Crazy Like a Fox: Adventures in Schizophrenia

by Christi Furnas

This autobiographically-inspired graphic novel explores mental health and schizophrenia in a surprising and emotionally honest story with a fantastical cast of animal characters. 
Fox Foxerson's got a new roommate. Fox Foxerson's got a new job. Fox Foxerson's got a date. The roommate is only a little strange, sometimes. The job seems to involve . . . filing? It's not very clear. The date seems to be more interested in someone else. Fox would rather be making art.
As the oppressive weight of the everyday routine beats down on Fox, nothing is going right. And it doesn't seem like anyone can help — not Fox's roommate, not Fox's friends, and definitely not the nurses and doctors at the hospital, who don't seem to take notice of anything Fox tries to tell them. Fox needs some time and space to figure things out.
This quirky, humorous graphic novel tinged with pathos, immerses readers in the constant are you okay? Fox is not okay, but Fox is working on it.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Mental Health, Nonfiction, Comics, Disability, Humor, Health

240 pages, Paperback

Published April 9, 2024

Reviews

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a little slow out of the gate, but picked up quite nicely around the halfway point or so. Either that, or it took me half the book to get used to Furnas’ style and pacing.

Fox is newly-arrived in the big city, dreaming of making it as an artist. Friends are made. Relationships are entered into. Choices good and bad are made. Life happens. There isn't really a clear, definite point where the madness starts to creep in, which is probably the point. The pattern isn't visible until it becomes too obtrusive to ignore. And the decision to portray all characters as various animals and fanciful creatures makes it harder to spot when, say for instance, something talks that normally wouldn't.

The aesthetic works, though. And after all these years of reading comics with fairly minimalist styles, you'd think I would no longer be surprised by the subtlety of facial expression the artist–in this case, Christi Furnas–is able to convey. The characters are wonderfully expressive … except maybe Worm, I suppose.

This isn't really a story about schizophrenia so much as it's about Fox learning to accept the diagnosis and deal with the treatment. Looking up the medical details is left as an exercise for the reader, should they wish to learn more.

All in all, a charming little book. As I said, it starts out a little slow, and the deliberately minimal style might take some time to grow on you. Stick it out, though, and hopefully you'll find it as rewarding as I did. Recommended!

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO GOOD!! And so relatable for anyone who has ever struggled with more severe mental illness or been to the psych ward. One of the drawings at the end made me laugh and I still have a smile on my face 5 minutes later :)

Thank you Street Noise for my copy!

[Ags · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel is very funny, and captures important critiques of the mental health system in a charming, light-hearted way. The epigraph is, "For my mom, who taught me there is strength in kindness and laughter," and this sentiment is carried throughout the story. Sometimes, this was sad - always, it was clever and funny.

I especially appreciated depicting the intersection of interpersonal violence and serious mental illness, the importance of social support, and how pets can be really meaningful and legitimate parts of safety plans. It was clever to make all characters animals, except for the psychologist and psychiatrist, to emphasize how out-of-touch these people/roles are in this story. The drawing style is simple, and perfect for the tone.

The story ends without clear resolution, but I think that's okay! I recommend this graphic novel for an intro to the importance and complications of labeling, strengths-based approaches, and social support in mental healthcare.

[Alix · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually kinda enjoyed this definitely should have some trigger warnings but definitely made me feel seen and I learned a lot of new things

[Kariana!!! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah I want to melt this book down and drink it

[Giovanni Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually incredible, easily one of the best depictions of how it feels to be “crazy” I’ve ever seen. The way everything just sort of happens and keeps moving, the feeling of just being forced to drift along as extremely confusing and convoluted things just keep happening over and over and no matter what you do it’s the wrong thing—this book was actually quite terrifying because I kept relating too much to it and the experiences that Fox goes through. Just absolutely phenomenal in every way and I cannot recommend it enough.

[Lizzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A surprisingly good graphic novel. Art was simple but effective. It’s very easy to connect with Fox and be frustrated on their behalf. However, the ending seems a bit abrupt.

[S.Matt Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crazy like a Fox is about the author's experiences with schizophrenia. It outlines events over an indeterminate period of time of the author's mental collapse and recovery. It's meant to be a peek into the often overlooked and/or not spoken about world of mental illness.

The positives: This book is drawn and written in a very accessible way. Super easy to read in a sitting. I did it over two. It doesn't delve too deeply into the subject and instead focuses on the experience of discovering one has a mental illness and subsequent action/inaction. I have no doubt this was a shocking revelation, and the author does a solid job portraying the regular with the irregular. Plus, it's super funny along the way, in places you think it wouldn't be.

The negatives: The narrative is a little choppy for my tastes. Also, the choice of portraying everyone as anthropomorphic animals is fine; however, in a world of talking animals (and pets), schizophrenic moments don't necessarily jump out as loudly. The anonymizing of certain characters is achieved (we don't know who Dodo is, and we still know Dodo is the worst), but the main aspect, ie talking about and portraying schizophrenia, is weakened.

Successes and faults aside, it's an important contribution to understanding and accepting mental illness. The author doesn't sensationalize the condition, and the story provides a bird's eye view of a cluster of people learning and reacting to one person's diagnosis.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christi Furnas is certainly a creative master. She weaves personalities together by choosing the animals carefully to guide people with schizophrenia to a better understanding of their condition. They are comical and yet very serious in dealing with this serious mental condition.

She uses subtle (or not so subtle) humor to create her characters who are Masters at showing the way out of chaos and into a more stable lifestyle.

This book is a must read for those who deal with schizophrenia on a day to day basis, or are a therapist for clients who experience schizophrenia, or any others who want to find out about this particular mental health issue. These delightful illustrations and well thought out points are priceless.

The animals, individually drawn by Christi, are perfect for dealing with the subject matter.

This book, "CRAZY Life a FOX: Adventures in Schizophrenia" is very much worth your time to read.

I enjoyed and learned from it. A very focused presentation.

Thank you Christi for sharing your experience, talent and insights.

Rev. Dr. Patricia Fogelsonger

[Estibaliz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mental health care system is confusing, and hence this graphic novel.

Which is pretty confusing too, especially in its first part, where I wasn't even sure who was the crazy one here. I mean, of course, yes, Fox has schizophrenia, but Dodo is a total sociopath.

I guess this graphic novel does succeed in showing all that confusion when it comes to mental health treatment, but, and probably because I don't have any first or secondhand experience with this specific a topic, it didn't do much more for me.

Plus the art is ok in that it is not distracting from the narrative, but not pretty at all, and not my cup of tea, so... It was ok and good in what it set to do, but not great over all. Let's say it was 2.75...

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This book offers a humble glimpse into the throes of living with schizophrenia. I was happily surprised when I realized that this book was not attempting to describe the mental illness, but simply illustrating the ways that it whisks you through life in confusing and scary ways. It's clear that Fox is often confused about the progression of many events and life is therefore understandably challenging. Not knowing who to trust or what you need was an ailment that was successfully portrayed. I kind of liked the end, there often isn't a happy ending to these struggles, just more efficient management strategies and a stronger support system. Special shout-out to Cat!

[ツツ]

I like the minimalistic drawing a lot, it captured the essence of a movement or a facial expression. For the most of this book I didn’t even know what’s it got to do with Schizophrenia, maybe because it’s from the perspective of the fox themself. People are horrifying…

It doesn’t feel right that we live in a society where individuals believe they can’t be involved in others’ business in the slightest (not even in the form of informing), yet institutions obtained immense power to interfere (with violence or proximity of it) in people’s lives.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated Christi Furnas's clear-eyed tale about the harms of the mental health carceral complex, and how it hurts those in need of care and support. Told with lovely drawings of Fox, Dodo, Snake, Worm, Teddy, and (my personal favorite) Goth Fairy, Furnas shows the struggle to build community and connection while experiencing mental health challenges. Looking forward to reading more graphic novels from Furnas!

[Karla Strand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on her own experiences, Christi Furnas’s debut graphic novel tackles a tough subject with humor and simplicity. Through sweet line drawings of animal friends, Furnas helps to alleviate the stigma of a schizophrenia diagnosis, reinforces the validity of being okay (or not), and illustrates the importance of continually “working on it.”

[Raven Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surreal satire that is all too realistic story of how one person (or Fox) goes down the rabbit hole of madness, but really it was a bit twisted and would eventually start upwards again. The art is my least favorite part of the book, but fits it perfectly and I don't see how anything else would work as well. A book that isn't for everyone, but perhaps everyone should read.

[Blane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this immediately on the heels of Fernando Balius' 'Traces of Madness'. Both chronicle the respective author's mental health struggles. Furnas' rudimentary anthropomorphized line drawings combined with a lighter storyline make this one the better work.

[May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love books depicting metal health and its struggle (properly). The red flags of an abusive relationship, the warning signs of skitzophrenia, and horrible mental health services are depicted so well. So glad I bought this book!

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sparse, simplistic illustrations explain with humor and cute characters the darkness of mental illness and of navigating the broken U.S. healthcare system. This one will remind readers of the importance of being there for a friend who is struggling.

[brianna heeg · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really enjoyed this! great example of how icky people take advantage of people w mental illness, how lonely and scary mental illness can be, and the how good people who care really make a difference:)

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This feels like a loosely-based graphic memoir having fun with anthropomorphized animal characters. The depiction of schizophrenia feels authentic and a support system really makes the difference in the plot, but it is told with humor and lightheartedness for some heavy material being addressed.

[Arachnidwoman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It really spoke to me, as I live with mental illness. I have had my own struggles with it and having a hidden disability. This book was interesting, sad, fun, emotional and I love the drawings. Thanks for writing and illustrating this great book!

[Donna Cartet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novel! The illustrations drew me into the story and captured my attention. I couldn’t stop reading about Fox and their many adventures. I found the story incredibly thoughtful, touching and funny throughout. I highly recommend this amazing book.

[Librariann]

** I received a DRC from the publisher because I am a librarian and librarians are awesome**

I read this during one of my night shifts and forgot about adding it. Illuminating but rough.

[Gracyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Katie Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

a simple, silly, yet beautiful look into the horrors of mental healthcare

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet and simple GN about madness.

[Jennifer Van Oosbree · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insiders look to what it feels like to realize you have a mental illness. I liked the illustration style.

[David W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible minimalist style and a wonderful, albeit sobering story.

[Reagan Kapasi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Liked: Advocating for disability. Disliked: Artwork.

[BiblioBeruthiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.