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Hair Shirt
John et Naomi sont deux amis que la vie a séparés à l'adolescence. Quand par hasard ils se retrouvent quelques années plus tard, l'amour reprend ses droits et le passé refait surface. Traumatismes de l'enfance, errances sentimentales et sexualité chez les jeunes adultes d'une petite ville canadienne : angoissant, dérangeant et totalement captivant.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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130 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
August 2, 2013
Picked this up from the library because I was captivated by the cover and the art throughout the book. I was captivated by the dream sequences as well, but not much else. I knew after 10 pages that I wasn't going to be interested in the story and would probably hate it, but I kept reading any way, because I just do these things to myself. So I read 100-something more pages about some straight boy's girl problems, his weird guilt about being a fucking creep, his totally unaware self-absorption, his jealously and paranoia, and his eye-roll inducing pseudo feminism. Which conveniently hinges on the contrast of him against Naomi as a manipulative, misogynist character; there's something really gross about a male comic who writes a shitty female character who encourages her boyfriend to rape or assault her friend (because she's insecure and jealous? because she had a fucked up childhood and abusive older brother? because she's engaging in some serious self-sabotage? it's not clear, who knows?) so the male protagonist can be appalled and respond with, more-or-less: "Yeah I like big tits but that doesn't make me a rapist!" I think I was supposed to like this guy?? I can't even tell. The only character I liked was Shaz, but she only existed to add even more conflict to John and Naomi's relationship. Gross, boring, alienating, and really just a mess. Everything to hate about a male-dominated comic world wrapped up in a short beautifully drawn and colored novel.
December 31, 2017
An eerie, disturbing, and complex tale of self deception, toxic relationships, and personal horror, Hair Shirt definitely leaves the reader unsettled, reflecting upon the unspoken fears and dark desires of the underbelly of attraction.
After the sensitive, artistic “nice guy” John, our narrator, bumps into his old neighbor and high school flame, Naomi, at a show ten or so years after they drifted apart, the pair are eager to rekindle their friendship (and romance). However, from the very beginning their relationship is fraught, as John dredges up memories of Naomi’s dead brother, Chris, another childhood friend, and the cruel humiliations and abuse he put both of them through. Naomi herself transforms these memories into a cruel, misogynistic streak that puts John on edge, but at the same time he ignores his own cringing, objectifying, voyeuristic tendencies and jealousies, leading him to remain an unreliable narrator.
As John reflects more and more on his and Naomi’s past, his guilt, fears, and baggage spiral into a twisted and surreal dream world which interacts and bleeds into “reality” in a way that highlights his mental unease, manifesting as mazes of ruined buildings, a foul mass of hair John is knitting together, and slobbering dogs with the mocking face of Chris egging John on to more cruel acts. There is a lot of creeping darkness and menace looming just out of sight, and McKeown’s art fits this style well with lots of moody, scratchy drawings and evocative urban landscapes.
The deep misogyny and self destructive tendencies both John and Naomi exhibit, often unexamined, drag one of Naomi’s friends, Shaz, down with them, leading her into several horrible and degrading situations, and leading to no clear cut conclusion. Because of this, it can be difficult to parse what exactly is happening and what the message is, but McKeown’s art really works up an evocative atmosphere.
After the sensitive, artistic “nice guy” John, our narrator, bumps into his old neighbor and high school flame, Naomi, at a show ten or so years after they drifted apart, the pair are eager to rekindle their friendship (and romance). However, from the very beginning their relationship is fraught, as John dredges up memories of Naomi’s dead brother, Chris, another childhood friend, and the cruel humiliations and abuse he put both of them through. Naomi herself transforms these memories into a cruel, misogynistic streak that puts John on edge, but at the same time he ignores his own cringing, objectifying, voyeuristic tendencies and jealousies, leading him to remain an unreliable narrator.
As John reflects more and more on his and Naomi’s past, his guilt, fears, and baggage spiral into a twisted and surreal dream world which interacts and bleeds into “reality” in a way that highlights his mental unease, manifesting as mazes of ruined buildings, a foul mass of hair John is knitting together, and slobbering dogs with the mocking face of Chris egging John on to more cruel acts. There is a lot of creeping darkness and menace looming just out of sight, and McKeown’s art fits this style well with lots of moody, scratchy drawings and evocative urban landscapes.
The deep misogyny and self destructive tendencies both John and Naomi exhibit, often unexamined, drag one of Naomi’s friends, Shaz, down with them, leading her into several horrible and degrading situations, and leading to no clear cut conclusion. Because of this, it can be difficult to parse what exactly is happening and what the message is, but McKeown’s art really works up an evocative atmosphere.
February 3, 2025
A charity shop find - a slight but atmospherically drawn and impressively cringe-inducing story about adolescence coming back to get you as an adult.
October 20, 2017
3,5 en realidad.
Buen dibujo, historia sugerente, aunque el guión algo confuso. Traumas e inseguridad de una adolescencia turbia que nunca acaban de desaparecer.
Buen dibujo, historia sugerente, aunque el guión algo confuso. Traumas e inseguridad de una adolescencia turbia que nunca acaban de desaparecer.
March 20, 2020
Eh. The art style is interesting, though the weird speech bubble design can be a little hard to follow. The horror elements seem to be an after thought, added when it became apparent that the failed romance plot wasn't getting the job done. It feels too Scott Pilgrim-y; there's no real reason for me to care about this jerk except for the fact that he's the main character of the book. He learns nothing & fails to grow, I'm pretty sure. I don't recommend it.
March 21, 2013
The good: excellent colors, lots of really great dream sequences, a creepy human headed dog, and sexual frustration about curvy women. The bad: pretty much everything else. Not a waste of time by any means, but it feels like I've read it before.
April 28, 2013
maybe i have read too many existential navel gazing graphic novels lately. The reveal was just not quite enough for me to care for the characters.
December 31, 2015
The art was endearing and personal and the beginning of the story was gorgeous, but the middle and end just didn't hold out, in my opinion.
May 25, 2021
Aburrido y enredado, como una pelusa sucia y babosa. Lo único interesante era la línea torpe de los dibujos y la colorimetría.
October 21, 2021
I am very biased about this. The art was very good and I have maybe never been so absorbed into a piece of book or film so quickly, something about the dialogue and world-building was just super effective and intuitive. But-a, yeah. There was something about the story and subject that didn't quite... work. There was an innocent (or maybe sincere) internalized misogyny, half-aware of itself, very cringy and a bit unnecessary maybe too? This could've been so much better, yet still maintaining the same themes, story-telling elements and characters etc... and also the "beats" weren't really there. But maybe that's why it felt so real.
January 13, 2014
Pat McEown's Hair Shirt is a curious read. I was enticed into picking it up at a comics convention by McEown's scratchy style, where no line is ever truly straight, no shadow truly black and his character design, while initially appearing simple, is full of a pleasingly real variety. Colourist Liz Artinan's muted pallete choices are compelling, the dream sequences particularly queasy and disturbing in television glow greens.
At its heart, Hair Shirt is a psycho-sexual drama told mainly from the perspective of John, an introverted, artistic 20-something with little luck when it comes to love and a shared sense of loss with childhood friend/sweetheart, the enigmatic Naomi, a sociology student who returns to their hometown after moving away for a long time. It's clear that the two of them share an affection, but it soon becomes evident that their time apart has left them very different people and that their connection is as fragile as each other's psyche. John's delusional insecurity and somewhat infantile inability to process the feelings of others and Naomi's teasing cruel streak and extroverted nature soon clash and tragic truths come to light.
It's a sad and introspective tale and feels, in an odd way, like an anti-Scott Pilgrim. While Bryan Lee O'Malley's eponymous protagonists journey is considerably longer and rather more action-oriented, he shares a naïvety and guilelessness with John. However, the similarities end there. Hair Shirt is a far more realistic story but it somehow feels less substantial and satisfactory. John still finds it difficult to process his own thoughts let alone those of others and while the reader gains an understanding of the situation, it feels like history will simply keep repeating.
While Hair Shirt is a beautiful book visually, the story is saddening for a multitude of reasons beyond the simple narrative, and ultimately the reader is left wondering who exactly the hair shirt was meant for.
At its heart, Hair Shirt is a psycho-sexual drama told mainly from the perspective of John, an introverted, artistic 20-something with little luck when it comes to love and a shared sense of loss with childhood friend/sweetheart, the enigmatic Naomi, a sociology student who returns to their hometown after moving away for a long time. It's clear that the two of them share an affection, but it soon becomes evident that their time apart has left them very different people and that their connection is as fragile as each other's psyche. John's delusional insecurity and somewhat infantile inability to process the feelings of others and Naomi's teasing cruel streak and extroverted nature soon clash and tragic truths come to light.
It's a sad and introspective tale and feels, in an odd way, like an anti-Scott Pilgrim. While Bryan Lee O'Malley's eponymous protagonists journey is considerably longer and rather more action-oriented, he shares a naïvety and guilelessness with John. However, the similarities end there. Hair Shirt is a far more realistic story but it somehow feels less substantial and satisfactory. John still finds it difficult to process his own thoughts let alone those of others and while the reader gains an understanding of the situation, it feels like history will simply keep repeating.
While Hair Shirt is a beautiful book visually, the story is saddening for a multitude of reasons beyond the simple narrative, and ultimately the reader is left wondering who exactly the hair shirt was meant for.
June 12, 2025
J'ai été attirée par les dessins gritty et cartoon en même temps, on sent beaucoup l'influence underground américaine. L'histoire est weird, un peu dans le bon sens, mais aussi dans le mauvais sens. La relation toxique entre Naomi et le gars est d'abord cute, mais on vient à détester Naomi puis à essayer de comprendre le gars (sans graaand succès), mais toute l'histoire de rape pis de gros totons est saugrenue. Les séquences de cauchemars sont cools.
September 22, 2013
The imagery is really very good, but the hand lettering was too variable to be easily read. Also, the night scenes, colored by Liz Artenan, were much too dark. I really needed a very bright light to see them properly.
The storyline was very interesting. There were a few scene changes that could have been done a bit better, but overall, the story flowed rather well.
The story is a dark one, dealing with childhood issues, teenage drama and trauma, young move during times of self-discovery through adversity.
The two main characters, Naomi and John, find each other after many years apart. The girl's brother was a jerk, and had died at 18 in a car accident. Years later, the survivor guilt these two have carried for years, get played against each other, with disastrous results. That guild has led to some anxious and scary nightmares, both sleeping and waking, for the boy. This is the Hairshirt of which the book is about.
The storyline was very interesting. There were a few scene changes that could have been done a bit better, but overall, the story flowed rather well.
The story is a dark one, dealing with childhood issues, teenage drama and trauma, young move during times of self-discovery through adversity.
The two main characters, Naomi and John, find each other after many years apart. The girl's brother was a jerk, and had died at 18 in a car accident. Years later, the survivor guilt these two have carried for years, get played against each other, with disastrous results. That guild has led to some anxious and scary nightmares, both sleeping and waking, for the boy. This is the Hairshirt of which the book is about.
September 16, 2013
As much as I didn't really get this book upon first reading, I do believe it may be genius. I'm surprised none of the reviewers pointed out the obvious, that the hair shirt (title) while almost non-existant in the book other than in one dream sequence, is really the theme/silent character. Naomi, or rather her history with the 'dog' in the building, figuratively brings the itching-bothersome-ever-present-constantly-reminding hair shirt to life throughout the story. I didn't like this story and I didn't really love the art, however, what was 'said' in this comic is worth hearing.
February 24, 2016
So this is essentially manic pixie nightmare girl and I guess I hate it? There's some legit good gruesome spooky imagery in the dream sequences, which, that's nice, but it's just another panties n' damage bonanza where Chill Sensitive Dude gets whacked around by Self-Serving Manipulative Fuxked Up Girl. And the author is my age which is to say old enough to know better. Older even. So why. Why teen tits and The Tragic Mysteries of Fuckable Sadness. So sick of this shit, at least from male authors.
November 7, 2017
I want to give this book the benefit of the doubt and say it’s an interesting portrait in internalized misogyny — Naomi’s character has the potential to be SO interesting, analyzed outside a romantic context.
But after the book doesn’t pass the Bechdel test (when it could’ve easily with minor dialogue changes — Shaz has the potential to be SUCH a great foil, but is criminally underused), it reads more as sensitive-boy-gets-hurt-by-damaged-girl cliché.
3 stars for plot (“middling”), 5 stars for art.
But after the book doesn’t pass the Bechdel test (when it could’ve easily with minor dialogue changes — Shaz has the potential to be SUCH a great foil, but is criminally underused), it reads more as sensitive-boy-gets-hurt-by-damaged-girl cliché.
3 stars for plot (“middling”), 5 stars for art.
August 29, 2019
The artwork is, at times, neat, but mostly this is a self-absorbed story about self-absorbed people, which is oblique and meanders. Naomi is quite the hateful character, but she's written from the point of a view of a middle-aged white dude, so that says more about him than his characters.
August 12, 2013
Kind of same old same old for this type of indie comic and (while cute!) slightly visually confusing.
February 5, 2020
dream sequences were cool, otherwise forgettable sadboy angst
August 2, 2024
Really conflicted about this one.
While I can see a dude having destructive behavior like Naomi, i have not seen this exhibit in ciswomen. In my very subjective experience, female ex-victims of abuse don't also become cruel and abusive to this degree. Once they escaped, they usually have a clear, strict definition of consent and what is ok, and may explore sexually to seek catharsis from their past trauma, but never crosses the line, because they don't want to hurt people the way they were hurt. This is a white middle age dude writing Naomi, so idk, is he writing from his reality? Do we owe to the world to depict the human condition, or can we callously create a character that reflects our insecurities and fear into the art?
Other than, i immediately thought back to my time in the US. A lot of people i met was fucked up, sexually, in one way or another. Could be the result of alcohol, racism, misogyny, being exposed to sexualized materials too early, or just growing up in a society that sexualize youth. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who's really ok. "Missing out" on all the sex early on feels pretty good if they are guaranteed to come in the same package with sexual assaults, self-hatred and body dismorphia.
While I can see a dude having destructive behavior like Naomi, i have not seen this exhibit in ciswomen. In my very subjective experience, female ex-victims of abuse don't also become cruel and abusive to this degree. Once they escaped, they usually have a clear, strict definition of consent and what is ok, and may explore sexually to seek catharsis from their past trauma, but never crosses the line, because they don't want to hurt people the way they were hurt. This is a white middle age dude writing Naomi, so idk, is he writing from his reality? Do we owe to the world to depict the human condition, or can we callously create a character that reflects our insecurities and fear into the art?
Other than, i immediately thought back to my time in the US. A lot of people i met was fucked up, sexually, in one way or another. Could be the result of alcohol, racism, misogyny, being exposed to sexualized materials too early, or just growing up in a society that sexualize youth. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who's really ok. "Missing out" on all the sex early on feels pretty good if they are guaranteed to come in the same package with sexual assaults, self-hatred and body dismorphia.
January 7, 2025
Made me feel sad and gross after the first quarter or so. Not that thats a bad thing, but I hoped that it would turn out better for everyone :/
I feel like I’ve read too much media where the main character is toxic or cruel, and by the end of the story definitely gets better but doesn’t connect the dots for themselves. I know that it doesn’t always happen like that, but for the purposes of a fictional story about trauma I feel like there should be a turn around point. Not a redemption, but at least a journey for the character to look at their toxicity more squarely than they did before.
Please don’t let me get into a whole thing about unlikable characters because I DONT RLY CARE OKAY even if I will be mad about it. I don’t mind unlikable characters or ones that fuck up big time, but this is also a story and stories are meant to move. If a character doesn’t move it doesn’t feel like a story, it feels like I just observed them for a little while and then left.
Idk. Am I wrong? Maybe please feel free to let me know
I feel like I’ve read too much media where the main character is toxic or cruel, and by the end of the story definitely gets better but doesn’t connect the dots for themselves. I know that it doesn’t always happen like that, but for the purposes of a fictional story about trauma I feel like there should be a turn around point. Not a redemption, but at least a journey for the character to look at their toxicity more squarely than they did before.
Please don’t let me get into a whole thing about unlikable characters because I DONT RLY CARE OKAY even if I will be mad about it. I don’t mind unlikable characters or ones that fuck up big time, but this is also a story and stories are meant to move. If a character doesn’t move it doesn’t feel like a story, it feels like I just observed them for a little while and then left.
Idk. Am I wrong? Maybe please feel free to let me know
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2022
I read this sometime ago and just noticed I didn't review it. I'm going to reread it soon, but I recall the atmosphere of it being really unique. It felt odd and out of whack like not getting enough sleep which may be a part of the story. I know there were some things about the main guy having a crush on a gal, but another person was into him. This is a terrible review! Lol! I owned this book at some point and really loved the execution visually, but felt the story didn't really drive it home. I just put it down and felt kind of creeped out by it which I don't know if that is entirely bad. It just isn't a typical response to a story. There weren't people I liked or rooted for. I felt more sorry for them. Anyways. It's been a while since I read it and will definitely get to it again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2020
Ne vem zakaj me še vedno vlečejo take najstniške zgodbe, čeprov tale je mejčkeno bl "neprijetna" kokr so mi pa ponavadi všeč. Ampak zelo zanimiva in lih tolko ven iz moje cone ugodja da sm bil malo nesproščen ob branju.
Narisano je pa fest, zgleda zelo načečkano in besedilo pisano naroke se včasih težko bere, ene črke so si kr mal preveč podobne. Ampak risba deluje. Je taprava za stil zgodbe in liki so krasno različni in dobro narisani. bom mel materjala za kopirat :)
Narisano je pa fest, zgleda zelo načečkano in besedilo pisano naroke se včasih težko bere, ene črke so si kr mal preveč podobne. Ampak risba deluje. Je taprava za stil zgodbe in liki so krasno različni in dobro narisani. bom mel materjala za kopirat :)
August 11, 2023
"Hair Shirt" de Patrick McEown merece un 4/5. La novela gráfica te sumerge en una trama enigmática y oscura, explorando las complejidades emocionales de los personajes. El arte cautivador refuerza el tono melancólico. Aunque la trama a veces es confusa, aborda valientemente temas profundos y perturbadores. En definitiva, una lectura fascinante que te atrapa en la profundidad de las emociones humanas.
July 16, 2024
A cryptic, disturbing and engaging story that leaves you wondering who can be trusted. This story is based heavily on the unreliability of memory, and the way abuse affects the mind. The main characters are flawed and very real, which gave the story a good sense of authenticity. Overall, the narrative is very well put together, and the ambiguity at the end serves to enhance the story. Very well done.
September 5, 2025
Another book where the art is triumphant but the writing messy and unconvincing. Partly the problem is, again, this is subject matter that interests me not one iota but a good creator can make you not care about that. And the art is suitably messy and sinister and visceral, and there’s lots of creepiness that then leads to… messy and indulgent story telling and even more muddled characterisation. Very much not for me (it should be 2.5 but I nudged it to 3 because of the art)
September 14, 2017
I picked this in the library cause the cover is super trippy, it turns out it was a current dream he had.
teenagers that lost contact after her brother died and met each other years later at a party, as adults. start something, didn't work, she is kinda cuckoo, bla bla.
extra points cause it's in color :)
teenagers that lost contact after her brother died and met each other years later at a party, as adults. start something, didn't work, she is kinda cuckoo, bla bla.
extra points cause it's in color :)
April 12, 2019
An incredibly bleak but occasionally lovely, wonderfully illustrated look at two people who love each other deeply but absolutely should not ever be in a relationship. Both characters are incredibly likable on their own but just complete messes whenever they attempt to date. They are proof that some people should just be friends, have sex, but not commit to anything greater than that together.
November 16, 2019
Gets going once Naomi’s issues move to the forefront, and honestly, maybe the guy’s perspective was interesting as well, but I was confused by his story as he seemed to be. If you want a complex look at voyeurism, flawed male allies, and big girl obsessions, Dave Cooper already exists, as McEown is well aware.
November 1, 2018
The art style and cover got me first. It took a while to get into the story, but after 30 pages or so I already loved it. It's crazy, it's weird. But it accentuades "normal" everyday behavior. Maybe it isn't that crazy at all...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews