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Seeds
80 Pages!
In July 2009, Ross Mackintosh learned that his father had contracted cancer. Beginning with the diagnosis, then taking us through the journey of his father's decline and eventual passing, Seeds is a touching tribute and A powerful, autobiographical account of one man's experience, combining humor, sadness, philosophy, and honesty.
In July 2009, Ross Mackintosh learned that his father had contracted cancer. Beginning with the diagnosis, then taking us through the journey of his father's decline and eventual passing, Seeds is a touching tribute and A powerful, autobiographical account of one man's experience, combining humor, sadness, philosophy, and honesty.
80 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 25, 2013
My father died quickly, almost in the blink of an eye. He was there in the morning with his Times' crossword, and by afternoon, he was gone - puzzle completed. At least he had that.
My mother took her time, slowly, debilitatingly, over several years. She never admitted what was happening. Until her final conscious day, she believed somehow she was miraculously going home soon to care for her beloved parrots and elderly dog.
Which is the best way to go?
Well, neither.
There is no good way to die. There is no way to quit this planet without leaving a swath of misery and tears at your departure.
It may not have happened yet, but you WILL be facing the death of a parent or two in your lifetime, AND if you have children, they'll get to watch you die. As awful as it is to contemplate, you will survive the loss and so will your offspring. Life goes on; maybe not without twinges of regret, memories brought about by the oddest things, and sometimes, great gulps of sorrow when you least expect them, but existence, though somewhat altered, will continue.
Ross Mackintosh's father died slowly, though much, much faster than most patients diagnosed with cancer. This graphic novel is a straight-forward, warts-and-all look at a once proud man laid low by an unrepentant disease. Weakened beyond belief - (seriously, can you imagine what it's like not to be able to put on your own socks?) - and forced to rely on others for the simplest tasks, he tries to hang onto the smallest shreds of his dignity for as long as he can.
Please don't let the subject matter keep you away from this book. It's not a horrific doom-filled downer. Nor is it a sappy, uplifting tale of courage in the face of death. It's simply the story of an average man, who has lived an average life, and is now facing a fairly average death.
Heartless bitch that I am, I did not shed one tear.
Well...there was one panel that did put a lump in my throat.
The author is leaving his father in the hospital, and pauses in the doorway for a look back at his old man.
I did that.
I turned and looked and saw my mother bravely smiling at me.
It was the last time I saw her.
My mother took her time, slowly, debilitatingly, over several years. She never admitted what was happening. Until her final conscious day, she believed somehow she was miraculously going home soon to care for her beloved parrots and elderly dog.
Which is the best way to go?
Well, neither.
There is no good way to die. There is no way to quit this planet without leaving a swath of misery and tears at your departure.
It may not have happened yet, but you WILL be facing the death of a parent or two in your lifetime, AND if you have children, they'll get to watch you die. As awful as it is to contemplate, you will survive the loss and so will your offspring. Life goes on; maybe not without twinges of regret, memories brought about by the oddest things, and sometimes, great gulps of sorrow when you least expect them, but existence, though somewhat altered, will continue.
Ross Mackintosh's father died slowly, though much, much faster than most patients diagnosed with cancer. This graphic novel is a straight-forward, warts-and-all look at a once proud man laid low by an unrepentant disease. Weakened beyond belief - (seriously, can you imagine what it's like not to be able to put on your own socks?) - and forced to rely on others for the simplest tasks, he tries to hang onto the smallest shreds of his dignity for as long as he can.
Please don't let the subject matter keep you away from this book. It's not a horrific doom-filled downer. Nor is it a sappy, uplifting tale of courage in the face of death. It's simply the story of an average man, who has lived an average life, and is now facing a fairly average death.
Heartless bitch that I am, I did not shed one tear.
Well...there was one panel that did put a lump in my throat.
The author is leaving his father in the hospital, and pauses in the doorway for a look back at his old man.
I did that.
I turned and looked and saw my mother bravely smiling at me.
It was the last time I saw her.
August 26, 2024
A wonderful gem of a graphic novel that poignantly and openly details the real life narrative of the writer's father's cancer. It is unique and different with an important message about the necessity of normalising death in our very repressive culture.
I also love it because the artwork contains very clear landmarks of Calderdale and surrounding areas, which I haven't seen before in graphic novels. It also gives you a real sense of time and place. Well worth the read.
I also love it because the artwork contains very clear landmarks of Calderdale and surrounding areas, which I haven't seen before in graphic novels. It also gives you a real sense of time and place. Well worth the read.
August 3, 2024
What a beautiful and heartbreaking comic. Set mostly in Halifax, West Yorkshire (my hometown) it tells the true story of Ross Mackintosh losing his father to cancer. Not exactly an uplifting read, but it had a bit of philosophy and humour in there, simple storytelling and art style that I really connected with, and bizarrely even with the simple drawings, you feel there.
It's an extremely brave task to take on, to debut with a comic about your dying parent. I think this is perfectly handled.
I would LOVE to read more by this author. Please Sir, if you happen to stumble across this review, consider doing another comic. Especially if it's set in Halifax/West Yorkshire.
It's an extremely brave task to take on, to debut with a comic about your dying parent. I think this is perfectly handled.
I would LOVE to read more by this author. Please Sir, if you happen to stumble across this review, consider doing another comic. Especially if it's set in Halifax/West Yorkshire.
July 2, 2019
So powerful. Losing a parent is profound and shakes you to the core. This book captures that.
February 23, 2020
An ordinary story of an ordinary man watching his ordinary father die an ordinary death. Moving and relatable.
February 14, 2021
Simple and brilliant! Loved it. Captures the emotions of seeing someone close lose their battle with cancer very very well.
February 5, 2012
As the foreword of the book reads, "cartooning is the art of distilling reality to its essence" and "Seeds" perfectly strips down the painful process that a person and his/her close family undergoes when he/she is diagnosed terminal cancer.
By using endearing drawings, Mackinthosh is able to capture the impotence and despair yet intense humanism of the situation: from the beginning when you try to convince yourself it might not be that severe as you are informed, to the final stages when the body of the person deteriorates by the day, to the first months after the death, when you unsuccessfully try to deal with the absence and understand what it means.
For anyone who unfortunately has had to live an experience like this, the read of Seeds is both unresting because it inevitably brings back memories that might have been put aside but also comforting because it reveals the most human aspect of our inner self, the one that only comes out in extreme situations and makes everything else in life look irrelevant. Very powerful stuff.
By using endearing drawings, Mackinthosh is able to capture the impotence and despair yet intense humanism of the situation: from the beginning when you try to convince yourself it might not be that severe as you are informed, to the final stages when the body of the person deteriorates by the day, to the first months after the death, when you unsuccessfully try to deal with the absence and understand what it means.
For anyone who unfortunately has had to live an experience like this, the read of Seeds is both unresting because it inevitably brings back memories that might have been put aside but also comforting because it reveals the most human aspect of our inner self, the one that only comes out in extreme situations and makes everything else in life look irrelevant. Very powerful stuff.
September 1, 2012
Este foi um livro que me tocou particularmente. Seeds é a crónica dos sentimentos e percepções do autor ao acompanhar o doloroso processo da morte do pai, vítima de cancro. Foi nisto que me atingiu. Também passei pela mesma terrível experiência, e revi nas páginas desenhadas com um traço simples os sentimentos de impotência perante a degradação física, incredulidade, esperança nos limites e poder liberatório do acto de chorar. E sim, também tive uma experiência de falta de tacto nos momentos seguintes ao falecimento. Com o autor foi uma enfermeira bruta. Comigo foi uma médica que decididamente não tinha estofo para dar certo tipo de notícias. Mas percebe-se. Não há manuais para estas coisas. Se os padrões são similares, a forma como cada um reage a si lhe pertence.
December 1, 2012
Appeal Characteristics: Author's Forward/Note, characters, slice of life, Tone
Seeds is about a man who has just found out his dad has terminal cancer. He finds that unlike some people he actual has time to handle, cope, and heal with his dad's death. Its a look at life and how we as a society deal with this topic, and when death happens to us, how we intend to remember that person. It's just a beautifully written story that doesn't need color, or lush detail and tones to make this a great story. This is your own personal ride of what death is to you, and just how to make the most out of life with the time you have. I'm definitely going to check out other works by this author.
Seeds is about a man who has just found out his dad has terminal cancer. He finds that unlike some people he actual has time to handle, cope, and heal with his dad's death. Its a look at life and how we as a society deal with this topic, and when death happens to us, how we intend to remember that person. It's just a beautifully written story that doesn't need color, or lush detail and tones to make this a great story. This is your own personal ride of what death is to you, and just how to make the most out of life with the time you have. I'm definitely going to check out other works by this author.
September 29, 2014
"Comics combine words and art to transcend the sum of their parts. Their lack of detail encourages readers to fill the void with details from their own lives and identify with abstract squiggles of ink."
Memories frozen and framed in pictures.
Memories frozen and framed in pictures.
April 25, 2011
Enjoyed reading this touching true story of the creator and his relationship with his father.
September 17, 2011
A short, but touching graphic novel about a relationship between a father and son, set as the father is dying. Both the text and the images are sparse, letting the readers fill in the spaces.
January 20, 2016
An ordinary story about losing a beloved one, really nice drawned.
October 8, 2016
Simple and effective. It tells a moving story of dealing with illness and death.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews