Nocturnos

by Laura Pérez

'Nocturnos' muestra diferentes ecosistemas de la noche, un espacio de tiempo que hemos hecho nuestro a lo largo de la historia, pero que no nos llega a pertenecer, un territorio invisible. La soledad y la inteligencia artificial se hacen hueco en la cama de una mujer que duda si llenar o no el vacío con la irrealidad, una cabaña muestra que no todo es lo que parece, un niño parece recordar entre la oscuridad... Sueños que revelan realidades con información inesperada, universal y fugaz. Asomarnos a lo íntimo y lo privado. Escenas de gente que habita espacios y espacios que habitan en la gente cuando se abren las puertas del ocaso. La nueva novela gráfica de Laura Pérez como autora completa después de 'Ocultos', Premio El Ojo Crítico de Cómic 2020, 'Tótem' y 'Espanto'.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Bande Dessinée, Graphic Novels Comics, Magical Realism, Mystery

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2024

About the author

Laura Pérez (Valencia, 1983) ha trabajado en el ámbito de la ilustración para publicaciones y editoriales nacionales y extranjeras como The Washington Post, National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, Wacom, American Airlines, Fnac, El País, Penguin Random House, entre otras. Participa en libros colectivos de ilustración como Illustration Now! 4 (Taschen), Ilustradores españoles (Lunwerg) o Women’s Club. Art is Powerful (Monsa Publications). Es seleccionada en Communication Arts Illustration Awards y 3x3 The Magazine of Contemporary Illustration. Obtiene el primer premio Valencia Crea 2015 con la historieta “Empatía”. Aparece con una historieta (larga) en el recopilatorio De muerte (GP Ediciones, 2016) y publica su primera novela gráfica, Náufragos (Salamandra, 2016), junto al escritor Pablo Monforte, al ganar el IX Premio Fnac Salamandra Graphic, obra que también se edita en Francia e Italia. Es seleccionada en el I Concurso Nacional de Cómic Biblioteca Insular de Gran Canaria, con la historieta “Juega”, publicada en el recopilatorio En corto (Astiberri, 2018). Actualmente combina trabajos de ilustración y cómic. Ocultos es su primera novela gráfica en solitario.

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Nocturnos is a very thought-provoking graphic novel about dreaming that can take us on many journeys, allow us to fully be ourselves and gives thoughts as to even though we spend half our lives asleep/dreaming, we cannot comprehend so much about dreaming.
The illustrations are very captivating and really brought the emotions and thoughts I felt to the surfacereadingthis. I enjoyed the colour palet used and found it very befitting to the theme and messages of the book.

[Juan Naranjo]

Con su habitual estética estilizada que hace que sus ilustraciones sean reconocibles como propias a mucha distancia, Laura Pérez lleva a cabo en NOCTURNOS un análisis sobre la relación del ser humano con la noche. En este libro, distintos personajes se enfrentan a ese periodo misterioso con el que convivimos pero del que tan poco sabemos.

Bosques tenebrosos, casas encantadas, seres misteriosos y gente solitaria se mezclan en unas historietas breves, aunque entrelazadas, en las que a menudo se prescinde de los bocadillos porque la historia la cuenta la propia imagen.

Laura Pérez ejecuta en este libro difícil de clasificar una radiografía de los silencios, una instantánea de los miedos, un catálogo de las soledades. Y lo hace de la manera sutil, elegante y original que ya es marca de la casa.

Edito: Os dejo este enlace por si queréis ver el interior, que merece mucho la pena https://www.instagram.com/p/C_s1l_YIn...

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nocturnos is a beautifully illustrated haunting graphic novel made of multiple vignettes that connect to explore the power of dreams.

I thought this book was beautifully done and unputdownable! The illustration are beautiful and Pérez does an amazing job of connecting the different stories together through a central them. I definitely recommend picking this up!

Thank you so much to the publisher and Edelweiss for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Alyssa Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I just didnt "get" this book because I didnt really connect with the writing. Maybe it was the translation. Either way, the art style and vibes were really beautiful and eerie.

[haispeace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Súper emocionante.

Las ilustraciones son espectaculares y la historia me ha calado de una manera inesperada. Me parece muy profundo incluso en la simplez aparente que muestra, y me ha llegado en un momento en el que la reflexión y emociones que me evoca han sido absolutamente abrumadoras.

Una lectura súper intensa, con algo de incomodidad y nerviosismo asociados, pero completamente imprescindible.

[Rachel Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

An arresting portrayal of the night, Nocturnos explores all the ways that the night can feel - dark, intriguing, haunted, lonely, awe-inspiring, unknown, frightening, magical, dreamlike, mythological… Pérez reminds us that “the night does not belong to us.”

Told in short vignettes and featuring gorgeous evocative artwork, Nocturnos draws the reader through the page and directly into the night. If you’re skeptical about graphic novels, this could be the one that changes your mind.

Thank you to Fantagraphics Books, Laura Pérez, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Mario · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine weitere geniale graphic novel de Laura Pérez, in der sie uns in Träume und Szenen der Nacht(gestalten) entführt, Vignetten mit fließenden Übergängen, wundervoll illustriert

[Adrià Naranjo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Se detiene el tiempo y se oye la calma, las estrellas, los suspiros, los sueños. A medio camino entre Por culpa de una flor y algun relato de Raymond Carver. Una pena que dure tan poco. Imprescindible leerlo de noche.

[Elia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not so much a story, but a series of unconnected vignettes exploring what happens to different people at night, and asking the question if reality happens when we are awake or when we dream.

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The night does not belong to us”

Speaking as a renowned night owl with existential tendencies, it was especially cathartic to see the thoughts in my head somehow demonstrated to me through simple, yet provoking illustrations. It’s drawn in a way that puts us in the observers seat, watching life play out in front of you and before you and after you. Who are you, anyway? I merely am.

[Stephanie M. Wytovich]

This was beautiful.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delicious reminder the dark is a domain not our own.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

**NetGalley ARC** (thank you!)

I found this one to be very lyrical and reflective in both writing and art style. I think that the night holds so much promise and mystery. The common thread woven throughout was that we do not own the night, even though we have tried mightily to conquer it. It got me thinking quite a bit and I always appreciate that.

[maamla · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘’cada noche, al cerrar los ojos, los oníricos van al encuentro con el absurdo y lo desconocido, viajando al misterioso mundo de los sueños. en ellos podemos saber más de nosotros mismos que estando despiertos, un estado que no llegamos a entender, y en el que pasamos la mitad de nuestras vidas, y la otra mitad, tratando de inventarla’’
-una novel•la gràfica moníssima. me la van regalar en un amic invisible de llibres que organitzavem a la feina i la noia que me’l va regalar ha acertat 100%
-el llibre en general parla de les persones nocturnes i de la dimensió onírica de la nit en tant que moment del día que no podem acabar mai de dominar del tot
-com a persona 100% nocturna ha sido mi todo
-les il•lustracions són perfectes :’)
-‘’la noche es el estado natural del universo, es el día donde ocurren anomalías’’ Sartre

[Xosé Ramón Cisneros · Rating 3 out of 5]

O estilo de Laura Pérez (quen, por certo, coñecín a través da intro de 'Only Murders in the Building') atópase en 'Nocturnos' entre o onírico e o escuro, con historias que mesmo en ocasións resultan ser dalinianas, salvando moitas distancias. Tamén nesa liña da escuridade, certos relatos mesmo se achegan á obra do suízo Thomas Ott, quizais máis naquelas historias que buscan o paranormal. A mellor, sen dúbida, a da conversa coa IA, que, nese xogo entre o real e os soños, nos fai lembrar por veces 'Planeta' de Ana Oncina. Quizais o problema que atopo con esta lectura é a escasa profundidade, pois fáiseme un tanto plana nalgunhas pasaxes, pero dende logo déixate con ganas de ler máis historias dela.

[Leah Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perez brought the beauty in this one.

Nocturnos is beautiful to look at. The cover is particularly striking and I would get it in a heartbeat for a coffee table display. The story on the other hand, was lost to me. I don't think it was a translation issue; I think the story is meant to be vague and poetic, but that is just not my taste.

Pick up Nocturnos for the art and the vibes, babe. Leave the rest.

[soni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book is very delicate, even though the predominant color is black. Usually, the night scares us, but this book shows you with its delicacy that there's nothing to be afraid of.

[Luis · Rating 4 out of 5]

al encuentro con el absurdo y lo desconocido

[Yolanda Galiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks Fantagraphics Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is is a Spanish graphic novel that was released on 2024 and I haven’t had the opportunity to read yet. So when NetGalley approved my application I was really happy. The first time I saw it, its cover caught my attention instantly. It’s a different one in Spanish and in English but both are really pretty and captivating.

As for the story, I must say it didn’t live up to my expectations, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. This comic touches topics as the limits between dreams and reality and how humans live and feel during the darkest hours of the day. «Nocturnos» follow the story of different people and that’s when I found its flaws. Personally, I would have preferred to know more about just a few people’s lives, but there were too many and I didn’t get to connect to any of them.

I liked the question that revolves around the whole story: are we living a real life or are we just living in someone elses’ dream? I loved too how night creatures are portrayed and their importance in the plot. Another thing to highlight i show special and unique the drawings are: the colours, the feelings they awake in the reader, the original way in which the characters are drawn… I think I could recognize the author’s drawing from no won just by reading this book.

[Amara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nocturnos is a graphic novel in name, but so much more in execution. More than a novel it feels like an interactive art exhibit. Pérez invites us to slow down and reflect, to sit with not only the story that is being told in picture and story, but our own experiences with the subjects raised.

"This is the way it's always been
The night does not belong to us"

Pérez has a gorgeous art style rendered in a cohesive and interesting colour palette. Every single page of this work would make a lovely postcard or poster. Nocturnos mostly features tangentially related images strung together. Short vignettes that explore themes of connection, belonging, nature, dreams, consciousness, reality, and being.

I had never before read a graphic novel classified as literary fiction, but if they are all as engaging as this one I have been sorely missing out. Nocturnos is a unique experience that I would recommend to any fan of stunning art combined with reflections on life. I will certainly be re-reading this in the future.

Thank you Laura Pérez and Fantagraphics Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Kenzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ ARC review

I requested this book because of the intriguing cover! I did not know it was a graphic novel when I first picked it up and finished it in about 20 minutes.

“Night is the natural state of the universe; it is in daytime that anomalies occur.” Jean-Paul Sartre

The illustrations were stunning! The simplistic style paired with the color pallet added to the eeriness of the book.

While I didn’t understand all of the short stories I did appreciate the cryptic yet poetic writing.

It’s hard giving a star rating to a graphic novel with very limited words. I’m giving this star rating as some of the feeling of the words I feel was lost in translation. Also, some of the stories were a lot stronger than others.

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

We see a number of people contemplating things at night, having thoughts about connection, communication, the beings we share the world with, and the nature of reality.

The tone is quiet, meditative, and the effect of the images and questions raised by the people in each vignette is profound.

Haunting, beautiful imagery accompanies the minimal, melancholic, thoughtful text. I liked the limited colour palette, and the slightly unsettling, artwork, which evokes both a sense of loneliness and expansiveness.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Fantagraphics Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

I chose to request this title on the cover alone and I’m glad I did. It’s a beautifully illustrated and hauntingly narrated series of vignettes that takes the reader on a journey that tests the boundaries of imagination. If you were a fan of Here by Richard McGuire, you’ll love this!

“Night is the natural state of the universe; it is in daytime that anomalies occur.” -Jean-Paul Sartre

e-arc provided by NetGalley ❤️

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m at a loss for words on how to describe this one or even how to start a review for it. Fitting, since Perez’s stories rely so much on visuals not on text. Its stories all take place during the night time. It really feels as if you’re being enveloped and embraced by the night. The night is a liminal space where dreams and nightmares bleed into reality and this is reflected beautifully in the artwork. For some this might make the book feel disjointed but, I didn’t mind. For vibes and art work alone this gets high marks from me.

Double thanks to NetGalley and publisher Fantagraphics Books for the e-arc. This one was on my wishlist and you made it come true! :)

[Nichole Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this hauntingly beautiful graphic novel in one sitting. The story is dark and mysterious, told through lovely little vignettes with gorgeous illustrations and very little words. We do not own the night. The night is one of her own terms.
It was incredibly moving! I honestly can’t recommend this graphic novel enough!

Thank you to author: Laura Perez, publisher: Frantagraphics Books, and NetGalley for this eARC.

[M]

Nocturnos lets you descend into the dark unknowability of the night. It’s beautifully poetic, its movements are made of slow, lingering color escaping as the light leaves and the creatures of hiding and sleeping and dreaming and hunting and living appear.

Thanks netgalley & Fantagraphics for letting me enjoy this early ❤️

[Beatriz PL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maravilloso de principio a fin

[Bore · Rating 5 out of 5]

La Noche, sus personajes, sus colores, sus historias

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una obra inquietante y conmovedora. Bella

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

read this at 4am! insomnia! loved this a lot! thanks mari