This is the first time I have ever reviewed a book of cartoons. It may not be the last if I can get hold of some more collections by Tom Gauld! I suspect though that because it has a very readerish, authorish, librarianish, bookish theme it held immense appeal for me. But, bear with me, for as it’s a first I am considering how best to review a book of cartoons - I can’t talk about the plot or the narrative or the characterisations, can I? I can say that I laughed out loud on occasions. There’s wit and humour of an intelligent kind, subtle on occasions, obvious on others. But pervading many of these cartoons was an understanding of the states that both reader and writer find themselves in, a perception of how the bookish mind works. There are several references to the pandemic and how that impacted upon the literary mind. And there are specific book and author references.
For example Kafka’s Metamorphosis.
Some delight in a visual approach, for example the road signs for a Gothic novel.
I defy anyone not to find something to chuckle in this book and I could continue showing my favourites. But this is a book to dip in and out of from time to time. It’s very uplifting. And that brings me neatly to one of my favourite cartoons in the book. It’s entitled “Coming soon! Classic novels with added positivity… “
Sometimes there’s not a lot to laugh about currently in the world at the moment. A book like this provides a little light relief, a little merriment. Perfect for bibliophiles.
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