What do you think?
Rate this book
Dancing on the Volcano
Dancing on the Volcano is a dramatic and original story of gay relationships for fans of Howard Cruse’s Stuck Rubber Baby or Alison Bechdel’s Dykes To Watch Out For.
When cartoonist Flo travels the globe for the first time without his boyfriend, Bas, he is too preoccupied with feeling homesick to really see any of the beauty around him. Even after many years together, do you still need distance between you in order to miss each other--or can you occupy the same space and still feel disconnected?
Dancing on the Volcano is an autobiographical story about the painful but recognizable sides of love. We all know that a long relationship has many stages, but never before has someone portrayed all those different facets of love as beautifully as Floor de Goede in the original graphic memoir.
When cartoonist Flo travels the globe for the first time without his boyfriend, Bas, he is too preoccupied with feeling homesick to really see any of the beauty around him. Even after many years together, do you still need distance between you in order to miss each other--or can you occupy the same space and still feel disconnected?
Dancing on the Volcano is an autobiographical story about the painful but recognizable sides of love. We all know that a long relationship has many stages, but never before has someone portrayed all those different facets of love as beautifully as Floor de Goede in the original graphic memoir.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
93 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
December 29, 2022
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley
~
Dancing on the Volcano, by Floor de Goede
★★☆☆☆
256 Pages
Content Warning: cheating (possibly?), on-page nudity
Nothing about this graphic novel was what I expected.
From the cover, the image of Flo made me think this was a YA story about a teen or young adult who was travelling for the first time without his boyfriend. The image on the cover is the same image used throughout for Flo – the graphic novel embodiment of the author, Floor, as this is an autobiographical story. However, that image implied a child or young adult, to my eyes. Maybe it's just me, but that was how I went into this story, and those were my expectations.
That was NOT what I got. At all.
For me, the biggest issue is with the timeline. There is no real flow or order to the stories told. Nothing about the blurb or cover of this book said this would be a collection of slice-of-life comic strips, ala Strange Planet. At least there, I went in knowing the stories were disconnected, but here, up to page 90, there was ONE consistent story, with a logical flow, a full exploration of one event in Flo's life. Then, suddenly, there was a total switch to an unknown timeline, with no notice of whether it came before or after the trip. Maybe if there had been chapter breaks, different titles for each story, or AT LEAST a timeline note, it might have made more sense, but half the time I began to wonder if some of the events were another weird segue in Flo's creative mind.
Also, I had a repeat of page 44 right between pages 53-54, for some obscure reason.
I think my biggest issue was the relationship dynamic between Flo and Bas. To start with, during his trip that is 90 pages long, Flo comes across as extremely co-dependent, missing Bas desperately, and constantly messaging Bas, to the point where he doesn't even enjoy his trip. He's so disinterested and forgetful (I assume, since no explanation was given) that he doesn't even charge his camera properly, despite being on the trip as a photographer. He keeps harping on about being a comic artist, but the only signs of that are his imagination, where he imagines wild events in the middle of an ordinary day. I would have LOVED to see him sketching pages or plotting stories as he was on the trip.
Instead, what we got was a lot of whining and complaining, missing Bas and being treated shockingly by his friend, Sander, who was obnoxious and rude towards him. Then, somehow, there was a total flip after page 90, where it was Flo who was looking at someone else, fancying someone else, and jeopardising his relationship. Bas warns him that it can only be the two of them – even after Flo makes the brave suggestion it could be a poly relationship – only to then flip his opinion later.
The real issue I had with the entire book was continuity. There was NO continuity or explanation of what was going on, what the timeline between events was, or what order the events happened in.
Flo is drawn/written as a very immature, childlike figure, in both personality and behaviour. There is a LOT of swearing and nudity I wasn't expecting. And Flo spends most of the last half of the book partying and looking for a new boyfriend, despite already having one. Or not. Because, without the continuity/timeline markings, we don't know if Flo and Bas broke up but just kept living together or not. Which ended in a lot of cheating and potential cheating.
I might have bought the relationship more if Bas had been even slightly open to the poly idea, if they'd been in an open relationship, or if we actually saw Tom – the love interest – as someone worth being in love with. Instead, all he did was sleep over on the couch and date other people a lot. It felt like Flo's connection to him and interest in him came completely out of nowhere, probably more a case of being bored with Bas than any actual feelings for Tom himself.
Worse, at the end of the book, there's a sort-of unexplained flashback of events from Bas' point of view. We see the time when Flo was on his trip to the volcano, and Bas is *actively* dating other people, actually getting frustrated and annoyed by Flo's messages, and doesn't seem to miss Flo at all. Which is HUGELY confusing, since this was the part of the story that actually flowed well and made sense, at the very beginning. At this point, it puts a whole new light on the first half, which is just confusing.
In the end, I think someone NOT connected to the events of the story – since it is autobiographical – needed to step in and warn how this would come across to readers not in the known. Someone needed to read it, then say “we need a little more” to help explain the events, the time passage, and the background to what was going on. However, I think Floor was too close to the story – since it is their story – and that never happened, so I'm left feeling conflicted and confused.
Nothing was clear. The artwork was nice, but gave the wrong impression, and left Flo seeming more like a teenager in a world of adults, as he was one of the few people drawn the way he was. With some help, this could have been a touching exploration of the reality of a relationship drifting from romance to boredom to friendship. It could have been a great slice-of-life storyline about the evolution of Flo and Bas' relationship, but it just lacked the continuity and background to properly showcase that.
Copy received through Netgalley
~
Dancing on the Volcano, by Floor de Goede
★★☆☆☆
256 Pages
Content Warning: cheating (possibly?), on-page nudity
Nothing about this graphic novel was what I expected.
From the cover, the image of Flo made me think this was a YA story about a teen or young adult who was travelling for the first time without his boyfriend. The image on the cover is the same image used throughout for Flo – the graphic novel embodiment of the author, Floor, as this is an autobiographical story. However, that image implied a child or young adult, to my eyes. Maybe it's just me, but that was how I went into this story, and those were my expectations.
That was NOT what I got. At all.
For me, the biggest issue is with the timeline. There is no real flow or order to the stories told. Nothing about the blurb or cover of this book said this would be a collection of slice-of-life comic strips, ala Strange Planet. At least there, I went in knowing the stories were disconnected, but here, up to page 90, there was ONE consistent story, with a logical flow, a full exploration of one event in Flo's life. Then, suddenly, there was a total switch to an unknown timeline, with no notice of whether it came before or after the trip. Maybe if there had been chapter breaks, different titles for each story, or AT LEAST a timeline note, it might have made more sense, but half the time I began to wonder if some of the events were another weird segue in Flo's creative mind.
Also, I had a repeat of page 44 right between pages 53-54, for some obscure reason.
I think my biggest issue was the relationship dynamic between Flo and Bas. To start with, during his trip that is 90 pages long, Flo comes across as extremely co-dependent, missing Bas desperately, and constantly messaging Bas, to the point where he doesn't even enjoy his trip. He's so disinterested and forgetful (I assume, since no explanation was given) that he doesn't even charge his camera properly, despite being on the trip as a photographer. He keeps harping on about being a comic artist, but the only signs of that are his imagination, where he imagines wild events in the middle of an ordinary day. I would have LOVED to see him sketching pages or plotting stories as he was on the trip.
Instead, what we got was a lot of whining and complaining, missing Bas and being treated shockingly by his friend, Sander, who was obnoxious and rude towards him. Then, somehow, there was a total flip after page 90, where it was Flo who was looking at someone else, fancying someone else, and jeopardising his relationship. Bas warns him that it can only be the two of them – even after Flo makes the brave suggestion it could be a poly relationship – only to then flip his opinion later.
The real issue I had with the entire book was continuity. There was NO continuity or explanation of what was going on, what the timeline between events was, or what order the events happened in.
Flo is drawn/written as a very immature, childlike figure, in both personality and behaviour. There is a LOT of swearing and nudity I wasn't expecting. And Flo spends most of the last half of the book partying and looking for a new boyfriend, despite already having one. Or not. Because, without the continuity/timeline markings, we don't know if Flo and Bas broke up but just kept living together or not. Which ended in a lot of cheating and potential cheating.
I might have bought the relationship more if Bas had been even slightly open to the poly idea, if they'd been in an open relationship, or if we actually saw Tom – the love interest – as someone worth being in love with. Instead, all he did was sleep over on the couch and date other people a lot. It felt like Flo's connection to him and interest in him came completely out of nowhere, probably more a case of being bored with Bas than any actual feelings for Tom himself.
Worse, at the end of the book, there's a sort-of unexplained flashback of events from Bas' point of view. We see the time when Flo was on his trip to the volcano, and Bas is *actively* dating other people, actually getting frustrated and annoyed by Flo's messages, and doesn't seem to miss Flo at all. Which is HUGELY confusing, since this was the part of the story that actually flowed well and made sense, at the very beginning. At this point, it puts a whole new light on the first half, which is just confusing.
In the end, I think someone NOT connected to the events of the story – since it is autobiographical – needed to step in and warn how this would come across to readers not in the known. Someone needed to read it, then say “we need a little more” to help explain the events, the time passage, and the background to what was going on. However, I think Floor was too close to the story – since it is their story – and that never happened, so I'm left feeling conflicted and confused.
Nothing was clear. The artwork was nice, but gave the wrong impression, and left Flo seeming more like a teenager in a world of adults, as he was one of the few people drawn the way he was. With some help, this could have been a touching exploration of the reality of a relationship drifting from romance to boredom to friendship. It could have been a great slice-of-life storyline about the evolution of Flo and Bas' relationship, but it just lacked the continuity and background to properly showcase that.
October 9, 2022
This is a well drawn and humorous graphic novel about a trip to photograph a volcano. The problem is this is a work trip’ (Insert music from Jaws).
The author Flo travels to the Aeolian Islands to photograph a volcano. It is a beautiful place but this is a work trip and he has travelled alone without his partner and he has to share a room with a work colleague who snores and is somewhat irritating. The author appreciates the beauty of the island but he experiences loneliness because he is away from his partner.
I enjoyed reading this, probably because I had a job that involved a lot of travel. I enjoyed it but it was always a wrench to leave home and the familiarity of routine. After a while a hotel room is just a hotel room and they all become the same. I once travelled to Australia for a conference only to find that my colleagues and I were booked into an airport hotel! Every morning I looked out of my window to see planes, trains and automobiles. The conference was good but the trip as a whole was a missed opportunity to experience another country more fully. Needless to say, I realised then that it was time to look for another job. That’s work travel for you and Flo experiences that mix of enjoying work, but missing home.
The best part of work journeys is arriving home, for me it is any way and this book in some way captures all the reasons why I feel this is true but the second part of the book explores the reality of Flo’s home life and how being away from home can be a bit of a break from the relationship. I found this second part a bit confusing but it explores another trip Flo takes to New York to see his sister and how he spends time partying while his partner also spend time partying at home.
In this book we explore the reality and hum drum of a relationship in the every day and how this can change when the couple are apart and absence makes the heart grow fonder. I did enjoy reading it and I liked the artwork and the simplicity of the colouring.
Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
The author Flo travels to the Aeolian Islands to photograph a volcano. It is a beautiful place but this is a work trip and he has travelled alone without his partner and he has to share a room with a work colleague who snores and is somewhat irritating. The author appreciates the beauty of the island but he experiences loneliness because he is away from his partner.
I enjoyed reading this, probably because I had a job that involved a lot of travel. I enjoyed it but it was always a wrench to leave home and the familiarity of routine. After a while a hotel room is just a hotel room and they all become the same. I once travelled to Australia for a conference only to find that my colleagues and I were booked into an airport hotel! Every morning I looked out of my window to see planes, trains and automobiles. The conference was good but the trip as a whole was a missed opportunity to experience another country more fully. Needless to say, I realised then that it was time to look for another job. That’s work travel for you and Flo experiences that mix of enjoying work, but missing home.
The best part of work journeys is arriving home, for me it is any way and this book in some way captures all the reasons why I feel this is true but the second part of the book explores the reality of Flo’s home life and how being away from home can be a bit of a break from the relationship. I found this second part a bit confusing but it explores another trip Flo takes to New York to see his sister and how he spends time partying while his partner also spend time partying at home.
In this book we explore the reality and hum drum of a relationship in the every day and how this can change when the couple are apart and absence makes the heart grow fonder. I did enjoy reading it and I liked the artwork and the simplicity of the colouring.
Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
August 20, 2014
Wat een heerlijk boek! Luchtig en tegelijk emotioneel. Simpel en tegelijk complex, diepgaand. Anders en toch zo herkenbaar. Schijnbaar eenvoudige prentjes die gevoelens tastbaarder dan ooit maken. Wie op het einde van dit boek niet stiekem een beetje verliefd is op die schattige Flo, heeft geen hart.
Of zoals mijn lief het omschreef: door dit boek ga je weer eens beseffen hoeveel je aan je relatie hebt en hoe gelukkig je daarvan wordt. Need I say more?
Of zoals mijn lief het omschreef: door dit boek ga je weer eens beseffen hoeveel je aan je relatie hebt en hoe gelukkig je daarvan wordt. Need I say more?
Read
March 22, 2023Super herkenbaar, dit is echt mijn liefdesleven
October 1, 2022
This was a good book exploring different forms of love. I liked the art style and the writing as well.
However I can't help but feel the shift between chapters was quite abrupt, making the timeline confusing. It was good to keep us intrigued and use our brain to figure out what happened in between but...it was kinda a lot to fill in the gaps, if you know what I mean.
Except for this, I genuinely enjoyed the book and would recommend it if you like to read short, easy to read graphic novels that talk about love.
However I can't help but feel the shift between chapters was quite abrupt, making the timeline confusing. It was good to keep us intrigued and use our brain to figure out what happened in between but...it was kinda a lot to fill in the gaps, if you know what I mean.
Except for this, I genuinely enjoyed the book and would recommend it if you like to read short, easy to read graphic novels that talk about love.
March 27, 2023
2.5 stars
October 7, 2022
I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
As I understand it, this is a book from a concept that the author/illustrator had of making comic strips from his relationship anecdotes. I liked how real, emotionally charged, and believably illogical the situations that Flo finds himself in are.
I guess I, maybe didn't understand the assignment, since I kept wanting some sort of narrative thread to emerge, or some take-away reason... and in the end, it's just a gay man telling the world about his escapes, which... fun... but also... give me something more interesting! And it's not like this doesn't have interesting moments... it's just that those moments never coalesced and I guess that's what I wanted.
I do have to say that the first story made me really uncomfortable because there was some clear fatphobia not only in the depiction of the fat character but also in the way that the protagonist interacted with this character. Did NOT enjoy that at all.
As I understand it, this is a book from a concept that the author/illustrator had of making comic strips from his relationship anecdotes. I liked how real, emotionally charged, and believably illogical the situations that Flo finds himself in are.
I guess I, maybe didn't understand the assignment, since I kept wanting some sort of narrative thread to emerge, or some take-away reason... and in the end, it's just a gay man telling the world about his escapes, which... fun... but also... give me something more interesting! And it's not like this doesn't have interesting moments... it's just that those moments never coalesced and I guess that's what I wanted.
I do have to say that the first story made me really uncomfortable because there was some clear fatphobia not only in the depiction of the fat character but also in the way that the protagonist interacted with this character. Did NOT enjoy that at all.
October 1, 2022
I mostly enjoyed the illustrations and I found the story intriguing. But I didn't totally follow the story and it felt a little disjointed. Perhaps it would have been more powerful for people who have been following the author over time and have more context. Also, I felt like the illustrations might have been a bit fatphobic? I got the sense that the author sees himself as very wee so I get the contrast he is probably going for but, some depictions came off as body shamey to me. And ultimately the story was a bummer for a substantial part of the book, even if it did sort of end on a possibly more hopeful note.
I received a digital Advanced Review Copy from NetGalley and Oni Press.
I received a digital Advanced Review Copy from NetGalley and Oni Press.
November 27, 2016
Heerlijk boek. Mooi thema, subtiele humor, prachtig helder getekend, eindelijk een epiloog die echt iets toevoegt (wat wordt het happy end geweldig in twijfel getrokken) en - eerlijk is eerlijk - fijn om een goed boek van 256 bladzijdes in een avond voor de kachel uit te hebben!
July 5, 2016
Op zich geen slechte graphic novel, maar ik had er wat meer van verwacht om eerlijk te zijn. Hoge verwachtingen, dat is nooit goed.
October 7, 2024
Ik heb dit boek gelezen omdat we voor school een graphic novel moesten lezen.dit boek leek wel interssant, en het was het enige boek in de bib bij mij in de buurt.
De graphic novel dansen op de vulkaan gaat over Flo die voor de eerste keer op reis gaat zonder zijn vriend bas. Samen met Sander gaat hij naar een vulkaan. Daarna, wanneer Flo terug thuis is, gaat het verhaal over hun leven. Zo komt Tom, een goede vriend van Flo en bas, opeens bij hen langs. Flo wordt verliefd op Tom en is jaloers op iedereen waar hij met omgaat. In het laatste deel zit Flo opeens in New York. Hij verblijft daar bij Jasper. Flo zijn zus woont ook in New York. In New York wilt hij aan zijn graphic novel werken maar er gebeuren nog veel meer dingen dan alleen dat.
Persoonlijk vind ik het boek niet zo goed. Maar er zijn ook een paar dingen die ik wel goed vind zoals de tekenstijl. Die vind ik heel simpel maar ook duidelijk en aangenaam om te lezen. Het verhaal zelf spreekt medan weer niet zo aan omdat ik het heel verwarrend vind en de tijdsprongen niet zo duidelijk zijn. Je weet niet naar waar ze opeens zijn gegaan en het is alsof er een nieuw verhaal begint. De connectie met de personages was er ook niet echt en je weet eigenlijk ook niet veel over de protagonist.
Ik wist voordat ik het boek las dat de kans dat ik het goed ging vinden al niet zo groot was omdat ik liever andere genres lees. Maar ik wou het eens proberen en bij dit boek bleek het niet anders dan ik had verwacht.
Als mensen het boek willen lezen hou ik ze niet tegen want mij mening geld niet voor iedereen maar ikzelf vind het niet zo een goed boek. Daarom hou ik het de volgende keer gewoon bij de boeken waarvan ik weet dat ik ze interessant zal vinden. Dat wil niet zeggen dat ik nooit meer een boek van dit genre zal lezen maar ik zal me meer focussen op boeken in dit genre die me wel nog een beetje boeiend lijken.
De graphic novel dansen op de vulkaan gaat over Flo die voor de eerste keer op reis gaat zonder zijn vriend bas. Samen met Sander gaat hij naar een vulkaan. Daarna, wanneer Flo terug thuis is, gaat het verhaal over hun leven. Zo komt Tom, een goede vriend van Flo en bas, opeens bij hen langs. Flo wordt verliefd op Tom en is jaloers op iedereen waar hij met omgaat. In het laatste deel zit Flo opeens in New York. Hij verblijft daar bij Jasper. Flo zijn zus woont ook in New York. In New York wilt hij aan zijn graphic novel werken maar er gebeuren nog veel meer dingen dan alleen dat.
Persoonlijk vind ik het boek niet zo goed. Maar er zijn ook een paar dingen die ik wel goed vind zoals de tekenstijl. Die vind ik heel simpel maar ook duidelijk en aangenaam om te lezen. Het verhaal zelf spreekt medan weer niet zo aan omdat ik het heel verwarrend vind en de tijdsprongen niet zo duidelijk zijn. Je weet niet naar waar ze opeens zijn gegaan en het is alsof er een nieuw verhaal begint. De connectie met de personages was er ook niet echt en je weet eigenlijk ook niet veel over de protagonist.
Ik wist voordat ik het boek las dat de kans dat ik het goed ging vinden al niet zo groot was omdat ik liever andere genres lees. Maar ik wou het eens proberen en bij dit boek bleek het niet anders dan ik had verwacht.
Als mensen het boek willen lezen hou ik ze niet tegen want mij mening geld niet voor iedereen maar ikzelf vind het niet zo een goed boek. Daarom hou ik het de volgende keer gewoon bij de boeken waarvan ik weet dat ik ze interessant zal vinden. Dat wil niet zeggen dat ik nooit meer een boek van dit genre zal lezen maar ik zal me meer focussen op boeken in dit genre die me wel nog een beetje boeiend lijken.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2025
Het boek ‘Dansen op de vulkaan’ is van de 44 jarige schrijver Floor de Goede. De Goede heeft nog één ander boek genaamd: ‘Destination Canada’. Hij publiceert ook dagelijks een strip op het internet.
‘Dancing on the volcano’ of ‘Dansen op de vulkaan’ is een semi-autobiografisch verhaal over de pijnlijke maar realistische kanten van de liefde. Het gaat over een jongen genaamd Flo die op zakenreis gaat om een vulkaan te fotograferen. Hij heeft een prachtig landschap rondom hem, maar kan er niet van genieten door zijn heimwee naar huis en naar zijn geliefde Bas die hij moest achterlaten voor deze reis. Bas vindt het niet moeilijk om zelfstandig te zijn, hij geniet met volle teugen van zijn leventje alleen als Flo op werktrip is. Maar Flo heeft het hier heel moeilijk mee. Hij verlangt naar zijn vriend en kan niet wachten om terug te zijn. In het tweede fragment zien we Flo naar New York gaan, waar hij weer zelfstandig moet zijn. In het begin is dit natuurlijk niet gemakkelijk, maar na een tijd vindt hij toch zijn draai. Hij wordt wat losser, trekt zich minder aan wat Bas doet en leert hoe hij zelfstandig moet zijn.
Ik vond het heel mooi geïllustreerd. Doordat het vrij kinderlijk getekend is, is het makkelijker om te begrijpen en aangenaam om door te bladeren. Er staat ook niet al te veel tekst in dus je kan erdoor vliegen. Ik vond het verhaal ook zeer mooi en voor sommigen zal het ook heel fijn zijn om eens gezien te worden. Mensen die dit meemaken, zullen het ook wel moeilijk hebben met eenzaamheid, en moeite hebben met deze aanpassing. Ik vond het mooi om te lezen, want het was zeer goed verwoord.
Ik zou het boek zeker aanraden, het is makkelijk te lezen, je kan het dus in een ruk uitlezen en de illustraties zijn het zeker waard.
‘Dancing on the volcano’ of ‘Dansen op de vulkaan’ is een semi-autobiografisch verhaal over de pijnlijke maar realistische kanten van de liefde. Het gaat over een jongen genaamd Flo die op zakenreis gaat om een vulkaan te fotograferen. Hij heeft een prachtig landschap rondom hem, maar kan er niet van genieten door zijn heimwee naar huis en naar zijn geliefde Bas die hij moest achterlaten voor deze reis. Bas vindt het niet moeilijk om zelfstandig te zijn, hij geniet met volle teugen van zijn leventje alleen als Flo op werktrip is. Maar Flo heeft het hier heel moeilijk mee. Hij verlangt naar zijn vriend en kan niet wachten om terug te zijn. In het tweede fragment zien we Flo naar New York gaan, waar hij weer zelfstandig moet zijn. In het begin is dit natuurlijk niet gemakkelijk, maar na een tijd vindt hij toch zijn draai. Hij wordt wat losser, trekt zich minder aan wat Bas doet en leert hoe hij zelfstandig moet zijn.
Ik vond het heel mooi geïllustreerd. Doordat het vrij kinderlijk getekend is, is het makkelijker om te begrijpen en aangenaam om door te bladeren. Er staat ook niet al te veel tekst in dus je kan erdoor vliegen. Ik vond het verhaal ook zeer mooi en voor sommigen zal het ook heel fijn zijn om eens gezien te worden. Mensen die dit meemaken, zullen het ook wel moeilijk hebben met eenzaamheid, en moeite hebben met deze aanpassing. Ik vond het mooi om te lezen, want het was zeer goed verwoord.
Ik zou het boek zeker aanraden, het is makkelijk te lezen, je kan het dus in een ruk uitlezen en de illustraties zijn het zeker waard.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2025
Floor de Goede, bekend van zijn autobiografische strips en zijn werk als illustrator, Dansen op de Vulkaan is een aangrijpende graphic novel die de lezer meeneemt in een emotioneel verhaal. In deze graphic novel slaat hij een diepere, serieuze toon aan. Dansen op de Vulkaan gaat over een persoonlijk verhaal: de liefde, verlies en de eindigheid van het leven.
Het verhaal volgt Floor, een illustrator, en zijn vriend Bas, met wie hij een liefdevolle relatie heeft. Wanneer Bas ziek wordt, belandt hun relatie in een emotionele achtbaan. De ziekte en de dood brengen een schaduw over hun geluk. Floor worstelt met gevoelens van machteloosheid, verdriet en angst. Door middel van de dagboek fragmenten en sfeervolle illustraties neemt hij de lezer mee in zijn innerlijke strijd en het proces van afscheid nemen.
Dansen op de Vulkaan is zo fascinerend gemaakt, het is de oprechte en rauwe manier waarop emoties worden verbeeld. Hij gebruikt een expressieve tekenstijl die perfect aansluit bij de het onderwerp. De afwisseling tussen gedetailleerde tekeningen en minimalistische pagina’s draagt bij aan de sfeer en de emotionele impact van het verhaal.
Het tempo van de graphic novel is afwisselend: soms versnelt het verhaal met korte scènes en dan vertraagt het, waardoor de lezer de tijd krijgt om de emoties te laten bezinken. Dit reflecteert de chaos van rouw en verlies op een treffende manier.
Een ander sterk punt is het gebruik van de symbolieken en de metaforen. De vulkaan in de titel verwijst niet alleen naar een letterlijke reis die Floor en Bas maken, maar ook naar de dreiging die constant op de achtergrond aanwezig is: de uitbarsting die onvermijdelijk lijkt te komen. Dit symbolische element geeft het verhaal extra diepgang en maakt het nog aangrijpender.
Daarnaast zijn de personages zeer herkenbaar en menselijk. Floor wordt gekenmerkt als een man die zijn gevoelens niet altijd goed onder woorden kan brengen, maar ze te sterker voelt. dialogen zijn natuurlijk en raken precies de juiste toon, zonder geforceerd en dramatisch te zijn. Floor slaagt erin om zowel de liefde als de pijn tussen de personages op een subtiele en geloofwaardige manier over te brengen.
Dansen op de Vulkaan is een meeslepende en aangrijpende graphic novel die diepe emoties oproept. De combinatie van sterke afbeeldingen, een eerlijke verhaal en doordachte symboliek maakt dit boek tot een aanrader voor liefhebbers van graphic novels met een persoonlijk en emotioneel verhaal. Het thema is best zwaar biedt het boek ook troost en herkenning. Voor wie houdt van verhalen die recht uit het hart komen en niet bang is om geraakt te worden, dit boek is kei leuk en heel interessant. Het is zijn lezen waard.
Het verhaal volgt Floor, een illustrator, en zijn vriend Bas, met wie hij een liefdevolle relatie heeft. Wanneer Bas ziek wordt, belandt hun relatie in een emotionele achtbaan. De ziekte en de dood brengen een schaduw over hun geluk. Floor worstelt met gevoelens van machteloosheid, verdriet en angst. Door middel van de dagboek fragmenten en sfeervolle illustraties neemt hij de lezer mee in zijn innerlijke strijd en het proces van afscheid nemen.
Dansen op de Vulkaan is zo fascinerend gemaakt, het is de oprechte en rauwe manier waarop emoties worden verbeeld. Hij gebruikt een expressieve tekenstijl die perfect aansluit bij de het onderwerp. De afwisseling tussen gedetailleerde tekeningen en minimalistische pagina’s draagt bij aan de sfeer en de emotionele impact van het verhaal.
Het tempo van de graphic novel is afwisselend: soms versnelt het verhaal met korte scènes en dan vertraagt het, waardoor de lezer de tijd krijgt om de emoties te laten bezinken. Dit reflecteert de chaos van rouw en verlies op een treffende manier.
Een ander sterk punt is het gebruik van de symbolieken en de metaforen. De vulkaan in de titel verwijst niet alleen naar een letterlijke reis die Floor en Bas maken, maar ook naar de dreiging die constant op de achtergrond aanwezig is: de uitbarsting die onvermijdelijk lijkt te komen. Dit symbolische element geeft het verhaal extra diepgang en maakt het nog aangrijpender.
Daarnaast zijn de personages zeer herkenbaar en menselijk. Floor wordt gekenmerkt als een man die zijn gevoelens niet altijd goed onder woorden kan brengen, maar ze te sterker voelt. dialogen zijn natuurlijk en raken precies de juiste toon, zonder geforceerd en dramatisch te zijn. Floor slaagt erin om zowel de liefde als de pijn tussen de personages op een subtiele en geloofwaardige manier over te brengen.
Dansen op de Vulkaan is een meeslepende en aangrijpende graphic novel die diepe emoties oproept. De combinatie van sterke afbeeldingen, een eerlijke verhaal en doordachte symboliek maakt dit boek tot een aanrader voor liefhebbers van graphic novels met een persoonlijk en emotioneel verhaal. Het thema is best zwaar biedt het boek ook troost en herkenning. Voor wie houdt van verhalen die recht uit het hart komen en niet bang is om geraakt te worden, dit boek is kei leuk en heel interessant. Het is zijn lezen waard.
October 10, 2022
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Dancing on the Volcano is an autobiographical comic following Flo, a comic book artist from Amsterdam, as he travels and ponders his relationship with his boyfriend Bas.
The book has a well-thought out quality with chapters exploring the relationship between Flo and Bas (and Flo and his work) that, while chronologically out of order, build a nuanced portrait of both Flo's insecurities and the ongoing dynamics of two people who have been together a long time. I was especially fond of the epilogue, which provided some good perspective.
That's a lot of words to say: this comic is good and I recommend it.
Dancing on the Volcano is an autobiographical comic following Flo, a comic book artist from Amsterdam, as he travels and ponders his relationship with his boyfriend Bas.
The book has a well-thought out quality with chapters exploring the relationship between Flo and Bas (and Flo and his work) that, while chronologically out of order, build a nuanced portrait of both Flo's insecurities and the ongoing dynamics of two people who have been together a long time. I was especially fond of the epilogue, which provided some good perspective.
That's a lot of words to say: this comic is good and I recommend it.
October 12, 2022
Thanks to Netgalley and Oni Press for a copy of this book.
This is an autobiographical graphic novel.
For the first part of the book, as a photographer Flo accompanies Sander a journalist on a trip to a volcano. Flo however is missing his boyfriend, Bas.
The other parts of the book chronically parts of Flo and Bas' relationship.
The story lacked context, so we never really understand what's going on our feel connected to the characters. The timeline is disjointed and confusing. Flo looking like a child in compared to other characters felt uncomfortable.
This is an autobiographical graphic novel.
For the first part of the book, as a photographer Flo accompanies Sander a journalist on a trip to a volcano. Flo however is missing his boyfriend, Bas.
The other parts of the book chronically parts of Flo and Bas' relationship.
The story lacked context, so we never really understand what's going on our feel connected to the characters. The timeline is disjointed and confusing. Flo looking like a child in compared to other characters felt uncomfortable.
December 24, 2022
This comic book about a trip to photograph a volcano is funny and well-drawn.
To take pictures of a volcano, author Flo journeys to the Aeolian Islands. Although he has traveled alone without his companion and is staying in a beautiful location for business, he must share a room with a bothersome coworker. Although the author enjoys the island's beauty, being apart from his spouse makes him lonely.
Due to my love of travel, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
To take pictures of a volcano, author Flo journeys to the Aeolian Islands. Although he has traveled alone without his companion and is staying in a beautiful location for business, he must share a room with a bothersome coworker. Although the author enjoys the island's beauty, being apart from his spouse makes him lonely.
Due to my love of travel, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
July 19, 2022
The shadow of a relationship hangs over our main character Flo, as he spends the first time away from his longtime boyfriend, Bas. Yet can Flo appreciate what is around him, instead of just worrying? And yet, even when Flo and Bas are together, sometimes they are the most alone. But then again, things have a way of working out. Then again, can they? Or is there a time stamp on love?
August 30, 2022
This was an interesting collection of comics about the artists life with boyfriend Bas.
I found the order of the comics to be a little disjointed. We seem to start at the end then go back to the beginning and work our way forward from there but I am honestly not certain that my estimation of the timeline is correct.
I found the order of the comics to be a little disjointed. We seem to start at the end then go back to the beginning and work our way forward from there but I am honestly not certain that my estimation of the timeline is correct.
January 10, 2023
Representation: gay Dutch protagonist, gay Dutch secondary characters, gay Usian secondary character.
Not my cup of tea. I noticed that autobiographical graphic-novels just do not do it for me for one reason or another. I am still not sure if it is a me-issue though. There are other I am interested in reading, but I am afraid I will end up not liking them as well.
Not my cup of tea. I noticed that autobiographical graphic-novels just do not do it for me for one reason or another. I am still not sure if it is a me-issue though. There are other I am interested in reading, but I am afraid I will end up not liking them as well.
November 25, 2023
3.5 out of 5
The timeline was kind of confusing at times. But the biggest challenge for me was that it felt like we should be rooting for Bas and Flo, but we weren't given enough backstory on their relationship before things started to get hard, nor did we get much insight into Bas as a character.
The timeline was kind of confusing at times. But the biggest challenge for me was that it felt like we should be rooting for Bas and Flo, but we weren't given enough backstory on their relationship before things started to get hard, nor did we get much insight into Bas as a character.
October 25, 2022
The art style is too cute, and I enjoy the author's art work in general.
I liked snippets of everyday things that, I think, most people would relate to.
The story follows Flo and his struggles as he goes on a trip, leaving his boyfriend behind. Long distance relationships are hard, but he only left for ten days. They have been together for a couple of years (seven? i think) so ten days shouldn't cause that much of a fuss.
Flo is portrayed as a skinny guy and a head shorter than everyone around him, so I thought he was a kid at first. My guess is that the author wanted to appear twink-ish.
As for the story? And the time jumps? Oh boy. It was all over the place.
Most of the time I was wondering what the hell was going on.
Maybe there were some metaphors that flew over my head?
Did I miss something?
Did I receive a copy missing some pages?
Oh wait, nevermind. Chapters are just not in chronological order.
New characters are hurriedly introduced, so you are left wondering 'who is this guy and what's his role in a story?'
There is no right way 'to be in a relationship'. I always like to read books that explore different kinds of relationships, not just your "standard" boy-girl ones.
Flo says to his roommate when they are in a club, "I want to kiss."
After a few pages, when a random guy is making moves on him, "Wow, I have a boyfriend."
One confusion after another one.
Overall, it was an okay story, but it left me too confused. I'll read it again soon so I can make more sense of the story.
I liked snippets of everyday things that, I think, most people would relate to.
The story follows Flo and his struggles as he goes on a trip, leaving his boyfriend behind. Long distance relationships are hard, but he only left for ten days. They have been together for a couple of years (seven? i think) so ten days shouldn't cause that much of a fuss.
Flo is portrayed as a skinny guy and a head shorter than everyone around him, so I thought he was a kid at first. My guess is that the author wanted to appear twink-ish.
As for the story? And the time jumps? Oh boy. It was all over the place.
Most of the time I was wondering what the hell was going on.
Maybe there were some metaphors that flew over my head?
Did I miss something?
Did I receive a copy missing some pages?
Oh wait, nevermind. Chapters are just not in chronological order.
New characters are hurriedly introduced, so you are left wondering 'who is this guy and what's his role in a story?'
There is no right way 'to be in a relationship'. I always like to read books that explore different kinds of relationships, not just your "standard" boy-girl ones.
Flo says to his roommate when they are in a club, "I want to kiss."
After a few pages, when a random guy is making moves on him, "Wow, I have a boyfriend."
One confusion after another one.
Overall, it was an okay story, but it left me too confused. I'll read it again soon so I can make more sense of the story.
January 4, 2023
This autobiographical comic certainly evoked some familiar feelings. It captures the cyclical nature of relationships well: the push and pull, needs for closeness and space, feelings of passion and apathy, a balance of adventure and security.
July 21, 2023
I enjoyed the artist’s style and visual humor, but I found the time frame in the narrative confusing. The book is split into clear sections, but it’s not always clear in what order events occur chronologically.
January 4, 2024
I agree with other reviews that the timeline of things in this story felt a bit disjointed. I also didn't find myself connecting with the characters very much throughout. Overall, not my cup of tea, but didn't hate it.
April 19, 2019
I read this in ONE go, and I thought it was brutally awesome. Quick read, though.
August 2, 2020
Boekske voor den Dave!
September 4, 2020
Leuke tekeningen. Sprongen in het verhaal moeilijk te volgen.
Epiloog is goed gemaakt.
Epiloog is goed gemaakt.
June 10, 2021
Een mooie weergave van liefde, relaties, crushes, twijfel, verlangen, dromen en jezelf soms in de weg zitten. Flo durft een genadeloos portret van zichzelf neer te zetten.
Want to read
August 17, 2022Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.
January 13, 2023
I almost stopped reading after Part 1 but glad I didn’t. After being in gay relationships, so many relatable little feelings and stories in here told in a beautiful way.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews