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The Inflatable Woman
Iris (or balletgirl_42 as she's known on the Internet dating circuit) is a zookeeper looking for love when she is diagnosed with breast cancer. Overnight, her life becomes populated by a carnival of daunting hospital characters. Despite the attempts of her friends--Maud, Grandma Suggs, Larry the Monkey, and a group of singing penguins--to comfort her, her fears begin to encircle her, and she clings to the attention of a lighthouse keeper called sailor_buoy_39.
The Inflatable Woman combines magical realism with the grit of everyday life to create a poignant and surreal journey inside the human psyche.
The Inflatable Woman combines magical realism with the grit of everyday life to create a poignant and surreal journey inside the human psyche.
544 pages, Hardcover
First published October 20, 2015
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102 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 27, 2016
This book is the first graphic novel by Rachael Ball and I have to say I really really enjoyed reading and consuming it. Ball is an author who clearly not only knows how to illustrate a story, but has decided to go for an emotional story about her own experiences with developing breast cancer and the troubles this brings to the life she once knew.
The main character of this story is called Iris and she's a middle-aged zoo-keeper who has a pretty okay life, but isn't really 'going anywhere' just now. She soon ends up going to the Dr for a diagnosis of two lumps she discovers and from that point on this becomes a really emotional story blended with elements of magical realism and you're never too sure what's real and what's exaggerated in her psyche.
The story itself has a lot of dry, dark humour and even often references and adapts poetry to give haunting melodies. I felt that this really, truly fit with how our character of Isis, a very normal and ordinary woman dealing with all of this in her normal and ordinary way (avoiding it, drinking, chatting about other things with other people, dating) was more natural and organic a way to describe the feelings.
The emotional roller-coaster Cancer must cause for suffers is something I can only begin to imagine and feel for, but I felt as though this book did a fantastic job of getting across in graphic from just how confusing and muddling this can be. I thought Ball did a great job showing stages of denial and distraction, whilst also showing some of the stages of treatment and diagnosis and everyday life. I really did get the feeling that the author had either done her homework or experienced this herself (in the acknowledgements she says she did experience this) and I can totally see the raw connection she has with the story and the true way she illustrated it.
This is all drawn in pencil drawn imagery which is beautiful in and of itself, but it also has some really wonderful typefaces (all hand-drawn/painted) which illustrated moments and feelings very well too. I found that I fell in love with the character of Isis pretty fast, especially since she's not the conventional stick-thin lady character, she's got a body and she's happy enough with it. She's also an animal lover and seeing her interact with the animals was lovely.
Overall I really sped through this, but the whole while I was sinking deeper into the wonders and horrors of this terrible disease and the issues and ideas it can cause. It felt like a very genuine storyline and one which I could connect with a lot. Fabulous, 4.5*s from me!
The main character of this story is called Iris and she's a middle-aged zoo-keeper who has a pretty okay life, but isn't really 'going anywhere' just now. She soon ends up going to the Dr for a diagnosis of two lumps she discovers and from that point on this becomes a really emotional story blended with elements of magical realism and you're never too sure what's real and what's exaggerated in her psyche.
The story itself has a lot of dry, dark humour and even often references and adapts poetry to give haunting melodies. I felt that this really, truly fit with how our character of Isis, a very normal and ordinary woman dealing with all of this in her normal and ordinary way (avoiding it, drinking, chatting about other things with other people, dating) was more natural and organic a way to describe the feelings.
The emotional roller-coaster Cancer must cause for suffers is something I can only begin to imagine and feel for, but I felt as though this book did a fantastic job of getting across in graphic from just how confusing and muddling this can be. I thought Ball did a great job showing stages of denial and distraction, whilst also showing some of the stages of treatment and diagnosis and everyday life. I really did get the feeling that the author had either done her homework or experienced this herself (in the acknowledgements she says she did experience this) and I can totally see the raw connection she has with the story and the true way she illustrated it.
This is all drawn in pencil drawn imagery which is beautiful in and of itself, but it also has some really wonderful typefaces (all hand-drawn/painted) which illustrated moments and feelings very well too. I found that I fell in love with the character of Isis pretty fast, especially since she's not the conventional stick-thin lady character, she's got a body and she's happy enough with it. She's also an animal lover and seeing her interact with the animals was lovely.
Overall I really sped through this, but the whole while I was sinking deeper into the wonders and horrors of this terrible disease and the issues and ideas it can cause. It felt like a very genuine storyline and one which I could connect with a lot. Fabulous, 4.5*s from me!
January 15, 2018
Un roman graphique surréaliste autour d'un sujet malheureusement trop commun.
Une femme dans la quarantaine vit une vie solitaire et a l'impression que sa vie ne va nulle part. Elle rêve d'une histoire d'amour, qu'elle alimente avec sa correspondance en ligne avec un mystérieux gardien de phare. Et en prenant sa douche avant d'aller travailler (elle est gardienne de zoo), elle se découvre deux bosses au sein.
Du diagnostic au traitement, à la rage, à l'espoir, à la peur, on nage dans un univers poétique, d'une grande fantaisie, où les singes sont bien élevés et les pingouins font la sérénade. On se surprend à rire franchement devant certaines trouvailles, on se laisse gagner par la beauté simple et décalée de l'art, et notre gorge se serre à de nombreuses reprises devant le silence de cette femme en état de choc, qui sent la vie lui glisser sous les pieds. Un peu comme si on se glissait comme un témoin invisible, qui respire à peine, dans sa conscience, dans ses rêves, dans ses peurs. C'est beau et tragique.
Une femme dans la quarantaine vit une vie solitaire et a l'impression que sa vie ne va nulle part. Elle rêve d'une histoire d'amour, qu'elle alimente avec sa correspondance en ligne avec un mystérieux gardien de phare. Et en prenant sa douche avant d'aller travailler (elle est gardienne de zoo), elle se découvre deux bosses au sein.
Du diagnostic au traitement, à la rage, à l'espoir, à la peur, on nage dans un univers poétique, d'une grande fantaisie, où les singes sont bien élevés et les pingouins font la sérénade. On se surprend à rire franchement devant certaines trouvailles, on se laisse gagner par la beauté simple et décalée de l'art, et notre gorge se serre à de nombreuses reprises devant le silence de cette femme en état de choc, qui sent la vie lui glisser sous les pieds. Un peu comme si on se glissait comme un témoin invisible, qui respire à peine, dans sa conscience, dans ses rêves, dans ses peurs. C'est beau et tragique.
September 30, 2016
This was a nice little book. Okay, not little. It's a pretty hefty thing. But the panel-per-page density is low, so it reads more quickly than you might think. Iris, a zookeeper, is diagnosed with breast cancer, undergoes a mastectomy, and has reconstructive surgery via inflation. Hence, the book's title. The narrative is more than a little surreal as she talks to her animal charges, and flirts online, pretending to be a ballerina, with a man who claims to be a lighthouse keeper. The artwork is vaguely creepy, very moody with distorted figures and a gray wash all over everything. Although the narrative journey itself is surreal, Iris' emotional journey is crystal clear. The visuals can be seen as reflective of her inner state. It's an interesting and fascinating book, but I'm not sure how rewarding it would be to reread. While I would be interested in future projects from Rachel Ball, I don't feel any particular need to revisit this one. It just feels like it's lacking ... something, but I can't quite put a finger on what that something is ...
March 17, 2019
A fantastic graphic novel with captivating art and a well developed, fully fleshed out story. Characters are vivid, the mood is a character on its own, the animals talk and are always up to something mischievous, and the experience of online dating is spot on. I'm a Rachel Ball fan now.
February 17, 2025
The most wonderful pencil illustrations!
“Has my heart gone to sleep? Have the beehives of my dreams stopped working, the water wheel of the mind run dry, scoops turning empty, only shadow inside?”
“…And the view from the lighthouse, it’s a sight to see! Sea squalls like sea witches, dancing on the tides!”
“Sea of the brine of life! I am integral with you!”
“If you want me again, look for me under your boot soles”
“Has my heart gone to sleep? No, my heart is not asleep. It is wide awake, wide awake, not asleep, not dreaming - It’s eyes are opened wide, watching distant signals… listening on the rim of vast silence”
“Has my heart gone to sleep? Have the beehives of my dreams stopped working, the water wheel of the mind run dry, scoops turning empty, only shadow inside?”
“…And the view from the lighthouse, it’s a sight to see! Sea squalls like sea witches, dancing on the tides!”
“Sea of the brine of life! I am integral with you!”
“If you want me again, look for me under your boot soles”
“Has my heart gone to sleep? No, my heart is not asleep. It is wide awake, wide awake, not asleep, not dreaming - It’s eyes are opened wide, watching distant signals… listening on the rim of vast silence”
May 15, 2022
3.5 stars
July 13, 2020
The Inflatable Woman by Rachael Ball is the slightly off-kilter graphic novel based on the author's battle with breast cancer. I felt for main character Iris who struggled with her diagnosis and treatment as well as with loneliness and online dating (featuring catfishing on both her and her online beau's part). Thank goodness for her friends Maud and Grandma Suggs!
I hope there is a follow-up because I want to know what happens next in Iris' life.
I hope there is a follow-up because I want to know what happens next in Iris' life.
June 14, 2018
Zookeeper Iris is an active member on a number of online dating sites. While on the hunt for Mr. Right, she is sidelined with a breast cancer diagnosis. Though she is surrounded by support from friends and family, Iris becomes consumed with fear and anxiety when she ponders her mortality. Under the online handle balletgirl_42, Iris meets a lighthouse keeper who goes by the handle sailorbuoy_39.
The two quickly develop a bond via email conversations, but Iris fears losing her lighthouse keeper should he learn the truth about her. Though she poses as a prima ballerina, in reality Iris is a heavyset woman. Would her sailor accept her as is if she comes clean?
So yes, it's a story that somewhat touches upon the topic of online catfishing, but there's actually so much more here. Inspired by her own cancer story, author / illustrator Rachael Ball crafts a tale that touches upon all the tough emotions women are tempted to swallow down and not face. Fear of acceptance, fear of mortality, anger at your body turning against you, struggles with self-esteem within a female body, the most basic need for being accepted as we are.. yes, these are universal themes regardless of gender, but this story addresses them directly from the POV of being a woman. Powerful symbolism is incorporated, such as illustration of train = giving up while emergency stop pull = will to live.
The artwork is done almost entirely in black and white except for a few pages where bits of reddish pink are intentionally & impactfully added in. Note: because struggles with depression play a part in Iris' story, there are some pages that feature somewhat dark, disturbing artwork depicting the fight within her mind. But there are also moments of levity to lighten the heavy, such as penguins dressed as nuns! (It'll make sense when you read the book yourself... maybe...).
If you've been curious to get into the graphic novel genre but don't think anime or superhero arc stories are your thing, let me recommend this one. Though the overall themes are geared towards women, there are plenty of universal feelings within Iris' story that virtually anyone can appreciate.
The two quickly develop a bond via email conversations, but Iris fears losing her lighthouse keeper should he learn the truth about her. Though she poses as a prima ballerina, in reality Iris is a heavyset woman. Would her sailor accept her as is if she comes clean?
So yes, it's a story that somewhat touches upon the topic of online catfishing, but there's actually so much more here. Inspired by her own cancer story, author / illustrator Rachael Ball crafts a tale that touches upon all the tough emotions women are tempted to swallow down and not face. Fear of acceptance, fear of mortality, anger at your body turning against you, struggles with self-esteem within a female body, the most basic need for being accepted as we are.. yes, these are universal themes regardless of gender, but this story addresses them directly from the POV of being a woman. Powerful symbolism is incorporated, such as illustration of train = giving up while emergency stop pull = will to live.
The artwork is done almost entirely in black and white except for a few pages where bits of reddish pink are intentionally & impactfully added in. Note: because struggles with depression play a part in Iris' story, there are some pages that feature somewhat dark, disturbing artwork depicting the fight within her mind. But there are also moments of levity to lighten the heavy, such as penguins dressed as nuns! (It'll make sense when you read the book yourself... maybe...).
If you've been curious to get into the graphic novel genre but don't think anime or superhero arc stories are your thing, let me recommend this one. Though the overall themes are geared towards women, there are plenty of universal feelings within Iris' story that virtually anyone can appreciate.
January 3, 2023
This book is a doorstopper but unlike most graphic novels it only shows one panel at a time. It made me wish you could buy graphic novels in multiple formats, because sometimes panel layout really matters for the way the story is told but it’s also nice to be able to look at the art in such detail on a big page. Because it’s only one panel per page you can really fly through, so I had to force myself to go slowly and look at each page. The Inflatable Woman is about a lonely zookeeper named Iris who is diagnosed with breast cancer. She chats online with a guy named sailer_buoy_39 and pretends to be a prima ballerina. Iris is very lonely even though she has dedicated loved ones who accompany her to her chemo appts. She has her best friend Maud and her grandma and a gang of animals. I recently read the Undying by Anne Boyer, also a breast cancer memoir, and she wrote a lot about how difficult it was to go through the process without a romantic partner. Both Boyer and Iris have a support system and are not totally alone in the world, but the devotion of those loved ones is not recognized in the same way. Boyer’s frustration is that platonic love is not recognized by the medical system or society, but Iris herself doesn’t seem to recognize it and yearns for romantic love. I was worried that it was going to be one of those online romantic scams. There are a lot of dreams and magical realism in this book, so when Iris meets up with sailor_buoy_39 I wasn’t sure if that was happening irl or in her fantasy. Either way she gets her heart broken, but eventually heals.
Reading this reminded me of the experience of reading the Invention of Hugo Cabret. Probably just because it’s pencil drawings and big pages. These are much more whimsical and creepy than Brian Sleznick’s drawings.
Reading this reminded me of the experience of reading the Invention of Hugo Cabret. Probably just because it’s pencil drawings and big pages. These are much more whimsical and creepy than Brian Sleznick’s drawings.
January 11, 2021
Why is the room so gaunt and great? Why am I lying awake so late? Fear not at all the night is still. Nothing is here that means you ill.
When you pick up a graphic novel that is over 500 pages long you initially think it'll be a long and involved read. However, the pencil on white with a black page style, with occasional flashes of colour, that Rachael Ball uses, along with many of the panels being full pages, makes it a very easy read.
I say easy, the reading is, but the content is less so. A story of cancer, internet dating, losing yourself in your mind and your fears, and coming out the outside is grimly dark yet uplifting. Surreal in places, we meet talking monkeys, and singing penguins. Interesting read.
When you pick up a graphic novel that is over 500 pages long you initially think it'll be a long and involved read. However, the pencil on white with a black page style, with occasional flashes of colour, that Rachael Ball uses, along with many of the panels being full pages, makes it a very easy read.
I say easy, the reading is, but the content is less so. A story of cancer, internet dating, losing yourself in your mind and your fears, and coming out the outside is grimly dark yet uplifting. Surreal in places, we meet talking monkeys, and singing penguins. Interesting read.
June 26, 2017
This book is SO SO good. What did I love? How about EVERYTHING? But seriously:
-The characters, even the penguins (especially, the penguins) are WOW. Iris, the protagonist, is someone you connect with instantly, even if she may not be relatable.
-I am BLOWN away by the illustration. Mind = Blown. Rachael has added so much story just through the drawing. The perspective just changes- I can imagine READING the same thing (in prose) and I know it wouldn't be the same. The drawing is not only gorgeous but just changes the story itself.
-I loved the story, obviously.
I just KNOW this will be one of those books that I will be re-reading every year or so. I feel like it'll read it differently every time :)
-The characters, even the penguins (especially, the penguins) are WOW. Iris, the protagonist, is someone you connect with instantly, even if she may not be relatable.
-I am BLOWN away by the illustration. Mind = Blown. Rachael has added so much story just through the drawing. The perspective just changes- I can imagine READING the same thing (in prose) and I know it wouldn't be the same. The drawing is not only gorgeous but just changes the story itself.
-I loved the story, obviously.
I just KNOW this will be one of those books that I will be re-reading every year or so. I feel like it'll read it differently every time :)
March 11, 2024
Book 035 of 300 ~ 2024
🌟🌟🌟💫
One can tell this is by a French artist. It was whimsical and odd.
Iris has breast cancer and we see the psychological effects it has on her and her somewhat delusional world. Got a tad trippy at times.
#book35of300 #amreading #tbrpile #instareads #readstagram
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🌟🌟🌟💫
One can tell this is by a French artist. It was whimsical and odd.
Iris has breast cancer and we see the psychological effects it has on her and her somewhat delusional world. Got a tad trippy at times.
#book35of300 #amreading #tbrpile #instareads #readstagram
#reading #bookreview #bookreviewer #booklover #booksAreLife #booksForTheWin #thisbookfairyisreading #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramfeature #bookshelf #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookworm #goodreads #booklovers #theSGbookfairyReads #theSGtrekkiereads #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookchallenge2024 #reviews #lovebooks #booknerds
April 13, 2024
Funny, quirky and poignant graphic novel about a woman’s experiences of looking for love and purpose after her cancer diagnosis. Iris, a zoo keeper, falls in love with a lighthouse keeper, whilst undergoing cancer treatments, set alongside funny talking animals, eery nightmares, and dreams of love and ballet dancing. The main character, Iris, is incredibly endearing and the illustrations creatively evoke her world and her inner journey. This story contrasts surreal, magic realism with the brutal realities of breast cancer treatment. It’s the beautiful pencil drawings that will pull me back to look at this again and again. It was quite hard to get hold of this book now, but worth finding.
May 3, 2019
This book was such a surprise. It has fabulous tonality, humour, sadness heartbreak, and weird and wild as well. Loved it. I also like seeing the pencil drawings which look like they were done with a 2B! Most graphic novels are ink, but this one has a soft look. It's a chunky book but can be read in one go.
September 11, 2020
Rachael Ball, “The Inflatable Woman”
Diagnosed with breast cancer and needing a mastectomy this sad testimony of the overwhelming sense of loss and regret is expressed through magic realism and poetic dreams that have a nightmarish morph to them. “Tonight I can write the saddest lines,” … but there is hope ..
Diagnosed with breast cancer and needing a mastectomy this sad testimony of the overwhelming sense of loss and regret is expressed through magic realism and poetic dreams that have a nightmarish morph to them. “Tonight I can write the saddest lines,” … but there is hope ..
January 24, 2023
Ach my heart. Some of the illustrations in here show achingly sad moments in the protagonist’s life, but there are moments of light as well. Based on the authors own experience of her diagnosis of breast cancer and then her treatment going forward, beautifully done.
And I loved the penguins
And I loved the penguins
March 20, 2023
This graphic novel is so gorgeous, it's hard to not keep going. I finished this in one sitting because the illustrations were just really pretty to look at. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed out.
August 18, 2017
Wonderful illustration. It was very human.
February 11, 2018
Uuuuh this graphic novel cracked my heart all the way open. I read this in like, twenty minutes and felt many emotions slap me across the face during my reading.
June 2, 2018
3.5/5
March 19, 2021
super duper quick read but very abstract at times, you can really feel the pain tho :""
February 2, 2025
Poignant and funny and vivid.
March 6, 2025
The subject matter of this graphic was dealt with well. I just don't gel with magical realism as it unsettles me a bit. The art style was okay, but definitely more unreal than real which put me off it a little. I do think it's a good read and worthwhile, it just wasn't for me.
May 8, 2025
I like the use of shifts in perspectives to highlight the emotions.
November 12, 2015
I've never heard of Rachael Ball or this book, but when I see a new non-supers comic in our library I'm an easy mark. So, I had no expectations from this, but was still a little surprised to find The Inflatable Woman is a surreal, slightly trippy take on one woman's experience of breast cancer.
The story is pretty straight-forward: single woman notices lumps on her breast, is diagnosed with breast cancer, has surgery, attends an alternative clinic and during all this is having a fraudulent online relationship. For some reason, Ball has decided to buck the typical trend in telling this kind of story and couched the tale in a just-off-centre world, filled with talking penguins, mysterious and unexplained strangers and...miniature hospital docents? This is a world notably similar to that populated by the creations of Renée French, which serves more than anything to instill a feeling of eerie foreboding. In this case, it's one that never sees fruition, as it's tangential to the tale.
Ball's art is excellent, so it comes as no surprise that she's a professional artist first and a comic-creator second (or later). It's all in black-and-white, appears to be committed in pencil and eschews the usual comic panel arrangement for a more storybook look of full-page illustrations rich with texture. Of course, this approach makes the book a much quicker read than its bulk might suggest. Her lettering looks like it was done with a brush and white paint, and sometimes leans toward the illegible.
I know I'm not necessarily this book's target audience, so am probably the least qualified to appreciate its depth. However, though The Inflatable Woman is a technically decent book, I was hard pressed to find its heart. For what clearly must have been a difficult experience (to say the least) for both its creator and its protagonist, it ends up reading like a Lynchian nightmare. I don't at all regret reading it, and the illustrations alone make it worth a look, but I certainly don't feel any richer for the experience.
The story is pretty straight-forward: single woman notices lumps on her breast, is diagnosed with breast cancer, has surgery, attends an alternative clinic and during all this is having a fraudulent online relationship. For some reason, Ball has decided to buck the typical trend in telling this kind of story and couched the tale in a just-off-centre world, filled with talking penguins, mysterious and unexplained strangers and...miniature hospital docents? This is a world notably similar to that populated by the creations of Renée French, which serves more than anything to instill a feeling of eerie foreboding. In this case, it's one that never sees fruition, as it's tangential to the tale.
Ball's art is excellent, so it comes as no surprise that she's a professional artist first and a comic-creator second (or later). It's all in black-and-white, appears to be committed in pencil and eschews the usual comic panel arrangement for a more storybook look of full-page illustrations rich with texture. Of course, this approach makes the book a much quicker read than its bulk might suggest. Her lettering looks like it was done with a brush and white paint, and sometimes leans toward the illegible.
I know I'm not necessarily this book's target audience, so am probably the least qualified to appreciate its depth. However, though The Inflatable Woman is a technically decent book, I was hard pressed to find its heart. For what clearly must have been a difficult experience (to say the least) for both its creator and its protagonist, it ends up reading like a Lynchian nightmare. I don't at all regret reading it, and the illustrations alone make it worth a look, but I certainly don't feel any richer for the experience.
August 8, 2017
Well that was different.
Surreal, lonely, weird, depressing, and finally slightly uplifting. I imagine it captures exactly the experience and emotions the author had in going through her own cancer.
I'm not exactly the target audience for this book but I picked it up because I'm interested in any sort of experiment done with the printed form. I'm with Scott McCloud in thinking there's an abundance of experiments still to be explored with the format of comics and books. And this graphic novel at least does something different - it's similar to Hugo Cabret but not quite the same. I look forward to anything else the author does.
Surreal, lonely, weird, depressing, and finally slightly uplifting. I imagine it captures exactly the experience and emotions the author had in going through her own cancer.
I'm not exactly the target audience for this book but I picked it up because I'm interested in any sort of experiment done with the printed form. I'm with Scott McCloud in thinking there's an abundance of experiments still to be explored with the format of comics and books. And this graphic novel at least does something different - it's similar to Hugo Cabret but not quite the same. I look forward to anything else the author does.
October 20, 2016
Amazing graphic novel about one woman's journey through breast cancer and trying to find someone to love. The artwork is phenomenal, the storyline creative and heartfelt and imaginative. I can't imagine going through something like this and Iris's story is probably similar to the story of many woman who are shocked to find a lump in their breast in their 40's. The art is done in stark black and white with minimal panels or one panel per page. This book is full of dreams, magic, poetry and medical procedures. I highly recommend. I'm so glad this book found me.
October 26, 2015
This is such a beautiful book on so many levels. Visually so interesting with great use of one colour in an otherwise monotone colour scheme, great symbolic imagery and just fantastic character design. The story as well is so sweet and thought provoking is so worth a read...a couple of times through!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews