The Pleasure of the Text

by Sami Alwani

In The Pleasure of the Text , Sami Alwani weaves together themes of art induced dissociation, queer intergenerational polyamory, racial capitalism and esoteric mystical experiences into twenty slice-of-life comic stories that are equal parts comedy and tragedy. These stories question society and individual identity. A talking baby philosophizes away his own emotions. A half-man, half-dog cartoonist’s spirit burns too bright when he alienates the entire alternative comics industry, drunk on his own power. A friendly ghost survives COVID quarantine with the help of CBD pot cookies and essential oil diffusers. There’s something for everyone in this cheerful volume collecting all of award-winning Alwani’s work-to-date with plenty of never-before-seen material.

Genres: Comics, LGBT, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Queer, Canada

120 pages, Paperback

Published June 22, 2021

Reviews

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope you like your irony doubled up onto itself, because I have the feeling that is what we get here.

An excellent collection of short stories (I guess), with funny (and still surprisingly truthful) political monlogue/dialogue about our neo-capitalist world, and an individual's place in it. I read it all as having its tongue placed firmly in its cheek.

The art is even more excellent - Sami Alwani displays a wide range of styles, with great skill. I normally make screenshots to add to my reviews, and this is the one time I have forgotten to, and I could kick myself.

Will scratch your Fantagraphics itch, and then moves beyond that lazy reference.

(Thanks to Conundrum Press for providing me with a review copy through Edelweiss)

[Przemysław Skoczyński · Rating 4 out of 5]

Z jednej strony nawiązanie do Barthesa może być mylące, bo bezpośredniego związku raczej tu nie ma, ale z drugiej nieźle koresponduje z bohaterem tych prac, pełnym wątpliwości i sarkazmu inteligentem, który z jednej strony nie kryje mocno lewicujących poglądów, a z drugiej ma do swojego życia i postaw dużo dystansu, rozumiejąc i wskazując własne słabości, niekonsekwencje, a czasem obłudę. "The Pleasure of the Text" to również odważny (w sensie prezentacji aktów seksualnych) i pełen humoru przejaw sztuki queerowej z kapitalną stroną graficzną, urozmaicaną w zależności od potrzeb i pomysłu na dany rozdział. Bardzo oryginalny zbiór, który u nas mogłaby wydać choćby "Krytyka polityczna".

[Adrienne Blaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If you’re trying to convince me that reality exists — let me just warn you, you’re going to have a hard time.” This is the most 2021 book of all. This collection of comics from Sami Alwani is rigorous and radical. Complex thoughts, feelings, emotions bleed onto the page and echo like manic laughter. “There is no bottom to the depths of which I will not sink … *churlish disquieting laughter* my anguish is foundationless and eternal.” The pandemic, politics, racism, capitalism, sexuality, identity … this book covers so much with expertly drafted panels and dense captions. The humor in these comics walks a fine line between hysterical laughing and sobbing and I was bursting with laughter. “The discourse of the culture I subsist in subsumes me.”

[Megan O'Hara · Rating 5 out of 5]

ouchie wa wa but also hee hee ha ha :—)

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up at my library's "just released" shelf, where I find all my comics these days. Some of the stories are close to perfect, especially the one that's sort of in the style of French impressionism and has a ton of sex in it. The ones where he goes super social justice warrior are just not that effective even if the sequencing and design is still extremely interesting. I don't disagree with the politics, they just keep turning into self-hatred, and I'd rather see Alwani express his particular self-hatred in more interesting narratives.
I will read whatever he does next, because he definitely understands modern comix.

[mads · Rating 5 out of 5]

'is there a song for when i'm falling? in love or out of a window and onto the street? or a song for when i drink until i'm drunk and i don't know what i want or from who?'

new fav new fav new fav. alwani is heaven-sent

[Rochelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a phenomenal collection of short stories. I can't wait to read it again. The amount of commentary makes it very enjoyable.

[André Habet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of short comics that repeatedly reckon with contemporary dread, the privilege and anxieties of art making and how much sex to be had in a lifetime. Highly recommend to anyone seeking calm amid another's all consuming breakdow.

[Cory Sprinkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated. Existentially captivating.

[Sezen Tü · Rating 2 out of 5]

Go easy on your "critical race theory", boy (￣o￣) zzZZzzZZ

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sami Alwani (poor guy) is clearly familiar with the disorienting way that angst and anxiety toward self and world can become terribly funny when said out loud. Isn't he a cretinous brute in an even worse world? A disgusting pleasure-seeker using pretentious art-speak to obscure and justify his own vices? Or is that just the reflection of myself I see in his distorted self-portraits?

This collection is the best example of using the comic form as social and psychological commentary that I know of. It is degeneracy turned high art, and philosophy turned masturbation. It is inexpressibly sad, confused, frustrated, and humorous.

It's probably not going to land with most people. But, if you're one of the lucky(??) ones, you will recognize important work here.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sami Alwani is a genuinely exciting cartoonist who tosses questions of identity, race, queerness, polyamory, late-stage capitalism, political unrest and more into a blender and sets to Pulverize. This is a unique and beautiful and hilarious and razor sharp collection that everyone interested in smart alterna-comics ought to check out.

[Deniz Rudin]

Love the Misfortunes of Virtue; got this because it made me want to see more from Alwani. Unfortunately that's basically still how I feel. This feels like a set of warmups to Virtue more than anything else, awkward exercises in finding a voice. Still feel like I want to see more building on what's good about Virtue; don't feel like I've seen it yet.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. But you will need to a dictionary to read half of the dialog in this book.

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alwani demonstrates different styles in this collection but clearly there is a unique voice in there.

[MilesTeller Shirtless · Rating 2 out of 5]

sometimes fluffy, sometimes self-indulgent.

HIGHLITES:
---Misfortunes of Virtue
---History of Sexuality

[Dre Top · Rating 3 out of 5]

Casts such a wide net of mental instability that anyone can find at least a small part to resonate with.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wacky, existential, pandemic, queer, imagination, funny, ironic, sincere. Sad, sad, sad, insightful, wretched, too true, on the money, and funny, surprising, reflective, daring, melancholy: a ride.