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Weeding
X-Files meets The Young and The Restless
On a typical autumn afternoon, Martha hosts a group of middle-aged women at her suburban home. The day takes a sudden turn when Elisabeth, an estranged friend, turns up unexpectedly--and she isn't the only unwanted guest at the tea party. Martha's sister, Maureen, shows up after years of radio silence, along some painful memories and a lot of confusion. It doesn't take long for the guest list to change again when Martha disappears after a simple trip to the backyard for herbs. Martha is the most beloved of the women--but will any of the others be able to look past their own problems long enough to search for her?
A satirical portrayal of feminine archetypes in the social landscape of the 60's, Weeding is inspired by soap operas that use unexplained disappearances and repetitive character reanimations to liven up otherwise uneventful plot lines. As a verb, "weeding" means "to remove an inferior or unwanted component of a group or collection." In Weeding, Geneviève Lebleu takes this definition to the extreme with a fable about social exclusion in a world where women turn against one another.
On a typical autumn afternoon, Martha hosts a group of middle-aged women at her suburban home. The day takes a sudden turn when Elisabeth, an estranged friend, turns up unexpectedly--and she isn't the only unwanted guest at the tea party. Martha's sister, Maureen, shows up after years of radio silence, along some painful memories and a lot of confusion. It doesn't take long for the guest list to change again when Martha disappears after a simple trip to the backyard for herbs. Martha is the most beloved of the women--but will any of the others be able to look past their own problems long enough to search for her?
A satirical portrayal of feminine archetypes in the social landscape of the 60's, Weeding is inspired by soap operas that use unexplained disappearances and repetitive character reanimations to liven up otherwise uneventful plot lines. As a verb, "weeding" means "to remove an inferior or unwanted component of a group or collection." In Weeding, Geneviève Lebleu takes this definition to the extreme with a fable about social exclusion in a world where women turn against one another.
104 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2022
2 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
January 8, 2023
A debut comic by Montreal artist Geneviève Lebleu. Aw, a women's comic: Several middle-class, middle-aged get together, there's tea and gardening! But this is a horror comic, not a cosy mystery, where the women actually do not get along. At all. And something is in that tea, and the plants are sentient. . . and colorful, but a little scary! Weeding the garden can get you in big trouble!
At one point two of them (in an alternate weedy plant universe) wonder what is going on, and they discuss options we as readers have already considered:
--"To me this is just a giant maze."
--"Sometimes I think this is just a never ending bad trip."
--"It's like I'm in a video game and it doesn't really matter what I do."
--"Or maybe we are in limbo."
Discuss.
Anyway, this is a surreal comic that is pretty funny. It looks quite a bit like a horror coloring book. Doesn't really seem to be advocating "get back to nature!" Jesse Jacobs blurbs the book, and so that reminds me of his Safari Honeymoon; a combo of body horror and plant monsters. Little Shop of Horrors with middle-aged suburban women!
At one point two of them (in an alternate weedy plant universe) wonder what is going on, and they discuss options we as readers have already considered:
--"To me this is just a giant maze."
--"Sometimes I think this is just a never ending bad trip."
--"It's like I'm in a video game and it doesn't really matter what I do."
--"Or maybe we are in limbo."
Discuss.
Anyway, this is a surreal comic that is pretty funny. It looks quite a bit like a horror coloring book. Doesn't really seem to be advocating "get back to nature!" Jesse Jacobs blurbs the book, and so that reminds me of his Safari Honeymoon; a combo of body horror and plant monsters. Little Shop of Horrors with middle-aged suburban women!
January 12, 2022
I like weird. There are a lot of books that think they're weird, and they're not that weird.
This book is weird. It's weird in a smart, well dosed way. It has a story to tell, eventhough I'm not entirely sure what that is. More importantly, it's funny. I like my weirdness to be served with a lovely little dollop of humour.
I don't know what more to say, really. Have a look at the art, which fits the book pretty perfectly, and see if it appeals to you.
(Thanks to Conundrum Press for providing me with a review copy through Edelweiss)
This book is weird. It's weird in a smart, well dosed way. It has a story to tell, eventhough I'm not entirely sure what that is. More importantly, it's funny. I like my weirdness to be served with a lovely little dollop of humour.
I don't know what more to say, really. Have a look at the art, which fits the book pretty perfectly, and see if it appeals to you.
(Thanks to Conundrum Press for providing me with a review copy through Edelweiss)
December 3, 2022
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW.
C’était si space, si fucktop, c’est pas compliqué j’en suis flabergaster. Magnifique couverture, les dessins sont en noir et blanc, une ambiance de film noir mélangée avec de la science-fiction. C’était complètement pété mais ça l’a captivé mes yeux et mon attention!
Par contre, si vous cherchez une lecture cohérente où tout se dénoue, je ne suis pas sûr que ce livre est pour vous!
C’était si space, si fucktop, c’est pas compliqué j’en suis flabergaster. Magnifique couverture, les dessins sont en noir et blanc, une ambiance de film noir mélangée avec de la science-fiction. C’était complètement pété mais ça l’a captivé mes yeux et mon attention!
Par contre, si vous cherchez une lecture cohérente où tout se dénoue, je ne suis pas sûr que ce livre est pour vous!
July 23, 2022
Cool drawings confusing story
Read
February 23, 2025Overall interesting, weird and a bit supernatural/surreal. I found some parts abruptly revealed information, it was interesting that some details revealed later in the story impact the understanding of previous scenes
January 2, 2022
the illustrations were great and i loved the idea for the story but the plot felt like it could have been executed a bit better
January 7, 2023
Roman graphique cryptique à la ligne narrative maladroite. Le dessin et l'histoire semblent inachevés et empruntés.
Les dialogues sont particulièrement difficiles.
Les dialogues sont particulièrement difficiles.
January 24, 2023
Weird and psychedelic. I think I’ll go make me some tea.
February 2, 2025
Loved the amazing art, the surrealism, the choice to center the story around a group of middle-aged women friends.
May 22, 2023
Quand tu penses que tu vas avoir des réponses, mais tu finis avec plus de questions 🍃
May 6, 2025
I didn't get this at all. FYI where there was dialogue it was in English.
June 18, 2022
J'ai pas compris. C'est quoi, un trip d'acide?
January 21, 2023
De magnifiques illustrations enivrantes. Toutefois, le fil conducteur semblait pressé, “pitché”, peu approfondi. C’est difficile en tant que lecteur.ice de se sentir interpellé.e car la personnalité des personnages reste très en surface et unidimensionnelle. Le roman termine et on a l’impression d’avoir seulement été témoin du rêve d’une autre personne, rapidement et sans contexte.
June 11, 2023
Très intéressant. Un court ouvrage qui laisse avec beaucoup de réflexions.
June 10, 2022
J'ai l'impression que c'est le genre de livre qui veut dire quelque chose mais j'ai aucune idée de ce que c'est. Mais le trip psychédélique se prend bien avant le dodo
June 30, 2025
super weird!!!
February 26, 2024
Dans une ambiance glauque, des femmes essaient de recoller les pots cassés de relations d’amitié ou fraternelles. Les plantes et le jardinage jouent un rôle central dans l’histoire. Je ne sais pas trop ce que j’en retiens. Je ne suis pas certaine d’avoir tout compris, mais ce n’était peut-être pas ça le but, non plus.
July 4, 2022
I loved it! It's a weird story, but it was just the right amount of weird for me. The art is fantastic, and the atmosphere reminded me of Sherley Jackson's The Summer People. I believe that the weed/plants are a metaphor. They symbolize anxiety/ depression, and in the end, Martha is consumed by it (weed=anxiety).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2023
WOW! J'ai aimé ça plus que comment je pensais aimé (chui tu claire?). Ç me laisse encore dans le mystère. et JADORE!!! Pour vrai il me faut plus de BD comme ça dans la vie et les sacres était tellement bien placé, les illustrations tellement plus que "beau" c'était magnifique :0 et l'intrique OMG!!!! 5/5
September 17, 2022
Bizarre. Surreal. Mostly about plant based pod-people, with some family drama in the background. Probably symbolic, but in a way that felt opaque to me. I said "What the fuck?" aloud in a few places. A quick read.
February 22, 2023
Beaucoup aime l’ambiance surréaliste et dark et les dessins mais il manquait un fil conducteur une histoire plus complète ou une finale plus punché. Cependant, ça donne le goût de suivre que l’autrice va produire dans le futur.
August 15, 2023
A weird book. (In the most complimentary way)
I like to occasionally read weird books to get me out of a book reafing rut. The art is beautiful with a floral, yet monstrous take. The story is also a bit weird with drama, death, and bitter middle aged women.
I like to occasionally read weird books to get me out of a book reafing rut. The art is beautiful with a floral, yet monstrous take. The story is also a bit weird with drama, death, and bitter middle aged women.
December 5, 2023
Stais tellement weird, wtf 🫣 Je pensais que y’aurait une morale ou quelque chose
à la fin, but oh well🧐
Tho les images étaient belles pis j’ai bien aimé que ce soit en noir et blanc, stais original 👀
Ça a fait passer le temps pendant mon dernier cours plate de ma session🤪💀
à la fin, but oh well🧐
Tho les images étaient belles pis j’ai bien aimé que ce soit en noir et blanc, stais original 👀
Ça a fait passer le temps pendant mon dernier cours plate de ma session🤪💀
October 31, 2024
De super beaux visuels, mais histoire un peu trop weird pour moi. J’ai rien contre la fiction ou la science fiction, mais j’ai pas trop compris le schéma narratif!
Pour ceux et celles qui se cherche une BD dark/weird pour l’halloween, c’est parfait!
Pour ceux et celles qui se cherche une BD dark/weird pour l’halloween, c’est parfait!
Want to read
October 30, 2021Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
February 19, 2022
2.5? Im a fan of the art but I have no idea what happened…
March 15, 2022
Creeps
June 27, 2022
C'était fichement étrange. What the hell I just read?
June 29, 2022
I loved this weird little graphic novel. As others mentioned, it's almost like a twilight zone episode.
July 23, 2022
Very surreal and bizarre drawings. I didn't really follow what was happening in the story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews