by Aviv Ratzin
Tabella Publishing
128 pp
Black and White
A5 (Digest)
ISBN 978-0-955808-87-6
£7.99
To order or see more pages:
‘Dreams and everyday life’ is about ‘the important things’ in life. Not careers, health, wealth, or social status, but rather the innumerable everyday, human situations and defining experiences of daily life. From choosing the right clothes to wear, to whether to pick up a hitchhiker; from mobile phones, parties and restaurants, to learning a martial art, expressing your inner thoughts, and suicidal cacti (of course!).
The book is comprised of three separate but interconnected stories that tackle everything from the mundane necessities of everyday life, to the profound musings on technology and the future; all in a comic, whimsical, poetic and philosophical way.
Although Aviv has drawn deeply upon his own life and experiences, having grown up in one of the world’s most troubled and intense regions, he has produced a funny, poignant and wonderfully humane graphic novel, with truly universal appeal. Click the thumbnails below to see larger versions.
I have to admit that when I opened the envelope and saw the book I thought I was in for a long, boring read. I was not. Funny? Yes. Poignant? At times, yes. And Universal Appeal? Definitely.
There is something in the art style and it very rarely uses solid black. Page 84 says it all to any comic strip artist!! In some pages there is minimal or no text and that can really be where a strip falls apart, however, Ratzin knows what he is doing and it works. It was only after reading through pages 71-82 that I realised there had been no dialogue but I still smiled (smiling is my equivalent of laughing so that says something).
I was a bit tough on the previous Tabella books I reviewed and I thought I’d never get a review book again! I’m glad I got this book -comic shops should stock it. Dreams And Everyday Life like Aviv Ratzin deserve to be mentioned widely and I really hope this book sells because I am giving it 12 out of 10!!!
Treat yourself.
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