David Boring

by Daniel Clowes

Meet David Boring: a nineteen-year-old security guard with a tortured inner life and an obsessive nature. When he meets the girl of his dreams, things begin to go awry: what seems too good to be true apparently is. And what seems truest in Boring's life is that, given the right set of circumstances (in this case, an orgiastic cascade of vengeance, humiliation and murder) the primal nature of humankind will come inexorably to the fore.For those interested in comic art's potential, Clowes's work offers exciting literary possibilities. Boring is Anything but. --Time Dan Clowes

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Comix, Comic Book, Bande Dessinée

129 pages, Paperback

First published September 12, 2002

About the author

Daniel Clowes is an American cartoonist, graphic novelist, illustrator, and screenwriter whose work helped define the landscape of alternative comics and bring the medium into mainstream literary conversation. Rising to prominence through his long-running anthology Eightball, he used its pages to blend acidic humor, social observation, surrealism, and character-driven storytelling, producing serials that later became acclaimed graphic novels including Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron, Ghost World, David Boring, Ice Haven, and Patience. His illustrations have appeared in major publications such as The New Yorker, Vogue, and The Village Voice, while his collaborations with filmmaker Terry Zwigoff resulted in the films Ghost World and Art School Confidential, the former earning widespread praise and an Academy Award nomination for its screenplay. Clowes began honing his voice in the 1980s with contributions to Cracked and with his Lloyd Llewellyn stories for Fantagraphics, but it was Eightball, launched in 1989, that showcased the full range of his interests, from deadpan satire to psychological drama. Known for blending kitsch, grotesquerie, and a deep love of mid-century American pop culture, he helped shape the sensibilities of a generation of cartoonists and became a central figure in the shift toward graphic novels being treated as serious literature. His post-Eightball books continued this evolution, with works like Wilson, Mister Wonderful, The Death-Ray, and the recent Monica exploring aging, identity, longing, and the complexities of relationships, often through inventive visual structures that echo the history of newspaper comics. Clowes has also been active in music and design, creating artwork for Sub Pop bands, the Ramones, and other artists, and contributing to film posters, New Yorker covers, and Criterion Collection releases. His work has earned dozens of honors, including multiple Harvey and Eisner Awards, a Pen Award for Outstanding Body of Work in Graphic Literature, an Inkpot Award, and the prestigious Fauve d’Or at Angoulême. Exhibitions of his original art have appeared across the United States and internationally, with a major retrospective, Modern Cartoonist: The Art of Daniel Clowes, touring museums beginning in 2012. His screenplay work extended beyond Ghost World to projects like Art School Confidential and Wilson, and he has long been a touchstone for discussions about Generation X culture, alternative comics, and the shifting boundaries between the literary and graphic arts.

Reviews

[Fabian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, Daniel Boring! You definitely have a special place in my heart! (As do "Ghost World"'s Enid & Rebecca, duh!) You are so human & such a victim. You are confused & definitely take up space in the (indifferent?) world. Daniel Clowes' human faces in the crystallized moment are heartbreaking when they are not downright laughable, human when they aren't outright caricatures. Very much like in real life, no?

[Amanda]

Worth a read, but I don't recommend reading it on the bus back to New York from Boston where the sororityish girl next to you can read over your shoulder and think you're a weirdo at times. You might need some privacy for some of the pervier scenes. I still feel a little weird about butts right now.

Overall, I think it was a good idea that didn't come through the whole way--for me. Something missing in the execution. Also sometimes I'm just not that good at reading things that are this uncomfortable. So I can say it's worth reading, definitely, but I don't think this was a good starting point for me with Clowes.

[Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

David Boring is split into three acts.

I absolutely love the first one. David Boring is a male slut, but he doesn't know why, because he only appreciates one woman. After being shot one night, we worry that he may never see her again.

Act two changes gears significantly when David is stuck recovering on a remote island with people who believe the main land has been hit by a nuclear bomb. Yes, this act has nothing to do with the first act and it's not until the bizarro third act that you feel like Daniel Clowes is jizzing in your coffee (the joke's on him, I don't drink coffee).

The last act is literally about putting together a puzzle of images into a story. Who is David's father and why do I care anymore?

I liked David Boring better when he was a self-loathing pussy-pumper, which leads me to say that David Boring isn't an apt title. David Schizophrenia is more like it.

[Dominick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odd graphic novel combining the mundane, surreal, and post-modern as it offers (among other things) a meditation on the interrelatrionship between life and art, conceived primarily in comic book and cinematic terms (one of the conceits is that the book we are reading is in fact a movie). Mixes carefully-observed realistic characters with various tropes of melodrama and crime drama, with elements of SF and comic books thrown in. Not the most emotionally engaging of work (Clowes never is), but fascinating and thoughtful.

[Penelope (Penelope’s Picks) · Rating 2 out of 5]

What did I just read? God, that was disappointing. Plot was so strange I can't even begin to explain; characters incredibly unrelateable. Would rename it David Pointless, tbh.

[Shankar · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title reflects this graphic novel

[Alika]

This book was a bit disappointing for me since I’d always seen it around thinking it would be one of the best (and “Ghost World” is one of my all-time faves), but I was let down. Of course the artwork is great (if you like the super-slick flawless look, which sometimes I do) and I’m still amazed at how Clowes manages to draw faces that remind me of real people, yet maintain the “cartoonishness” of an illustration.

But as for the narrative, I was left with more questions than I’m willing to let go unresolved. I was surprised by the dark, jarring, choppy storytelling, but I was willing to go along with it—at first. I mean, I am all for unconventional narratives, but this one seemed to put all these major plot points in the panels and shake them up and present a semi-plausible story (if we live in comic-book-land, that is), but then what? I kept waiting for the really deep creepy stuff to set in, the murky dreams and fantasies under the surface to pop up, but we only got peeks. I feel like it could’ve been so much more, so much better, if it had just been given that extra push.

SEMI-SPOILER ALERT BELOW!!!

From scene one, I thought the whole thing was in David’s head. Here’s this skinny, so-so teenage kid (named “Boring” or possibly “Borring” if the label on his prescription wasn’t a typo) who happens to attract all these hot chicks and have sex all the time? Oh, and his roommate is a lesbian? I mean, come on! The guy is delusional! I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he gets shot in the head twice and is taking pain medication. But there isn’t anything definite in the book to confirm that we shouldn’t take all the events that occur at face value. Hm.

The last few pages prepare you for an un-climatic ending, but what the--? It wasn’t even that I wanted to know anything about his father or mother or his many love interests or the dead woman or Whitey or the cops or the state of the world. I was willing to let everything go! I just wanted to know the point of his story.

So after I closed the book, a theory popped into my head. Perhaps he’s at the island the whole time, visiting with his family, including the cousin he admires. Maybe he and Dot are a couple and even have a child together (the baby at the end that she’s holding). Everything else is David’s fantasy, which would explain his inconceivable womanizing and his attempts to rationalize his attraction to his cousin. It would also serve as an escape of his present situation with a domineering mother and a girl (and possible child) who he loves, but feels unsure about.

Or maybe not. There's not much evidence to support my theory, and besides, I kind of don't care at this point!

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore Daniel Clowes graphic novel Ghost World and its movie adaptation (one of my favourite films of all time), and so I was very excited to find this graphic novel in my local library, as it had been on my wishlist for a while.

I really enjoy Clowes's drawing style - his phases are surprisingly expressive, giving his characters a very realistic feel. I liked the fact that the whole graphic novel was in black and white, with the odd interspersed coloured panel.

I didn't really know what the story was about before going into this - there was no blurb - and I'm still a little confused if I'm honest. There was so much happening, and at times it could be real while at other times completely fantastical. The narrator David Boring is obsessed with finding a woman that fits his ideal female form (based on his cousin Pamela), and from there gets himself involved with various women, and also finds himself in various dramatic and violent situations, along with his lesbian roommate Dot. Are you confused yet? What if I tel you there's an apocalyptic underlay to all that? Yep, I bet you are now.

I did enjoy this graphic novel, and it only took me around 2 hours to read over the space of last night and this morning, but I'm glad this was only a library rental. It doesn't have the clout and ingenuity that I feel Ghost World has. I don't know, maybe my expectations were too high. I just felt that although the storyline was very interesting and the artwork was enjoyable, there was just a bit too much going on for my liking.

[Peter Looles · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Boring

The story follows David Boring, a young man who has moved into the city. There he lives with Dot, his lesbian friend. One day, an old friend named Whitey visits and he gets killed the same night. On the way back to his home, for the funeral, David meets Wanda and he becomes obsessed with her. For a while he follows her and eventually they get together, into a romantic relationship. Shortly after she breaks up with him, which makes his obsession grow even more. One night, while coming back home, he gets shot. While he's injured, his mother and Dot take him to a small man-made island, where some family members reside. There, they start believing that the world is about to end, because of a new war has started and life gets progressively more complicated.
This was a very unique graphic novel. It's weird, because it feels like nothing is happening and also like too many things are happening at the same time. It's like real life, just a bit exaggerated. The characters are very realistic and unique. While, some times, they act in extreme ways, they remain very relatable. Especially David Boring, the protagonist. His obsessive and artistic nature makes him feel more real than many actual human beings and extremely relatable, which makes the entire story more interesting and captivating. In general, David Boring is an incredibly well written character. He has flaws, like everyone and his seemingly uninteresting life is not very different from the one each of us lives. His journey to find and understand his estranged father, through his comics, is a very interesting one and undoubtedly a highlight of the story. That being said, in my opinion the highlight of the story is David's relationship with women. His obsession with Wanda, his other obsession with butts, his friendship with Dot and his various sexual relationships, some more meaningful and some less meaningful. I found David's relationship with the opposite gender to be one of the most relatable aspects of his character, which made me get more invested in the story. Furthermore, something I loved is David's very detailed narration. The entire story is narrated by him, which let's us get a deeper glimpse of his thoughts. Daniel Clowes truly did an incredible job writing the narration.
The artwork is as incredible as the writing. Clowes' use of shadows is remarkable and it sets the tone for the entire story perfectly. His unique style works very well, as always and every panel truly looks amazing. The different perspectives used in each panel give a cinematic vibe, which seems to have been Daniel Clowes' goal. Also, the lettering is truly beautiful and it fits perfectly with the art style.
Overall, this was an amazing graphic novel, without a complicated or extreme story, but with realistic characters and great artwork.
10/10

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clowes artwork on David Boring is, as usual, immaculate and he consistently manages to draw characters whose faces emote a sense of ennui yet manage to evoke in me a feeling of compassion that borders on pity. This interplay intrigues me in that it serves to both endear and distance me to almost every major player in the book. Whether or not that feature of Clowes' art best serves the narrative, and whether it should, remains left to the individual. For me, the result is a positive and heightens the slightly surreal nature of Boring's world.

Stripped down, David Boring is a love story. Artfully dressed up by Clowes' craftsmanship, however, the standard love story is complicated by all manner of fixation, fetishism and obsessiveness in addition to the possible end of the world.

As a character, David Boring's only remarkable traits are his fetish for fat-bottomed girls and the single issue of his father's comic that he happens to own. This sexual fetish leads to expected relationship problems as David constantly risks letting his obsession for the physical overshadow any and all other aspects of his relationships with women. David's fetish for his father's comic, and subsequent obsession to learn about the man from the remaining scraps of his work, leads to one to speculate about the triadic, feedback-loop-like relationship between creator, creation and reader.

And so this theme of destructive fetishism runs rampant through David Boring as Clowes explores various characters, their fetishes and the nuanced situations that result from such behavior. Clowes fetishists include: Boring, Boring's best friend Dot (whose obsession is saved for a graceful and quiet denouement), Boring's girlfriend Wanda, Wanda's lover, the Professor, Boring's mother and possibly Boring's father (although I haven't looked too closely at this possibility).

The plot is set against a backdrop of impending world destruction by terrorists. Nice, huh? Come to think of it, terrorist activity may be viewed as a type of destructive fetishism whose idealistic single-mindedness overlooks the complexities of the world. This backdrop, though, allows Clowes a surreal, albeit convenient, way in which to resolve his story while pardoning any remaining social mores his characters may breech during the resolution process.

Clowes always delivers quality art and story. If you're already a fan of comix, you know this. If you've yet to sample the delights of graphic novels you'd do well to jump in right away with David Boring

[Dov Zeller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure what to make of this anti-heroic comic book/sort of film in which a fairly apathetic, plain, take the bull by zero horns character is in something of a noir, super-hero-ish, sort of actiony comic.

There is a lot of sad-sack humor in here that could be very funny, but falls a bit flat, as I think it is meant to, because of the genre mash-up. The opening pages seem to me an exercise in bringing together many comic modes at once and putting them in a bit of a blender (a la mode?) and then looking at them as through a kaleidoscope. Even the cover hints at contemporary graphic novel and superhero comics with its clean-cut plain Clark Kent type protagonist with profile outlined in a bright flash of gold.

But then of course, you get inside and Clark Kent never really changes into super-man. I guess if he were a super-hero he might be super-mediocre-shlemeil or kind-of-regular-sort-of-super-I-think-maybe-ass-man.

The endpaper throws another layer of weird into the book-welcome-mat. Is it doodles? A super-hero-comic touch? A Jim Woodring-esque surrealist invitation? Hard to say with all those weird amoeba, flower and crystal shapes. (Is that an exploding raspberry or a kryptonite planet?)

And then, the many title pages again just a mishmash of noir, super-hero, Archie and alternative comics.

I'm pretty sure this is an intertextuality obsessed meditation on the connectedness and disconnectedness of comic artists and genres throughout comic history (with some hieroglyphs thrown in for fun) with added interplay between the idea of comics as book and comics as film. Basically, a lot of meta-narrative type stuff that makes the book interesting but is also to a certain extent pompous, greasy and annoying.

Still, it held my attention and made me laugh and cringe and I sort of cared about David and Dot.

Hmmm.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the indifference that the first half of this book left me with, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the last half David Boring actually turns into an interesting and very bizarre story of suspense, intrigue, mystery and, well, sexual obsession (of a sort).

I think Chris is right that there is something David Lynchian about this comic, particularly in the way that there seem to be so many loose ends left hanging at end (and, er, the surreal blend of detective story tropes, Hollywood ambitions, creepy dream sequences, and lesbianism).

Incidentally, the very last frame was horrible. I knocked a star off just for that (take that Daniel Clowes!)

[Alexander Lisovsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Кто бы мог подумать, что один из лучших своих комиксов Дэниел Клоуз ("Ghost World") написал на заре своей карьеры, ещё в журнале Eightball, и поэтому я его чуть не пропустил. "Дэвид Боринг" начинается как увлекательная история про застенчивого, типа скучного парня, который всегда сторонился девушек, а потом с началом взрослой жизни переехал в город и пустился во все тяжкие до такой степени, что теперь умеет уже по лицу женщины определять тип её задничной комплекции. Этот крайне полезный навык выработался не просто так — Дэвид зациклен на вполне конкретном типаже внешности, который врезался ему в мозг после событий одного юношеского лета (у него даже есть тайный альбом, куда он подклеивает свои фетишистские рисунки).

Во второй главе (из трёх) история вдруг берёт крутой поворот в сторону триллера-детектива, причём контраст настолько сильный, что на каждой странице ждёшь, когда же герой проснётся (и сам он, вероятно, чувствовал себя так же). В целом я бы сказал, что David Boring — нечто среднее между Mister Wonderful, Patience и Ghost World, а своим прекрасным чёрно-белым видом, ловкими графическими ходами и остроумными диалогами отсылает к творчеству Адриана Томине.

Рекомендую, и вот небольшое превью.

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good. I was surprised to learn that this was Clowe's debut novel. It had a fairly complex plot for a first project, and the art was detailed as well.

[Chris Merola]

pretty interesting hodge podge of genres and oddities, very playfully sits at the intersection of melodrama and mumblecore while doing transformational somersaults with its plot and tone every ten pages. put simply - a booty obsessed comic

[Maryna Ponomaryova · Rating 2 out of 5]

Герої, яких я взагалі не розумію.

[Liam O'Leary · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Plotless Review*

Like my review for Clowes's Eightball, I am making an exception to my 5* rating policy as I definitely would not recommend these books to everyone.

I generally wouldn't recommend either book to most female readers because they have an explicit male POV which will probably come across as obnoxious or unattractive as they are for unidealistic male characters that are disappointingly sleazy, weak, sensitive and indecisive. I don't find this frustrating---they are nothing compared to Young Werther---but many people lose patience with male melodrama. I think the characters might make more sense to introverted male readers. People compare Clowes to the David Lynch of graphic novels, and I think this book will attract the same audiences. There are plot elements that will be appealing to people familiar with Max Payne 1 and 2 (released around the same time).

The point of praise I have for these books is that the surreal narrative direction and emotional epiphanies are absolutely superb. The concept of Act two was executed better than I have seen on film. This is incredibly unpredictable and ambiguous but still thrilling and engaging. This has the noir and sadness of Tomine's Sleepwalk, which I haven't really been able to find in anything made after 2010 (or the rise of social media).

This is better than Clowes's eightball, which to me resembles more of an experiment in surrealism; David Boring is Clowes's attempt to turn the format of 'Like A Velvet Glove...' into a stronger story (more character detail and stronger plot direction) while retaining the same narrative style (albeit less extreme and more realistic than in 'Like A Velvet Glove...'). Since then, it seems Clowes has moved further in this direction, gradually diluting the surreal narrative style in favour of a stronger plot and character focus. Patience resembles a punchier story but with weaker surreal style. By comparison to Lynch: 'Like A Velvet Glove...' is on the cryptic experimental end of the scale like Inland Empire, Patience is on the other more entertaining end like Lost Highway, but David Boring is sort of in the middle like Blue Velvet. As far as I have read it is Clowes's best balance between character focus and narrative experimentation. I'm giving this a rebellious 5* for their exceptional sense of style in spite of the many I believe this will not cater for. It is weird and niche, but potent.

[Matthew Curtis Cornett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one's good. A piece of advice, though: don't read it while riding the bus. whoever is sitting behind you will look over your shoulder at some point and, when they do, it will confirm their already sneaking suspicion that you are a sexual deviant of some sort.

This is the story of a young man's quest for the ideal woman. Everything else is ancillary, except for an inscrutable memento of his dead father and his brother-sister/Batman-Robin like relationship with a lipstick lesbian named Dot. This comic could have been a noir style murder mystery but, sardonically, it wasn't. Nothing matters to our anti-hero, David Boring--not murder, art, nor family; not gunshot wounds to the head, nor terrorism; not revenge, nor chemical warfare--and when it comes down to it, not even the impending doom of the apocalypse is significant enough to distract him from his monomaniacal quest for pussy.

[Hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very tough to rate this volume. Daniel Clowes artwork is stunning (5 stars there). The story is quite original and twisted, but it either didn't connect with me or I wasn't at the right "brain space" to fully dive into the story.

There is also a lot of sex in the book. You're not a bad person if you read this book, but it might not be the best book to be reading when you are trying to make a first (or appropriate) impression (e.g. job interview, waiting for your blind date, parent teacher conference, babysitting, when applying for a loan, etc.). Many others have noted that it might not be the best book to read on public transit, but I have to say that many people read The Kite Runner or James Patterson's books in public and they aren't adequately embarrassed.

[Billie Tyrell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This manages to live up to its name and is fairly boring. It's a shame as I quite like Daniel Clowes in principle, but this one just fell into being a very typically Generation X/Less Than Zero vibe of a directionless and vaguely spazzy middle class guy just walking around pontificating on his dull problems and thinking he's a pervert because he likes looking at bums. The artwork is fine but like with many comics I've read of late (it seems) there's just too many thought bubbles explaining everything. I mean, come on, I don't read comics to read that many words.

[Agustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

estaba en la casa de la playa, lo agarré pensando que decía david bowie y lo terminé leyendo entero

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dan Clowes' David Boring threads a fine line between the surreal and the mundane, providing an interesting insight into the tedium and dissatisfaction experienced by so many young adult men. The story centers on the eponymous David Boring, a man who gains validation through others and his ability to sleep with women he considers traditionally attractive. He lives with his lesbian friend, Dot, has an alienated relationship with his mother, and pursues an unhealthy obsession with his new love interest, Wanda. The story takes some wild turns, including the looming threat of a massive scale terrorist attack, a shooting and a police investigation, but otherwise the story is almost laughably mundane. Indeed, the more boring elements of David Boring is where this comic works so well.

Clowes' cartooning is as refined as it can be with this entry. At this point, Clowes has been working on Eightball for nearly a decade, and it's really clear that he still hasn't settled on a traditional form. While previous issues of Eightball provided more variety, David Boring was serialized for the entirety of issues #19-21. While Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron and Ghost World understandably felt much more stream of consciousness, David Boring is much more deliberate. It still has the same sense of randomness that Clowes revels in, but it definitely feels like there are distinct acts with this comic. It works well, and makes for a much more unique read compared to the other Eightball stories. All in all, I would definitely say that David Boring is an essential read for fans of Clowes' other books.

[Wojciechus Wroobellus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wciągnąłem się w historię Davida Boringa. Czytało mi się przyjemnie. Nie sposób jednak nie zauważyć, że autor ma jakiś kłopot w przedstawianiu relacji i pod powierzchnią całej opowieści drzemie złożona frustracja seksualna. Poniekąd jest to pewnie temat (I guess). Tyle, że przeczytałem w zeszłym roku „Ghost Town” i tam dynamiki były podobne. To sprawia, że zaczynam się zastanawiać, na ile te elementy są zamierzone, a na ile stanowią wypadkową osobowości i emocjonalnego kłębowiska Clowesa.
Może to nie ma znaczenia, bo każdy autor/autorka przekazuje w dziele jakąś część siebie, którą niekoniecznie chciałby przekazywać. Tutaj mam z tym kłopot o tyle, że przedstawienia kobiet w „Davidzie Boringu” są… no nie wiem, specyficzne. I wielokrotnie zastanawiałem się, na ile to ma być problematyka tego komiksu, a na ile autor po prostu tak widzi relacje seksualne (i romantyczne) między ludźmi.
Mimo wszystko podobał mi się ten komiks. Klimat, rozwijanie się intrygi i ogólna atmosfera tajemnicy. No i graficzny styl Clowesa pasuje do tej historii.

[Gerardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

E' un'opera della fase finale del post-moderno, che appartiene a quell'estetica, ma che preannuncia elementi di superamento molto interessanti.

Il testo cita numerose opere dell'epoca modernista: molte "inquadrature" ricordano i quadri di Hopper, colui che seppe raccontare la solitudine e il forte senso di vuoto della vita moderna; la seconda parte del romanzo ricorda Gita al Faro della Woolf e di come una semplice gita possa diventare motivo di conflitti familiari al limite dell'autodistruttivo; la trama si costruisce intorno a "epifanie" di tipo sessuale, che ricorda Joyce o Lawrence.

L'intrigo viene strutturato sulla base di due forze: quella sessuale e quella mortifera. Clowes, quindi, fonde due tipi di generi: il romanzo di formazione (soprattutto quello legato all'educazione sessuale) e il thriller, legato a delitti e morti improvvise.

A differenza delle opere moderniste da cui trae ispirazione, il testo ha una trama forte. Gli eventi si concatenano tra di loro, attirando la curiosità del lettore. Eppure, c'è un elemento bizzarro che caratterizza l'intera costruzione della trama: ogni evento produce delle domande, suscitando così la suspense. Ma a differenza della maggior parte dei romanzi, qui manca qualsiasi forma di evoluzione: il romanzo domanda e risponde in maniera secca, senza mostrare il percorso che porta alla risposta. C'è domanda e c'è risposta, ma manca del tutto la ricerca. Gli eventi non sono legati né da un punto di vista logico, né simbolico: e la trama che si sforza di tenerli insieme, legandoli per dar loro una parvenza di senso. Lo stesso accade per i personaggi: ce ne sono molti e i rapporti sono anche intricati, ma nessuno intraprende un rapporto dialettico con l'altro. Ognuno parla, ma l'altro non lo ascolta, né lo comprende: si è accanto senza com-prendersi. Nessuno tenta di "prendere" l'altro, ognuno scivola accanto all'altro mentre è ripiegato sul proprio sé. David, il protagonista, nonché narratore della storia, è l'unico di cui riusciamo a leggere i pensieri: tenta di mostrare il perché dei suoi legami, ma non ci riesce: gli altri, per lui, sembrano meri ruoli, meri simboli: la madre che lo opprime, poiché abbandonata dal marito (un cliché freudiano che rende questo legame uno stereotipo, quasi una macchietta), la migliore amica lesbica, i vari personaggi che si susseguono che vengono elencati secondo il loro grado di parentela, quasi come se fosse l'unica maniera per metterli in collegamento. L'unica spiegazione che sembra muovere David nella sua ricerca dell'altro è il culo. David è attratto dai sederi grandi (questo amore viene rappresentato da un'immagine di donna dal sedere grosso, che David ha collezionato in un diario da ragazzini, in cui ha raccolto alcune foto erotiche). E questa spiegazione deve soddisfare il lettore, perché non ce ne sono altre: ogni rapporto sentimentale di David con una donna è spiegabile sulla base di questo amore per il culo. La donna si limita a essere un pezzo, un unico grande simbolo sessuale. Inoltre, non c'è nessuna evoluzione sessuale: David ritorna sempre sui suoi passi, ripercorre sempre le stesse strada e rincontra sempre gli stessi personaggi femminili.

Se si fa attenzione, un po' tutta la trama segue questo meccanismo: sono variazioni sul tema di alcuni processi che si ripetono, producendo sempre gli stessi effetti. I personaggi non imparano, ripercorrono vecchi copioni e commettono sempre gli stessi errori. Ad esempio: il miglior amico di David viene ucciso con un colpo di pistola in testa, dopo lo stesso David verrà colpito alla testa (stranamente non muore, con tanto di buco in testa. Il fumetto non è privo, perciò, di tratti grotteschi).

SPOILER

Quello detto fino ad adesso farebbe presagire un finale negativo: in realtà, David rincontra sia la donna con cui ha una notte di sesso apparsa nelle prime pagine del fumetto (la prima secondo la cronologia delle pagine del fumetto) e la cugina con cui ha avuto le sue prime esperienze sessuali (la prima secondo la cronologia della vita di David). Questo ritorno sempre delle stesse ragazze (di fatto, nel testo si innamora di Wanda, da cui viene ossessionato, e successivamente si innamora della sorella di Wanda, in un continuo ritorno sui suoi passi) rappresenta questa impossibilità della crescita, questa condanna a essere se stessi senza poter dare un senso al proprio essere: si ha questo carattere e questi gusti, punto e basta. Nell'ultima scena, si ha un'accettazione di tutto ciò: nonostante questo obbligo a vivere il proprio carattere, consegnatoci così com'è dal caso, c'è la possibilità di vivere, cioè di avere una trama (così come ci testimonia David e il suo lavoro di sceneggiatore. Di fatto, in quanto narratore, è lo sceneggiatore del racconto della sua vita). C'è un che di consolatorio, tipico della retorica anni '90: si è così, accettiamolo, godiamoci i brevi momenti di intensità (sessuale o sentimentale) che ci vengono dati, nonostante la loro completa casualità, la loro quasi totale assenza di senso.

Un fumetto che lascia inquieti, che ci mette di fronte alla quotidianità più feroce dell'uomo contemporaneo, sempre in pericolo di essere quella "noia" presente nel cognome di David. Noia che deriva dal ripetere sempre le stesse cose.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird, surreal, perverse, and very awkward to read on public transit. Clowes explores possibility/probability in a way that heightens both his use of realism and surrealism to create a very immersive dreamlike atmosphere. The trail of Easter eggs he leaves throughout are also pretty impressive when closely analysed. Worth a read, and a re-read for the full experience.

[Tyrone_Slothrop (ex-MB) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Graphic Novel per consumatori di narrazioni seriali

Davvero deludente per me questo strano oggetto: niente di notevole dal punto di vista grafico o visivo (anzi, questo disegno semplice e "pop" viene rivendicato come elemento di qualità - io l'ho trovato una copiatura spenta e povera di una estetica pop-art ormai alquanto consumata). Resta quindi solo la trama, l'intreccio, la famigerata "storia" (elemento che pare ormai l'unico che interessi i lettori odierni e sul quale si basa quasi tutta la critica) - e quindi un bel mescolone di personaggi straniti e stranianti, vicende dai toni "noir" ma anche pseudo-apocalittici, perversioni midcult (ossessioni per fondoschiena femminili, davvero sconvolgenti!), scazzi familiari o amicali senza risoluzioni o particolari senso.
Tutto ciò credo sia molto apprezzabile da chi considera una certa serialità come il non plus ultra della narrazione e legge nell'attesa di colpi di scena, eventi, intrecci complicati - io, alla fine, da tutto ciò ricevo solo noia - nomen, omen, direi....

[Matt Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Boring is indeed about a boy named David. He's dealing with a sexual fetish involving large, older woman with big butts. He lives with his friend and roommate Dot, a lesbian and just as much an outcast as David. When an old friend from their past shows up, and suddenly is murdered, it triggers a journey where David meets the love of his life, gets shot in the head, lives on an island & and laments the passing of better times as he & his odd family wait out what could be World War 3.

The ideas that David Boring bring up are more interesting than the characters themselves, which is why it has to lose a star. The story is told mostly through David Borring (as spelled in the book) & mostly through a first person narrative. It's so detached from the rest of the story that it feels cold & distant. Usually that works in a Clowes book, and it's sort of his style, but for some reason the malaise is turned up significantly higher in this, and the overall book suffers. David's character is dull, but when he actually interacts with others, which isn't a lot, he seems like a different person. I liked those interactions, and wanted more of them, but I suppose his inner monologue was more important. And it certainly brought up a lot of interesting points.

The book is basically about how boring life actually is. As David chases the ideal in his head, the moment passes and he can't quite let go of the past. It equally haunts and pleases him. When he mentions something from his past, it's almost like he yearns for it back. By the end of the book he seemed to come to terms with it, but I suppose that depends on how you view things.

The book is also very funny. Like dark comedy, and I ended up laughing at things I probably shouldn't have laughed at. Like attempted murder or strange fetishes. But despite all those things, the book stays grounded in its theme of the dangers of nostalgia in a boring world. That's also emphasized by the lack of color and flash to the animation, which is used effectively.

So for the most part, I liked it a lot. Even if David's singular personality was off putting, I still kind of empathized with him. And it also gave me something to think about, and that alone was worth the time to read it.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it a movie? Is it a comic? Is David a shit person or a misunderstood loser? All of the above?

David Boring is a well-made book, but one that leaves so many questions by the end that Clowes must be writing about how we investigate the meaning of the insignificant pieces of life the same way we do with the elements of stories or comics or any art. In a painting, the angles of a pile of garbage could direct us to a profound statement about our lives; in real life, the pile of garbage is what it is, yet we still try to find meaning in it.

David is obsessed with finding his ideal woman and piecing together an understanding of his absent cartoonist father by reading the surviving copy of his father's comic book, The Yellow Streak. That latter obsession is much more interesting than the first, but gets less attention, unfortunately. I say that this is unfortunate, but there is clearly meaning behind the choice to let this plot drift in and out of focus throughout the narrative.

I tend to stay away from film noir, people who are really into film noir, and stories about men who obsess over an ideal of feminine beauty because these things often lack the self-awareness that I'd like them to develop or expound that self-awareness to the point of being literary "humble brags." David Boring doesn't quite do either, so although I was set up not to enjoy it, there were parts that got to me.

Like all Clowes books, this one is very Clowesian, if that's an acceptable term-- the drawings are cartoons built on frames of grotesque realism and the characters are loners and oddballs with deeply set desires and roles. My girlfriend thinks the book boils down to a kind of postmodern joke and I think I agree with her. If the setting and general aesthetic were something more in line with my tastes I think I would've laughed at the joke, but I was disappointed when I realized that I'd need to reread it two or more times to get a point that seems a little boring to me in theory. I won't ruin it for anyone though. This is my least favorite of Clowes' work but it's still worth a read for anyone interested in contemporary comics, noir settings, or confusing po-mo stories.

[Keen Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sitting somewhere between Charles Burns’s “Black Hole” and the short stories of Adrian Tomine, this little beauty of a book sees Clowes in wonderful form. Once again his prose is sharp and compelling and this is filled with some beautifully drawn characters in some dark and mysterious settings.

Veering between the deeply mundane to the thrillingly exciting this is a book of depth, texture and quality. Clowes dabbles with many genres in here, at various times creeping towards horror, film noir, romance and sci-fi without ever fully committing to either of them. Just when you think you know where you are going, it takes another turn down another hidden path way into some deliciously unknown territory, uncovering many unexpected delights along the way.

This is a subtle, erotic, smart, violent and mysterious piece of work that finds Clowes on top of his game, almost impossible to put down, you feel almost heartbroken when it all has to end. This is a hugely enjoyable read by one of the greatest talents working in the genre today.

[Tom Bensley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my introduction to graphic novels. A friend of mine, a huge fan of the genre, gave it to me with almost no explanation. I, so dense about Graphic Novels that I didn't even know who David Clowes was, accepted tentatively.

As a long time reader of standard novels, it was my instinct to pay attention only to the words. It's fair to say that the way I read the first ten or so pages of David Boring deserved a slap in the face from any illustrator. I barely looked at the drawings by instinct, figuring that the words were enough. Luckily this didn't colour my impression of the story, because I was enjoying it. Eventually I slowed down anmd paid attention to the subtle artwork, astounded at the way Clowes draws his character's facial expressions.

I was also under the impression (get ready to slap me again, but this time just the fans) that all graphic novels were violent and action packed, like a Marvel Comic or Sin City (which I also haven't read. Don't feel you that you should hold back, just let me rub my cheek a little) and I was pleasantly mistaken to find an obscure, yet down-to-earth portrayel of a soft-spoken pervert falling in love.

Clowes has intrigued me and I'm at least peaking the wrong way through a key hole into the world of graphic novels now. Someday, maybe I'll even give a timid knock on the door.