graphic memoir review: Special Exits by Joyce Farmer

-
Special ExitsThe backstory: Entertainment Weekly named Special Exits one of the 10 best graphic novels of 2010.

 The basics: Special Exits is a memoir of Joyce Farmer's experience caring for her aging parents as they struggle to care themselves in their Los Angeles home, which is in an increasingly run-down neighborhood.

 My thoughts: I have been having incredible luck with graphic memoirs lately. I was utterly enchanted with Special Exits from the beginning and was sobbing into my coffee as I finished before work one day. Farmer tells the story with immense restraint. Lars and Rachel descend gradually into old age. Initially, they are too shy and proud to ask for the help of Laura (Special Exits is a memoir, but it's unclear precisely who Joyce is, but I assumed she is Laura). It's a subtle shift of power as Laura realizes how much Lars and Rachel need her.

As I read this book, which is as beautifully illustrated as is it hauntingly told with accompanying prose, I could not help but think of my parents and husband's parents growing older. No matter where Mr. Nomadreader and I settle down (and many who know us question our ability to settle down geographically given our nomadic histories), we simply won't be able to care for all of our parents as they grow older. I found it deeply affecting, but only partly because I wondered what I would and could do in the same situation Laura finds herself. It's a testament to Farmer that I was as emotionally effected imagining myself as Lars and Rachel.

 The verdict: Special Exits is an emotionally raw and unflinchingly honest look at growing older and self-reliance. It's a deeply personal story, but it's a universal one sure to appeal to readers of all ages.

 Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: December 6, 2010
Source: my local public library

Treat yourself! Buy Special Exits from Amazon, an independent bookstore, or the Book Depository.

As an Amazon affiliate, I receive a small commission when you make a purchase through any of the above links. Thank you!

Comments

  1. WallaceMarch 28, 2011 at 6:05 PM

    This sounds really sweet and deep. I'm not sure I could read it -- it might give me major anxiety. But I'm glad you shared it. I love graphic novels too, so maybe next time I'm in the section, I'll flip through it to see if I can handle it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ZibileeMarch 29, 2011 at 10:23 AM

    I also struggle with thoughts of what I will do when my parents get to the point of needing care that I can't give them, and I think the issues that this book examines sound very interesting and very affecting. This was a great review of a book that I really need to check out. It sounds like there is a lot going on in there, and since my exposure to graphic novels is rather limited, I really appreciate this wonderful and thoughtful review.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AthiraMarch 29, 2011 at 6:39 PM

    I also saw this book in the EW list and I'm looking forward to reading it. It does sound really good and I'm glad to see that you loved it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. SwapnaApril 2, 2011 at 10:55 AM

    This is a difficult topic, and it looks like this memoir handles it beautifully. I'm always keeping an eye out for more graphic memoirs, I'll have to keep it in mind!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank you for taking the time to comment. Happy reading!

Popular posts from this blog

book review: A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear

-
Image
The backstory: A Dangerous Place  is the eleventh historical mystery featuring Maisie Dobbs. My reviews of the other eleven (plus Winspear's stand alone historical novel) are in my Book Review Database . The basics: Set four years after the last Maisie Dobbs novel, Leaving Everything Most Loved , in A Dangerous Place , we meet up with Maisie in Gibraltar in 1927 during the Spanish Civil War. She gets off her England-bound ship in Gibraltar because she's not quite ready to return. Note: this review contains spoilers about what happened in those four years of Maisie's life between books, all of which are revealed in this novel's first thirty pages.  My thoughts: Sunday I wrote about the Maisie Mail I received. These postcards appear in the book itself, along with many others. After setting the stage in Gibraltar in the opening pages (Maisie stumbles upon a dead body), Winspear recounts the last four years of Maisie's life in the form of postcards, letters, an
Read more

book review: Run by Ann Patchett

-
Image
The backstory: After loving State of Wonder  ( my review ), I set out to read all of Ann Patchett's books. The basics: Run  is the story of the Doyle family: Bernard, an Irish Catholic ex-mayor of Boston, his deceased wife Bernadette, their adult son Sullivan, and their two adopted college ages sons, Tip and Teddy, who are biological brothers. My thoughts: I'm beginning to think Ann Patchett is my soul sister. Her writing reaches me deeply, and I've adored everything she's written. It was a special treat to read Run , the novel of hers I knew the least about going in. Although I had the framework of two of her novels and one memoir, I didn't know what to expect. Run  isn't as universally loved as some of her other works, so I was particularly curious to see how it measured up. Admittedly, Run  started off slowly for me. It took two chapters to really get into the heart of the story, but once it happened, I was hooked. One of the things I love most about
Read more

book review: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

-
Image
The backstory: Gilead  won the Pulitzer Prize in 2005, the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2004, and was longlisted for the Orange Prize in 2006. The basics: As Rev. Ames nears the end of his life in the 1950's, he begins a letter to his young son because Ames realizes his son is too young to really know him. Gilead  is that letter. My thoughts: Gilead  is a novel I'm been meaning to read for years. It's a character-driven, Midwestern narrative by one of our best contemporary writers. It should be a novel I love, yet I struggled to finish it and admit I was wowed by neither the story nor the writing. Gilead  seemed almost stream-of-consciousness at first. I appreciated that Robinson jumped right in: this novel is a letter from father to son; the reader's ignorance of these two characters is not the focus. As the novel progressed, more details began to be filled in, and the reader begins to understand the characters, setting and purpose. I enjoyed the fir
Read more