jekutree's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful read. Feels very meticulous and I really respect the structure of the 100 years told in 100 pages (not 1 page per year but 100 years worth of info is told in 100 pages). I think Gilbert did a really great job characterizing everyone in the story despite the restriction on page count while also allowing for very subtle moments that reverberate throughout the 100 years. Really impressive that he pulled this off.
germancho's review against another edition
4.0
The idea, the execution, the art, and the pacing were great, a perfect example of what sequential art can achieve. However, it was unexpectedly lacking in characterization, which is a little sad - especially coming from a master creator such as Gilbert Hernandez.
caedocyon's review against another edition
4.0
As a 100 page graphic novel, this is a quick read. It's hard to rate---I can't say I personally loved it, but it is fairly high in overall quality. Shades of [b:One Hundred Years of Solitude|320|One Hundred Years of Solitude|Gabriel García Márquez|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327881361s/320.jpg|3295655] all over, but with more small-town body horror. It's choppy, but a person's life isn't a single story thread. The disjointedness could almost have been a commentary, even as Julio's life is mythologized overall: .
Julio's mother should have stolen the show, bearing and burying generations. There's some weirdness with her character, both homophobic and sexist, which I don't think Hernández was fully cognizant of.
I loved the art, although the characters were sometimes hard to tell apart. (It probably would have helped to have a physical copy I could backtrack in easily, rather than a PDF that was loading very slowly.)
Spoiler
dying in the same bed he was born in at 100 years old, held by his motherJulio's mother should have stolen the show, bearing and burying generations. There's some weirdness with her character, both homophobic and sexist, which I don't think Hernández was fully cognizant of.
I loved the art, although the characters were sometimes hard to tell apart. (It probably would have helped to have a physical copy I could backtrack in easily, rather than a PDF that was loading very slowly.)
chelseamartinez's review against another edition
4.0
Happy to read this unexpectedly creepy book on the first day that feels like fall (my hair feels staticky and the air is dry and smells of leaves). The mixture of life in a small town and constant, disfiguring international war was unsettling, but the blue worms were my favorite, especially in a black and white comic. Recommended this, and all the Hernandez Bros.' work, to a man at the place I had BBQ for lunch.
beelzebubbie's review against another edition
3.0
A graphic novel concerned with the course of a life, of several generations, across the span of 100 years. In some ways much like 100 years of solitude in that way. Of sexual repression and homophobia etched into the dulled life of the main character before that word even existed. There was lots and lots of disturbing imagery, gory and nasty, and done in a comedic style that definitely captured how absurd death and maiming can be, not glorious or graceful but pitiable and ridiculous. Didn’t make it very relatable or enjoyable to read, though!
krismarley's review against another edition
1.0
Nice reminder that I never would have lasted a week in Art School. Not that I can't appreciate Julio's design merit, but I have no idea why critics call the artistic storytelling perfection.
If a family tree at the beginning of a book typically indicates that you might have a hard time keeping tracking of the characters, I guess a family tree with five drawn depictions (at different ages) of the each characters is a sign you might as well not even try.
If a family tree at the beginning of a book typically indicates that you might have a hard time keeping tracking of the characters, I guess a family tree with five drawn depictions (at different ages) of the each characters is a sign you might as well not even try.
koby's review against another edition
3.0
Vignettes from a life of 100 years... Simple and sparse, but deep at the same time.
miniaturephilosopher's review against another edition
1.0
I wanted to give this a higher rating, but I just didn't enjoy it at all. There was a lot of disturbing imagery (and I'm left wondering why the author made up a fictional disease when this book is otherwise realistic and historically accurate). I didn't connect with any of the characters, and there was so much left unsaid...which is certainly intentional but it didn't work for me.
Many people loved this, so don't discount it based on my review alone.
Many people loved this, so don't discount it based on my review alone.