Rat Time

by Keiler Roberts

Pet deaths and parenting, embarrassing childhood memories and mental illness, Roberts documents her daily life’s minutiae, its up and downs, with the deftness of an observational comedian. Her comics demonstrate that sometimes life can deal you a punch to the gut, but it doesn’t have to be devoid of a punch line

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Memoir, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Humor, Comix

124 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2019

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merry Christmas! I read this in one sitting Christmas Eve after watching two episodes of Buffy and getting all the presents ready to sneak under the tree after the kids went to bed (even though they her teens and know. . .), and put out cookies and milk for Santa (and carrots for the reindeer [and maybe, as L suggests, for Santa who is fed millions of cookies and may want to eat something healthy once in a while). . .

What, tmi on the mundane Schaafsma household? Then you would not like the diary comics of Keiler Roberts, who gives us her third Koyama Press collection (Miseryland, Sunburning) of her life in Evanston. Yes, we have gone from Keiler's seeming discomfort about becoming a mother to, well, greater comfort, for sure, to the point of celebrating her daughter's everydayness. She is bipolar, has ms, and is drolly hilarious in documenting her life: pet death, rat therapy (yeah, Keiler I was one of the 143 "views" of the news that you were going to have rats as pets in your house and one that was in the majority who didn't click :like"!!), her husband Scott, school, teaching art, memories of not being liked in school, like-minded friends, supportive parents. She usually goes for the joke, the smile, the quirk, dead-panned. But the main focus here is mother-daughter relations, which as a(n older, thus more appreciative?) parent is fun to see. More, Keiler, more! Keep doing this and sharing it with us!

To Keiler, re: Sun Prairie and journaling your life: I worked for five years in the nineties at UW-Madison, and had occasions to go to Sun Prairie High School to visit student teachers. One (woman) student teacher had an affair with a (junior) student there; I defended her, a newlywed--she would never do this! She's so sweet and, I met her new husband--until the school's lawyers showed me copies of pages of her journal, clearly in her hand, and the student's journal. What was the Sun Prairie administration's strategy to prevent future affairs? To BAN JOURNALING from all classrooms! Clearly keeping track of your daily life in a notebook will lead to illicit sex! So be warned Keiler, and any other naive diary comics artists! True story! Don't document your life or you will fall into sin!

Here's see some of it (Keiler's book, not the student diary, you voyeur!):

http://koyamapress.com/projects/rat-t...

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect. The pages about making hot chocolate, making pancakes, and then trying to use a bathroom around a three year old made me laugh so hard I cried, got worn out, and had to put the book down.

“And now she’s reading over my shoulder while spilling water on me” captures an aspect of parenthood exquisitely.

I loved this book.

[rachel weisz as evelyn o'connell in the mummy (1999) · Rating 2 out of 5]

a bit too scattered for me

[Luca Suede · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quiet & funny little vignettes about a mom with MS and bipolar disorder moving through her life. Observational, simple, smart.

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this author's work makes me feel lighter, like therapy that I didn't even know I was having.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminded me of the time we had rats

[Ryan]

(3.5 stars) - in which the protagonist accidentally flushes the toilet handle down the toilet...

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't quite put my finger on what is so compelling about Roberts' autobio comics, but I can't stop reading them. They are scratchy and disjointed slices of everyday life, but they are so funny and poignant. Themes in this collection: pet death, rat therapy, teaching art, being a jerk. Good stuff.

[Shoshanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe how long I slept on Keiler Roberts! At this point I have read almost everything she does. Short, tiny slices, observational. Almost like Liz Prince but drier or Gabrielle Bell but shorter. Never epic. Just funny in a sweet and silly way. Obvi I love the back and forth between Keiler and Xia.

This is Roberts's last comic on Koyama Press. I'm really bummed about Koyama Press no longer publishing comics. They were a really important part of the (Canadian) independent comics scene. It looks like her next comic is coming out on Drawn & Quarterly, the mothership. D&Q is lucky to have her! :)

[Michael Jantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her work just keeps getting better.

[J. Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Roberts’s work very much. I just wish I didn’t have to work so hard to figure out when her comics end and begin.

[Ashley Holstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely.

[Emilia P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will I read every thing Keiler Roberts ever writes yes I willllll.
The end.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

“My Begging Chart” made the biggest impact but I liked “Rat Time”, too. I think I like her because her kind of normal is more like mine.

[Rens · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you find a book that in it's own way gets the patterns of your head

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally hilar. Keiler rocks, this is a great one.

[Rich Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything by Roberts is five stars to me.

[Jordan Holmes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like her style, like how the vignettes collage with each other, like how observant these r

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok in a weird and disturbing way. Would not look for anything else by this author. Felt a little like being in this woman's head and following her flow of consciousness throughout the day.

[Nanaz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disorganized

[Bean · Rating 2 out of 5]

4.5/10

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

rat time!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Rat Time', like Keiler's other books, may seem like a "book about nothing", but I'd argue that it's the exact opposite. It's a book that catalogs the minutia of life- raising a family, coping with an illness, spending time with loved ones, reflecting on the past, and compresses those moments into a narrative that sometimes feels as resonate as listening to a long piece of music. Of the "Koyama Trilogy", my personal favorite is 'Chlorine Gardens', but this volume carries the same emotional and narrative approaches as some of her earlier work. You could easily spend an entire day reading Keiler's collected works, feel the full range of a life lived and carefully observed, and not be remiss for the hours that have passed.

[Basia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rat Time is a collection of real-life vignettes that spill from one scene into the next without warning. Clearer transitions, or even more splashes and spreads, could've repaired the book's haphazard flow. What Rat Time lacks in form is partially redeemed by some poignant and heartfelt moments though, like when Keiler Roberts's mother says, "Sometimes I'm overwhelmed with regret over giving the dog more affection than I gave any of you," to which Roberts replies, "It's okay. Everyone would rather touch a dog."

[Hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled upon Keiler Roberts work this year when I heard about this book. For no specific reason, I ended up reading most of the earlier volumes first, though not in order. I plan to watch out for what comes next. I want to see the next set of snapshots that she shares with the world.

RIP Mateo and Sammy.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very real, enjoyable portrayal of self without inflation. Not sure it was depressing or I'm just premenstrual but not a problem, either way. Good blend of digital and realistic life & mothering content. She seems like someone I would feel judged me but also ok. Easy to read, absorb and enjoy. Will continue to love reading her.

[Liz Yerby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read so many comics about nothing but like this author covers mundane daily stories so good. I laughed a lot, and deeply related a lot. I love the thread about playing with toys as an adult or child and story telling. I love the concept of rat time

[P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really need a "humor" shelf but it's too late to add new shelves to my system.

but this one in particular deserves it.

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keiler Roberts dry sense of humor kills me & seeing the world though her drawings is reassuring.

[Autumn Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t read a lot of graphic novels (or the like) but I felt very compelled to pick this one up. And I’m very glad I did. This was so immersive, so real, and even a touch disconcerting. I loved it.