Apesar de Tudo

by Jordi Lafebre

Ana e Zeno são dois amantes platónicos destinados a encontrarem-se à distância, protagonistas de um romance no qual o final é, na verdade, um novo começo. Ela é a Presidente da Câmara de uma pequena cidade de províncias focada no seu trabalho, ele um espírito livre e sonhador difícil de encaixar. A vida parecia empenhada em mantê-los separados… até que a ambos acabam as desculpas para se reencontrarem.
Jordi Lafebre oferece-nos a sua primeira obra a solo, um relato doce e irresistível sobre um par de corações vibrando em uníssono através do espaço e do tempo narrado com a audácia de todo um mestre.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Bande Dessinée, Romance, Comics, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Contemporary

156 pages, Hardcover

First published September 25, 2020

About the author

Jordi Lafebre (born 1979) is a Spanish illustrator and comic book artist active in the Franco-Belgian market.

Reviews

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving story about love and longing across a lifetime, Always Never by Jordi Lafebre is a gorgeous graphic novel where the erosion of time is stripped away to let love in.

Lovers across time

Zeno and Ana have spent their lives orbiting one another in a bittersweet dance that never aligns their hearts together but keeps them yearning and dreaming for one another. The story is told through outstanding and whimsical artwork and moves backwards through their live—not unlike the film Memento—with each new chapter preceding the last on a timeline returning us to the origin of their first connection. Time is practically a character, pushed in reverse as we unravel the culminations of their lives as paths cross and recross in a backwards waltz of muted passion rivaled by commitment to duty and family. It is a bittersweet story, kept upbeat by the format making each reveal a bit more charming while also coming loaded down with an added emotional weight in the irony of knowing what is to come as the characters greet each page with an eye to the future and an unshakable desire for each other despite the uncertain grounds of love on which they stand. Anyone who has ever had a late night phone call with a long-lost love or wondered if your paths will reconnect with someone where distance grew as a consequence of circumstances will find their hearts aglow with the angst and tender agony of their love.


‘A long time ago, the moon and earth each followed their own trajectories. One day they crossed paths and were mutually attracted to each other, but neither managed to stop. They followed their own course, each with a power of attraction over the other…and the forces combined and the moon started orbiting around the earth over and over again.’

‘They never managed to latch onto each other…but their paths are forever linked.’

This story has left me in a warm blanket of not quite sadness but sweetly exhausted melancholy. It is the feeling of perking up after a good soul-dumping cry. This is a story where so much of what is said speaks to something beyond the actual words, the codes of longing and checking the boundaries to see if there is still a place in someone else’s heart for you.

'We're not talking about the bookstore anymore are we?'
See what I mean?

Ana gets married, becomes a career mayor while Zeno sails, explores, womanizes and works on his PhD dissertation (interestingly enough a quantum physics theory that time can be halted and spun backwards, much like the narrative). There were a few aspects I raised an eyebrow or sighed at, as the romanticization of the wanderlust man who can’t commit is a bit tired, especially as the women in this story are left carrying an unequal load of emotional labor. The two characters are balanced out well though as to both be upholding the longing on each other, though when Ana’s husband is a bit too supportive of her feelings for Zeno its a bit odd (homeboy is like hey I’m old and you can still get frisky so do it up which was…awkwardly executed). Also the story does a disservice to Ana’s husband and daughter who are overly sidelined without much space for them, though their one big scene is a a well done metaphor directed at uncovering Ana’s emotional affair. One final gripe, I sort of dislike the font choice and it is quite difficult to read in a digital version.

That said, there are some intensely cute and tender moments, brought to life with the gorgeous artwork, such as when their phone calls merge them into the same panel as if they are dancing together or embracing on the same beach. Their longing is always felt and their emotions dance off the page, especially the joy they cannot mask with each reconnection.

I love these moments in the story.
The book succeeds through not attempting to do too much with the plot but keeps it fairly centered in the mundanities of life while still making them fairly extraordinary people, he adventurous and brilliant, she driven and strong willed. While it is full of romantic quirkiness, it never launches too far and just breathes with everyday life. I think this made is stick more for me.

The artwork really brings it here. The color palettes are divine, conveying so much mood and the panel work keeps the story moving forward (well…backwards) at a well-balanced pace. Sometimes this book feels like not quite enough and sometimes a bit bogged down in the repetition, but it also feels alive and true, which helps. Projects like Zeno’s PhD or Ana’s mayor-defining bridge weave through the story, finding out the inspirations or pitfalls in ways the keep these sideplots interesting enough to pull the story along. But what is most impressive is the way the erosion of time is show in the landscapes and characters, with their aging being done quite impressively on the page.


But we have to talk about Zeno. Jordi, how dare you make this cartoon man so damn dreamy. Handsome, roguish academic to silver fox…I feel personally targeted. I mean c’mon:

Insert heart eyes

Short but full of love and life, Always Never is a charming and cute read. The idea behind the narrative is great and never feels like a gimmick but only enhances the story and is a unique way to squeeze out as much emotion as possible from the storyline. It all ends where it begins, and is a cute a satisfying moment that will have you flipping back through the story to follow the threads forward through their lives as there are aspects you won’t realize are meaningful until later in the story. A feel good yet feel sad story with exquisite art, this was a hit.

4/5

‘Inevitable, but impossible. Separated by infinity. United by the horizon. At that point where two parallel lines finally come together. One day, perhaps, always.’

[Juan Naranjo · Rating 5 out of 5]

«Carta blanca» es un libro tan tierno, encantador y romántico que me costaría bastante creer que alguien lo ha leído y no ha caído rendido a sus pies. Cuenta la historia de un amor platónico que se alarga durante cuatro décadas: sus protagonistas -una enamoradiza y testaruda alcaldesa y un aventurero marinero- se rehuyen y se reencuentran sabiendo que, por mucho que se quieran, sus vidas no terminarían de encajar porque sus caminos son demasiado diferentes. Tiene la particularidad de que conocemos la historia desde el final, empezando por el desenlace en el capítulo 20, y que conforme el libro avanza los protagonistas van rejuveneciendo hasta que, en la última página, se nos cuenta cómo se conocieron. Esta es una historia de amor atemporal, de las que se cuentan en las películas, de las que están tan destinadas a acabar bien que solo pueden existir en la ficción.

Jordi Lafebre me ha deslumbrado con una historia hermosísima y con unos dibujos perfectamente reconocibles como propios debido a su expresividad cinética: aunque los personajes son ilustraciones sobre el papel, sus vibrantes líneas, sus expresiones faciales, su disposición corporal… hacen que parezca que se están moviendo ante tus ojos. Es genial, también, la enorme representación que hace de distintas tipologías físicas y faciales, así como el excelente trabajo que lleva a cabo a la hora de representar las distintas edades de los protagonistas.

Nada más terminar de leer «Carta blanca» lo que más te apetece hacer es volverlo a empezar de nuevo, esta vez desde la última página en lugar de la primera. Este es uno de esos libros que te dejan una sonrisa al acabarlo y que te despierta las ganas de apretarlo muy fuerte contra el pecho para que ese cariño les llegue intacto a unos personajes que te han hecho pasar unas horas de ensoñación y aventura, y que te han hecho partícipes de uno de los amores más puros que he tenido la suerte de presenciar.

[Megi Bulla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una vita che fatica ad andare avanti dopo quel primo amore.
Una storia d'amore a ritroso.
Un abbraccio che sa di nostalgia.

«Inevitabile, ma impossibile.
Divisi dall'infinito, uniti dall'orizzonte.
Là dove due rette parallele finalmente si incontrano.»
Un giorno, forse, per sempre.

[Rod Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfectly lovely romance told backward. I thought I had a bad digital file when Chapter 20 showed up on page 5, but it is indeed a countdown as each chapter precedes the last chronologically. We know the ending, but now we get to fall in love with the characters as we find out how they fell in love.

The second I got to the last page, I immediately started reading the book backward, going back up through the chapters and appreciating all the tiny little connections sprinkled throughout.

Beautiful in story and art.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple idea, executed perfectly in every way.

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A graphic novel that left me uncertain of my feelings. Almost balanced between positives and negatives in terms of quantity, but the negatives were heftier in weight. It does have some appeal, though I don’t think I can recommend it heartily. This is an outlier opinion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Plot Preview:

Newly retired mayor Ana and newly-turned-PhD Zeno, both in their sixties, are meeting after thirty-seven years, hoping to finally get started on their life together. What happened in the last four decades? Why couldn’t the two be together? We learn their story in reverse chronological order.

This book was first published in 2020 in French under the title ‘Malgré tout’. This English translation came out in 2022.

There are two ways of looking at this story.

One: It’s a story about two lovers who stayed apart until they were finally free to be with each other.

Two: It’s a story about two people who continued a long-distance dalliance with each other despite the fact that they met only once and one is now a married parent.

Which of these is accurate?

Both are.

Which of these is right?

Depends on your perspective. I don’t feel right about condoning infidelity, especially without cause.


The rest of my opinion is also filled with contradictory feelings.

✔ Reverse storytelling, beginning with Chapter Twenty and moving backwards to Chapter One where it all began. Interesting approach.
❌ The reverse narration comes only with chapter numbers, not years or year references. We hardly ever know how many years pass in between chapters, which leaves many gaps in the plot.

✔ The above approach keeps our curiosity alive about why the lovers were apart for so many years.
❌ Chapter One, the final chapter, is the biggest letdown. Written without text, so we don’t see anything except the event that brought them together. As such, we don’t get a legitimate reason for the whole “one true love” spiel we see in the earlier chapters.

✔ The contrary personalities of the two leads: one a nomad in terms of locations as well as love, the other looking for stability in her career as well as marriage. At the same time, the nomad is also an intellectual, and the stable one has a wild side. A great exploration of the multiple facets of human nature.
❌ Only the two leads get proper character development. The rest get zilch. The worst injustice is done to Ana’s husband Giuseppe, who is shown supportive of her feelings for Zeno without any explanation for his charitable opinion. Ana is still married to Giuseppe even as she begins the new phase of her life with Zeno.

✔ The plot seems to have some strength, especially in terms of showing a woman mayor obsessed with the completion of an engineering project and a nomadic physicist with an eccentric theory about time.
❌ There are too many ideas that have no bearing on the love story track, and too many unclarified points that could have explained the love track better. Because of the time jumps, some subplots stay incomplete.

✔ Excellent art, quite quaint at times. Loved how the passage of time was shown through the characters’ faces. The background and the colouring was fabulous. Some panels involve a kind of dual scene that works in parallel across their two locations – these are outstanding. The cover is also adorable.
❌ Their bodies seemed to be in the same shape throughout, with one key natural exception. Only their faces age. The lettering was poor; some words were barely legible in the digital version.


Overall, I expected better from the cover and the blurb. The art is great, but the plot doesn’t meet the potential, especially as the characters come out more as self-absorbed than as sacrificing. Of course, the reverse storytelling approach is a novelty, so if that appeals to you, you might still give this graphic novel a go.

2.5 stars, rounding down for the unwarranted infidelity.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||

[Andy Marr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lafebra's artwork is just stunning.

[Subham · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are books like this that just makes you love .. love and its perfect in every sense of the word. Its a book which tells you of a love story separated by time, but united again by love and its just perfect. The backwards story-telling of them meeting each other in the old age and each succeeding chapter a glimpse of how they first met or stayed united was perfectly done and is a master stroke in story-telling, and the art was breath taking, its so good, you can feel the love and care the artists have put into it and it will just make you love it even more! Its a perfect romance story, a perfect GN with perfect art and all in a perfect read and one of my favorites of the years already! I highly recommend it!

[Fátima Embark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Llorando de felicidad estoy. Qué obra más bonita!!!!

'Carta blanca' nos narra una historia de amor. Y no es que sea excesivamente especial (que lo es), ni cuente con los personajes más carismáticos y atípicos que existan (aunque lo son). Lo especial de su historia es que empieza por el final y, a partir de ahí, en ese momento en el que suele terminar una historia, comienza la de Ana y Zeno. 

Él, un alma libre sin destino fijo. Ella, una mente brillante que ha nacido para echar raíces. Dos caras de una misma moneda. De este modo, los vemos pasar desde la vejez a la adolescencia, en determinados puntos de sus vidas, viviendo su historia de amor como si alguien le diera al botón de rebobinar. Y es precioso y sumamente original.   

Directo al corazón, así se gana un puesto entre mis cómics favoritos. Y es que 'Carta blanca' es una de esas historias que te hacen llorar de felicidad, que te calientan el corazón y que lees con una sonrisa en los labios. Una maravilla que, acompañada del dibujo expresivo y precioso de Jordi Lafebre, hacen de la obra una delicia.

Ojalá pudiera ir hacia atrás y volver a leerlo por primera vez. 

Por supuesto, recomendadísimo.

[Elodie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Histoire intéressante jusqu’à ce que je tombe sur une énième caricature raciste du “Marin noir, analphabète et un peu bêbête”. L’impression de voir “Baba” dans Astérix et Obélix, le pirate aux lèvres exagérément charnues, qui ne sait pas prononcer les R et qui est analphabète. D’ailleurs le personnage de Malgré tout, s’appelle “Bobo”. Coïncidence je ne crois pas. Une énième fiction avec un personnage noir qui fait office de side kick, dont on sait rien en dehors du fait qu’il est “étranger”. L’imaginaire raciste et coloniale est encore présent dans une BD publiée en 2020. Rageant, fatiguant et désolant.

[Micol Giovannini · Rating 3 out of 5]

I disegni sono meravigliosi e l’idea di iniziare dalla fine è molto interessante, infatti appena l’ho terminato l’ho ricominciato a leggere dal primo capitolo con occhi diversi.
Ecco tutte le mie tre stelle sono solo per questi motivi.

Per il resto la storia non mi ha fatto impazzire, anzi... i due protagonisti non mi sono piaciuti. Entrambi si sono innamorati di un’illusione e ne hanno fatto un’ossessione. Sarà che ho un’idea di amore diversa, questo è un mio giudizio molto personale, ma per me amarsi significa soprattutto presenza e dedicarsi gli uni agli altri, quindi a me proprio non è piaciuto il messaggio.

Ana e Zeno si sono innamorati più dell’idea dell’amore che di loro. Questo li ha portati a fingere, soprattutto lei, che aveva al suo fianco una persona meravigliosa, se n’è approfittata e se n’è fregata. Ha usato Giuseppe solo per avere una vita ‘normale’ e una famiglia, una perfetta vittima delle regole imposte dalla società sul dovere di avere come obiettivo una famiglia nucleare, per essere a posto con la coscienza insomma. Poi raggiunto l’obiettivo della famiglia lei ne fuggiva sempre, non era mai presente e pensava solo a se stessa.

Zeno invece rappresenta il tipico belloccio sicuro di se voluto da tutte e infedele perché è “uno spirito libero”.
Poi però si innamora perdutamente di una tipa con cui ha passato la sua prima notte di sesso... ma bo non mi sembra tanto credibile. 😅

Più che una storia d’amore mi è sembrata una storia di tradimenti, amore tossico e di idealizzazione dell’amore.

Inoltre mi ha infastidito la raffigurazione del marinaio ‘Bobo’, che a mio parere incarna uno stereotipo razzista, lo chiamano “scimmione” ed è il personaggio “stupido”. Completamente fuori luogo e non necessario.

[Riccardo Mini · Rating 1 out of 5]

Povero Giuseppe.

[Paula Mota · Rating 3 out of 5]

Não há nada que supere uma história de amor que não chegou a ser vivida, que não sofreu o desgaste da rotina e das pequenas ninharias do dia-a-dia que inquinam uma relação. Assim é o sentimento que une Ana e Zeno durante 37 anos e que o leitor fica a conhecer através de uma GN contada em sentido inverso ao habitual, desde o presente até ao dia em que se conhecem, pondo na prática a própria tese de doutoramento que o protagonista defende 40 anos depois de a ter iniciado:

Uma vez restabelecida a ordem, o tempo seguiria o seu curso. Mas desta vez ele poderia escolher em que direção seguir… para a frente… ou para trás. Com destino ao início de todas as coisas.

Ana e Zeno, A e Z, são os opostos, aqueles que famosamente se atraem. Ela é a certinha, ele é o aventureiro; ela é a mulher que constituiu família, ele é o marinheiro que tem uma apaixonada em cada porto. Se fosse o único cliché… “Apesar de Tudo” é um desfile de lugares-comuns que fazem bufar quem não tem um pingo de romantismo. A saber. Como Zeno está num barco e quer escrever a Ana sem saber a morada dela, manda-lhe cartas em garrafas que atira ao mar. Quando está a navegar por entre os fiordes, a que é que Zeno assiste? Será a uma aurora boreal? E em Veneza, o que é que Zeno faz? Rema numa gôndola para um velho amigo, Romeu, fazer uma… wait for it…serenata ao seu amor proibidos, a sua… Isso. E Ana, sendo protagonista de uma GN francesa, será que se despe? Fácil. Se as leitoras têm toujours l’amour, os leitores têm de ter o seu amuse-bouche. Repito, não há surpresas aqui. Salva-se a estrutura original e as cores distintas de cada capítulo que criam cenários perfeitos.

Separados pelo infinito. Unidos pelo horizonte. Duas linhas paralelas que, enfim, se encontram. Talvez um dia… Talvez para sempre. Talvez.

[Valentina Ghetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Come inizia una storia d'amore? O, in questo caso, come è possibile che due persone si perdano di vista per anni senza mai ritrovarsi veramente?

In questa storia si inizia dalla fine, dall'incontro: l'ultimo? il primo? chissà.

Una graphic novel molto tenera che scalda il cuore, decisamente consigliata.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

No, nonostante tutti abbiano decantato questo fumetto devo dire che mi ha lasciato proprio l'amaro in bocca. Immaginavo che mi avrebbe lasciata entusiasta per via delle buone premesse del primo capitolo postato da Bao su Instagram, per l'idea interessante di partire dall'ultimo capitolo e concludere con il primo, ma è proprio il concetto di un rapporto inesistente, mai esistito che si trasforma dopo quarant'anni in un amore immenso e puro che non mi quadra. Perché una donna dovrebbe cadere tra le braccia di un uomo a prima vista per poi non rivederlo più, vivendo su due binari distinti, scrivendogli lettere che non può inviare per poi continuare la propria vita avendo una carriera meravigliosa, un uomo affidabile e amorevole al fianco con cui ha una figlia? Come si può pensare che qualcuno sano di mente butti all'aria tutto questo dopo quarant'anni soltanto perché lui si rifà vivo? Tuttavia i disegni molto francesi mi sono piaciuti parecchio e alcune scene sono molto apprezzabili. Non credo che lo consiglierei a qualcuno.

[Katya]

Apesar de tudo o que dizem sobre o livro, apesar de todos os elogios e apesar de até ter gostado da leitura, não creio que me fique grande memória desta banda desenhada. Nada de errado com ela - a história é relevante, o uso da anacronia é inteligente e resulta bastante bem, e o grafismo é maravilhoso -, mas o estilo romance meloso não é muito (não é nada, realmente) o meu estilo.

[Maria João (A Biblioteca da João) · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 de 10*

Opinião:
https://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.co...

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think reading this made my heart grow three sizes.

Always Never is one of the loveliest graphic novels, and most unique love stories, I’ve ever experienced. Spanish cartoonist Jordi Lafebre both wrote and illustrated this himself, and there’s a level of cohesion to the prose and the art that feels incredibly rare to me because of that. I was captured from the very beginning by both the art and the unique format.

This is the story of a romance delayed. The book opens with chapter 20, where we see the 37-year delayed date of an older couple who life has kept apart for all that time. Readers are immediately left with questions. Why did they wait so long? What kept them apart? What drew them to one another in the first place? From here, we journey further and further back in their story, finally ending in chapter 1, when the two meet for the very first time.

This format for a love story was absolutely brilliant. Starting with the end and working back toward the beginning was a fascinating, refreshing look at what was already a very unconventional romance, mostly kept alive through late-night office phone calls and letters with no return addresses. It was lovely, and somehow still retained an air of mystery even after the final pages of chapter 1. I was both delighted by it and profoundly moved.

A couple of things about this graphic novel blew my mind. First of all, this is a translation. While I was made aware of this in my research, it never felt like one to me, which speaks highly of both the original prose and the translation itself. Secondly, Lafebre is a phenomenal artist. The expressiveness in the eyes of his characters blew me away, and the reverse aging of the cast was incredible to behold. The skill and raw talent on display here were truly humbling.

I don’t read a ton of graphic novels, and romance hasn’t been my genre of choice this year, but I’m thankful for whatever bookish serendipity brought Always Never into my reading life. It was exquisite, and an absolute delight to read. I’ve already added a physical copy to my wishlist, as this is a story I hope to revisit time and again as I grow older. It gave me an even deeper appreciation for my own love story, and the ease of it, and I want to have access to that lovely reminder on my shelf.

You can find this review and more at Novel Notions.

[The Sporty Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un très beau et agréable roman graphique qui donne envie de croire en l'amour. C'est dommage que la vraie vie ne soit pas aussi belle que la fiction. C'est probablement la raison pour laquelle on aime lire.

[Booktastically Amazing · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a cute graphic novel! Bite sized, sweet and full of adorable moments. A happily ever after waiting to be fulfilled after years of denying.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dopo "Un'estate fa", che mi ha abbagliato con la sua storia e i suoi disegni, mi sono buttato su un'altra opera di Lafebre ossia "Nonostante tutto". I disegni sono sempre stupendi e già dalla prima pagina è stato amore per il tratto e i colori come la prima volta. Amore è la parola giusta perché proprio di un'amore si narra in questa storia. Quello tra Ana e Zeno, però, non è un amore convenzionale come mi aspettavo. Anzi, tutto il contrario! E contrario è un'altra parola chiave poiché anche la storia è narrata al contrario, dal loro incontro ormai vecchi, il lettore torna indietro nel tempo fino alla prima volta in cui si sono visti. Questa narrazione è particolarmente efficace perché fino agli ultimi capitoli non ho capito perfettamente i personaggi e il loro rapporto ed inoltre è bellissimo cogliere i rimandi e le conseguenze che man mano spuntano dalla lettura. Alla fine mi sono affezionato a Zeno ed Ana e ad un certo punto ho pure pianto. E adesso urge una rilettura, dall'ultimo capitolo al primo però, per cogliere i riferimenti che mi sono perso (qualcuno di sicuro c'è).

[Devi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love story told in reverse💜 The color palette and illustrations were so gorgeous.

[Cristina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Siempre me sabe mal poner una mala nota, pero es que no soy capaz de encontrar lo suficiente como para subirla, ya que me parece muy mal la base de esta historia.

Tenía muchas expectativas, una historia de amor contada del revés, desde el final hasta el principio. Me imaginaba una gran historia de amor, con sus más y sus menos, pero no, nos encontramos con un amor platónico de dos personas que no están juntas pero tampoco se sueltan. Y si, con esto también suena bien, pero luego ves como la protagonista le esconde la relación con este hombre a su marido, y si, nunca le pone físicamente los cuernos, pero sabiendo que amas a otra persona....
SPOILER -> ¿Por qué te casas con otra? ¿Por qué le ocultas que tu corazón está dividido? ¿Por qué te sigues escribiendo durante años con este otro hombre? ¿Por qué le mandas una foto desnuda? ¿Por qué abandonas a tu marido justo cuando el otro hombre decide dejar de dar vueltas por el mundo y asentarse? <- SPOILER

Es por eso que no he empatizado con los protagonistas, no los he entendido, ni lo que hacen ni lo que sienten. Me he llevado un buen chasco y más sabiendo que me he gastado más de 20€ en esta historia la cual no puedo sacarle nada bueno. Creo que si hubiese sido una novela más extensa, que tratara más los pensamientos, remordimientos, sentimientos... quizás me habría llegado y lo habría entendido, pero no es el caso, se pone a hablar más de donde poner un puente que de los sentimientos.

[Sabrina · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF: It was a pretty chill read until I got to chapter 13 and boy was I not prepared for the racism! One of the only POC characters, a Black man apparently, called Bobo, is portrayed as a fledgling idiot who can't speak in full sentences and is used as comedic relief to prop up the genius of the other characters. Even if Bobo ultimately gives the protagonist the idea that he will base his thesis on ( intellectual theft, anyone?) he functions purely as a racist stereotype, the kind but dumb and serviable character. I can't believe I had to scroll down so many 5 star reviews to find people who were as shocked as I was. How is it possible to write and draw a character so steeped in racist imagery in 2020? I guess the author did not bother to read any of the anti-racist books that were circulating back then. I obviously stopped reading the book there and then because I was gutted and sincerely very angry, at the author and all the readers who gassed it up because the racism didn't even register in their minds.

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gorgeous artwork is not enough to elevate Always Never, a love story told backwards.

Readers are introduced to Zeno and Ana in the winter of their lives as Zeno closes his bookstore and Ana retires from public service.

They hint at lives well-lived. Then, from chapter 20 back through chapter 1, readers learn about their romance in reverse. Details are dropped here and there in order to build interest. It just didn't work for me.

It did at first. I thought, what a cool idea. But around chapter 12 and 11, the story began to lose me.

Ana was busy with a construction project and Zeno always seemed to be on a boat. They communicate through phone calls and letters. It didn't make a very good story.

I wanted to enjoy this book. As I mentioned earlier, the artwork is beautiful and the muted colors are lovely.

Props to the author, Jordi Lafebre, for trying something different.

[Cristina Di Matteo · Rating 5 out of 5]

E se l’amore fosse una storia raccontata… al contrario?

Nonostante tutto non è solo un fumetto: è una carezza in forma di vignetta, un racconto che si srotola all'indietro, dal presente al primo sguardo. Una struttura originale e poetica, che ti fa sentire nostalgia di un amore prima ancora che inizi.

I disegni di Jordi Lafebre sono pura poesia visiva: espressivi, delicati, capaci di fermare il tempo in ogni sguardo tra Ana e Zeno — due anime che si sfiorano per una vita intera, inseguendosi tra scelte, distanze e occasioni mancate… o forse solo rimandate.

È un inno all’amore che resiste, che trova il suo spazio nonostante tutto: il tempo, le convenzioni, le vite diverse. Un amore imperfetto, eppure meravigliosamente possibile.

Da leggere tutto d’un fiato e poi ricominciare. Perché certe storie fanno bene due volte: quando le scopri e quando le ricordi.

[✔️ JAVI ®️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

9'5/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🙆‍♂️ ¡Increíble como se puede hacer un cómic adulto tan bueno sólo con amor! Aquí no hay villanos, no hay gente mala. Todos los personajes desprenden bondad.
Narrado hacia atrás en el tiempo de forma original y magistral. Cada capítulo rebosa humanidad (pero sólo la parte buena de la humanidad) 😅
Una historia de amor... pero me refiero a la del autor (Jordi Lafebre) por el buen gusto al noveno arte. Pues eso... ¡Una obra de arte! 🙌🙌🙌

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literalmente uno de los cómics más bonitos que he leído, una historia de amor preciosa y el estilo de explicarlo me ha parecido muy novedoso y muy interesante. Se sigue la historia de amor de los dos personajes principales, Ana y Zeno, pero desde el final hasta el principio de cuándo se conocieron, y como a pesar del tiempo y la distancia no ha cambiado nada entre ellos. De verdad, una cucada preciosa que se lee muy rápido y te deja con mariposas en el estómago por lo bonito que es.

[Fiebre Lectora · Rating 5 out of 5]

He quedado fascinada por la delicadeza y la belleza de esta historia, por lo bien pensada y bien hilada que está, la relación entre la tesis de Zeno y la propia historia, lo difícil que es "volver a casa", el hecho de que sus vidas tomen caminos diferentes, que sean capaces de cumplir sus sueños y tener otras relaciones, pero saber que siempre se tienen el uno al otro... no sé, es que sencillamente ha sido de lo más bonito que he leído en muchísimo tiempo, y aún hoy, días después de haberlo terminado, me sigo emocionando por lo redondo y perfecto que ha sido.

Reseña completa: http://fiebrelectora.blogspot.com/202...

[Florence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quelle merveille ! C’est beau et sa manière de découvrir l’histoire donne au récit encore plus de force, un vrai coup de cœur.