What do you think?
Rate this book
L'obsolescence programmée de nos sentiments
Lui, il s'appelle Ulysse. Il est veuf depuis plusieurs années et lorsqu'il perd son travail de déménageur, à 59 ans, une grande solitude s'empare de lui. Impossible même de s'entourer de ses enfants : sa fille est morte dans un accident à l'âge de 16 ans et son fils est très pris par son travail.
Elle, c'est Mme Solenza. Méditerranée de son prénom, 62 ans au compteur. Ancien modèle (elle a fait la couverture de Lui dans sa jeunesse !), elle ne s'est jamais mariée et tient la fromagerie de sa mère qui vient de décéder après une longue maladie.
Si leurs jours s'écoulent tristement et leurs occupations ne suffisent pas à masquer l'isolement qui est le leur, c'était sans compter un miracle émotionnel. Car entre cette femme et cet homme va se tisser une histoire d'amour d'autant plus belle qu'elle est tardive, et merveilleusement porteuse d'avenir...
Elle, c'est Mme Solenza. Méditerranée de son prénom, 62 ans au compteur. Ancien modèle (elle a fait la couverture de Lui dans sa jeunesse !), elle ne s'est jamais mariée et tient la fromagerie de sa mère qui vient de décéder après une longue maladie.
Si leurs jours s'écoulent tristement et leurs occupations ne suffisent pas à masquer l'isolement qui est le leur, c'était sans compter un miracle émotionnel. Car entre cette femme et cet homme va se tisser une histoire d'amour d'autant plus belle qu'elle est tardive, et merveilleusement porteuse d'avenir...
141 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2018
14 people are currently reading
1061 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 361 reviews
September 3, 2021
Mediterranea, 61, is feeling her mortality more than ever after her elderly mother passes - now she’s the oldest woman in her family. Ulysses, 59, widowed, forced into early retirement, and lacking the skills to get back into the job market, finds his days empty and frustratingly lonely. And then one day they meet each other. Amour... eh?
I didn’t rush to read this one initially because when I read the premise and saw the title, I thought I knew the story already: it’s gonna be overly sentimental, dull, trite, predictable. And, actually, what I’m gonna say next is trite, not least because I’ve said it numerous times before but, fuck it, it’s true: it really isn’t the story itself but how it’s told that matters, and the storytellers, Zidrou (these French writers and their single names - who do they think they are, Cher?!) and Aimee de Jongh, tell the story of Blossoms in Autumn so superbly that it was anything but all of my (admittedly cynical) expectations. And honestly, I love it when I’m wrong like that!
We get to know both characters’ quiet lives before they meet each other. Neither’s are as empty as they say but they are certainly made to feel like their lives are over because they’re near retirement age and our youth-obsessed culture makes it seem like older people aren’t allowed to live vibrant lives after a certain age.
Both characters are so sympathetic, relatable and plain likeable that it’s a joy to see them find happiness in a new love and genuinely uplifting to see them embark on a relationship, as passionate and life-affirming as young love, after being alone for so long. It’s a beautiful message too: life is never over until it’s over, and not to let age dictate the way you live your life.
The plain cover really doesn’t prepare you for the beauty of Aimee de Jongh’s incredible art inside. Sharp inks and well-placed lines perfectly capture the characters’ expressions and the scenes’ emotions. There are some unflinching looks at what age does to the human body, and the love scene is a tastefully drawn swirl of gentle pencils. De Jongh is a master and does justice to Zidrou’s moving script.
It doesn’t make me like the book any less but the way it ended was a bit much.
Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish and recommend it to everyone who loves comics. A wonderfully written and drawn story that’s effortlessly compelling, powerful and leaves you with the warm fuzzies - Blossoms in Autumn is a comics masterpiece.
I didn’t rush to read this one initially because when I read the premise and saw the title, I thought I knew the story already: it’s gonna be overly sentimental, dull, trite, predictable. And, actually, what I’m gonna say next is trite, not least because I’ve said it numerous times before but, fuck it, it’s true: it really isn’t the story itself but how it’s told that matters, and the storytellers, Zidrou (these French writers and their single names - who do they think they are, Cher?!) and Aimee de Jongh, tell the story of Blossoms in Autumn so superbly that it was anything but all of my (admittedly cynical) expectations. And honestly, I love it when I’m wrong like that!
We get to know both characters’ quiet lives before they meet each other. Neither’s are as empty as they say but they are certainly made to feel like their lives are over because they’re near retirement age and our youth-obsessed culture makes it seem like older people aren’t allowed to live vibrant lives after a certain age.
Both characters are so sympathetic, relatable and plain likeable that it’s a joy to see them find happiness in a new love and genuinely uplifting to see them embark on a relationship, as passionate and life-affirming as young love, after being alone for so long. It’s a beautiful message too: life is never over until it’s over, and not to let age dictate the way you live your life.
The plain cover really doesn’t prepare you for the beauty of Aimee de Jongh’s incredible art inside. Sharp inks and well-placed lines perfectly capture the characters’ expressions and the scenes’ emotions. There are some unflinching looks at what age does to the human body, and the love scene is a tastefully drawn swirl of gentle pencils. De Jongh is a master and does justice to Zidrou’s moving script.
It doesn’t make me like the book any less but the way it ended was a bit much.
Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish and recommend it to everyone who loves comics. A wonderfully written and drawn story that’s effortlessly compelling, powerful and leaves you with the warm fuzzies - Blossoms in Autumn is a comics masterpiece.
January 1, 2020
Middle-aged Belgian Zidrou’s short graphic novel, illustrated by Aimee De Jongh, is a romance about finding love in late middle-aged. The French-language title, translates to The Programmed Obsolescence of Our Feelings, which is kind of a boring way of saying the point, that we don’t expect love to happen with the intensity of youth, but hey, why not? When I taught high school the librarian had lost her husband in a tornado decades before. She, in her early fifties had never married again, but then suddenly met this guy that made her heart go pitter patter and she talked to me about how unexpected it was to once again feel like this obsessive hormonal schoolgirl. I thought, even in my twenties when it happened, that it was delightful.
Anyway, like a lot of romances, this book is kind of a fairy tale. Ulysses’s wife Penelope dies and he has not much to do. He doesn’t like to read, though he has a copy of Ulysses sitting around, eh. Now, you expect him to read it, don’t you?! But this is still a “journey” story, okay, but are there any new journies for the old man to go on?
Ulysses meets Mediterranea (!!), who recently lost her mother and runs a cheese shop after her father died. Oh, and she used be a nude model, so this ups the ante in the “romance” department, though they both have age-appropriate bodies, so it’s not unrealistic in that respect. But speaking of realism, there IS very much a complete surprise as the relationship develops, but I take that to be in keeping with the “fairy tale” aspect of it all. I like the lovely art more than the story, but I did like it well enough overall. Oh, he doesn’t read it, though, which I was kind of glad about, actually.
Anyway, like a lot of romances, this book is kind of a fairy tale. Ulysses’s wife Penelope dies and he has not much to do. He doesn’t like to read, though he has a copy of Ulysses sitting around, eh. Now, you expect him to read it, don’t you?! But this is still a “journey” story, okay, but are there any new journies for the old man to go on?
Ulysses meets Mediterranea (!!), who recently lost her mother and runs a cheese shop after her father died. Oh, and she used be a nude model, so this ups the ante in the “romance” department, though they both have age-appropriate bodies, so it’s not unrealistic in that respect. But speaking of realism, there IS very much a complete surprise as the relationship develops, but I take that to be in keeping with the “fairy tale” aspect of it all. I like the lovely art more than the story, but I did like it well enough overall. Oh, he doesn’t read it, though, which I was kind of glad about, actually.
April 1, 2019
3.5~4★
“You know, Mediterranea, I can’t get my head around the fact that now . . . you’re the oldest Solenza.”
Trust a younger brother to cheer you up! This is an interesting and timely graphic novel. The characters are recognisable, normal, everyday people of older middle age you could easily know. They have both hit bitter reality checks and are having trouble dealing with life.
Mediterranea’s mother has just died, and she, not her brother, is the one who has been caring for her, so now, she’s not only grieving but she’s feeling the weight of age herself. Mind you, she’s only 61, hardly over the hill.
Illustration of her brother reminding her she’s the oldest in the family now
She heads for home, and the weather and the night aren’t doing much to cheer her up.
Illustration of her waiting for the bus on a dark, wet night
On board the bus, a woman tells her child “you need to give up your seat for old folks.” Boy, that hurts!
We also meet Ulysses, a long-haul truckdriver who is being retrenched at 57.
Illustration of Ulysses ‘handing in’ his keys in anger
He makes excuses to be in the neighbourhood to say hello and tries to pretend to his mates that he’s enjoying his forced retirement.
Illustration of Ulysses with his truckie friends
Meanwhile, Mediterranea, who used to be a girlie model, checks out every sag and bag and wrinkle. She’s sure not the girl she used to be, and it saddens her.
Illustration of Mediterranea inspecting herself in the mirror
I have chosen only discreet illustrations to give a sense of the realism of the story. The author and artist pull no punches. They know where people bulge and wrinkle roughly as they age and how worrying it can be, and they show it warts and all, the whole glorious body.
Meanwhile, Ulysses is doing his best, or his worst, depending on your point of view, to pass the time. Daytime TV, evening sudoku, walks in the park. He makes excuses to chat to the cashier in the supermarket just to have someone to talk to.
Illustration of Ulysses walking through the park without stopping to chat
We also see, in pretty graphic detail, Ulysses making his regular visit to his “comfort woman”, as she’s referred to later in the book. She’s a younger woman with a picture of her family by the bed! It’s not loving sex, but she seems fond of him and manages to give him a little relief, so to speak. We see her a little later in the story, where she’s also shown as a very real person, not just some sex object.
We know Ulysses and Mediterranea have to meet, of course. That’s why we’re still reading! It happens when she is visiting her gynaecologist, and it turns out that Ulysses is in the same waiting room also waiting for the doctor – his son.
Illustration of meeting at the doctor’s office
They begin chatting, and she mentions she runs a cheese shop. The inevitable happens, he visits the shop, they become friendly and start flirting a bit and going out a bit and he finds out she was the equivalent of a Playboy bunny in France, and one thing leads to another and we have quite a different sort of bedroom scene. Several of them, all very lovingly drawn, with less and less detail and more and more gentle blurring of the wrinkles and warts and all.
Illustration of some love scenes graduating from full colour to charcoal and chalk sketches
There is a lot of story, back story, history, shared memories of songs and events, wine and cheese and music and fun. There’s a lot of teasing about their names and what they mean. It’s more than a superficial glance at loneliness, it’s a heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS! to anyone who’s been brave enough to risk connecting with someone new at any age.
Also, Ulysses mentions at their first meeting that he hates reading, which reminds me of the importance of graphic novels. There must be millions of people who love stories and would enjoy a book like this while they would never read pages full of only words.
I enjoyed it very much. I hope the few illustrations I’ve shared will give you a sense of the depth of the story and the love that has obviously gone into producing it. I did find some of the translation a little awkward and the songs unfamiliar, which made me feel like an outsider at the party sometimes. But it's a graphic novel, so the pictures make up for it, and overall, I like it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for the preview copy which is available as Read Now on NetGalley. If you’ve not tried a graphic novel before, I suggest you have a look.
“You know, Mediterranea, I can’t get my head around the fact that now . . . you’re the oldest Solenza.”
Trust a younger brother to cheer you up! This is an interesting and timely graphic novel. The characters are recognisable, normal, everyday people of older middle age you could easily know. They have both hit bitter reality checks and are having trouble dealing with life.
Mediterranea’s mother has just died, and she, not her brother, is the one who has been caring for her, so now, she’s not only grieving but she’s feeling the weight of age herself. Mind you, she’s only 61, hardly over the hill.
Illustration of her brother reminding her she’s the oldest in the family now
She heads for home, and the weather and the night aren’t doing much to cheer her up.
Illustration of her waiting for the bus on a dark, wet night
On board the bus, a woman tells her child “you need to give up your seat for old folks.” Boy, that hurts!
We also meet Ulysses, a long-haul truckdriver who is being retrenched at 57.
Illustration of Ulysses ‘handing in’ his keys in anger
He makes excuses to be in the neighbourhood to say hello and tries to pretend to his mates that he’s enjoying his forced retirement.
Illustration of Ulysses with his truckie friends
Meanwhile, Mediterranea, who used to be a girlie model, checks out every sag and bag and wrinkle. She’s sure not the girl she used to be, and it saddens her.
Illustration of Mediterranea inspecting herself in the mirror
I have chosen only discreet illustrations to give a sense of the realism of the story. The author and artist pull no punches. They know where people bulge and wrinkle roughly as they age and how worrying it can be, and they show it warts and all, the whole glorious body.
Meanwhile, Ulysses is doing his best, or his worst, depending on your point of view, to pass the time. Daytime TV, evening sudoku, walks in the park. He makes excuses to chat to the cashier in the supermarket just to have someone to talk to.
Illustration of Ulysses walking through the park without stopping to chat
We also see, in pretty graphic detail, Ulysses making his regular visit to his “comfort woman”, as she’s referred to later in the book. She’s a younger woman with a picture of her family by the bed! It’s not loving sex, but she seems fond of him and manages to give him a little relief, so to speak. We see her a little later in the story, where she’s also shown as a very real person, not just some sex object.
We know Ulysses and Mediterranea have to meet, of course. That’s why we’re still reading! It happens when she is visiting her gynaecologist, and it turns out that Ulysses is in the same waiting room also waiting for the doctor – his son.
Illustration of meeting at the doctor’s office
They begin chatting, and she mentions she runs a cheese shop. The inevitable happens, he visits the shop, they become friendly and start flirting a bit and going out a bit and he finds out she was the equivalent of a Playboy bunny in France, and one thing leads to another and we have quite a different sort of bedroom scene. Several of them, all very lovingly drawn, with less and less detail and more and more gentle blurring of the wrinkles and warts and all.
Illustration of some love scenes graduating from full colour to charcoal and chalk sketches
There is a lot of story, back story, history, shared memories of songs and events, wine and cheese and music and fun. There’s a lot of teasing about their names and what they mean. It’s more than a superficial glance at loneliness, it’s a heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS! to anyone who’s been brave enough to risk connecting with someone new at any age.
Also, Ulysses mentions at their first meeting that he hates reading, which reminds me of the importance of graphic novels. There must be millions of people who love stories and would enjoy a book like this while they would never read pages full of only words.
I enjoyed it very much. I hope the few illustrations I’ve shared will give you a sense of the depth of the story and the love that has obviously gone into producing it. I did find some of the translation a little awkward and the songs unfamiliar, which made me feel like an outsider at the party sometimes. But it's a graphic novel, so the pictures make up for it, and overall, I like it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for the preview copy which is available as Read Now on NetGalley. If you’ve not tried a graphic novel before, I suggest you have a look.
May 28, 2025
Envelhecer ainda é a única maneira que se descobriu de viver muito tempo.
Charles Saint-Beuve
Uma história muito bonita e que dá algum alento para quando chegarmos, se chegarmos, àquela fase da linha da vida em que o traço para a frente é mais curto do que o traço para trás.
Charles Saint-Beuve
Uma história muito bonita e que dá algum alento para quando chegarmos, se chegarmos, àquela fase da linha da vida em que o traço para a frente é mais curto do que o traço para trás.
April 28, 2019
This is a bittersweet little story. As I was reading, first I felt sad, then hopeful, then kind of sad again.
I think this might be one of those ones that is just as deep as you want it to be. You could find an endless pool of insight here, or it could be a fluffy fun read.
For me it was enjoyable enough, and it's stuck in my mind for a while since I finished reading it, so it must have struck some chord, though it didn't feel overly memorable as I was reading it.
3 stars for this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing me with a DRC of this book.
I think this might be one of those ones that is just as deep as you want it to be. You could find an endless pool of insight here, or it could be a fluffy fun read.
For me it was enjoyable enough, and it's stuck in my mind for a while since I finished reading it, so it must have struck some chord, though it didn't feel overly memorable as I was reading it.
3 stars for this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing me with a DRC of this book.
March 21, 2025
4,5*
A morte não ama os idosos. (…)
A Morte é um lobo.
Esta GN tinha tudo para ser perfeita, mas aquele final inverosímil, forçado e ligeiramente piroso aborreceu-me um bocadinho.
“A obsolescência programada dos nossos sentimentos”, com os seus delicados tons outonais, fala do que a maioria de nós mais teme, sobretudo a partir de uma certa idade: a morte e o envelhecimento.
O corpo se resigna mais rápido do que a alma.
O tempo o enruga, o injuria, o humilha (…)
Bom jogador, o corpo o acompanha.
O espírito, esse é mau perdedor.
Leva mais tempo pra soprar as mesmas velas que o corpo.
Mediterrânea e Ulisses (não ignorar a simbologia dos nomes) conhecem-se já na casa dos 60 e, apesar da tendência dele para ser grunho e de ela ser bem mais sofisticada, apaixonam-se. “A obsolescência programada dos nossos sentimentos” retrata com sensibilidade a fase de conquista e namoro de duas pessoas com as suas bagagens e os seus corpos maduros.
Ninguém deseja voltar à vida. Ninguém! O que desejamos, simplesmente, é jamais soltar a mão dela.
A morte não ama os idosos. (…)
A Morte é um lobo.
Esta GN tinha tudo para ser perfeita, mas aquele final inverosímil, forçado e ligeiramente piroso aborreceu-me um bocadinho.
“A obsolescência programada dos nossos sentimentos”, com os seus delicados tons outonais, fala do que a maioria de nós mais teme, sobretudo a partir de uma certa idade: a morte e o envelhecimento.
O corpo se resigna mais rápido do que a alma.
O tempo o enruga, o injuria, o humilha (…)
Bom jogador, o corpo o acompanha.
O espírito, esse é mau perdedor.
Leva mais tempo pra soprar as mesmas velas que o corpo.
Mediterrânea e Ulisses (não ignorar a simbologia dos nomes) conhecem-se já na casa dos 60 e, apesar da tendência dele para ser grunho e de ela ser bem mais sofisticada, apaixonam-se. “A obsolescência programada dos nossos sentimentos” retrata com sensibilidade a fase de conquista e namoro de duas pessoas com as suas bagagens e os seus corpos maduros.
Ninguém deseja voltar à vida. Ninguém! O que desejamos, simplesmente, é jamais soltar a mão dela.
March 6, 2019
5 stars Thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for allowing me to read and review this graphic ARC. Publishes March 20, 2019.
Such a wonderful open graphic, written with flare in a European style. The author, Zidrou, actually Benoît Drousie of Brussels, has brought a wonderful story to light with an abundance of human emotions, open to the thoughts and actions of middle aged adults. European Comics is definitely more unimpeded in their views of sex than we are here in the States, but this graphic was done in very good taste.
Aimée de Jongh, born in the Netherlands, and an accomplished figure in Dutch comics, has brought forth a sterling illustration of the characters in this story. Depicting the main characters, both in youth and middle age, brought life to this story.
The story is two middle aged singles who find each other accidentally in the 'autumn' of life. We become voyeurs as their romance grows. Throughout this short story we see death, love and the miracle of new life.
Such a wonderful open graphic, written with flare in a European style. The author, Zidrou, actually Benoît Drousie of Brussels, has brought a wonderful story to light with an abundance of human emotions, open to the thoughts and actions of middle aged adults. European Comics is definitely more unimpeded in their views of sex than we are here in the States, but this graphic was done in very good taste.
Aimée de Jongh, born in the Netherlands, and an accomplished figure in Dutch comics, has brought forth a sterling illustration of the characters in this story. Depicting the main characters, both in youth and middle age, brought life to this story.
The story is two middle aged singles who find each other accidentally in the 'autumn' of life. We become voyeurs as their romance grows. Throughout this short story we see death, love and the miracle of new life.
April 2, 2019
+Digital ARC gently provided by Netgalley+
Graphic novel
Art - 3.5 / 5
Story - 1 / 5
There are many things in the story that rubs me the wrong way, so... it's not of my liking. And since this is just my personal taste, well, that.
Blossoms in Autumn, -which in French is called "The programmed obsolescence of our sentiments"- is about two aging people who know each other and get together. Ullyses with 59 years is lay off from a moving company, the loneliness and emptiness of his days is well told. While Mediterranea, with 62 years, still works in a cheese factory, she is going through her own crisis of loneliness after the death of her mother whom she cared for.
Newsflash - Life does not end at 50, or at 60. And I must say (coming from a family that mostly lives after the 90s and a hundred years) not even after that. And yes, they still have sex in some cases. I mean, my maternal grandfather was a hardworking , mean, and lecherous man until the day he died at 96 years old.
But it is Ulysses wich bother me. He repeats again and again that 'he hate reading'. STRIKE ONE. I don't know if that hints at problems like dyslexia? but srly? not good.
I guess that with the fairy tales, the SnowWhite bit and the apple, hints to lost opportunities or something like that. Or waiting too much for something to happen and grasp the Now. The 'they live happily forever'?. But it was weird , specially that ending
That point , add with the frankly masculine point of view of the thing... with the female friend ... the woman he pays for sex when the photograph of the family beside the bed (really?), and she feels sad because Ulysses leaves her (really?) . Just not believable. Also the behaviour of the guy, with the magazine and crass opennings, and the thing with cheese in her hair? Nope , nope, nope.
Not of my liking indeed.
Graphic novel
Art - 3.5 / 5
Story - 1 / 5
There are many things in the story that rubs me the wrong way, so... it's not of my liking. And since this is just my personal taste, well, that.
Blossoms in Autumn, -which in French is called "The programmed obsolescence of our sentiments"- is about two aging people who know each other and get together. Ullyses with 59 years is lay off from a moving company, the loneliness and emptiness of his days is well told. While Mediterranea, with 62 years, still works in a cheese factory, she is going through her own crisis of loneliness after the death of her mother whom she cared for.
Newsflash - Life does not end at 50, or at 60. And I must say (coming from a family that mostly lives after the 90s and a hundred years) not even after that. And yes, they still have sex in some cases. I mean, my maternal grandfather was a hardworking , mean, and lecherous man until the day he died at 96 years old.
But it is Ulysses wich bother me. He repeats again and again that 'he hate reading'. STRIKE ONE. I don't know if that hints at problems like dyslexia? but srly? not good.
I guess that with the fairy tales, the SnowWhite bit and the apple, hints to lost opportunities or something like that. Or waiting too much for something to happen and grasp the Now. The 'they live happily forever'?. But it was weird , specially that ending
That point , add with the frankly masculine point of view of the thing... with the female friend ... the woman he pays for sex when the photograph of the family beside the bed (really?), and she feels sad because Ulysses leaves her (really?) . Just not believable. Also the behaviour of the guy, with the magazine and crass opennings, and the thing with cheese in her hair? Nope , nope, nope.
Not of my liking indeed.
Read
November 1, 2023A obsolescência programada dos nossos sentimentos é uma obra poderosa, inconformada, talvez incomodativa mesmo. E creio que o pretenda ser já que reflete sobre a condição de ser velho e se tornar obsoleto - uma espécie de material de descarte, uma peça fora de moda a entrar em desuso por força da idade. Ao confrontar o leitor com a sua decadência, o livro levanta questões prementes como o conforto e o amor numa idade avançada; preconceitos relativamente à idade produtiva vs idade fértil; abandono e independência; dinâmicas familiares e segundas oportunidades.
Apontando diretamente o dedo ao encómio à juventude, A obsolescência programada dos nossos sentimentos, desempenha um papel de mediador entre a realidade ideal e a realidade evidente, obrigando o leitor a pensar temas polémicos e difíceis, e a esquecer as imagens comerciais que se associam às relações amorosas. Aqui, as rugas, as pregas, os cabelos grisalhos, longe de representar a falência da juventude, ganham contornos como novos elementos de liberdade, tolerância e honestidade perante a finitude da vida.
Belíssimo.
Apontando diretamente o dedo ao encómio à juventude, A obsolescência programada dos nossos sentimentos, desempenha um papel de mediador entre a realidade ideal e a realidade evidente, obrigando o leitor a pensar temas polémicos e difíceis, e a esquecer as imagens comerciais que se associam às relações amorosas. Aqui, as rugas, as pregas, os cabelos grisalhos, longe de representar a falência da juventude, ganham contornos como novos elementos de liberdade, tolerância e honestidade perante a finitude da vida.
Belíssimo.
April 23, 2020
"The body gives up faster than the soul. Time wrinkles it, wounds it, debases it... Varicose veins, menopause... Time makes it a caricature. The body plays along, a good sport."
July 7, 2021
Para mí este es un ejemplo de que sentir escasa simpatía por unos personajes, no entender sus elecciones o sentirse directamente irritada por ellas te puede arruinar una lectura y hacer que ya no seas capaz de ver nada más allá de esa antipatía. Si no te encuentras con ese inconveniente, este tal vez te parecerá un cómic muy tierno sobre el amor en la edad de la jubilación, y además los dibujos de Aimée de Jongh están muy bien (son el único motivo de que ponga dos estrellas, en lugar de una como decidí al principio).
Vale, a partir de aquí, puro spoiler y vitriolo, avisados quedáis ->
Vale, a partir de aquí, puro spoiler y vitriolo, avisados quedáis ->
March 25, 2019
There are so many romances about young love. This is a romance about old love. Or rather, a romance about people in their late 50s, early 60s who are in love. Ulysses who has been forced to retire early and Mediterranean, who has spent a long time watching her mother die.
Both adrift, they find each other.
Being European, the author is from Brussels and the illustrator from the Netherlands, they are open about showing bodies in all their glory, and in this case, all their wrinkled glory. This is all tastefully done, but would still be NSFW in most offices.
A most enjoyable romance. Highly recommend it.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
Both adrift, they find each other.
Being European, the author is from Brussels and the illustrator from the Netherlands, they are open about showing bodies in all their glory, and in this case, all their wrinkled glory. This is all tastefully done, but would still be NSFW in most offices.
A most enjoyable romance. Highly recommend it.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
October 4, 2019
That was weird and a fair bit more depressing than I expected.
The illustrations were fantastic and honest in the details with many wonderful one liners to be found throughout.
Thank you NetGalley and Europe Comics for this DRC.
The illustrations were fantastic and honest in the details with many wonderful one liners to be found throughout.
Thank you NetGalley and Europe Comics for this DRC.
May 25, 2025
“Ninguém deseja voltar à vida. Ninguém!
O que desejamos, simplesmente, é jamais soltar a mão dela.”
Excelentes ilustrações e uma temática pertinente. Não fosse o final desacertado, seria uma leitura cinco estrelas!
Obrigado, Paulinha <3
O que desejamos, simplesmente, é jamais soltar a mão dela.”
Excelentes ilustrações e uma temática pertinente. Não fosse o final desacertado, seria uma leitura cinco estrelas!
Obrigado, Paulinha <3
May 28, 2025
"Ninguém deseja voltar à vida. Ninguém!
O que desejamos, simplesmente, é jamais soltar a mão dela."
Esta novela gráfica é um retrato sensível e humano sobre o envelhecimento — não como fim, mas como uma transição.
"Não olhe para trás!
Faça tudo, menos olhar para trás!"
Zidrou e Aimée de Jongh apresentam-nos Ulisses, um homem reformado à força com a justificação pela sua idade, mergulhado no tédio dos dias iguais, num quotidiano que considera banal e aborrecido até conhecer Mediterranêa, uma mulher de 62 anos com o seu próprio passado de glória e frustração.
"Quantas vezes mais vou repetir que estou curtindo a vida, finalmente aproveitando o tempo?
E, sobretudo, não dizer que, na verdade, é o tempo que me consome pouco a pouco como a maré cruel desgasta uma falésia."
Ambos carregam perdas e ressentimentos: ele, a ausência da camaradagem laboral mesmo que ela lhe tenha deixado o corpo gasto; ela, as marcas do tempo no rosto e corpo de quem já foi capa de revista, mas hoje se reconhece com dificuldade ao espelho. Quando se chama "bruxa", não é por vaidade, mas por dor. Como assimilar uma transformação tão silenciosa quanto brutal?
"Vazio! Só um vazio para preencher o tempo!"
A obra trata do idadismo, da solidão, da nostalgia e da redescoberta da intimidade — amorosa e sexual — num tempo de vida em que a sociedade já não os espera. A metáfora do peixe, que sobrevive apenas uns dias, não fala do fim do amor, mas da própria vida. E é essa consciência da finitude que dá densidade à ternura que entre eles floresce.
""Antes"...!
Quanto mais o tempo passa, mais a gente usa esse advérbio, já reparou?
Ha! Ha! Mas "hoje" também é um advérbio muito bonito!"
Há um ponto que considerei inverosímil perto do final mas talvez esse gesto simbólico questione os limites que impomos ao recomeço.
"O espírito, esse é mau perdedor.
Leva mais tempo para soprar o mesmo número de velas que o corpo."
Apesar dos temas delicados e, por vezes, sombrios, o estilo visual surpreende: em vez de tons escuros ou cinzentos, a ilustradora opta por uma paleta suave, em tons pastel, que transmite serenidade, esperança e uma beleza calma numa narrativa que se absorve devagar. Esse contraste reforça a ideia de que, mesmo quando a vida parece já não prometer muito, ainda pode ser plena — basta um olhar diferente para nunca ser tarde para se sentir vivo, mesmo sabendo que o tempo possa ser breve.
"Agora...na "nossa" época? Acha mesmo que os dias de hoje são a nossa época?
Mais do que nunca."
"Nasce de manhã. Envelhece à tarde. Morre à noite. O Sol tem um dia, apenas um, para viver e brilhar."
O que desejamos, simplesmente, é jamais soltar a mão dela."
Esta novela gráfica é um retrato sensível e humano sobre o envelhecimento — não como fim, mas como uma transição.
"Não olhe para trás!
Faça tudo, menos olhar para trás!"
Zidrou e Aimée de Jongh apresentam-nos Ulisses, um homem reformado à força com a justificação pela sua idade, mergulhado no tédio dos dias iguais, num quotidiano que considera banal e aborrecido até conhecer Mediterranêa, uma mulher de 62 anos com o seu próprio passado de glória e frustração.
"Quantas vezes mais vou repetir que estou curtindo a vida, finalmente aproveitando o tempo?
E, sobretudo, não dizer que, na verdade, é o tempo que me consome pouco a pouco como a maré cruel desgasta uma falésia."
Ambos carregam perdas e ressentimentos: ele, a ausência da camaradagem laboral mesmo que ela lhe tenha deixado o corpo gasto; ela, as marcas do tempo no rosto e corpo de quem já foi capa de revista, mas hoje se reconhece com dificuldade ao espelho. Quando se chama "bruxa", não é por vaidade, mas por dor. Como assimilar uma transformação tão silenciosa quanto brutal?
"Vazio! Só um vazio para preencher o tempo!"
A obra trata do idadismo, da solidão, da nostalgia e da redescoberta da intimidade — amorosa e sexual — num tempo de vida em que a sociedade já não os espera. A metáfora do peixe, que sobrevive apenas uns dias, não fala do fim do amor, mas da própria vida. E é essa consciência da finitude que dá densidade à ternura que entre eles floresce.
""Antes"...!
Quanto mais o tempo passa, mais a gente usa esse advérbio, já reparou?
Ha! Ha! Mas "hoje" também é um advérbio muito bonito!"
Há um ponto que considerei inverosímil perto do final mas talvez esse gesto simbólico questione os limites que impomos ao recomeço.
"O espírito, esse é mau perdedor.
Leva mais tempo para soprar o mesmo número de velas que o corpo."
Apesar dos temas delicados e, por vezes, sombrios, o estilo visual surpreende: em vez de tons escuros ou cinzentos, a ilustradora opta por uma paleta suave, em tons pastel, que transmite serenidade, esperança e uma beleza calma numa narrativa que se absorve devagar. Esse contraste reforça a ideia de que, mesmo quando a vida parece já não prometer muito, ainda pode ser plena — basta um olhar diferente para nunca ser tarde para se sentir vivo, mesmo sabendo que o tempo possa ser breve.
"Agora...na "nossa" época? Acha mesmo que os dias de hoje são a nossa época?
Mais do que nunca."
"Nasce de manhã. Envelhece à tarde. Morre à noite. O Sol tem um dia, apenas um, para viver e brilhar."
March 19, 2019
Blossoms in Autumn is a graphic novel by Zidrou. It is illustrated by Aimee de Jongh. Mediterranea and Ulysses are both grieving. Ulysses Varennes, at fifty-nine, has been retrenched from his job as a removalist. Sixty-one-year-old Mediterranea Solenza has just lost her mother after nine months of devoted care. Life for both of them is suddenly emptier. And each has been rudely made aware of their advancing age.
Mediterranea has her cheese shop, but the tactics Ulysses employs to fill his day are less than successful. They first encounter each other in a doctor’s surgery waiting room. Ulysses has been a widower for some fourteen years, while Mediterranea has never married. But now, something blossoms between them. And that’s not the only surprise they’re in for.
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. In a graphic novel, the text might be minimal, but what is conveyed by the illustrations is probably immeasurable. Aimee de Jongh’s art work is detailed and evocative, expressing a myriad of emotions and feelings. The message in this charming book seems to be that life need not end with a loved one’s passing or the end of a career.
The text offers plenty of perceptive observations about life and love and getting older; there’s a bit of nudity; there’s humour, sadness and joy. This is an insightful, sweet and moving story.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Europe Comics.
Mediterranea has her cheese shop, but the tactics Ulysses employs to fill his day are less than successful. They first encounter each other in a doctor’s surgery waiting room. Ulysses has been a widower for some fourteen years, while Mediterranea has never married. But now, something blossoms between them. And that’s not the only surprise they’re in for.
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. In a graphic novel, the text might be minimal, but what is conveyed by the illustrations is probably immeasurable. Aimee de Jongh’s art work is detailed and evocative, expressing a myriad of emotions and feelings. The message in this charming book seems to be that life need not end with a loved one’s passing or the end of a career.
The text offers plenty of perceptive observations about life and love and getting older; there’s a bit of nudity; there’s humour, sadness and joy. This is an insightful, sweet and moving story.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Europe Comics.
January 8, 2019
This graphic novel surprised me with it's fairytale ambiance. The main characters are sixty year olds and that's refreshingly rare. Why don't we have more stories with main characters that are over 50? Anyway this graphic novel has wonderful artwork and great story telling, in spite of the the ending which isn't very realistic but an interesting touch. I still loved it. It's mainly about getting old and how it effects people differently. It's also about falling in love when you believe that it is no longer in the cards. All in all it's a love story that will encourage us all to keep looking for love and showing us it can fall right in front of you when you least expect it. There is some nudity in this graphic novel so if that bothers you you may want to give it a miss, but otherwise it's a quick, sweet story that I will probably read again.
September 8, 2019
„Prázdnota. Tou mám teď vyplňovat svůj život.“ Přesně tak přemýšlí Odysseus, hlavní hrdina komiksu Nevyhnutelná opotřebovanost citů, který nedávno vyšel v Argu. Je mu 59 let a právě ho vyhodili z práce, protože je starý. Na druhé straně Méditerranée, 62letá bývalá modelka, smutná po smrti své matky. Tito dva lidé se náhodně potkají v čekárně, dají se do řeči a postupně se jejich vztah prohlubuje, až Méditerranée… Opravdu nečekaný konec si musíme přečíst sami. Nevyhnutelná opotřebovanost citů ode mě získává nejlepší hodnocení. Tento komiks mě obzvlášť lákal, protože seniorské téma (a senioři samotní) je mi blízké. Kdysi jsem dělal dobrovolníka v Kráse pomoci a víc než rok chodil ke dvěma pánům domů (s jedním jsem si jenom povídal a druhému pravidelně nosil nákup). Rovněž jsem pro jeden web dělal rozhovory s různými seniory a seniorkami, z nichž každý byl neuvěřitelně zajímavý.
June 17, 2021
"How many times have I told them that I'm enjoying life and finally taking my time? While in reality, its actually time that’s taking me, bit by bit, like the cruel tide gnawing at the cliffside."
"Have you ever noticed that the older you get, the more you think about your parents!"
Two persons at the prime of their life, fall in love amidst loneliness and depression. Cliched plot with a warm execution. Loved this one!
"Have you ever noticed that the older you get, the more you think about your parents!"
Two persons at the prime of their life, fall in love amidst loneliness and depression. Cliched plot with a warm execution. Loved this one!
April 3, 2019
The French-language title, translated literally, is The Programmed Obsolescence of Our Feelings. (Talk about highfalutin!) Both that and the English title defy the notion that we become less capable of true love and growth the older we are – as will be dramatized through the story of a later-life romance between the two main characters. Ulysses Varennes, a 59-year-old widower who retired early from his career as a mover, hates books (gasp!) because moving boxes of them ruined his back (he even refuses to read them!). Mediterranea Solenza, coming up on 62, was a nude model in her prime and is now a cheese-maker. At the book’s opening she has just laid her mother to rest, and her affair with Ulysses serves as a chance at a new life that somehow counterbalances the loss.
We come to understand the characters through the sadness of their past but also through their hopeful future, both of which are encompassed by the metaphor of a Homeric journey (Ulysses, get it?). Indeed, the book takes an unusual turn I never would have expected; if it beggars belief, it is at least touching. Zidrou is a Belgian comics writer and Aimée de Jongh is a Dutch-born illustrator. She portrays these ageing bodies sensitively but realistically, retreating into an appropriately impressionistic style for the spreads that show their actual lovemaking. In a nice touch, the first two words and last two words of the book are exactly the same.
We come to understand the characters through the sadness of their past but also through their hopeful future, both of which are encompassed by the metaphor of a Homeric journey (Ulysses, get it?). Indeed, the book takes an unusual turn I never would have expected; if it beggars belief, it is at least touching. Zidrou is a Belgian comics writer and Aimée de Jongh is a Dutch-born illustrator. She portrays these ageing bodies sensitively but realistically, retreating into an appropriately impressionistic style for the spreads that show their actual lovemaking. In a nice touch, the first two words and last two words of the book are exactly the same.
March 10, 2019
I loved this. It is a beautiful story about a widower who is made redundant at 59. He then has to find a new way of living and he struggles but copes. He then bumps into a 62 year old former model who runs her own cheese shop and a friendship develops between the two of them.
And as the friendship deepens love emerges and the two of them decide to grasp all that life still has to offer them and they do this despite the moaning of the man's son and daughter in law and why not?
Why should older people be written off as if they can't still live, love and enjoy what the world has to offer. I must say that this kind of negativity towards age is prevalent in global North cultures but less so elsewhere. I have never seen negative attitudes towards age in West Africa and instead age is actually revered. (In my experience at least).
The story provides a beautiful perspective on what is possible and why we should continue to embrace love throughout our lives. The artwork was lovely with simple graphics that conveyed the story in a gentle but yet powerful way.
I loved this story so much that I am going to buy myself a paperback copy for my own collection.
This is a lovely story for anyone who enjoys romance with their graphic novels.
Copy provided by Europe Comics via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
And as the friendship deepens love emerges and the two of them decide to grasp all that life still has to offer them and they do this despite the moaning of the man's son and daughter in law and why not?
Why should older people be written off as if they can't still live, love and enjoy what the world has to offer. I must say that this kind of negativity towards age is prevalent in global North cultures but less so elsewhere. I have never seen negative attitudes towards age in West Africa and instead age is actually revered. (In my experience at least).
The story provides a beautiful perspective on what is possible and why we should continue to embrace love throughout our lives. The artwork was lovely with simple graphics that conveyed the story in a gentle but yet powerful way.
I loved this story so much that I am going to buy myself a paperback copy for my own collection.
This is a lovely story for anyone who enjoys romance with their graphic novels.
Copy provided by Europe Comics via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
March 7, 2019
This was better then what I expected!! This isn't about old people naked like the cover made me think, this book is about two older persons (59 and 62... I think) who are searching for a reason to continue living and then finding one. This is a book about love, about life, about getting old and I find myself deeply touch by it. I'm no way near that age (I'm 31 has I read it), but I see the future me in those characters and it made me thing a lot about getting old, without kid and all that came with it. The illustrations where also beautiful so it help getting into the story. A big surprise and a great book! Love it!
March 11, 2019
Magnifique et touchante BD!
May 31, 2020
"The body gives up faster than the soul. Time wrinkles it, wounds it, debases it...varicose veins, menopause. Time makes it a caricature. The body plays along, a good sport.This is a wholesome love story of two people when they are supposed to be in the "autumn" of their lives. Blossoms in Autumn touched on our innate fear of old age and I particularly love how it was presented in the prose! This graphic novel reminds us that we can always find that silver lining to birth new meaning in our lives. This was so beautiful and I love the transition of sepia tones and the hazy quality of the art when it reached the scene when they were making love. It was just so beautiful and touching!
The soul though is a sore loser. It needs more time to blow the candles. It only concedes in fits and starts...through painful revelations, through a series of frights."
November 16, 2020
This was absolutely delightful - a beautiful story and so beautifully drawn. Remarkably realistic and cool about the aging process - so much faster for the body than for the soul! And love is love at all ages - hurrah!
Only one drawback, and that was a remark that I take to be transphobic. Damn it! This volume was so very perfect otherwise.
ETA: I loved the low-angst progress from them meeting to being friends to becoming lovers. They didn't rush or feel a sense of time ticking away, but neither did they get coy or ever wonder where this was going... They just enjoyed each moment as it came. Love it!
Only one drawback, and that was a remark that I take to be transphobic. Damn it! This volume was so very perfect otherwise.
ETA: I loved the low-angst progress from them meeting to being friends to becoming lovers. They didn't rush or feel a sense of time ticking away, but neither did they get coy or ever wonder where this was going... They just enjoyed each moment as it came. Love it!
April 28, 2019
Book Reaction: https://nildivision.blogspot.com/2019...
Rating: 3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it
I received a copy of Blossoms In Autumn from Europe Comics via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it
I received a copy of Blossoms In Autumn from Europe Comics via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2018
Le message est beau, le dessin est beau, les sentiments sont bons, mais la conclusion est... spéciale. C'est touchant tout de même.
January 30, 2020
Nádherný komiksový román o tom, že život i láska často bolí. Že stáří přijde plíživě, děti se k rodičům najednou neznají, za okny prší a doma je ticho. A o naději, lásce, o tom, že ještě chceme místo vedle sebe v posteli zažít teplé. O tom, že smích a porozumění nemají datum spotřeby.
March 10, 2019
C'est une des plus belles bd que j'ai lu! C'était magnifiquement écrit et illustré.
December 3, 2022
What a marvellous story!
Falling in love at old age. isn't it beautiful?
I LOVED THE ARTWORK i mean just look at the cover.. .
Falling in love at old age. isn't it beautiful?
I LOVED THE ARTWORK i mean just look at the cover.. .
Displaying 1 - 30 of 361 reviews