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Stan and Nan
Sometimes, the simplest stories are the best... This is a lovely, tender book... Stan and Nan are all of our grandparents, their stability and infinite kindness much mourned as our ever-changing worlds spin frantically on.'
Rachel Cooke, Observer My nan wrote me many letters back in 2011. They were about the love of her life, my grandad, Stanley Burndred. I’ve never met him, he died long before I was born, but his drawings, paintings and ceramics have been in my life for as long as I can remember. Every wall of Nan’s house would be decorated by his artworks and every windowsill bore his ceramic creations. Whenever we visited Nan in the Black Country I would study the ornaments and pictures, wondering who had made them. It wasn’t until I wrote to Nan many years later, receiving in return beautiful handwritten letters detailing his life, that it became apparent that the work was his. The letters were so beautiful I felt my nan’s story had to be told. Stan and Nan is the story of an ordinary couple and the people who loved them. The narrative follows their lives from Stan’s working-class background, to his premature death, through to Nan’s struggle to cope, and the perils of ageing. It is a memoir about the importance of family, and about death, love, living and human connection.
Rachel Cooke, Observer My nan wrote me many letters back in 2011. They were about the love of her life, my grandad, Stanley Burndred. I’ve never met him, he died long before I was born, but his drawings, paintings and ceramics have been in my life for as long as I can remember. Every wall of Nan’s house would be decorated by his artworks and every windowsill bore his ceramic creations. Whenever we visited Nan in the Black Country I would study the ornaments and pictures, wondering who had made them. It wasn’t until I wrote to Nan many years later, receiving in return beautiful handwritten letters detailing his life, that it became apparent that the work was his. The letters were so beautiful I felt my nan’s story had to be told. Stan and Nan is the story of an ordinary couple and the people who loved them. The narrative follows their lives from Stan’s working-class background, to his premature death, through to Nan’s struggle to cope, and the perils of ageing. It is a memoir about the importance of family, and about death, love, living and human connection.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published June 2, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 22, 2019
What a lovely, poignant, heartfelt read! Stan and Nan's story was by turns happy and sad, and always thoughtful. This one hit a bit close to home as my Mom is elderly and not as stable as she used to be. I really identified with Nan's daughter and granddaughter. Oomph, hard to read but very well worth it. 4/5⭐️
September 16, 2017
The artwork isn't at all impressive.
Yet, somewhere there lies the magic.
This is a moving story that touched my heart.
So I agree with the author when she said, "Nan's story had to be told."
Yet, somewhere there lies the magic.
This is a moving story that touched my heart.
So I agree with the author when she said, "Nan's story had to be told."
December 1, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. Sweet, heartfelt, moving.
I disagree with some of the reviews which said the drawing style was simplistic - I think it is deceptively simple...which is a hard style to achieve well. I loved the full page drawings of the town, and the colour palette used throughout the book is really sophisticated. Some criticism said the book should have featured Stan's art - but in all likelihood, it possibly wasn't all that great...his achievements weren't the point. The point was (I think), he pursued his creativity his whole life despite his family responsibilities, and his family loved his creative work.
I borrowed this from the library but I wish I owned it because I would definitely re-read if it were mine. I may buy it when I have some spare $.
I disagree with some of the reviews which said the drawing style was simplistic - I think it is deceptively simple...which is a hard style to achieve well. I loved the full page drawings of the town, and the colour palette used throughout the book is really sophisticated. Some criticism said the book should have featured Stan's art - but in all likelihood, it possibly wasn't all that great...his achievements weren't the point. The point was (I think), he pursued his creativity his whole life despite his family responsibilities, and his family loved his creative work.
I borrowed this from the library but I wish I owned it because I would definitely re-read if it were mine. I may buy it when I have some spare $.
October 15, 2016
This is my kind of graphic novel - sweet story told well and drawn perfectly.
October 31, 2020
Küçük insanların, küçük mutlu hayatlarında gizli olan mucizevi mutluluğa dair muhteşem bir kitap. Derin bir hüzün, sıcaklık ve mutluluk hissi bırakıyor insanda. Denk gelirseniz kesinlikle okuyun.
January 24, 2019
Sarah's drawings are so sweet and subtle and gorgeously coloured. People who say the art is "not impressive" etc need to be more open minded and understand that art doesn't need to be laboured over in extreme detail and/or hyper-realistic to serve its purpose or move the viewer. This is a misconception. The emotion is raw in Sarah's unique and naive style in a way that could not be achieved if she sought to draw in a way that was more "perfect" or "pretty" looking.
I also think this book deserved better. Many pages in this book have been poorly processed by the publisher and are printed in very low resolution! You can see the JPEG artefacts around the lines on lots of the pages. I was very disappointed by this, do better Jonathan Cape! My copy is also misprinted (the back page has been mis-cut and is folded over and glued behind the inside cover! Bah!)
I also think this book deserved better. Many pages in this book have been poorly processed by the publisher and are printed in very low resolution! You can see the JPEG artefacts around the lines on lots of the pages. I was very disappointed by this, do better Jonathan Cape! My copy is also misprinted (the back page has been mis-cut and is folded over and glued behind the inside cover! Bah!)
August 13, 2024
I bought this graphic memoir on a whim as my own paternal grandparents were called Stan and Nan. (Though they were usually referred to in reverse order and my Stan was Stanisław, a Polish immigrant to Scotland after WW2.)
It’s a beautiful portrayal of lives lived and loves. It’s got its tragedy, as with any tale of family over the passage of time but it also has humour and happy tears. It’s a lovely portrayal of ‘ordinary’ lives.
I loved the sketchy illustrative style and the use of colour: the limited palette reminded me of family photos from the mid- to late- 20th century and added to a lovely sense of nostalgia.
Anyway, it’s lovely. And I’m glad I bought it.
It’s a beautiful portrayal of lives lived and loves. It’s got its tragedy, as with any tale of family over the passage of time but it also has humour and happy tears. It’s a lovely portrayal of ‘ordinary’ lives.
I loved the sketchy illustrative style and the use of colour: the limited palette reminded me of family photos from the mid- to late- 20th century and added to a lovely sense of nostalgia.
Anyway, it’s lovely. And I’m glad I bought it.
December 27, 2017
What an absolutely beautiful graphic novel! It made me cry, my own Nan was very similar to the authors Nan. My granddad Sydney died very young from a heart attack too before I was born & my Nan never remarried. I was also with her when she died and sat holding her hand for hours, just like the author. A very sweet story, definitely recommend.
July 29, 2019
I've been trying to get into graphic books and I picked this one out of the library.
It was such a cute read. It basically tells of a granddaughter finding out about her gradparents lives through stories other members of the family tell her. Drawings are very sketch like which just adds to the cuteness!
It was such a cute read. It basically tells of a granddaughter finding out about her gradparents lives through stories other members of the family tell her. Drawings are very sketch like which just adds to the cuteness!
April 25, 2021
2.5 Stars!
This is clearly a very personal account on a subject deeply close to the author's heart, and it must have been personally very satisfying to write, but I just couldn't make any connection to it at all. The art work was very basic and did nothing to amplify the intimate content and I really couldn't relate to this in any meaningful way.
November 10, 2022
This was so sweet, had a fantasy novel's worth of characters, and has an illustration style I totally adore. Magic from the Quimby's clearance counter! (this book was dropped and has a messed up spine) I'm feeling like I have to qualify it being on the clearance shelf because I don't want to call out this book for needing to be on sale. It's worth full price!!
May 24, 2018
This is a beautiful recollection of one woman’s grandparents through different perspectives from her family members. The drawings are soft and everything about the book is nostalgic with a strong message of love.
April 6, 2018
Such a beautiful story and amazing illustrations.
December 10, 2018
Warm comic about author's grandmother. Lovely!
August 15, 2020
“Stan and Nan” by Sarah Lippett
Recorded memoirs of a grandfather she never met, and of a grandmother she misses dearly.
Recorded memoirs of a grandfather she never met, and of a grandmother she misses dearly.
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September 25, 2022wasn't as cute as i thought it would be.
perhaps real life and real life stories are supposed to be that way.
perhaps real life and real life stories are supposed to be that way.
July 31, 2023
3.75 stars
August 19, 2023
Review to come
July 20, 2016
Lawks , I've read so many comix over the years. I always prefer ones with a personal autobiographical bent, and often am rather moved by many. However this wasn't one. It's engaging enough but rather middling compared to say a close comparison of Brigg's Ethel and Ernest. Maybe was just put off by the scribblish art-style - a shame as Stan's love of art and ceramics is strongly mentioned, but the chosen art style of the author never let us see just what he crafted.
August 9, 2016
What a wonderful story, it reminded me so much of my grand parents, and the last part about nan was nearly identical to how things went with my grandpa! It was so touching. I smiled and got teary and smiled again, I just loved it.
July 2, 2016
A personal, unique and beautifully presented graphic memoir. Sarah has perfectly balanced comedy and tragedy to immortalise her Grandparents' lives in this touching book.
December 12, 2016
A heartfelt book about a family and the love that binds two people.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews