What do you think?
Rate this book
Mid-Life
WHEN THE BODY SAGS AND THE HONESTY LAGS
Mid-Life is the story of John, who at forty becomes a father again with his much younger second wife, which results in a slow, painful attack by flowered baby bags and front-facing baby carriers on his former virility and self-identity. John always believed that age is a state of mind; however, his adult daughters, baby son, energetic wife, stressful job, house full of cats, and flabby body—complete with bloated stomach and sagging bosom—all lead John reluctantly to admit that he is having a midlife crisis. The crisis drives John to yell at his wife, pick fights with his daughters, and miss deadlines at work that put his job on the line. He takes solace from the stress of everyday life with a seemingly harmless infatuation with the pretty children’s performer Sherry Smalls, who sings adoringly to him directly from his son’s DVD.
Sherry, meanwhile, is equally desperate to find a distraction in life. Her path to rock stardom has been rudely overtaken by a semi-successful but completely loathsome gig as a children’s performer. It pays the bills, and a Saturday-morning television show is on the horizon—that is, if she is able to fire her alcoholic on-again, off-again boyfriend/bandmate.
As their lives snowball, John’s infatuation turns into obsession and a haphazard, fateful e-mail leads to a necessary reality check that neither John nor Sherry may have wanted, but that both will surprisingly welcome.
Mid-Life is the story of John, who at forty becomes a father again with his much younger second wife, which results in a slow, painful attack by flowered baby bags and front-facing baby carriers on his former virility and self-identity. John always believed that age is a state of mind; however, his adult daughters, baby son, energetic wife, stressful job, house full of cats, and flabby body—complete with bloated stomach and sagging bosom—all lead John reluctantly to admit that he is having a midlife crisis. The crisis drives John to yell at his wife, pick fights with his daughters, and miss deadlines at work that put his job on the line. He takes solace from the stress of everyday life with a seemingly harmless infatuation with the pretty children’s performer Sherry Smalls, who sings adoringly to him directly from his son’s DVD.
Sherry, meanwhile, is equally desperate to find a distraction in life. Her path to rock stardom has been rudely overtaken by a semi-successful but completely loathsome gig as a children’s performer. It pays the bills, and a Saturday-morning television show is on the horizon—that is, if she is able to fire her alcoholic on-again, off-again boyfriend/bandmate.
As their lives snowball, John’s infatuation turns into obsession and a haphazard, fateful e-mail leads to a necessary reality check that neither John nor Sherry may have wanted, but that both will surprisingly welcome.
184 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
About the author
Joe Ollmann
21 books56 followersJoe Ollmann lives in Hamilton, the Riviera of Southern Ontario. He is the winner of the Doug Wright Award for Best Book in 2007 and loser of the same award another time.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
April 17, 2024
This was the first Ollmann book I read way back in the day but I didn't get into him until I read The Abominable Mr. Seabrook. Now he's one of my favourite comic creators, so it was fun to go back and give this another chance.
It's great! Ollmann stars as John in this fictionalized version of his life where he's struggling with midlife, a new wife and a newborn baby. He starts fantasizing about a woman Sherry Smalls who performs music for children and eventually is able to meet up with her and deal with potential infidelity. Half the book follows the performer Sherry Smalls as her and John's life slowly come together for their brief encounter.
John is a bit of a cliche - self-loathing, alcohol reliant, hates his job etc etc etc but it works for the story.
It's funny and goofy at times but Ollman does such a great job of creating realistic characters and encounters.
When I first read this I wasn't into the mid-life crises part of the story. Maybe now that my midlife crises approaches, I can appreciate this book a bit more.
It's great! Ollmann stars as John in this fictionalized version of his life where he's struggling with midlife, a new wife and a newborn baby. He starts fantasizing about a woman Sherry Smalls who performs music for children and eventually is able to meet up with her and deal with potential infidelity. Half the book follows the performer Sherry Smalls as her and John's life slowly come together for their brief encounter.
John is a bit of a cliche - self-loathing, alcohol reliant, hates his job etc etc etc but it works for the story.
It's funny and goofy at times but Ollman does such a great job of creating realistic characters and encounters.
When I first read this I wasn't into the mid-life crises part of the story. Maybe now that my midlife crises approaches, I can appreciate this book a bit more.
February 2, 2016
I was surprised at how much I liked this.
I mean, there are a few fictionalized, torn-from-life, graphic novels about flailing, aging cartoonists out there.
And maybe, if that was all this was, I'd let my star rating rest at 3*.
But then he throws in the Death to Smoochy factor.
And that was the part that I cared about.
As far as execution goes, he uses the 9-panel layout serviceably, effectively. His illustrations bring to mind a toned-down, more angular, more accessible Derf Backderf for me.
I'm not sure I'll find this particularly memorable, but I always like being surprised by goodness. :)
Oh yeah, and, I'm including this as a GNTravelogue bc it includes a trip to NYC.
*This is probably more like 3.5 in life, and bear in mind that I'm not one of those reviewers who constantly complain at the lack of half-star options.
I mean, there are a few fictionalized, torn-from-life, graphic novels about flailing, aging cartoonists out there.
And maybe, if that was all this was, I'd let my star rating rest at 3*.
But then he throws in the Death to Smoochy factor.
And that was the part that I cared about.
As far as execution goes, he uses the 9-panel layout serviceably, effectively. His illustrations bring to mind a toned-down, more angular, more accessible Derf Backderf for me.
I'm not sure I'll find this particularly memorable, but I always like being surprised by goodness. :)
Oh yeah, and, I'm including this as a GNTravelogue bc it includes a trip to NYC.
*This is probably more like 3.5 in life, and bear in mind that I'm not one of those reviewers who constantly complain at the lack of half-star options.
July 4, 2015
This is the first novel by the author of the short story collection, Happy Stories about Well-Adjusted People, which I loved. I like his work in the short form better, as misery works better short than long, I think. And it's always misery, with a sense of humor, for Ollmann. It's like Woody Allen, anhedonia, though the tone is slightly different. More harsh, a little less funny, though still funny, at times. Bracingly honest. This is in the area of Joe Matt's Spent and Chester Brown's Paying For It, Crumb's My Trouble with Women and Clowes' Wilson, harsh honest looks at men who are in few ways really admirable or even very likeable, but in the process, I, for one, come to like these guys, or some aspects of their honesty, or confessions. I liked Ollmann's John, as a character, not as a person so much, though I have also had my down times, my struggles, my crises, mid-life an otherwise, so can relate to him.
This is fiction, Ollmann tells us, but he also makes clear it is very autobiographical. He admits in the acknowledgments that he did actually have a crush on an actual children's music performer that forms the basis for this tale. This story takes a risk and uses an alternating perspective format, going from John--editor, remarried, with two adult daughters and a baby with his young wife--and Sherri, the musician, struggling with a sleazy ex and whether she wants a love life and a career, and for me this alternation works well, I come to like both of them, and while Sherri is more likeable, both seem real and vulnerable, flawed, well-meaning generally. The point is that John is as sometimes happens to him close to crashing and burning. He drinks a lot, and is screwing up in his job, and he's struggling with anger as he tries to love his new wife and the baby, but he's mid-life, 40, and this is hard for him, boo hoo, his life isn't what he wanted exactly, so what?
So John has this crush on Sherri, mainly in his own head, looking at her website/bio, listening to her music, which he discovered in showing it to his son. When he happens to be in NYC, as she is, they go out for a night on the pretense that he will interview her, but then lies to her about his marriage status, flirting with her, the jerk. But people do this, the divorce rate is 50%, people are jerks, so you get the feel for a real person, not a fictional saint, who is struggling. And the honesty is actually darkly funny, finally. And not much happens in this story, actually. It's really more a reflection on stupid mistakes people make or could make rather than some big dramatic Hollywood story. It's closer to slice of life, though one could see Seth Rogen playing the part of the guy in a Judd Aapatow film of it.
I see a lot of people dislike this book, giving it a low rating, and I can see why: They don't like John, he's kind of a jerk, and why read about jerks, they want happier endings about nicer people. But this is literature about real people, so it's about telling the truth, and the craft of that, so I say it's fine comics work, done well, with grit and grime and humor.
This is fiction, Ollmann tells us, but he also makes clear it is very autobiographical. He admits in the acknowledgments that he did actually have a crush on an actual children's music performer that forms the basis for this tale. This story takes a risk and uses an alternating perspective format, going from John--editor, remarried, with two adult daughters and a baby with his young wife--and Sherri, the musician, struggling with a sleazy ex and whether she wants a love life and a career, and for me this alternation works well, I come to like both of them, and while Sherri is more likeable, both seem real and vulnerable, flawed, well-meaning generally. The point is that John is as sometimes happens to him close to crashing and burning. He drinks a lot, and is screwing up in his job, and he's struggling with anger as he tries to love his new wife and the baby, but he's mid-life, 40, and this is hard for him, boo hoo, his life isn't what he wanted exactly, so what?
So John has this crush on Sherri, mainly in his own head, looking at her website/bio, listening to her music, which he discovered in showing it to his son. When he happens to be in NYC, as she is, they go out for a night on the pretense that he will interview her, but then lies to her about his marriage status, flirting with her, the jerk. But people do this, the divorce rate is 50%, people are jerks, so you get the feel for a real person, not a fictional saint, who is struggling. And the honesty is actually darkly funny, finally. And not much happens in this story, actually. It's really more a reflection on stupid mistakes people make or could make rather than some big dramatic Hollywood story. It's closer to slice of life, though one could see Seth Rogen playing the part of the guy in a Judd Aapatow film of it.
I see a lot of people dislike this book, giving it a low rating, and I can see why: They don't like John, he's kind of a jerk, and why read about jerks, they want happier endings about nicer people. But this is literature about real people, so it's about telling the truth, and the craft of that, so I say it's fine comics work, done well, with grit and grime and humor.
March 3, 2017
Partly fictionalized telling of his mid-life realizations, mixed in were a woman's own and thoughts and regrets. Not sure what I was expecting, there was some honesty here, but also nothing surprising or novel, which may have been the point...
February 23, 2012
If you've read more than a couple of autobiographical comics or seen any Woody Allen movies the plot of Mid-Life will seem quite familiar to you. 40 year old John is having a mid-life crisis. He’s just become a father again with his young second wife, he doesn’t have a great relationship with his first two daughters and he is becoming irrelevant at work. As his problems multiply he feels sorry for himself and starts looking at younger women thinking he might be happier with them. This kind of story has been told lots of times many different ways so it’s surprising that Joe Ollmann manages to make it seem new and interesting.
He has a unique voice with quite a dark sense of humour. John’s world is populated with quirky and believable characters that are fleshed out very well within a short space of time. Although his writing is dense with a heavy use of narration the story moves along quite quickly with short chapters moving us from scene to scene. Part of the story is told from the perspective of Sherry, a children’s entertainer who John becomes infatuated with. She is at a similar point in her life and seems to have just as many problems as John. The biggest thing that separates Mid-Life from other comics of this type is Sherry’s story. It’s interesting to see a similar set of issues from a female perspective.
Ollmann has a rough art style that uses lots of thick lines and heavy shading. It’s also extremely detailed which can sometimes make for uncomfortable scenes. The size of his characters heads is slightly exaggerated with some of the most expressive faces I’ve seen in comics. My only real complaint is the lettering which is a bit too rough. Sometimes too many words are squeezed in to captions which are too small. The inconsistency does make the comic seen more personal which I like but it is sometimes hard to read.
That one small criticism aside though I thought Mid-Life was excellent. Joe Ollmann gave a unique perspective on a well-worn story and added enough personality to make me forget that the plot is quite familiar.
For more of my reviews please visit http://www.scruffyfiction.co.uk
He has a unique voice with quite a dark sense of humour. John’s world is populated with quirky and believable characters that are fleshed out very well within a short space of time. Although his writing is dense with a heavy use of narration the story moves along quite quickly with short chapters moving us from scene to scene. Part of the story is told from the perspective of Sherry, a children’s entertainer who John becomes infatuated with. She is at a similar point in her life and seems to have just as many problems as John. The biggest thing that separates Mid-Life from other comics of this type is Sherry’s story. It’s interesting to see a similar set of issues from a female perspective.
Ollmann has a rough art style that uses lots of thick lines and heavy shading. It’s also extremely detailed which can sometimes make for uncomfortable scenes. The size of his characters heads is slightly exaggerated with some of the most expressive faces I’ve seen in comics. My only real complaint is the lettering which is a bit too rough. Sometimes too many words are squeezed in to captions which are too small. The inconsistency does make the comic seen more personal which I like but it is sometimes hard to read.
That one small criticism aside though I thought Mid-Life was excellent. Joe Ollmann gave a unique perspective on a well-worn story and added enough personality to make me forget that the plot is quite familiar.
For more of my reviews please visit http://www.scruffyfiction.co.uk
June 20, 2011
Hm.
This was an interesting read.
It was almost like watching a child standing close to a cake. He's been told not to touch it, he's not hungry, in fact he's full, but he likes cake, there it is in front of him and it doesn't matter that he's satisfied and doesn't need a thing - he wants cake. Maybe just a little lick of icing. Oh, the guilt! I didn't need that but, that's pretty tasty maybe if I just...and so on.
Apparently parts of this are autobiographical, which is pretty bold if true. I had that movie in my head kind of feel with this one too, after a while, and felt the characters we believable because they were so messed up (and probably real people...).
If Demo was about coming of age, this was about coming of middle age. Really, John didn't have a coming of age since his teens were interrupted by early parenthood and marriage, raising children and so forth. I am not one who believes that having children makes us more mature or grown up it just makes us immature with responsibilities (no pot-calling-the-kettle-stainless-steel, here). So I would almost say this is his delayed coming of age. Where he's not exactly having a midlife crisis as he is coming into his adulthood. Ach, all this just brings me into thinking about what possibly constitutes a coming of age 'ritual' in our society today.
Oh well, I've no answer there.
I've told a lot of people about a culture somewhere (I remember it being from a small island in Japan but that's unverified so...) where you are considered a child until you are 55, at which point you are old enough to be adult, have your life together and be responsible. Old age is when you are actually quite old say, past 80. So, we have a long time to figure it out, kids, and then 25 years or so of adulthood.
Relax.
And, try not to blow your life up in the process.
This was an interesting read.
It was almost like watching a child standing close to a cake. He's been told not to touch it, he's not hungry, in fact he's full, but he likes cake, there it is in front of him and it doesn't matter that he's satisfied and doesn't need a thing - he wants cake. Maybe just a little lick of icing. Oh, the guilt! I didn't need that but, that's pretty tasty maybe if I just...and so on.
Apparently parts of this are autobiographical, which is pretty bold if true. I had that movie in my head kind of feel with this one too, after a while, and felt the characters we believable because they were so messed up (and probably real people...).
If Demo was about coming of age, this was about coming of middle age. Really, John didn't have a coming of age since his teens were interrupted by early parenthood and marriage, raising children and so forth. I am not one who believes that having children makes us more mature or grown up it just makes us immature with responsibilities (no pot-calling-the-kettle-stainless-steel, here). So I would almost say this is his delayed coming of age. Where he's not exactly having a midlife crisis as he is coming into his adulthood. Ach, all this just brings me into thinking about what possibly constitutes a coming of age 'ritual' in our society today.
Oh well, I've no answer there.
I've told a lot of people about a culture somewhere (I remember it being from a small island in Japan but that's unverified so...) where you are considered a child until you are 55, at which point you are old enough to be adult, have your life together and be responsible. Old age is when you are actually quite old say, past 80. So, we have a long time to figure it out, kids, and then 25 years or so of adulthood.
Relax.
And, try not to blow your life up in the process.
April 8, 2016
Finding yourself at the mid-point of your life can be an unsettling prospect and John, the protagonist of Joe Ollmann's wonderful semi-autobiographical comic "Mid-Life," is struggling with the idea. Remarried to a younger woman, with a new baby in addition to a pair of adult daughters, rapidly losing his physique, and floundering at work, John questions all the decisions that led him to this stage of his life, ultimately focusing his fantasies for a better life on Sherry Smalls, the pretty singer his infant son listens to. But can fantasies really live up to reality? That's the question that Ollmann skillfully explores.
I'm shocked that I hadn't heard of Joe Ollmann before, that he's not a bigger name in comics. Maybe he's more popular in his native Canada? Regardless, his comics show a level of talent that puts him in league with the best in the business. Employing an unusually rigid 9-panel structure, his pages are full of grotesquely funny characters, or perhaps it's just middle-age that's grotesquely funny? The story is paced beautifully and his characters are real flesh-and-blood people, not just rote stereotypes; I found myself immediately sucked into their lives. Sometimes you'll root for John, sometimes curse him, but he's always interesting (though the true star of the book is Sherry).
"Mid-Life" could've gone wrong in so many ways but Ollmann keeps it all together, crafting a sentimental tale that doesn't pretend to have all the answers. Sometimes life doesn't work out the way you expected, whether you're a forty-year-old man or a twenty-something young lady. It's a fairly common theme in comics but Ollmann elevates it to a sloppy but endearing work of art.
I'm shocked that I hadn't heard of Joe Ollmann before, that he's not a bigger name in comics. Maybe he's more popular in his native Canada? Regardless, his comics show a level of talent that puts him in league with the best in the business. Employing an unusually rigid 9-panel structure, his pages are full of grotesquely funny characters, or perhaps it's just middle-age that's grotesquely funny? The story is paced beautifully and his characters are real flesh-and-blood people, not just rote stereotypes; I found myself immediately sucked into their lives. Sometimes you'll root for John, sometimes curse him, but he's always interesting (though the true star of the book is Sherry).
"Mid-Life" could've gone wrong in so many ways but Ollmann keeps it all together, crafting a sentimental tale that doesn't pretend to have all the answers. Sometimes life doesn't work out the way you expected, whether you're a forty-year-old man or a twenty-something young lady. It's a fairly common theme in comics but Ollmann elevates it to a sloppy but endearing work of art.
November 28, 2014
I enjoyed this, Joe Ollmann's first graphic novel...with an underscore on "novel." I'm familiar with his shorter pieces, I guess what one would call the short-story equivalent to the "graphic novel." His longer-form narrative is similar to style/characteristics he employs in Happy Stories about Well-Adjusted People, but I can tell that the more sustained format required different kinds of storytelling strategies. The most noticeable one is his use of two different narrators (or focalizers?) in the story: John and Sherry. When the latter came into the mix, it threw me at first -- again, being used to Ollmann's shorter-form storytelling where he assumes the voice of one particular character or consciousness -- but then I understood where he was going and got used to the dual style. Did it work? Yes, I think it succeeded. But I came away from Mid-Life still thinking that the story was tilted heavily in favor of John...which makes sense, since (as Ollmann admits) parts of this are based on the creator's own life. But with the split narrators, I'd expected equal time for Sherry. And the fact that the book begins and ends with John and his dilemma, there emphasis is clearly place on him. Still, Ollmannn has to end with one character, so it makes sense that it be the one that is more closely linked to the author. As a result, John is the one we have the most access to and can sympathize with more.
November 18, 2011
Great feeling of verisimilitude to this quasi-autobiographical work of fiction. It's the story of a 40-year old remarried father of 3 who has a new baby son with his second (younger) wife and a full-blown crisis on the way. Also in crisis is children's entertainer Sherri Smalls, with whom the main character becomes smitten. Not enough going on in his life, I guess. There was genuine humour in his self-loathing, crusty persona and the cataloguing of his many faults. Good characters and a good story overall.
Where I did have a few quibbles with this work was in the graphic side of this graphic novel. The art itself is fine. Some funny expressions and gestures were well-captured. But the heavy inks were just overpowering. And the lettering was just terrible, often intelligible only thanks to context. He uses a mixture of upper and lower case letters throughout like he's a beatnik poet and actually underlines words for emphasis like he's signing someone's high school yearbook. No! Wrong! Bad cartoonist!
Ollman's storytelling skills are all there and I like his drawing style, but he is taking on too many of the art chores here and the work suffers because of it. He needs an inker and a letterer to let his characters breathe.
Where I did have a few quibbles with this work was in the graphic side of this graphic novel. The art itself is fine. Some funny expressions and gestures were well-captured. But the heavy inks were just overpowering. And the lettering was just terrible, often intelligible only thanks to context. He uses a mixture of upper and lower case letters throughout like he's a beatnik poet and actually underlines words for emphasis like he's signing someone's high school yearbook. No! Wrong! Bad cartoonist!
Ollman's storytelling skills are all there and I like his drawing style, but he is taking on too many of the art chores here and the work suffers because of it. He needs an inker and a letterer to let his characters breathe.
April 20, 2012
This was one of those books just found by accident. You know, that whole "I'm standing in the far end of the library trying to kill time because we trade off on who gets to look for books and who sits in the kid section reading ZOOLIFE magazine to the almost-four-year-old" kind of moment. So as a stumbled upon book, I was very impressed with this find. He got me from the very start. A man surrounded by poop, cats, diapers, litter boxes, feet-killing toys, a house that needs *real* cleaning, an art/creative space that hasn't been touched in months, and all the whispered thoughts of "dear god how did I arrive at this moment?"
I figure this book really won me over because Ollman put to paper a very representative collection of the thougts that run through many parents' heads as they try to figure out kids and love and career and creative-me-time. (Semi-Spoilerish from here on)Plus the whole running shorts "LOOK AT YOURSELF NOW!" moment was so spot on. The situations and interactions ran true. And I never felt overwhelmed by negativity. It walked that line, but I think he kept me in a feeling of commiseration rather than utter failure. I mean, lots of failure -- but not *utter* failure.
I figure this book really won me over because Ollman put to paper a very representative collection of the thougts that run through many parents' heads as they try to figure out kids and love and career and creative-me-time. (Semi-Spoilerish from here on)Plus the whole running shorts "LOOK AT YOURSELF NOW!" moment was so spot on. The situations and interactions ran true. And I never felt overwhelmed by negativity. It walked that line, but I think he kept me in a feeling of commiseration rather than utter failure. I mean, lots of failure -- but not *utter* failure.
May 6, 2012
I often don't go for the "alternative" comics because most of the time, the art is just plain ugly (I guess I'm superficial for expecting artists to draw better than myself). I gave this one a shot though because it is about a 40-year old (who acts and looks like he's 50) who is going through some mid-life issues. Married at 17, divorced once, has two grown daughters, remarried, new baby. In short period between the two marriages, he spent an ample amount of time on drugs, booze, and one-night stands. It also focuses on a 30 year old former garage band singer who is adjusting to her career in children's entertainment. Frankly the protagonist is kind of an asshole who understands this about himself while allowing the reader to empathize with our own asshole moments. So the book is about growing up after you've grown up. It's painfully honest from all angles, and while the honesty can be ugly (like the art), it is quite refreshing (the art grows on you too). It's not so much of a mid-life crisis (an ignorant term of the psychologically lazy, in my opinion) as a coming to terms with the things you've always wanted, the things you have, and the things you will no longer get.
February 23, 2015
Usually when I rate a book this low I have very clear reasons. I'm not sure what it is about this book that I hated so much, so I'm going to use this review as a way to process it.
1. The main plot point re: potential infidelity just didn't seem to work throughout the book.
2. He started some subplots (work harassment piece)that just died off, or were used for other purposes later, but not in a way to justify the amount of time devoted to establishing them.
3. It starts out as something of a book on middle-aged parenting, but then the plot narrows so dramatically.
4. He isn't exactly a likeable person. Likeability certainly isn't a requirement, obviously, but he positions the main character as someone the reader is supposed to relate to, but then spends the rest of the book presenting him in a way that undermines that.
Dunno...like the 9 panel framing, it just started feeling repetitive and monotonous at a certain point.
1. The main plot point re: potential infidelity just didn't seem to work throughout the book.
2. He started some subplots (work harassment piece)that just died off, or were used for other purposes later, but not in a way to justify the amount of time devoted to establishing them.
3. It starts out as something of a book on middle-aged parenting, but then the plot narrows so dramatically.
4. He isn't exactly a likeable person. Likeability certainly isn't a requirement, obviously, but he positions the main character as someone the reader is supposed to relate to, but then spends the rest of the book presenting him in a way that undermines that.
Dunno...like the 9 panel framing, it just started feeling repetitive and monotonous at a certain point.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2011
This semi-autobiographical story at one point mocks itself about how it's banal, yet complicated plot about a remarried dad with work and family problems would make for a lousy movie, but I had been thinking while reading (and debating whether to keep reading--it's a word dense novel and takes some time to get through) that it would in fact probably make a better indie movie than a comic. Some character actors could really get a lot more emotional resonance out of some of the scenes, which while "real" don't really resonate on the page that deeply.
I'm giving this a pretty weak three stars as Ollmann never quite used the medium to any great effect, but I did feel compelled to finish the story, and even found myself rooting at times for the protagonist.
I'm giving this a pretty weak three stars as Ollmann never quite used the medium to any great effect, but I did feel compelled to finish the story, and even found myself rooting at times for the protagonist.
December 21, 2011
Wah wah wah I'm middle aged. Actually, I thought the essential dilemma (work sucks, messing stuff up, family distant, gotten a crush on a children's singer) was pretty compelling, if done before, it seemed like he was speaking from his actual life rather than from some universal stereotype of an angry middle-aged dude (ahem Clowes). I think that the second storyline of the pretty/grumpy singer lady and her own troubles with selling out and growing up was unconvincing and possibly even unnecessary, and Ollman didn't do a super-convincing women's voice, but, eh. I also liked the artistic style maybe a little more than it deserved - scribbly, on-edge, deliberately ugly. A somewhat less creative-adventurous/more functional Ken Dahl/Gabby Schulz. Now that's a grumpy dude I like.
April 25, 2012
Probably because of its nature as a graphic novel, I expected that this book would have a lot more humor and a lot less honesty. In fact, had it had that, I probably wouldn't have liked it nearly so much. With part cynicism, part humor, and a lot more honesty than I expected, this book really made me enjoy it.
The two main characters are both at delicate points in their lives... both wishing things improvements could come along and something could wipe away all the mess. They are both very realistic people, thinking their own thoughts. The portrayal of what is spoken and what is thought is excellently done.
I don't know that I want the waiter to bring me more of this right now, but I'd definitely order more at a later meal.
The two main characters are both at delicate points in their lives... both wishing things improvements could come along and something could wipe away all the mess. They are both very realistic people, thinking their own thoughts. The portrayal of what is spoken and what is thought is excellently done.
I don't know that I want the waiter to bring me more of this right now, but I'd definitely order more at a later meal.
July 31, 2014
John, a 40-something magazine employee, is once divorced and twice married with two adult daughters and a new baby boy. Work stress, strained family relationships, too many diapers, and the first physical signs of aging thrust John into a mid-life crisis that threatens to turn an innocent email exchange with an attractive children's performer (Sherri Smalls) into an anything-but-innocent encounter. Ollman alternates between John's story and that of Sherri, who is trying to reconcile her rock star ambitions with her reality of making a living singing for kids alongside her sleazy ex-boyfriend.
This is an honest story, but I found myself wishing for a more hopeful conclusion.
This is an honest story, but I found myself wishing for a more hopeful conclusion.
February 4, 2013
Fun, honest, self-effacing, and yet not too overwrought with male self-effacement to be cringe-worthy. I actually was asking myself at some points how he could accomplish so many believable voices for all the characters to be both distinctive yet interrelated in such a bio-comic, whereas most bio-comics are more self-centric ad unable to paint a clearer picture of the central character. One star less for the silliness of the ending. And one more star because of the somewhat dated battle-with-age-and-male-chauvanism which seemed stuck in the eighties.
January 4, 2025
Funny, and I cared about the main character. His descriptions of his feelings for his children (both young and old), how he feels he failed them when he went through his divorce, how he feels he never had a "youth" cause he had children so young--it was all touching. But I was less interested in the storyline about the children's singer, and didn't think it added anything to the depth or the conclusion of the book.
October 27, 2012
I honestly have very little to say about this book. Essentially, the plot revolves around a man going through a mid-life crisis during his second marriage. I had a hard time connecting with the text because the themes it was centered around had little/nothing to do with my own life. However, it was a well-told story and I am still intrigued by the graphic novel format in general. I think I am going to try out a few more!
June 4, 2013
A great little find. Fun , entertaining read and just loved the mood and humor in it all. Keep in mind , Im the exact target audience for this particular book. I give bonus grading when it comes to original indie books like this one from Joe Ollman. I also give bonus kudos to writers who illustrate their own stories like Joe. I give this a strong 4+ out of 5. This is definitely for a specific audience ,the title kind of tells you who its for.
August 10, 2011
I expected not to like this since it is about a man thinking about cheating on his wife, which just seems like an incredibly boring story that continually gets written. However, this book is really funny and reminds me of the best of 1990s era alternative comics.
August 9, 2011
This graphic novel was as mediocre as the mid-life crises it depicts. Not bad, but not particularly entertaining either.
It also bothered me that some of the text ran together and was sometimes difficult to read (ex. "FILL" reading as "FIU")
It also bothered me that some of the text ran together and was sometimes difficult to read (ex. "FILL" reading as "FIU")
September 4, 2011
I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this story of an aging hipster starting life over again with a new wife and baby, and the children's show star he is obsessesing over. Just the right amount of snark to keep it self-effacing but not mean.
January 10, 2012
Check out my comic (drawn) response to this graphic novel as part of my 30 Graphic Novels in 30 Days project.
January 25, 2012
i love Ollman's style, but the story was a little too "high fidelity" for me, i guess. i wish there had been a bit more substance to the ending. however, i'm intrigued enough by ollman's writing and subject matter to check out his other work at some point. he's on my list...
January 29, 2012
Haunting ... considering I'm only 4 years away from the age in which Ollman writes. Not bad ... I thought it'd be more funny, but it's a little cliched, like a bad romcom. Some parts really hit home though.
May 27, 2012
Graphic novel I picked up on a whim at the library as the cover looked funny. Some parts were but for the most part the main character was having a pity party about getting older with older kids and a new young wife and child...blah
May 9, 2011
I haven't read a new realistic comic in a while. This one is pretty good, if sometimes depressing. I recommend checking this out at your library!
December 5, 2013
Kind of boring and a lot like too many other autobiographical comics out there. Kind of pat and stilted.
May 31, 2012
I enjoyed Mid-Life. It's twisted story and uncomfortable revelations about middle age.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews