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En kat ved navn Røgsky. En mor og en søster. Skiskole, manglende bryster og venskab. Paris og London. Sorg, kærlighed og deja-vu. Alt sammen er lag i Pénélope Bagieus historie.
Med 15 personlige fortællinger giver den franske tegner og forfatter et indblik i de oplevelser - og det mod, der har gjort hende til den, hun er i dag.
Med 15 personlige fortællinger giver den franske tegner og forfatter et indblik i de oplevelser - og det mod, der har gjort hende til den, hun er i dag.
144 pages, Paperback
First published November 10, 2021
26 people are currently reading
2135 people want to read
About the author
Pénélope Bagieu
110 books900 followersPénélope Bagieu, (born 22 January 1982 Paris), is a French illustrator and comic designer. She became known for her comic blog My quite fascinating life.
Penelope Bagieu graduated with a bachelor's degree in Economic and Social studies, she spent a year at ESAT Paris, then at the National School of Decorative Arts in Paris and then at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design. Multimedia and entertainment, where she graduated in December 2006.
(from Wikipedia)
Penelope Bagieu graduated with a bachelor's degree in Economic and Social studies, she spent a year at ESAT Paris, then at the National School of Decorative Arts in Paris and then at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design. Multimedia and entertainment, where she graduated in December 2006.
(from Wikipedia)
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December 16, 2023
With equal parts humor and heartbreak, French artist and writer Pénélope Bagieu revisits scenes from across her childhood and into early adulthood in the warm and charming graphic memoir Layers (translated from the French by Montana Kane). Very episodic and bouncing back and forth along the coming-of-age timeline, the Eisner Award winning artist invites us along to experience the ups and downs of life, from first loves and losses, embarrassing experiences, hardships and successes, looking back to discover the tiny narrative arcs we can spot in our lives in hindsight. While this is a bit wandering it is also funny and often rather moving, and Bagieu shows stunning vulnerability and self-awareness here, making this an amusing reflection on the moments that amalgamate into the people we are as adults.
Layers is a quick read that manages to hit a wide variety of emotions along the way. Composed of rather short, episodic narratives, Bagieu’s rather reflective narration arranges the events into a sort of learning lesson for herself, though often one she didn’t realize at the time and can only see now. I really enjoyed the story about learning to ski and how much the bear pin she was given upon completing the class gave her incredible confidence to want to tackle other skills and be the best. She would later learn that it was a consolation pin given to the worst student in the class (everyone else got snowflake pins) but by then it was already a great lesson about believing in yourself: ‘It gave me permission to dare to do stuff.’ A lot of these stories have a similar tone, making the best out of bad situations or realizing later how much something meant that, at the time, hardly seemed significant (such as bad boyfriends showing major red flags).
Though not all the stories are funny, even the saddest of them are heartwarming. The story about the life of her first cat, which opens the book and is easily a highlight, for instance, or the death of her grandmother, are both handled in rather touching ways. On the flipside, some of the most uncomfortable ones like awkward relationships or going solo to a concert because she has a crush on the musician only to have to end up hanging out with his girlfriend, will have you laughing along. Bagieu can laugh at herself and it just makes you like her all the more, and this becomes a great little collection of stories on girlhood.
While I was reading this, I was told a patron complained and asked us to move this to the Adult collection instead of the Teen collection (the intended audience of the book). Interestingly enough, the complaint about a scene with nudity (very not-detailed cartoon boobs appearing on a tv screen) appears in a fairly funny bit about hypocrisy: the grandfather find the Bagieu and her sister looking at tampon instructions to be inappropriate but then watches a topless woman dance on tv (to which it is noted this was just…a normal thing on the French National News in the 80s). So in a way, the patron complaint just felt like an extension of this scene and also reminds me that the US is still very uptight about bodies in ways that just seem laughable.
Anyways, Layers is a rather delightful little graphic memoir. A quick read, with a loose art style that isn’t anything special but gets the story across quite efficiently, and one that I enjoyed quite a bit.
3.5/5
Layers is a quick read that manages to hit a wide variety of emotions along the way. Composed of rather short, episodic narratives, Bagieu’s rather reflective narration arranges the events into a sort of learning lesson for herself, though often one she didn’t realize at the time and can only see now. I really enjoyed the story about learning to ski and how much the bear pin she was given upon completing the class gave her incredible confidence to want to tackle other skills and be the best. She would later learn that it was a consolation pin given to the worst student in the class (everyone else got snowflake pins) but by then it was already a great lesson about believing in yourself: ‘It gave me permission to dare to do stuff.’ A lot of these stories have a similar tone, making the best out of bad situations or realizing later how much something meant that, at the time, hardly seemed significant (such as bad boyfriends showing major red flags).
Though not all the stories are funny, even the saddest of them are heartwarming. The story about the life of her first cat, which opens the book and is easily a highlight, for instance, or the death of her grandmother, are both handled in rather touching ways. On the flipside, some of the most uncomfortable ones like awkward relationships or going solo to a concert because she has a crush on the musician only to have to end up hanging out with his girlfriend, will have you laughing along. Bagieu can laugh at herself and it just makes you like her all the more, and this becomes a great little collection of stories on girlhood.
While I was reading this, I was told a patron complained and asked us to move this to the Adult collection instead of the Teen collection (the intended audience of the book). Interestingly enough, the complaint about a scene with nudity (very not-detailed cartoon boobs appearing on a tv screen) appears in a fairly funny bit about hypocrisy: the grandfather find the Bagieu and her sister looking at tampon instructions to be inappropriate but then watches a topless woman dance on tv (to which it is noted this was just…a normal thing on the French National News in the 80s). So in a way, the patron complaint just felt like an extension of this scene and also reminds me that the US is still very uptight about bodies in ways that just seem laughable.
Anyways, Layers is a rather delightful little graphic memoir. A quick read, with a loose art style that isn’t anything special but gets the story across quite efficiently, and one that I enjoyed quite a bit.
3.5/5
October 11, 2025
In a Nutshell: A graphic memoir, but not of the kind you typically see. Loved this eclectic collection of anecdotes from the author’s life, covering sweet and bittersweet memories. The writing and the artwork both are great. Definitely recommended.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Somehow, there have been too many graphic memoirs coming my way in the last few weeks. Most of them hadn’t gone too well, so I had decided to take a break from nonfiction graphic works. When I picked this book up, I didn’t realise it was again a memoir, having totally missed that tiny tagline under the title. I just saw the adorable cover art and grabbed it. But this book has been a delight in various ways.
This graphic comic was originally published in French under the title ‘Les Strates’ in 2021. This English translation was released in 2023. Had I not read this on the inside page, I would never have guessed that this was a translation. The language, even in the dialogues, is smooth.
Most graphic memoirs cover the same kinds of topics: someone dealing with a painful part of the past, or an ordeal of the present. Whether gender identity struggles or health scares or grief over the passing of a loved one, the topic is, more often than not, painful. Many artists thus seem to use their artistic talent as some sort of cathartic outlet for their emotional injuries.
In a way, this book also falls in the same category of topics. But it differs from of the above format in two key aspects. Firstly, it is not one large anecdote from the author’s life, but fifteen little ones. Each story focusses on a specific incident that led to a major or minor epiphany. Whether through awkward moments or through personal losses, the anecdote offers us a clear picture of the author’s current personality and how that event helped shape it. Secondly, the book doesn’t collect only mournful memories. While a couple of the stories are indeed sad, many are humorous and heartwarming as well.
The fifteen included anecdotes cover key events from her childhood to teenage years. These have not been arrange chronologically, so they do go back and forth in time. But as the presentation is lighthearted in general and the graphics indicate the approximate age of the author even when it is not explicitly specified, the timeline shuffles don’t matter much.
What I like best is that the author never presents herself as perfect, nor does she whine about her circumstances. She has no hesitation laughing at her past self, while, at the same time, she never once looks at her youthful gaffes with dismay or embarrassment. Every story in this collection contains a strong undertone of honesty and genuineness; every step and misstep is presented as a learning experience. As all the anecdotes are written in first person, there is an added personal touch to the reading experience. One of my favourites, exposing the double standards of an older family member, doesn’t even have any dialogues, but the comics are more than enough to highlight the hypocrisy of the situation.
The illustrations inside are as adorable as that on the cover. There is a cute quirkiness to the graphics, with every expression conveying volumes. There are a couple of pages that have lovemaking scenes and nudity, but it’s never vulgar. Do note that the internal illustrations are in B&W. They still work effectively, but those who expect a full-colour experience might be disappointed.
Overall, I had a great time reading this amazing and one-of-a-kind graphic memoir, even if all the stories were not happy ones. It is so amazing that the author could share some sad, bittersweet, happy, and funny moments of her life within a single collection without making the book feel jumpy. This is my first book by this author, and I’d love to read more by her.
Definitely recommended to those looking for unusual graphic memoirs that are serious and lighthearted at once.
4.5 stars, happy to round up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Somehow, there have been too many graphic memoirs coming my way in the last few weeks. Most of them hadn’t gone too well, so I had decided to take a break from nonfiction graphic works. When I picked this book up, I didn’t realise it was again a memoir, having totally missed that tiny tagline under the title. I just saw the adorable cover art and grabbed it. But this book has been a delight in various ways.
This graphic comic was originally published in French under the title ‘Les Strates’ in 2021. This English translation was released in 2023. Had I not read this on the inside page, I would never have guessed that this was a translation. The language, even in the dialogues, is smooth.
Most graphic memoirs cover the same kinds of topics: someone dealing with a painful part of the past, or an ordeal of the present. Whether gender identity struggles or health scares or grief over the passing of a loved one, the topic is, more often than not, painful. Many artists thus seem to use their artistic talent as some sort of cathartic outlet for their emotional injuries.
In a way, this book also falls in the same category of topics. But it differs from of the above format in two key aspects. Firstly, it is not one large anecdote from the author’s life, but fifteen little ones. Each story focusses on a specific incident that led to a major or minor epiphany. Whether through awkward moments or through personal losses, the anecdote offers us a clear picture of the author’s current personality and how that event helped shape it. Secondly, the book doesn’t collect only mournful memories. While a couple of the stories are indeed sad, many are humorous and heartwarming as well.
The fifteen included anecdotes cover key events from her childhood to teenage years. These have not been arrange chronologically, so they do go back and forth in time. But as the presentation is lighthearted in general and the graphics indicate the approximate age of the author even when it is not explicitly specified, the timeline shuffles don’t matter much.
What I like best is that the author never presents herself as perfect, nor does she whine about her circumstances. She has no hesitation laughing at her past self, while, at the same time, she never once looks at her youthful gaffes with dismay or embarrassment. Every story in this collection contains a strong undertone of honesty and genuineness; every step and misstep is presented as a learning experience. As all the anecdotes are written in first person, there is an added personal touch to the reading experience. One of my favourites, exposing the double standards of an older family member, doesn’t even have any dialogues, but the comics are more than enough to highlight the hypocrisy of the situation.
The illustrations inside are as adorable as that on the cover. There is a cute quirkiness to the graphics, with every expression conveying volumes. There are a couple of pages that have lovemaking scenes and nudity, but it’s never vulgar. Do note that the internal illustrations are in B&W. They still work effectively, but those who expect a full-colour experience might be disappointed.
Overall, I had a great time reading this amazing and one-of-a-kind graphic memoir, even if all the stories were not happy ones. It is so amazing that the author could share some sad, bittersweet, happy, and funny moments of her life within a single collection without making the book feel jumpy. This is my first book by this author, and I’d love to read more by her.
Definitely recommended to those looking for unusual graphic memoirs that are serious and lighthearted at once.
4.5 stars, happy to round up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
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November 2, 2021Très beau, très doux. Les visages sont incroyablement expressifs, les histoires se passent parfois de mots, c’est très intime et touchant.
December 7, 2023
This was heartbreaking, heartwarming, and hilarious all at once. Told as short stories, readers get the opportunity to see different parts of her life in particularly poignant moments that encompass who she was a teen and young adult. Culturally, it was interesting to read about the flexibility that Parisian teens had in comparison to my own experience. In the most hard and vulnerable parts of this book, readers gain insight to her struggles, but most importantly her growth. I think that some readers will have difficulty with this one if they’re looking for a linear memoir, but I rather enjoyed the lack of cohesiveness. The artwork was beautiful and reminded me of some things that I would see in Sunday comics. A wonderful read.
November 13, 2021
La lecture de cette bande-dessinée a été une vraie parenthèse d'amour et de douceur. J'ai (beaucoup) ri, j'ai pleuré (le premier chapitre a été affreux à lire pour moi), j'ai eu l'impression d'apprendre à connaitre un peu mieux une copine. J'ai adoré cette idée de strates qui font de nous ce que l'on est. Certaines sont très courtes, certaines beaucoup plus longues, certaines paraissent anecdotiques mais toutes ont leur importance. Avec un regard extérieur, on comprend ce que c'est de grandir, de prendre en maturité, de devenir adulte. Ça parle beaucoup de la perte de ceux et de ce qui nous est cher, et de la manière de gérer tout ça. C'est très juste et très touchant. En plus, Pénélope Bagieu est si forte pour faire ressortir les émotions des visages en quelques coups de crayon : certains chapitres se passent carrément de mots. On ferme le livre en ayant envie de la serrer très fort dans ses bras, mais aussi l'adolescente qu'on a été, toutes les amies qu'on a eues, sa sœur et son chat.
June 4, 2024
This graphic novel memoir by French artist and writer Penelope Bagieu was a really fun read. It was full of humor and emotion and was full of honesty. I liked that the author could make fun of herself and I felt like she was laughing with me as I read the stories about her crushes and failed relationships. The book starts with a bit of an emotional punch with the story of her childhood cat and as a cat lady this one hit hard. I thought this translation was excellent and if I didn’t know better I would have thought it was written in English originally. The art was great although I will say I always prefer in color art, the black and white still worked for this particular story.
August 4, 2023
I am a huge fan of Penelope Bagieu, I loved her terrific Brazen, Exquisite Corpse, her biography of Mama Cass--California Dreamin'. Sweet and engaging artwork--intimate lines, pastels, whimsical subjects (though Brazen is straight feminist work). Layers is not about hens, but is a kind of slice-of-life collection of anecdotes, a memoir, about her life, sort of randomly organized. Grandmother, dead pet, friends, family. Her first work in memoir, so we get to know this friend a little we love through her previous work.
But Layers has less coherence of any of her previous work, less drive, less interest for me. I am sure her name (and engaging artwork) will sell this work everywhere, and she's still delightful, but this is pretty airy and thin and disjointed. It has Bagieu whimsy going for it, which is a good thing, and the art is worth the trip.
Thanks to the author, First Second Books, and Net Galley for the preview. It is scheduled to come out September 23, 2023.
But Layers has less coherence of any of her previous work, less drive, less interest for me. I am sure her name (and engaging artwork) will sell this work everywhere, and she's still delightful, but this is pretty airy and thin and disjointed. It has Bagieu whimsy going for it, which is a good thing, and the art is worth the trip.
Thanks to the author, First Second Books, and Net Galley for the preview. It is scheduled to come out September 23, 2023.
December 6, 2023
Autobiographical short stories from the French author's childhood and teen years about cats, sisters, grandparents, sexual assault, molestation, crushes, grief, and an apartment with a coin-operated heating system. So yeah, it's a little all over the place in tone, though staying humorous more often than not. The episodic short story approach makes for satisfying chapters, but left me wondering about the gaps between.
This single page story is one of my favorite moments in the book:
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Why Don't You Have a Cat? You Love Cats! -- A Story about My Seduction Abilities -- Last Summer before the Year 2000 -- Florence -- The Teddy Bear Effect -- Déjà Vu -- A Story about My Fingers -- Validation -- Three Days -- -- A Story about My Grandparents -- Cold Feet -- A Story about a Wishbone -- Déjà Vu 2 -- The Kid -- Music Day -- The Comfort Blanket
This single page story is one of my favorite moments in the book:
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Why Don't You Have a Cat? You Love Cats! -- A Story about My Seduction Abilities -- Last Summer before the Year 2000 -- Florence -- The Teddy Bear Effect -- Déjà Vu -- A Story about My Fingers -- Validation -- Three Days -- -- A Story about My Grandparents -- Cold Feet -- A Story about a Wishbone -- Déjà Vu 2 -- The Kid -- Music Day -- The Comfort Blanket
November 9, 2023
TW: This is an autobiographical graphic novel. She is assaulted at least three times in her life, twice while young and once as a young adult. It is not explicit, but you know what happened.
I don't think books by French authors, non-fiction or otherwise, work for me. All I got from this was that the men in France were predatory, at least towards this woman, and lots of angst/despair.
The artwork wasn't bad, but the story as it was portrayed didn't do anything for me.
Yes, yes, I know, this is an AUTO-biography. It's someone's LIFE. It doesn't have to be entertaining. I would argue, that if it is being published, then it should at least be entertaining as well as educational. Reading, for me anyway, is an escape. I am always leery when reading an autobiography, because it's either filtered so much the MC is a perfect person who does no wrong, they are self-loathing and you only see their mistakes or they are so full of themselves, they open their mouth and show that they are a pretty horrible person.
This was maybe heavier on the "only seeing mistakes" and...I don't think I've read anything by a French writer that doesn't have under/over tones of despair and slightly nihilistic.
This wasn't what the cover made it seem it would be. I'm sorry the author went through those horrible experiences that men pushed onto her and I hope she has healed from the callus actions of others. No one should ever have to experience what she went through.
2, this just didn't do it for me but I can see it being helpful for others, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
I don't think books by French authors, non-fiction or otherwise, work for me. All I got from this was that the men in France were predatory, at least towards this woman, and lots of angst/despair.
The artwork wasn't bad, but the story as it was portrayed didn't do anything for me.
Yes, yes, I know, this is an AUTO-biography. It's someone's LIFE. It doesn't have to be entertaining. I would argue, that if it is being published, then it should at least be entertaining as well as educational. Reading, for me anyway, is an escape. I am always leery when reading an autobiography, because it's either filtered so much the MC is a perfect person who does no wrong, they are self-loathing and you only see their mistakes or they are so full of themselves, they open their mouth and show that they are a pretty horrible person.
This was maybe heavier on the "only seeing mistakes" and...I don't think I've read anything by a French writer that doesn't have under/over tones of despair and slightly nihilistic.
This wasn't what the cover made it seem it would be. I'm sorry the author went through those horrible experiences that men pushed onto her and I hope she has healed from the callus actions of others. No one should ever have to experience what she went through.
2, this just didn't do it for me but I can see it being helpful for others, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2021
C'était doux, beau, nostalgique mais aussi parfois triste et révoltant. Une très belle BD très expressive, très intime - j'ai adoré, même si je ne me remets pas de l'histoire de Fumée...
À lire !
À lire !
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January 2, 2023En esta excelente obra autobiográfica, Pénélope Bagieu recopila una serie de historietas cortas muy íntimas y personales que acercan al público lector a la persona que hay detrás de la artista.
Con grandes dosis de humor, ternura y, en ocasiones, también crudeza, Bagieu nos habla de episodios que la han convertido en la persona que es: juegos infantiles, traumas durante la pubertad, rabietas adolescentes, amistades fallidas, corazones rotos…
Esta obra me ha parecido de un gran valor también en un sentido generacional. Para quienes somos de su quinta, será muy difícil no identificarnos con muchas de las cosas que le pasan. Además, por supuesto, creo que merece destacar su gran valor y generosidad al exponerse sin tapujos y contar muchos episodios bastante íntimos.
No puedo terminar esta pequeña y entusiasta reseña sin hablar de la hermosísima edición que ha hecho Norma: las historietas están agrupadas en un formato que parece un cuaderno de estilo Moleskine, lo que da aún una sensación mayor de autenticidad y de confesión.
Con grandes dosis de humor, ternura y, en ocasiones, también crudeza, Bagieu nos habla de episodios que la han convertido en la persona que es: juegos infantiles, traumas durante la pubertad, rabietas adolescentes, amistades fallidas, corazones rotos…
Esta obra me ha parecido de un gran valor también en un sentido generacional. Para quienes somos de su quinta, será muy difícil no identificarnos con muchas de las cosas que le pasan. Además, por supuesto, creo que merece destacar su gran valor y generosidad al exponerse sin tapujos y contar muchos episodios bastante íntimos.
No puedo terminar esta pequeña y entusiasta reseña sin hablar de la hermosísima edición que ha hecho Norma: las historietas están agrupadas en un formato que parece un cuaderno de estilo Moleskine, lo que da aún una sensación mayor de autenticidad y de confesión.
February 23, 2023
16/20
Avec humour et tendresse, Pénélope Bagieu donne la parole à l’enfant et la jeune femme qu’elle a été, par des instants de vie parfois légers et parfois douloureux. Une lecture touchante et emplie de sincérité.
Ma chronique : https://littleprettybooks.com/2023/02...
Avec humour et tendresse, Pénélope Bagieu donne la parole à l’enfant et la jeune femme qu’elle a été, par des instants de vie parfois légers et parfois douloureux. Une lecture touchante et emplie de sincérité.
Ma chronique : https://littleprettybooks.com/2023/02...
December 18, 2021
Du rire au larmes en 4 secondes et demie.
J'étais pas prête à être aussi bouleversée.
J'étais pas prête à être aussi bouleversée.
November 13, 2021
Je n'ose pas mettre une étoile de moins vu le plaisir à la lecture mais ohlala, que j'aurais aimé que ce soit plus long ! une tendresse infinie pour cet album qui sort pile à la bonne saison. Je vais m'y replonger.
November 10, 2021
Toujours parfaite <3
January 5, 2022
Nouvel ouvrage autobiographique et au combien intimiste de Pénélope Bagieu. Chaque tranche de vie est racontée avec force. Parfois avec humour parfois sans. Toujours avec profondeur.
C’est sa vie mais aussi ses coups de gueule, ses découvertes et toute la douceur qu’elle apporte quand même parfois la vie.
Aucun risque d’être perdu ou de s’ennuyer ici. Tout m’a parlé (ou presque). C’est comme une petite madeleine de Proust parfois. Pour se souvenir de chérir notre petite nous qui savait pas trop comment faire à l’époque, comment s’aimer, comment s’insurger, comment se défendre.
C’est sa vie mais aussi ses coups de gueule, ses découvertes et toute la douceur qu’elle apporte quand même parfois la vie.
Aucun risque d’être perdu ou de s’ennuyer ici. Tout m’a parlé (ou presque). C’est comme une petite madeleine de Proust parfois. Pour se souvenir de chérir notre petite nous qui savait pas trop comment faire à l’époque, comment s’aimer, comment s’insurger, comment se défendre.
February 6, 2022
Un récit autobiographique très touchant qui traite de sujets heureux et moins heureux mais toujours de manière très douce <3
December 30, 2021
Une BD autobiographique qui m’a fait pleurer à chaudes larmes avec son premier chapitre beaucoup trop parlant pour moi. J’ai pleuré à nouveau avec le dernier. Les autres m’ont fait sourire, rire, mis en colère.
C’est une BD qui se lit très rapidement mais dans laquelle la jeune ado que j’étais peut se retrouver tout comme l’adulte que je suis devenue.
Une lecture très agréable
C’est une BD qui se lit très rapidement mais dans laquelle la jeune ado que j’étais peut se retrouver tout comme l’adulte que je suis devenue.
Une lecture très agréable
February 10, 2022
J’ai hésité longtemps à investir dans cet album car j’avais peur que les souvenirs d’une enfance et d’une adolescence vécues dans les années 1980 et 1990 soient assez éloignés des miens (vu qu’à quatre ou cinq ans près, l’auteure aurait pu être ma fille vu sa date de naissance !). Mais n’ayant pas d’enfant et donc étant restée une éternelle adolescente dans ma tête (oui, oui, dans ma tête, j’ai 19 ans mais mon corps me ramène souvent à la dure réalité), je me suis dit qu’on ne devait pas être très différentes au final. Le graphisme noir et blanc est tout simple mais agréable et change en fonction des époques décrites (par exemple, il est plus naïf, plus enfantin quand le souvenir concerne l’enfance). Les histoires peuvent s’étaler entre une et une dizaine de pages, avec une découpe classique mais parfois un sens de lecture un peu plus original mettant en avant la comparaison entre deux périodes. Bon, avec la première histoire, je n’ai pas pensé à mon enfance mais bel et bien à ma vie adulte et si ceux qui me connaissent ont lu cet album, ils se doutent bien que j’ai pleuré toutes les larmes de mon corps ! Ensuite, c’est plus léger, les anecdotes sont souvent mignonnes et abordent différents sujets : les premières relations amoureuses (sujet universel mais il me semble que, malgré un accès moins facile à l’information, on en savait plus à ce sujet à mon époque), les amies (là aussi, ça transcende les époques), les séjours à l’étranger quand on n’a pas beaucoup d’argent (là, je m’y suis bien reconnue ... à part que je n’étais pas seule dans cette galère car j’étais déjà mariée), le deuil (ça concerne toutes les tranches d’âge), les pieds froids et plus général, les extrémités gelées (je pense que beaucoup de femmes vont s’y retrouver !), et j’en oublie. J’ai trouvé le mélange émotion/rires bien dosé et touchant car l’auteure ne cherche pas non plus à apparaître sous son meilleur jour. Bien sûr, c’est un album plus à même d’interpeller les filles et les femmes mais bon, les gars, il ne faut pas non plus vous en priver, ne serait-ce que par curiosité sur la vie et les pensées de la gent féminine (sans oublier que je pense que les angoisses des premières relations ne sont pas vraiment une question purement de fille) !
September 27, 2023
Layers is an autobiographic short story collection by French author and illustrator Pénélope Bagieu. She shares sixteen non-linear tales of her childhood and teen years that shaped her into the woman she is today. While some of the stories are amusing, others are bittersweet. One especially poignant tale included parallel stories set seven years apart about times she has been sexually harassed, which sadly many women will relate to, including how she justified to others what happened.
The whimsical black-and-white art that some readers will recognize from her previous books Brazen or California Dreamin' is appealing. The slice-of-life vignettes flow across the page and convey great emotion despite the simple linework. As with any short story collection, some of the stories are more effective than others, but each will resonate with different readers as they bring their own experiences to the narratives.
Verdict: This heartfelt, autobiographical graphic novel is an affirming and witty look into the joys and struggles of growing up, and is a highly recommended purchase but is best suited for adults and older teens.
I read and reviewed this book for the School Library Journal magazine: https://www.slj.com/review/layers-a-m...
The whimsical black-and-white art that some readers will recognize from her previous books Brazen or California Dreamin' is appealing. The slice-of-life vignettes flow across the page and convey great emotion despite the simple linework. As with any short story collection, some of the stories are more effective than others, but each will resonate with different readers as they bring their own experiences to the narratives.
Verdict: This heartfelt, autobiographical graphic novel is an affirming and witty look into the joys and struggles of growing up, and is a highly recommended purchase but is best suited for adults and older teens.
I read and reviewed this book for the School Library Journal magazine: https://www.slj.com/review/layers-a-m...
May 6, 2024
Ho conosciuto Bagieu per i due volumi di “Indomite” - raccolta di biografie di donne eccellenti, rilette attraverso un punto di vista, a tratti, interessante ed un cursus lineare.
Questo libro è pessimo. La scrittura infantile, proprio povera, e archi narrativi elementari stroncano questa serie di episodi autobiografici, caratterizzati da una totale assenza di contenuti. Sono fatterelli insulsi della sua vita, ma non capisco il motivo di pubblicarli: questi avvenimenti, di nessuna rilevanza, non hanno capo nè coda, letteralmente - non c’è mai, nemmeno per una vicenda, una conclusione che si possa definire tale. Per correttezza verso i miei affezionati lettori [ciao, mamma], devo specificare di aver letto storie con ancora meno significato (è difficile meno di così, lo so, me ne rendo conto), a cui però veniva data dignità da qualche altro elemento: qua non c’è proprio niente. Sicuramente, non ha un intento umoristico o, chessò, pedagogico... ma anche l’“effetto emozione”, che, forse, l’autrice prova a costruire in un paio di occasioni, non attraversa la pagina, nemmeno quando le muore il gatto.
Questo libro è pessimo. La scrittura infantile, proprio povera, e archi narrativi elementari stroncano questa serie di episodi autobiografici, caratterizzati da una totale assenza di contenuti. Sono fatterelli insulsi della sua vita, ma non capisco il motivo di pubblicarli: questi avvenimenti, di nessuna rilevanza, non hanno capo nè coda, letteralmente - non c’è mai, nemmeno per una vicenda, una conclusione che si possa definire tale. Per correttezza verso i miei affezionati lettori [ciao, mamma], devo specificare di aver letto storie con ancora meno significato (è difficile meno di così, lo so, me ne rendo conto), a cui però veniva data dignità da qualche altro elemento: qua non c’è proprio niente. Sicuramente, non ha un intento umoristico o, chessò, pedagogico... ma anche l’“effetto emozione”, che, forse, l’autrice prova a costruire in un paio di occasioni, non attraversa la pagina, nemmeno quando le muore il gatto.
June 18, 2022
Fan de Pénélope Bagieu ainsi que de son travail, j'avais hâte de découvrir sa nouvelle BD, qui plus est autobiographique.
Malheureusement j'ai été déçue. Je n'ai pas trouvé l'��motion que j'espérais. C'est comme si Pénélope Bagieu avait voulu se dévoiler mais pas trop, comme si elle s'était un peu forcée à faire cette autobiographie.
Je l'ai trouvé assez courte, et il y a certaines histoires que je ne suis pas sûre d'avoir saisi... il n'y a d'ailleurs pas trop de sens à l'enchaînement de toutes ces "strates" de vie.
Je reste un peu sur ma faim.
Malheureusement j'ai été déçue. Je n'ai pas trouvé l'��motion que j'espérais. C'est comme si Pénélope Bagieu avait voulu se dévoiler mais pas trop, comme si elle s'était un peu forcée à faire cette autobiographie.
Je l'ai trouvé assez courte, et il y a certaines histoires que je ne suis pas sûre d'avoir saisi... il n'y a d'ailleurs pas trop de sens à l'enchaînement de toutes ces "strates" de vie.
Je reste un peu sur ma faim.
December 25, 2021
Si émouvant, si bien écrit, si bien dessiné.
Pénélope Bagieu nous rappelle que pour les femmes, l'intime est politique. Mais elle nous offre aussi de simples petites histoires qui résonnent avec les nôtres - j'ai particulièrement aimé celle de la grand-mère, de l'amour perdu du lycée, et de l'amitié féminine sauvegardée.
Pénélope Bagieu nous rappelle que pour les femmes, l'intime est politique. Mais elle nous offre aussi de simples petites histoires qui résonnent avec les nôtres - j'ai particulièrement aimé celle de la grand-mère, de l'amour perdu du lycée, et de l'amitié féminine sauvegardée.
June 6, 2022
Un concentré d’émotions intenses avec le parcours des premières années de l’autrice qui a vécu des événements difficiles, retracés avec brio. Je n’ai pas compris l’histoire de Florence.
October 26, 2025
Molt senzill, però alhora molt bonic. Té un parell d'històries que m'han fet plorar molt…
May 11, 2023
3,5/5
Des petites tranches de vies humoristiques sur l'enfance et l'adolescence dans lesquelles ont peut facilement passer du rire aux larmes.
Pourtant je n'ai pas été transporté outre mesure.
Des petites tranches de vies humoristiques sur l'enfance et l'adolescence dans lesquelles ont peut facilement passer du rire aux larmes.
Pourtant je n'ai pas été transporté outre mesure.
December 26, 2022
1e histoire sur le chat de son enfance, j’ai pleuré comme un gros bébé. Du Pénélope, comme on a coutume de l’adorer.
October 22, 2025
aah pénélope tu as encore frappé mon coeur <3
September 25, 2023
I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.
I was so excited when I got the mail that I was approved for this graphic novel! I just love Pénélope Bagieu’s works and I just had to read this one!
In this black/white memoir we get 15 short stories about her. About childhood, awkward teenage years, and the first steps to adulthood. It was a really good read and I loved that instead of it just being one big story it was multiple stories featuring multiple themes and facets of her life. From the first one which is about her cat and how she got it to getting boobs and being happy but also getting way too much attention or that one about her constantly sucking her fingers and how nothing helped… well until one visit to someone. Teehee. I really liked the stories and they were very interesting to read. I loved how open and honest she was and not skipped any details that may be too much or too awkward, nope she shares it all.
I love the illustration style, quite a bit different at times from what I am used by this illustrator. But it fitted right with this graphic novel/memoir.
I love that, unlike so many graphic novels that are out, that this one takes place in France. That we read about things from France. Like apparently there were topless ladies dancing on tv? That just made me laugh so much.
I think the only critique I would have is that I would have rather had it in order of age, not from childhood to adult to teen to childhood etc.. It was still a good read, but for me it was just a tad chaotic.
Also, be warned of some of the stories. Like the one of the sleepover and what happened to her there.
All in all, I am very happy I got the chance to read this book! I would recommend it.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I was so excited when I got the mail that I was approved for this graphic novel! I just love Pénélope Bagieu’s works and I just had to read this one!
In this black/white memoir we get 15 short stories about her. About childhood, awkward teenage years, and the first steps to adulthood. It was a really good read and I loved that instead of it just being one big story it was multiple stories featuring multiple themes and facets of her life. From the first one which is about her cat and how she got it to getting boobs and being happy but also getting way too much attention or that one about her constantly sucking her fingers and how nothing helped… well until one visit to someone. Teehee. I really liked the stories and they were very interesting to read. I loved how open and honest she was and not skipped any details that may be too much or too awkward, nope she shares it all.
I love the illustration style, quite a bit different at times from what I am used by this illustrator. But it fitted right with this graphic novel/memoir.
I love that, unlike so many graphic novels that are out, that this one takes place in France. That we read about things from France. Like apparently there were topless ladies dancing on tv? That just made me laugh so much.
I think the only critique I would have is that I would have rather had it in order of age, not from childhood to adult to teen to childhood etc.. It was still a good read, but for me it was just a tad chaotic.
Also, be warned of some of the stories. Like the one of the sleepover and what happened to her there.
All in all, I am very happy I got the chance to read this book! I would recommend it.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
December 9, 2024
Tellement beau, touchant et plein d'humour à la fois. Je me suis lovée dans une couette pour le lire d'une traite en oubliant le monde extérieur et ça a été un super moment.
J'adore le format qui fait penser à un carnet intime (voir un carnet de dessin) qu'on emporterais partout.
++ pour les petites doses de féminismes de ci de là ♥
J'adore le format qui fait penser à un carnet intime (voir un carnet de dessin) qu'on emporterais partout.
++ pour les petites doses de féminismes de ci de là ♥
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