscribe instances of personal tragedy or of difficulty stemming from an immigrant experience, P.O.S. is a rather intriguing case because there is nothing particularly special or unique about Pierre Paquet. He's just another twentysomething with no idea what he's doing. His ambition finds him running multiple small businesses at the same time, while also juggling a miserable interpersonal life, and also attempting to resolve his emotional displacement through pet ownership. He is, at his best, a driven man who lives obsessively on the principle of living eagerly. At his worst, he is not merely a man unable to fall in love, he is also a man unable to commit to understanding the consequences of such a shortcoming.
The author establishes at the onset that he is not a particularly good person, and has not lived an ideal youth full of well-meaning experience. But what's a guy to do? Bouncing through late nights with rich friends who have zero adult obligations, cycling through dating profiles and exploiting what he finds, and surviving vicariously through his mixed-breed dog because he feels his unlikableness is contagious . . . One suspects this graphic novel is more a story of generational disassociation than of one man's pursuit of ill-fitted happiness.
Alonso's art is a wonderful complement to the narrative. However messy the author's life, the visuals tasked with pulling it all together are warm, confident, and endearing. Tactile inking and very sharp background design make the book's constant shuffling of color and composition worthy of a patient eye. Readers in-the-know of the art and animation scene of NYC will catch a few familiar faces, but beyond such generously weaved-around commentary, the book takes care with visual consistency.
The author surely deserves some ridicule for his singular and unapologetic, male-gaze iteration of surviving petty legal challenges, battling foolish collaborators, and ineffective dating rituals. But the author does good deal of credit, through P.O.S., for his willingness to spear his insecurity once it becomes clear an over-reliance on doggy dogma clouds his judgement.
November 11, 2017
An illustrated autobiography where the author shares his experiences at work, relationships, childhood and other important parts of his life. The artwork is extremely well done.
The entire book feels like a conversation between the author and illustrator where the former has traveled down the memory lane and narrating his stories and the latter scribbles the entire thing.
This style of conversation was a refreshing way of narration, however I had trouble keeping up with the abrupt jumps from one timeline to another.
One question I asked myself was would I recommend it to others?
I would, but only to people who haven't had the experience of being in a company of or being loved by an animal. I'd want people to understand how that bond feels, to understand why people with animal members in their families are so attached to them and what they mean to us.
And I wouldn't to the ones who have experienced it, because honestly I couldn't take the ending. I wept and it broke my heart. It's one of my fears and I can't/ don't want to imagine anything happening to my pooch.
I have given it 4 stars for the artwork and the bond between the author and his pooch but it was truly an extremely difficult book for me to read.
E-book courtesy: Net Galley
Blog: Times of Gee
The entire book feels like a conversation between the author and illustrator where the former has traveled down the memory lane and narrating his stories and the latter scribbles the entire thing.
This style of conversation was a refreshing way of narration, however I had trouble keeping up with the abrupt jumps from one timeline to another.
One question I asked myself was would I recommend it to others?
I would, but only to people who haven't had the experience of being in a company of or being loved by an animal. I'd want people to understand how that bond feels, to understand why people with animal members in their families are so attached to them and what they mean to us.
And I wouldn't to the ones who have experienced it, because honestly I couldn't take the ending. I wept and it broke my heart. It's one of my fears and I can't/ don't want to imagine anything happening to my pooch.
I have given it 4 stars for the artwork and the bond between the author and his pooch but it was truly an extremely difficult book for me to read.
E-book courtesy: Net Galley
Blog: Times of Gee
December 8, 2017
P.O.S. is advertised as being about Pierre and his adoring dog, Sonny. It’s not, really. It’s about Pierre with Sonny as his constant. There are a few times when he says that Sonny is all he has. But. Even as the only regular in Pierre’s life, he’s very often in the background. Maybe this is unfair. I did just finish reading For the Love of Bob (James Bowen) and that is about Bob the cat more than Bowen. P.O.S. is about Pierre more than Sonny; his mistakes, fears, challenges and relationships.
I liked P.O.S. It has fun moments, hopeful moments and a genuine love between Pierre and Sonny.
At it’s core, though, it’s a story of loneliness. He really does have no one but Sonny, whether that’s because of his choices or life circumstances (and it’s both). He has no one to turn to when Sonny’s sickness flares up again and again and Pierre’s scared and tearful.
Pierre comes to the conclusion that he is a piece of sh*t, but his selfishness doesn’t seem especially unique. He defends himself when needed, has morals he tries to follow, gives in to his fears like we all do (he is not significantly shitty-er than the rest of us). But he is alone. It reminds me of the About a Boy movie in which Marcus decides that one is not enough, “you need a back-up.” Pierre needs a back-up.
A copy of this book was provided by Netgalley for an honest review.
I liked P.O.S. It has fun moments, hopeful moments and a genuine love between Pierre and Sonny.
At it’s core, though, it’s a story of loneliness. He really does have no one but Sonny, whether that’s because of his choices or life circumstances (and it’s both). He has no one to turn to when Sonny’s sickness flares up again and again and Pierre’s scared and tearful.
Pierre comes to the conclusion that he is a piece of sh*t, but his selfishness doesn’t seem especially unique. He defends himself when needed, has morals he tries to follow, gives in to his fears like we all do (he is not significantly shitty-er than the rest of us). But he is alone. It reminds me of the About a Boy movie in which Marcus decides that one is not enough, “you need a back-up.” Pierre needs a back-up.
A copy of this book was provided by Netgalley for an honest review.
November 7, 2017
i got my copy from netgalley.
is a biography of Pierre who always had a dog as his companion. the only ever kindly thing about him is his love for his dog. he still is/was a self absorbent piece of shit. theres no offense in it since the title of his own biography says so. so he knows it. he writes about his career in the publishing industry, about how he let go the only woman who ever truly loved him because he just wasnt owning up to it. in my opinion he did mess up right there because that woman could have been a stronghold on him to be a lot more collected and not the kind of person who just goes wherever the wind blows.
the art isnt bad and since theres not really an established style or routine in comics in Europe just as in America or Japan its a lot more liberated. I liked the authors honesty about it and i think it was a nice wrap to this roundabout comic.
i gave it 4/5 stars.
is a biography of Pierre who always had a dog as his companion. the only ever kindly thing about him is his love for his dog. he still is/was a self absorbent piece of shit. theres no offense in it since the title of his own biography says so. so he knows it. he writes about his career in the publishing industry, about how he let go the only woman who ever truly loved him because he just wasnt owning up to it. in my opinion he did mess up right there because that woman could have been a stronghold on him to be a lot more collected and not the kind of person who just goes wherever the wind blows.
the art isnt bad and since theres not really an established style or routine in comics in Europe just as in America or Japan its a lot more liberated. I liked the authors honesty about it and i think it was a nice wrap to this roundabout comic.
i gave it 4/5 stars.
December 31, 2017
* I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. *
Pierre Paquet is the owner of small publishing house specialising in graphic novels. This semi-autobiographical book is about his deep relationship with his dog, which sustains him through all the stresses of his life: building a firm from scratch, being betrayed by friends, a lawsuit and his fruitless attempts to find love. Through it all, Sonny the dog is by his side, and Pierre eventually realises what he truly wants out of life.
This is a story that will appeal to pet lovers, although it's a bit overwrought at times. Some of the graphic work is subtle and clever, with faces hidden in trees and clouds underlining Pierre's emotions. Unfortunately I just could not get on board with Pierre as a character; hence the title, I guess.
Pierre Paquet is the owner of small publishing house specialising in graphic novels. This semi-autobiographical book is about his deep relationship with his dog, which sustains him through all the stresses of his life: building a firm from scratch, being betrayed by friends, a lawsuit and his fruitless attempts to find love. Through it all, Sonny the dog is by his side, and Pierre eventually realises what he truly wants out of life.
This is a story that will appeal to pet lovers, although it's a bit overwrought at times. Some of the graphic work is subtle and clever, with faces hidden in trees and clouds underlining Pierre's emotions. Unfortunately I just could not get on board with Pierre as a character; hence the title, I guess.
December 22, 2017
Why the hell would you do this to me? No, seriously... why? I am so gutted by this book. I just can't even think of how I feel because I'm typing this through tears.
This graphic novel is beautiful and resonates with me. Pierre Paquet had a way of making you feel the frustrations he has had in his life. The artwork is beautiful and I'm honestly upset that this is over. I really loved the storyline and the slight twist on the plot.
I am not sure what all to say without spoiling this book so I'm just going to say that this is beautiful, heart wrenching, and everyone should read it.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
This graphic novel is beautiful and resonates with me. Pierre Paquet had a way of making you feel the frustrations he has had in his life. The artwork is beautiful and I'm honestly upset that this is over. I really loved the storyline and the slight twist on the plot.
I am not sure what all to say without spoiling this book so I'm just going to say that this is beautiful, heart wrenching, and everyone should read it.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 8, 2017
This was a beautiful graphic novel. The style was lovely and the story heartfelt and poignant. Some relationships leave a sting, a hole, or a wish that it could go on longer. The relationship between person and pup is one of those that you wish could go on forever and Pacquet really captured that in this novel. Animals can really change a persons outlook on life with their grit, determination, and ever loving souls.
March 13, 2019
Oh my god, I'm a piece of shit for assigning this for comic book club. Parts of the story were meh, but overall it very much captures mid twenties to mid thirties finding oneself and figuring out relationships. The constant relationship between Pierre and his dog Sonny is touching and crucial. I enjoyed the choppy art style which gave a distinct feeling of insecurity about this time period in Pierre's life and was well suited for the story.
November 9, 2017
Reading P.O.S. brought to mind a kind of modern and transformed graphic novel rendering of Truffaut’s The 400 Blows.
There is humor and pathos, beauty and grime, and a sense of a character in this book. The art is masterful and so all is told crisply and clearly.
I enjoyed this book as a graphic novel and as a polished story. There is much talent on display here.
There is humor and pathos, beauty and grime, and a sense of a character in this book. The art is masterful and so all is told crisply and clearly.
I enjoyed this book as a graphic novel and as a polished story. There is much talent on display here.
January 13, 2018
Finished it, cried, hugged my dog, took her for a walk.
October 23, 2018
He has some reality issues but he isn't that bad. His worst crime is not being able to say I love you when he obviously does. Took me a bit of time to get into but worth it by the end.
Want to read
June 8, 2020Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
Read
November 14, 2021My review was first posted on Northern Plunder, you can read more of my reviews there too.
A face with a bunch of question marks above my head best describes me after finishing this book.
Along with my very quick Goodreads review of ” *internally screams with stress and anxiety*”
Is it normal for a book to leave you feeling this way?
I wanted to like it, to appreciate it but its hard when you’re screaming at your friends every five minutes because his dog is in trouble. Again.
The art style is very different to what I usually pick up but it fitted the story well.
Pierre goes through a lot of shit. With work. With women. With his dog.
But honestly? I barely connected to it because I was just stressing all the time about his dog. I’m sorry I clearly missed a lot of this graphic novel. Or its point.
Either way guys, if this synopsis intrigues you … read some more reviews before you make a decision to pick it up because literally all I can tell you is that it really stressed me out because his dog gets in some tricky situations that were avoidable and I just wanted his dog/s to be ok.
*internally screams with stress and anxiety*
A face with a bunch of question marks above my head best describes me after finishing this book.
Along with my very quick Goodreads review of ” *internally screams with stress and anxiety*”
Is it normal for a book to leave you feeling this way?
I wanted to like it, to appreciate it but its hard when you’re screaming at your friends every five minutes because his dog is in trouble. Again.
The art style is very different to what I usually pick up but it fitted the story well.
Pierre goes through a lot of shit. With work. With women. With his dog.
But honestly? I barely connected to it because I was just stressing all the time about his dog. I’m sorry I clearly missed a lot of this graphic novel. Or its point.
Either way guys, if this synopsis intrigues you … read some more reviews before you make a decision to pick it up because literally all I can tell you is that it really stressed me out because his dog gets in some tricky situations that were avoidable and I just wanted his dog/s to be ok.
*internally screams with stress and anxiety*
March 22, 2018
I'd never heard of Pierre Paquet prior to seeing this graphic novel on NetGalley, but I am definitely going to be seeking him out now. The book is a memoir that explores some of his love life, his publishing career, and his relationship with Sonny, his unique-looking dog. The bond with his dog centers throughout the book, to great dramatic effect. Paquet reflects a bit on his own behavior, but he does well at simply presenting himself without a great deal of editorializing, even when he makes poor decisions.
While the book could have focused solely on his relationship with Sonny and been fine, it's the contrast between his undying affection for the dog and his "easy come, easy go" attitude with friends and lovers that is most striking. It also helps to humanize Paquet when he is making questionable life choices.
The art is some of the most striking work I have seen in comics in *years* -- and I have read more comics than seems possible, so take this as a sincere, heartfelt recommendation.
While the book could have focused solely on his relationship with Sonny and been fine, it's the contrast between his undying affection for the dog and his "easy come, easy go" attitude with friends and lovers that is most striking. It also helps to humanize Paquet when he is making questionable life choices.
The art is some of the most striking work I have seen in comics in *years* -- and I have read more comics than seems possible, so take this as a sincere, heartfelt recommendation.
November 15, 2018
POS's art was nice, but that's about where my praise ends. I understand that dog is important to the story but the plot has no real cohesion. The graphic novel jumps from scene to scene in a rambling flashback that ends in anticlimax. There are too many scenes that have nothing to do with the dog, if the dog is indeed the focus.
I guess it was kind of cool to see the struggles of someone trying to get into the publishing business. POS is a french novel that's been translated and released for English speaking readers. I honestly wouldn't recommend simply because there's no story. If i had time to get to know Pierre and get invested in his life, maybe it would be a better story. As it stand, the reader is immediately thrown into Pierre's life, with no real reason to care about anything he does.
I guess it was kind of cool to see the struggles of someone trying to get into the publishing business. POS is a french novel that's been translated and released for English speaking readers. I honestly wouldn't recommend simply because there's no story. If i had time to get to know Pierre and get invested in his life, maybe it would be a better story. As it stand, the reader is immediately thrown into Pierre's life, with no real reason to care about anything he does.
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