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Left Bank Gang
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, and James Joyce walk into a Parisian bar... no, it's not the beginning of a joke, but the premise of Jason's unique new graphic novel. Set in 1920s Paris, The Left Bank Gang is a deliciously inventive re-imagining of these four literary figures as graphic novelists! Yes, in Jason's warped world, cartooning is the dominant form of fiction, and not only do these four literary giants work in the comics medium but they get together to discuss the latest graphic novels from Dostoevsky to Faulkner ("Hasn't he heard of white space? His panels are too crowded!"), and bemoan their erratic careers. With guest appearances by Zelda Fitzgerald and Jean-Paul Sartre, and a few remarkable twists and turns along the way, and you've got one of the funniest and most playful graphic novels of the year. Like Jason's acclaimed Why Are You Doing This?, The Left Bank Gang is rendered in full spectacular color.
"Cross Ingmar Bergman with Walt Kelly and Raymond Carver and you may have some idea of what Norwegian cartoonist Jason's work is like... one of the medium's finest storytellers." - Publishers Weekly
"Cross Ingmar Bergman with Walt Kelly and Raymond Carver and you may have some idea of what Norwegian cartoonist Jason's work is like... one of the medium's finest storytellers." - Publishers Weekly
50 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2005
4 people are currently reading
850 people want to read
About the author
Jason
115 books706 followersJohn Arne Sæterøy, better known by the pen name Jason, is an internationally acclaimed Norwegian cartoonist. Jason's comics are known for their distinctive, stone-faced anthropomorphic characters as well as their pace reminiscent of classic films.
Jason was born in 1965 and debuted in the early 80's, when still a teenager, in the Norwegian comics magazine 'KonK'. His first graphic novel Pocket Full of Rain (1995) won the Sproing Award, one of the main national awards for cartoonist.
In 2001 Jason started a fruitful collaboration with the American publisher Fantagraphics, which helped him gain international notoriety. Besides Norway and the U.S., his comics have appeared in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Brazil.
Jason's stories feature a peculiar mix of dry humour, surrealism and tropes from a variety of pulp genres, such as noir novels and monster movies. His most celebrated works include: Hey, Wait... (2001), a tale of childhood and trauma; You Can't Get There from Here (2004), a re-telling of the myth of Frankenstein; The Left Bank Gang (2007), featuring fictional versions of Hemingway and other writers living in Paris in the 1920s; I Killed Adolf Hitler (2008), a story that mixes romance and time travel; The Last Musketeer (2009), a love letter to old sci-fi imaginary featuring king's musketeer Athos; Low Moon (2010), one of his many collections of short stories; Werewolves of Montpellier (2010); Isle of 100,000 Graves (2011), a pirate story co-written with French cartoonist Fabien Vehlmann; Lost Cat (2013), a thriller with a surreal spin.
Jason won a Harvey Award for best new talent in 2002 and Eisner Awards in the category 'Best U.S. Edition of International Material' for three consecutive years (2007-2009).
He has lived in Denmark, Belgium, the U.S., eventually setting for Montpellier, France in 2007.
Jason was born in 1965 and debuted in the early 80's, when still a teenager, in the Norwegian comics magazine 'KonK'. His first graphic novel Pocket Full of Rain (1995) won the Sproing Award, one of the main national awards for cartoonist.
In 2001 Jason started a fruitful collaboration with the American publisher Fantagraphics, which helped him gain international notoriety. Besides Norway and the U.S., his comics have appeared in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Brazil.
Jason's stories feature a peculiar mix of dry humour, surrealism and tropes from a variety of pulp genres, such as noir novels and monster movies. His most celebrated works include: Hey, Wait... (2001), a tale of childhood and trauma; You Can't Get There from Here (2004), a re-telling of the myth of Frankenstein; The Left Bank Gang (2007), featuring fictional versions of Hemingway and other writers living in Paris in the 1920s; I Killed Adolf Hitler (2008), a story that mixes romance and time travel; The Last Musketeer (2009), a love letter to old sci-fi imaginary featuring king's musketeer Athos; Low Moon (2010), one of his many collections of short stories; Werewolves of Montpellier (2010); Isle of 100,000 Graves (2011), a pirate story co-written with French cartoonist Fabien Vehlmann; Lost Cat (2013), a thriller with a surreal spin.
Jason won a Harvey Award for best new talent in 2002 and Eisner Awards in the category 'Best U.S. Edition of International Material' for three consecutive years (2007-2009).
He has lived in Denmark, Belgium, the U.S., eventually setting for Montpellier, France in 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
March 5, 2021
A reread, with review, finally:
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, and James Joyce walk into a Parisian bar. . . and yes, this IS the beginning of a (literary) joke, and an hilarious one, depicting these artists 1) as anthropomorphic animals and 2) as graphic novelists. Lots of inside jokes abound, for the literati. Guest appearances from Zelda, Gertrude Stein, to take us back to the left bank in the twenties, ooh la la! But the gang reference is to a bank heist the boys want to pull off to support their art. The focus, as is Woody Allen’s Paris film, on Hem.
Hemingway, describing his life as a comic artist: “It's the only thing I know how to do. I can't drive a bus or hit a nail with a hammer. I can tell a story in tiny pictures and fuck up my eyesight a little more every day.”
The artists discuss and share and critique their current work, and comment on other artists: Dostoevsky (“I can’t tell any of his characters apart!”) to Faulkner (“Hasn’t he heard of white space? His panels are too crowded!”)
Jason is perhaps most lauded for his melancholy work, such as “Why Are You Doing This?” and “Hey Wait,” where he convinces that cartoon animals can make you feel deeply. Here he reveals his love of these artists as well as his silly side (which is also clear from the four collected works in Almost Silent). If you like Paris in the twenties and any of the above writers, read this, by all means. It’s hilarious and impressive satirical work, dry humor at its best.
You can see sample pages here at the Fantagraphics website:
http://www.fantagraphics.com/leftbank...
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, and James Joyce walk into a Parisian bar. . . and yes, this IS the beginning of a (literary) joke, and an hilarious one, depicting these artists 1) as anthropomorphic animals and 2) as graphic novelists. Lots of inside jokes abound, for the literati. Guest appearances from Zelda, Gertrude Stein, to take us back to the left bank in the twenties, ooh la la! But the gang reference is to a bank heist the boys want to pull off to support their art. The focus, as is Woody Allen’s Paris film, on Hem.
Hemingway, describing his life as a comic artist: “It's the only thing I know how to do. I can't drive a bus or hit a nail with a hammer. I can tell a story in tiny pictures and fuck up my eyesight a little more every day.”
The artists discuss and share and critique their current work, and comment on other artists: Dostoevsky (“I can’t tell any of his characters apart!”) to Faulkner (“Hasn’t he heard of white space? His panels are too crowded!”)
Jason is perhaps most lauded for his melancholy work, such as “Why Are You Doing This?” and “Hey Wait,” where he convinces that cartoon animals can make you feel deeply. Here he reveals his love of these artists as well as his silly side (which is also clear from the four collected works in Almost Silent). If you like Paris in the twenties and any of the above writers, read this, by all means. It’s hilarious and impressive satirical work, dry humor at its best.
You can see sample pages here at the Fantagraphics website:
http://www.fantagraphics.com/leftbank...
September 20, 2011
"The Left Bank Gang" is about Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Pound, and Joyce as they struggle in 1920s Paris to make a living as writers. Gertrude Stein makes an appearance as the sage advisor to Hemingway regarding his work - "Don't clutter up the panels with too many words, let the drawings breathe" - as all famous novelists are here presented as famous comics artists with their work as masterpieces of graphic art. Fitzgerald's drinking is highlighted as well as his turbulent relationship with his wife Zelda. The fun culminates with Hemingway's plan to rob a bank and the story is then told from the perspectives of all four novelists a la "Pulp Fiction". The story is brisk and entertaining with a final twist added to a tale told well by a master comics artist. If Hemingway were a legendary comic book writer and artist, Jason is his modern day equivalent. A must for fans of indie comics.
December 21, 2010
Hemingway, describing his life as a comic artist:
'It's the only thing I know how to do. I can't drive a bus or hit a nail with a hammer. I can tell a story in tiny pictures and fuck up my eyesight a little more every day'
That's all I have to say.
'It's the only thing I know how to do. I can't drive a bus or hit a nail with a hammer. I can tell a story in tiny pictures and fuck up my eyesight a little more every day'
That's all I have to say.
September 2, 2024
Wow. I was genuinely surprised by this. 😄
Having read Jason's previous works, I wasn’t anticipating text balloons, let alone a plot like this one. It was a delightful twist.
The four main characters adopt the names of famous writers, though in the story, they're all cartoonists. It’s amusing to catch the subtle digs Jason takes at critics and the cartoonist’s life.
This group of four struggling cartoonists decides to take matters into their own hands to achieve success in an unexpected way... and that's where the story truly shines.
I really enjoyed this read.
Having read Jason's previous works, I wasn’t anticipating text balloons, let alone a plot like this one. It was a delightful twist.
The four main characters adopt the names of famous writers, though in the story, they're all cartoonists. It’s amusing to catch the subtle digs Jason takes at critics and the cartoonist’s life.
This group of four struggling cartoonists decides to take matters into their own hands to achieve success in an unexpected way... and that's where the story truly shines.
I really enjoyed this read.
June 21, 2021
Rereading this for a third or fourth time now, it really is one of my favorite comics.
I love the first half of the book, it sets up the characters perfectly. These short vignettes really get you up to speed with all their characters and their relationships to each either. It tells you everything you need to know without feeling like an exposition dump, the brevity it all is genius as well. What Jason accomplishes here in the first half is great. The details within the way the characters act and speak characterizes them perfectly, down the Hemingway using a pen over a brush.
The second half is fantastic as well. The different POVs of the robbery work really well. I think it could come off as gimmicky for some, but for me it was very effective. The whole heist scene is shown in full by each character so the whole thing is built in the reader’s mind as we learn more information as it goes. You’ll see an action in one person’s POV that pays off in another. Since reading this the last time I got around to seeing the movie Jackie Brown which has a heist with different perspectives very similar to this. I think it’s a thing both of them borrowed from novels given a visual form. That being said, I love both sequences.
The whole premise of the story is genius too. All these famous early 20th century authors re imagined as cartoonists living together in Paris is clever enough, but having them all be broke enough to rob a bank together is incredible. Jason executes it perfectly too. His signature deadpan storytelling with tons of silent sequences and sparse dialogue brings this story to life excellently.
I love the first half of the book, it sets up the characters perfectly. These short vignettes really get you up to speed with all their characters and their relationships to each either. It tells you everything you need to know without feeling like an exposition dump, the brevity it all is genius as well. What Jason accomplishes here in the first half is great. The details within the way the characters act and speak characterizes them perfectly, down the Hemingway using a pen over a brush.
The second half is fantastic as well. The different POVs of the robbery work really well. I think it could come off as gimmicky for some, but for me it was very effective. The whole heist scene is shown in full by each character so the whole thing is built in the reader’s mind as we learn more information as it goes. You’ll see an action in one person’s POV that pays off in another. Since reading this the last time I got around to seeing the movie Jackie Brown which has a heist with different perspectives very similar to this. I think it’s a thing both of them borrowed from novels given a visual form. That being said, I love both sequences.
The whole premise of the story is genius too. All these famous early 20th century authors re imagined as cartoonists living together in Paris is clever enough, but having them all be broke enough to rob a bank together is incredible. Jason executes it perfectly too. His signature deadpan storytelling with tons of silent sequences and sparse dialogue brings this story to life excellently.
December 17, 2019
This is Jason’s riff on the Modernist expats in Paris in the 1920s (Hemingway, Pound, Fitzgerald, Stein, Joyce, etc). What starts off as a novelty comic filled with Modernist allusions turns into an unexpectedly dense bit of crime fiction by way of Kurosawa’s Rashomon.
September 19, 2008
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, and James Joyce walk into a Parisian bar… no, it’s not the beginning of a joke, but the premise of Jason’s unique new graphic novel. Set in 1920s Paris, The Left Bank Gang is a deliciously inventive re-imagining of these four literary figures as not only typical Jason anthropomorphics, but…graphic novelists! Yes, in Jason’s warped world, cartooning is the dominant form of fiction, and not only do these four work literary giants work in the comics medium but they get together to discuss pen vs. brush, chat about the latest graphic novels from Dostoevsky (“I can’t tell any of his characters apart!”) to Faulkner (“Hasn’t he heard of white space? His panels are too crowded!”), and bemoan their erratic careers. With guest appearances by Zelda Fitzgerald and Jean-Paul Sartre, and a few remarkable twists and turns along the way, and you’ve got one of the funniest and most playful graphic novels of the year. Like Jason’s acclaimed Why Are You Doing This?, The Left Bank Gang is rendered in full spectacular color.
We're publishing a new edition of this book this fall (2008).
We're publishing a new edition of this book this fall (2008).
August 18, 2015
Book blurb: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, and James Joyce walk into a Parisian bar... no, it's not the beginning of a joke, but the premise of Jason's unique new graphic novel.
I really love the art in this one, and the story of these giants of literature re-imagined as graphic novelists and their escapades is a quick and fun read. I was especially delighted with the scenes where Gertrude Stein lectures Hemingway, and the fact that everyone is drawn as dogs. And it's all fun and games until it's not.
I really love the art in this one, and the story of these giants of literature re-imagined as graphic novelists and their escapades is a quick and fun read. I was especially delighted with the scenes where Gertrude Stein lectures Hemingway, and the fact that everyone is drawn as dogs. And it's all fun and games until it's not.
March 21, 2021
9/10
Jason is my big discovery of 2020. I had heard of him for years, browsed his comics in book shops many times, but always left them on the shelves. You know, I have this constant fear of being utterly disappointed by comic books that the French critique - or the Gary Groth gang in Seattle - tends to incense. And although such a fear is not pure prejudice, rather based on years of solid experience...boy oh boy, was I wrong when it comes to Jason!
For his ability to convey cinematic action as well as deep human emotions, mostly on the melancholic side of the spectrum, through striking cartoonish minimality, Jason is definitely one of the masters of the medium currently out there. When at his best, Jason is the comics equivalent of watching a film written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Wes Anderson.
The Left Bank Gang is the story by the Norwegian cartoonist that I have enjoyed the most so far, maybe together with You Can't Get There from Here.
The daily routine of broke-ass anthropomorphic cartoonists Ernest Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald in the Paris of the 20's is full of professional and human tribulations. But their life takes a turn when the two convince Ezra Pound and James Joyce to join them...for a robbery! However, the universe will find more than one way to screw up their plan.
Love as salvation from the depressiveness of life seems to be the underlying leitmotif of Jason's work. Here this theme is kept more on the background, at least compared to other Jason's comics that I have read. Yet, again and again love seems to triumph in his tales, even when all the rest goes downhill, and the final page of The Left Bank Gang is there to remind us of that.
No need to comment much on the storytelling and artistic aspects of this short book. The pace, the overwhelming instant-to-instant panel transitions, the cartoonish stone cold art, the solid but thin inking, the colouring...all of it is right up my alley!
Jason is my big discovery of 2020. I had heard of him for years, browsed his comics in book shops many times, but always left them on the shelves. You know, I have this constant fear of being utterly disappointed by comic books that the French critique - or the Gary Groth gang in Seattle - tends to incense. And although such a fear is not pure prejudice, rather based on years of solid experience...boy oh boy, was I wrong when it comes to Jason!
For his ability to convey cinematic action as well as deep human emotions, mostly on the melancholic side of the spectrum, through striking cartoonish minimality, Jason is definitely one of the masters of the medium currently out there. When at his best, Jason is the comics equivalent of watching a film written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Wes Anderson.
The Left Bank Gang is the story by the Norwegian cartoonist that I have enjoyed the most so far, maybe together with You Can't Get There from Here.
The daily routine of broke-ass anthropomorphic cartoonists Ernest Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald in the Paris of the 20's is full of professional and human tribulations. But their life takes a turn when the two convince Ezra Pound and James Joyce to join them...for a robbery! However, the universe will find more than one way to screw up their plan.
Love as salvation from the depressiveness of life seems to be the underlying leitmotif of Jason's work. Here this theme is kept more on the background, at least compared to other Jason's comics that I have read. Yet, again and again love seems to triumph in his tales, even when all the rest goes downhill, and the final page of The Left Bank Gang is there to remind us of that.
No need to comment much on the storytelling and artistic aspects of this short book. The pace, the overwhelming instant-to-instant panel transitions, the cartoonish stone cold art, the solid but thin inking, the colouring...all of it is right up my alley!
January 6, 2023
Заходят как-то Фицджеральд, Хемингуэй, Паунд и Джойс в бар... — the comic. Классический джейсоновский фарс со знаменитыми писателями в главных ролях (которые здесь с трудом сводят концы с концами, зарабатывая на жизнь комиксами вместо написания романов), занятными шутливыми рассуждениями о творчестве и его приёмах, семейные драмы, а также странноватая, несуразная криминальная история а'ля Годар, потому что... ну почему бы и нет?
Прикладываю ознакомительную галерею.
P.S. Занятный, замыкающий круг факт: схема ограбления и весь практически сюжет взят из к/ф "The Killing" (1956) Кубрика, который в свою очередь снят по роману Clean Break.
Прикладываю ознакомительную галерею.
P.S. Занятный, замыкающий круг факт: схема ограбления и весь практически сюжет взят из к/ф "The Killing" (1956) Кубрика, который в свою очередь снят по роману Clean Break.
July 23, 2022
In an alternate version of 1920s Paris, the struggling cartoonists Hemingway, Joyce, Pound and Fitzgerald (all anthropomorphic animals) decide to put an end to their poverty by committing an audacious robbery. I think anyone would agree that this is a brilliant premise for a comic – at least anyone who loves comics, comedy, funny animals and 20th-century literary history. In fact, it’s a premise so good that it’s easy to imagine it might fail to live up to its promise. Fortunately, in Jason’s capable hands the execution is flawless.
The comic’s first half introduces its characters and setting through a series of short vignettes, all rich with Jason’s trademark blend of understated melancholy and deadpan humour. This part is full of references that will delight readers familiar with the “Lost Generation” literary scene of 1920s Paris. It’s evident that Jason is not only aware of the relevant history, but also has a real sense of these literary figures as human beings; they all ring true, capturing the essence of their personalities as revealed through their writings. The second half of the comic sees Jason in a mode I haven’t witnessed before, with an adrenaline-filled heist sequence structured so tightly that every panel feels vital. Interestingly, although this second half is quite different to the other Jason comics I’ve read, it still feels like quintessential Jason, full of his idiosyncratic charm, inimitable timing, dark sense of humour and ultimate interest in universal human concerns.
This comic is loads of fun, especially for anyone who (like me) went through a phase of obsession with the literary figures who serve as its stars. As in all of Jason’s comics, the cartooning is impeccable, and here it’s gorgeously coloured by the late Hubert Boulard. What’s more, underlying the comic’s wild antics and action-packed climax is a subtle exploration of important, grounded questions surrounding vocation, friendship, love and family.
The comic’s first half introduces its characters and setting through a series of short vignettes, all rich with Jason’s trademark blend of understated melancholy and deadpan humour. This part is full of references that will delight readers familiar with the “Lost Generation” literary scene of 1920s Paris. It’s evident that Jason is not only aware of the relevant history, but also has a real sense of these literary figures as human beings; they all ring true, capturing the essence of their personalities as revealed through their writings. The second half of the comic sees Jason in a mode I haven’t witnessed before, with an adrenaline-filled heist sequence structured so tightly that every panel feels vital. Interestingly, although this second half is quite different to the other Jason comics I’ve read, it still feels like quintessential Jason, full of his idiosyncratic charm, inimitable timing, dark sense of humour and ultimate interest in universal human concerns.
This comic is loads of fun, especially for anyone who (like me) went through a phase of obsession with the literary figures who serve as its stars. As in all of Jason’s comics, the cartooning is impeccable, and here it’s gorgeously coloured by the late Hubert Boulard. What’s more, underlying the comic’s wild antics and action-packed climax is a subtle exploration of important, grounded questions surrounding vocation, friendship, love and family.
January 29, 2016
Este tipo tiene la capacidad de generar emociones con un par de dibujitos.
November 9, 2022
Half fiction half biography about Hemingway and Fitzgerald in Paris. I feel like I'm in the knowledge sweet spot for this not to work for me. I already knew all the biographical details, As a result, the first half wasn’t interesting, and the retelling of these old stories came across as something you’d read in a BuzzFeed article. As for fictional second half of the story, I don't know these writers well enough to appreciate fictionalized stories featuring them.
October 14, 2022
Mi oscuro secreto es que nunca me banqué mucho a los escritores de la Generación Perdida, y no entiendo esa fascinación que despiertan ellos y sus vidas parisinas, pero verlos reimaginados como historietistas-devenidos-criminales tiene su gracia.
May 7, 2016
MORE? MORE! @ P.S. I love that book!
I think it would be too confusing to try to describe 48 pages in different categories. The thing is when I read the synopsis of this book...well when I saw first few lines I thought it was about famous people and maybe even bit philosophical. Wasn't too thriller. But then I started reading it and it was just hilarious. I laughed so so much. It really is a story of graphic novel creators who have hard time getting money and how they come up with a brilliant plan to rob a bank. It sound pretty boring but trust me, the personalities of these characters...they were hilarious. And the story it self was executed in a way that left you very satisfied. It sorta explains what happened from each characters point of view and takes the story further every time. Plus we also have side characters in this story who were...well yes again hilarious.
Frankly if you are looking for an easy and funny graphic novel you should definitely pick this one up. It is super fast read and leaves you in a great mood! I have already takes another graphic novel of Jason from the library, different story but same drawing style. Cannot wait to read it!
Oh and do not forget to pay details at the drawings, they are so funny!
MORE? MORE! @ P.S. I love that book!
I think it would be too confusing to try to describe 48 pages in different categories. The thing is when I read the synopsis of this book...well when I saw first few lines I thought it was about famous people and maybe even bit philosophical. Wasn't too thriller. But then I started reading it and it was just hilarious. I laughed so so much. It really is a story of graphic novel creators who have hard time getting money and how they come up with a brilliant plan to rob a bank. It sound pretty boring but trust me, the personalities of these characters...they were hilarious. And the story it self was executed in a way that left you very satisfied. It sorta explains what happened from each characters point of view and takes the story further every time. Plus we also have side characters in this story who were...well yes again hilarious.
Frankly if you are looking for an easy and funny graphic novel you should definitely pick this one up. It is super fast read and leaves you in a great mood! I have already takes another graphic novel of Jason from the library, different story but same drawing style. Cannot wait to read it!
Oh and do not forget to pay details at the drawings, they are so funny!
MORE? MORE! @ P.S. I love that book!
May 5, 2020
Um quadrinho muito divertido e interessante de ler porque Jason pega a "gangue da margem esquerda", escritores que viviam no bairro Quartier Latin de Paris nos anos 1920 e os transforma em criminosos. Mas mais que criminosos, ele transforma esses escritores não em meros escritores, rá, ele os transforma em grandes quadrinistas. Num mundo onde, sabiamente, os quadrinistas são mais valorizados que os escritores. Um dos defeitos, entretanto dos quadrinhos de Jason, é que todos os personagens são animais e se eles são o mesmo animal fica complicado de entender quem é quem na história. Fora isso, as ideias que Jason usa nestes quadrinhos beiram a genialidade. Isso porque além de fazer tudo isso que já falei, ele também conta a história através de diversas perspectivas diferentes, dos membros da gangue aos outros personagens envolvidos com o assalto planejado por eles. Eu conheço pouco das personalidade dos escritores retratados nesta história em quadrinhos, mas daquilo que sei deles, Jason fez um bom trabalho ao demonstrar como eles teriam existido neste mundo imaginado por ele. Bem legal!
June 7, 2012
(7/10) Great concept, so-so execution. I love the idea of reinterpreting literary authors as graphic novelists, and would love to see more done with it. The Left Bank Gang appears at first to be just an exploration of that idea, with our (for some reason) canine authors wandering around Paris, acting like we generally expect our modernist icons to act. And then it turns into a pomo crime story, and I love a promo crime story as much as the next guy (in fact, significantly more than the next guy) but it feels like a strange direction to turn. The reinterpretation of these authors gets pushed to the background by all of the plot loops and twists, and in the end it feels like it could have been about any four lowlifes in Paris, and Hemingway and company are just what would sell best. Don't get me wrong, it's all right for what it is, it's just not what I really wanted it to be.
July 16, 2017
*Spoiler-free review*
I've read most of Jason's work now and I think this is the most family-friendly, funniest and least depressing of them all. It feels more complete and very well-structured scenes in terms of pacing and plot than most of his other works.
However, that's why it doesn't get 5* from me, for where Jason really excels is at unfunny depressing cartoons ('Hey, Wait' or 'Why Are You Doing This').
As an aside, Jason clearly is a bigger fan of Hemingway than the others, as the back cover mentions 'his favorite novel by Hemingway is The Sun Also Rises' (Jason also references Hemingway's death in 'Why Are You Doing This').
I'd recommend this as an especially good introduction for newcomers to Jason who are more interested in the 'crime thriller' angle of his work without the 'noir' emotional baggage that usually (and quite rightly, in my opinion) accompanies it.
I've read most of Jason's work now and I think this is the most family-friendly, funniest and least depressing of them all. It feels more complete and very well-structured scenes in terms of pacing and plot than most of his other works.
However, that's why it doesn't get 5* from me, for where Jason really excels is at unfunny depressing cartoons ('Hey, Wait' or 'Why Are You Doing This').
As an aside, Jason clearly is a bigger fan of Hemingway than the others, as the back cover mentions 'his favorite novel by Hemingway is The Sun Also Rises' (Jason also references Hemingway's death in 'Why Are You Doing This').
I'd recommend this as an especially good introduction for newcomers to Jason who are more interested in the 'crime thriller' angle of his work without the 'noir' emotional baggage that usually (and quite rightly, in my opinion) accompanies it.
October 9, 2015
Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Pound i Joyce žive u Parizu, ali nisu pisci kakvima ih znamo, nego crtači stripova. Prvi dio mi se jako svidio, radnja se odvija nekako sporo, crtaju, žale se da im loše ide posao i obilaze kafane. Drugi dio gdje kuju plan da opljačkaju banku mi se manje sviđa, prenabacano je za moj ukus. Jason me dosta puta znao zadiviti, ovdje ne baš, ali sve u svemu simpatična ideja.
July 31, 2011
Pure genious!!! It manages to be hilarious and poignant at the same time. Loved the Rashomon multiple point of view recount of the robbery.
March 22, 2018
Quick, witty read
April 18, 2020
like a 2D melville film, Hubert's colours are also excellent
April 26, 2022
You and Ernest can keep your little secrets. I'm sure you'll be very happy together.
Przyjmę wszystko od Jasona na temat Hemingwaya, tak świetnie sobie radzi z jego osobą.
Po "Good Night, Hem" postanowiłam zabrać się za kolejny komiks, gdzie autor bierze na warsztat mojego ulubieńca, i powiem wam, że wczoraj cały dzień myślałam o historii, którą przedstawił, i tym, jak mnie uszczęśliwiła. W "The Left Bank Gang" kierujemy się do Paryża lat 20. XX wieku; autorzy i towarzysze artystycznej udręki Ernest Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce i Ezra Pound, zmęczeni swoimi troskami i problemami finansowymi, postanawiają popełnić desperacki krok - dokonać napadu na bank.
Jason łączy anegdoty, historie i relacje, które rzeczywiście miały miejsce, z wyjątkowymi opowieściami zbudowanymi na jego fantazji; i tak, jak zazwyczaj nie przepadam za tą tendencją w tekstach kultury, to ten autor robi to w tak oczywisty, lecz wdzięczny i naturalny sposób, że nic mnie nie drażni, a kończę jego komiksy zachwycona. Co jeszcze ważniejsze, on świetnie rozumie postacie, z którymi pracuje; nie mogę się wypowiedzieć o Poundzie, bo niewiele o nim wiem, ale Joyce'a totalnie tutaj widziałam. Wzruszyłam się na widok Scotta, Hadley i Sylvii Beach, myślę, że zostali bardzo dobrze przedstawieni, a Scott najlepiej i jeszcze wyjątkowo mnie poruszył. Tak jak tak łatwo jest przejaskrawić postać Ernesta Hemingwaya (sam dokonywał tego na sobie kilka razy), to kolejny raz jestem całkowicie usatysfakcjonowana tym portretem, Jason prawidłowo wyczaił jego osobowość i urok. A co ciekawe, chociaż Ernest dokonuje w tych komiksach całkowicie niemożliwych rzeczy, to są bardzo w jego charakterze, a przynajmniej takim, jakim go poznałam przez mój research. W ostatnich scenach wyraźnie go widziałam.
Nie znam się na komiksach i na artystycznych kwestiach, ale styl Jasona bardzo mnie pociąga.
Jedyną rzeczą, do której mogę się przyczepić, jest bardzo negatywne sportretowanie Zeldy Fitzgerald; nie jestem za wybielaniem jej postaci, ale też... moim zdaniem nie jesteśmy już w stanie całkowicie ocenić tego małżeństwa, to zresztą nie jest nasze zadanie.
Serdecznie zapraszam was do sięgnięcia po twórczość Jasona, zwłaszcza te półfikcyjne historie na temat Hemingwaya - a potem możecie napisać do mnie i podzielić się waszymi wrażeniami czy zadać pytanie.
PS. ngl, szanuję tę fitzhemingwayową propagandę.
Przyjmę wszystko od Jasona na temat Hemingwaya, tak świetnie sobie radzi z jego osobą.
Po "Good Night, Hem" postanowiłam zabrać się za kolejny komiks, gdzie autor bierze na warsztat mojego ulubieńca, i powiem wam, że wczoraj cały dzień myślałam o historii, którą przedstawił, i tym, jak mnie uszczęśliwiła. W "The Left Bank Gang" kierujemy się do Paryża lat 20. XX wieku; autorzy i towarzysze artystycznej udręki Ernest Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce i Ezra Pound, zmęczeni swoimi troskami i problemami finansowymi, postanawiają popełnić desperacki krok - dokonać napadu na bank.
Jason łączy anegdoty, historie i relacje, które rzeczywiście miały miejsce, z wyjątkowymi opowieściami zbudowanymi na jego fantazji; i tak, jak zazwyczaj nie przepadam za tą tendencją w tekstach kultury, to ten autor robi to w tak oczywisty, lecz wdzięczny i naturalny sposób, że nic mnie nie drażni, a kończę jego komiksy zachwycona. Co jeszcze ważniejsze, on świetnie rozumie postacie, z którymi pracuje; nie mogę się wypowiedzieć o Poundzie, bo niewiele o nim wiem, ale Joyce'a totalnie tutaj widziałam. Wzruszyłam się na widok Scotta, Hadley i Sylvii Beach, myślę, że zostali bardzo dobrze przedstawieni, a Scott najlepiej i jeszcze wyjątkowo mnie poruszył. Tak jak tak łatwo jest przejaskrawić postać Ernesta Hemingwaya (sam dokonywał tego na sobie kilka razy), to kolejny raz jestem całkowicie usatysfakcjonowana tym portretem, Jason prawidłowo wyczaił jego osobowość i urok. A co ciekawe, chociaż Ernest dokonuje w tych komiksach całkowicie niemożliwych rzeczy, to są bardzo w jego charakterze, a przynajmniej takim, jakim go poznałam przez mój research. W ostatnich scenach wyraźnie go widziałam.
Nie znam się na komiksach i na artystycznych kwestiach, ale styl Jasona bardzo mnie pociąga.
Jedyną rzeczą, do której mogę się przyczepić, jest bardzo negatywne sportretowanie Zeldy Fitzgerald; nie jestem za wybielaniem jej postaci, ale też... moim zdaniem nie jesteśmy już w stanie całkowicie ocenić tego małżeństwa, to zresztą nie jest nasze zadanie.
Serdecznie zapraszam was do sięgnięcia po twórczość Jasona, zwłaszcza te półfikcyjne historie na temat Hemingwaya - a potem możecie napisać do mnie i podzielić się waszymi wrażeniami czy zadać pytanie.
PS. ngl, szanuję tę fitzhemingwayową propagandę.
December 5, 2021
Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Joyce e Pound.
Esses são os integrantes da gangue da margem esquerda.
Esquerda porque eles são comunis... digo, porque o Quartier Latin que abrigava os expatriados artistas na Paris dos anos 20 fica ao lado esquerdo do Sena.
E gangue porque eles tem um plano para sair daquela pindaíba artística em que eles se encontram, afinal, nos anos 20, quadrinhos não davam grana. Sim, todos eles são quadrinistas e não escritores. Lá no fundo é uma daquelas histórias de criminosos enganando outros criminosos, picaretas picareteando outros picaretas e por aí vai. Contudo Jason conta a hsitória de um jeito diferente, não temos grandes explosões, grandes perseguições de carro, grandes lutas pelos telhados da cidade; temos diálogos, cenas paradas, economia de desenhos e palavras, porque é um gibi do Jason, não é mais um volume da dupla Brubaker & Phillips. E, mesmo sem tudo o que se espera, é legal?
Eu gostei. Os personagens são muito bem construídos; um Hemingway econômico e prático, um Fitzgerald com uma aura de tristeza, uma Zelda profundamente insatisfeita com a vida, um Joyce claramente no lugar errado; mas todos com aquelas dúvidas que a idade traz; o que será que eu estou fazendo da vida? Será que ainda vale a pena insistir? Será que isso é o que quero? O que será que eu preciso?
Ao chegar no final da história, eu tive uma sensação parecida com quando eu terminei O Velho e O Mar; tudo isso para quê mesmo?
Não sei, talvez porque é melhor a destruição do que a derrota.
E, logo depois, uma música da Taylor Swift começou a tocar na minha cabeça, vai entender, né?
Esses são os integrantes da gangue da margem esquerda.
Esquerda porque eles são comunis... digo, porque o Quartier Latin que abrigava os expatriados artistas na Paris dos anos 20 fica ao lado esquerdo do Sena.
E gangue porque eles tem um plano para sair daquela pindaíba artística em que eles se encontram, afinal, nos anos 20, quadrinhos não davam grana. Sim, todos eles são quadrinistas e não escritores. Lá no fundo é uma daquelas histórias de criminosos enganando outros criminosos, picaretas picareteando outros picaretas e por aí vai. Contudo Jason conta a hsitória de um jeito diferente, não temos grandes explosões, grandes perseguições de carro, grandes lutas pelos telhados da cidade; temos diálogos, cenas paradas, economia de desenhos e palavras, porque é um gibi do Jason, não é mais um volume da dupla Brubaker & Phillips. E, mesmo sem tudo o que se espera, é legal?
Eu gostei. Os personagens são muito bem construídos; um Hemingway econômico e prático, um Fitzgerald com uma aura de tristeza, uma Zelda profundamente insatisfeita com a vida, um Joyce claramente no lugar errado; mas todos com aquelas dúvidas que a idade traz; o que será que eu estou fazendo da vida? Será que ainda vale a pena insistir? Será que isso é o que quero? O que será que eu preciso?
Ao chegar no final da história, eu tive uma sensação parecida com quando eu terminei O Velho e O Mar; tudo isso para quê mesmo?
Não sei, talvez porque é melhor a destruição do que a derrota.
E, logo depois, uma música da Taylor Swift começou a tocar na minha cabeça, vai entender, né?
May 2, 2020
Jason é meu quadrinista gringo preferido. Acho a forma que conduz as histórias e a simplicidade dos desenhos um conjunto espetacular. Mas essa hq é só... Legal. Não é ruim, mas não parece ter nada demais.
Mais uma vez sinto que se eu tivesse as referências necessárias ficaria um pouco mais interessante, mas não tanto quanto "eu matei Adolph Hitler" e "Sshhhh".
Mais uma vez sinto que se eu tivesse as referências necessárias ficaria um pouco mais interessante, mas não tanto quanto "eu matei Adolph Hitler" e "Sshhhh".
July 28, 2020
Imagine Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound e James Joyce como quadrinistas tentando viver de sua arte na Paris dos anos 20 e, de repente, um deles tem uma ideia para ganhar uma grana de forma não lícita.
Para quem conhece a vida e obra desses autores, a HQ é recheada de 'easter eggs', um deleite!
Recomendo!
Para quem conhece a vida e obra desses autores, a HQ é recheada de 'easter eggs', um deleite!
Recomendo!
March 2, 2022
2,5
Planteamiento interesante pero se queda un poco corto. Sin más.
Planteamiento interesante pero se queda un poco corto. Sin más.
April 30, 2022
A four cartoonist plan for a heist. The uniqueness of this comic is the multiple POVs of storytelling.
December 17, 2020
Con su caracterísitcos personakes zooformos, Jason nos presenta un disparatado argumento que envuelve a unos imposibles Hemingway, Pound, Ftizgerald, Joyce y Sartre y que termina, tras muchos crímenes disparatados, con un momento lleno de melancolía y ternura.
June 23, 2020
Classic Jason!
I liked it, not as much as other books of Jason's but it was a fun read!
I liked it, not as much as other books of Jason's but it was a fun read!
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