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Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth,
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Eric
From my own experience and comments of the few people I know who have engaged with it, something about it has to grab you. In my own case, I knew of Chris Ware and had liked some much shorter works of his, and thought I'd like to try his long graphic novel. But, my first impression of the book was really negative and only became more so as I started reading it. I found the main character utterly unattractive. To the extent that there is any story, it just seemed like unrelieved, low-level pain and lack of enough energy within the character to overcome it. One's heart goes out to such persons, but one finds no way of engaging with them. There are, apparently, readers who find the depiction of such a life to be deeply resonant, compelling. If you are such a person, this is the book for you. If you find Ware's craft and take on life to be kind of wonderful, as I do, you'll gradually become appalled that he spent such talent on such a bleak project.
Claudia
Most of all, take your time. It took me years, and now it's in my heart.
Peter
I'm having trouble too. I bought it a few years ago and gave up after a few pages. Now I'm determined to read the whole thing.
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