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CAUTION:
Contains sexual situations,
language and humour.
More of Bechdel's Acute Observations
of the Human
Condition
 
Post Dykes to Watch Out For
Alison Bechdel
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The mixture continues as before -- take one
acutely-observed slice of life, garnish with some tart satire that spares
no-one and takes no prisoners, and serve on wry.
Though it is primarily a comic about, by and for gay women, DTWOF has some
lessons and some rather pointed humour that anyone, of any and all genders
and inclinations can profit from.
I suppose that a reference point, for those who recall it, would be Gil Shelton's
"Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers" strip -- while drawn by a member of the
counterculture, and featuring members of that counterculture as protagonists,
it was as likely to zap the hippies as the straights -- often times both
in the same strip.
Bechdel seems to proceed under similar intentions. She sees both sides of
many issues, and, while making her own positions clear, does not necessarily
demonise those who hold other views. Pity them, sometimes, but not demonise
them.
This book picks up immediately after virtually the entire cast have moved
to the suburbs, bought houses, or acquired new roommates. (In the case of
Ginger and Sparrow, it's "Bought a house *and* acquired a new roommate" --
and a guy at that.)
Mo and Sydney are trying to fit as housemates as well as lovers; a situation
not helped by indications that Sydney may already be cheating on her. The
reality and the resolution of *that* situation are hilarious.
Clarice and Toni are having troubles of their own -- partly in their relationship
and partly trying to fit themselves and their son Raffi into the suburban
lifestyle. Their interactions with their corporate-attorney neighbour, his
uptight wife -- and their son, who is Raffi's age and curious, make for some
amusing and frustrating moments...
And so on.
In this collection, tha author deals with jealousy, unfaithfulness, a daughter's
hurt that her widowed father is beginning to date, a formerly all-female,
all-lesbian household's difficult adjustment to one of its members having
a live-in boyfriend(!), financial irresponsibility, many social issues, crabgrass
and many many more topics. And the looming need to decide whether a faithful
and loving but Very Old dog should be kept going by heroic means, or helped
gracefully and quietly onward on the wheel of life. And every one is investigated
and portrayed with both precision and sympathy.
As usual, Bechdel continues the storyline beyond the end of the collected
weekly strips here, going on to give us about another sixty pages of story
material that carries us onward and ties up some loose ends while leaving
others dangling for future exploration.
This is a great book about what it means to be human -- not just female and/or
gay, no matter what the author intended, and also a very funny and at times
very touching visit with a cast of characters we've come to know well over
the course of the strip and the series of book-length collections like this
one.
I devoured this book within an hour of opening the package; i'm already looking
forward to the next.
A wonderful book. You should buy it.
((On the right hand side of this review's header box, i have inserted the intended back cover for the original edition of this book, which was not used for some reason.)) |
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