| Title | : | The Book Tour |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1603094792 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781603094795 |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 272 |
| Publication | : | First published February 15, 2019 |
Upon the publication of his latest novel, G. H. Fretwell, a minor English writer, embarks on a book tour to promote it. Nothing is going according to plan, and his trip gradually turns into a nightmare. But now the police want to ask him some questions about a mysterious disappearance, and it seems that Fretwell's troubles are only just beginning...
In his first book for adults in many years, acclaimed cartoonist Andi Watson evokes all the anxieties felt by every writer and compresses them into a comedic gem of a book. Witty, surreal, and sharply observant, The Book Tour offers a captivating lesson in letting go.
The Book Tour Reviews
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A seemingly never-ending and failing book tour becomes a Kafkaesque nightmare of miscommunication, missteps, and muder accusations in Andi Watson’s charming graphic novel, aptly titled The Book Tour. We follow author G. H. Fretwell as he bumbles around from bookshop to bookshop leaving behind a trail of signed books and no interested customers as the world around him becomes increasingly threatening and obfuscating as every plan comes undone, every conversation misfires, and every trip becomes a labyrinth of confusion. Watson illustrates his work in simple ink sketches that are surprisingly emotive and adds to the gloomy and discontented tone that seeps into your own emotional state. Yet despite the frustration that takes hold and makes even the reader question their own sanity, the story is quite comical in a darkly wry sense and briskly speeds through each misadventure for a fun and exciting ride that seems to mock its own drabness.
The story begins as Fretwell travels away from his wife who seems disinterested in him and onto a book tour only to have his suitcase full of his novel stolen by a man posing as his driver. There is a sense of hilarity in the cavalcade of situational absurdity that follows, with Fretwell unable to attract customers, being forced to dine with the poetry editor instead of his own editor with whom he is desperate to hear feedback from on his new manuscript, has the literary review section go missing from his paper, and constant hotel and conversational mishaps. Worse, he is being questioned about the disappearance of the bookstore employee he met on the first day who seems to be another victim in a serial killer case terrorizing the locals. His novel, Without K, appears to be a nod to the K of Kafka’s
The Trial, a novel that very much seems to inspire the web of confusion and threatening institutional chaos within which Fretwell appears to be trapped. This tone permeates the entire novel and the uncomfortable atmosphere so heavily oozing from otherwise mundane situations is rather brilliant. It becomes increasingly absurd and alarming, as book burnings and vigilantes close in on him.
The novel has a comical ending that is a bit silly but works well towards the theme, and overall this is a delightful read. It feels expansive enough to not seem slight, fast-paced without feeling rushed and doesn’t overstay the ending, which is a rather nice achievement. It can easily be read in a single sitting and goes well with a nice dreary evening, though don’t get yourself accused of murder!
4/5 -
Imagine the excitement and anticipation of a book tour. With a suitcase filled with his published book "Without K", author G.H. Fretwell disembarks from a train at a European style city. "Usually someone comes to meet me but there's no mention of it in my itinerary". A gentleman appears, takes the suitcase, and states that he will pull around the front of the train station to pick up Fretwell. This presumption leads to the beginning of Fretwell's surreal, confusing and absurd journey...no vehicle will appear with his suitcase of books.
Off to the police station to report a theft. A disinterested policeman, absorbed in his newspaper, half listens to the reported claim. No valuables in your luggage, only books? "The books are valuable". The police station looks eerily deserted, however, the officer states, "we are very busy at the moment...we must prioritise ongoing investigations".
More bizarre happenings. Apparently "a startling new voice" in writing, author F.P. Guise, has each of his book signings scheduled the day before each of Fretwell's. No one arrives for Fretwell's signings. The downward spiral continues. A bookseller named Rebecca Harpin goes missing. Funny, Fretwell's wife is named Rebecca. The suitcase of books is missing. There is a predator on the loose nicknamed "The Suitcase Killer". The police question Fretwell.
"The Book Tour" by Andi Watson is an unsettling and puzzling graphic novel. It is unique, darkly humorous, and dreamlike. At first, the comics etched in black and white with scant dialogue didn't entice this reader. Slowly, the atmosphere created by author Watson became mesmerizing and quite addictive. As Fretwell was seemingly sucked into an abyss, he visited a homeless shelter that required a reservation...but alas...the city had no homelessness...all beds would remain unoccupied. "The Book Tour" was a captivating, curious read about a dispirited man searching...searching... Highly recommended.
Thank you Top Shelf Productions and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. -
"It feels like someone's driving a tent peg between my eyes with a mallet." -- Camilla, the weary book shop employee who inadvertently supplied me with the needed quotable line, on page 75
Right there with ya, Camilla - although the illustrated novel The Book Tour started out well, by its non-ending of a barely-there conclusion I wanted to hurl it across the room. Focusing on a young but not quite well-known new author named Fretwell (perhaps too-appropriately named, as he unbelievably keeps a cool demeanor when dealing with the ever-worsening situations in his life), we follow him on this quasi-Hitchkockian title adventure as he sojourns from one independent book store to another in a strange and threatening but otherwise unidentified European city (meaning a never-ending supply of corner cafes, small hotels, and dark alleys). While the meandering plot was admittedly a little intriguing at first, the continual 'kick to the crotch' moments experienced by the hapless Fretwell - which included (but were not limited to) falling victim to a luggage thief, severe lack of interest in his autographing appearances, falling under police suspicion as a serial murderer of young women, and being physically accosted by a vigilante mob - just became too much bad luck for one protagonist. By the end I wondered what the point of the book was - not a good sign at all. -
A clueless author on a failing book tour pointlessly stumbles in and out of a serial killer plot in surrealistic and absurd fashion. Nothing to amuse or engage me here.
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I loved this graphic novel about a writer going on a book tour and getting mixed up with a murder. I loved the illustrations and the absurdities he encountered.
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This is an endearing graphic novel about a writer who experiences the dual horrors of (1) being accused of a murder he did not commit and (2) going on a book tour. I enjoyed how it was simultaneously harrowing and full of gentle humor. The art, mostly city scenes, was lovely. Would read again and probably will.
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Final book of the year is so eerie, so drab, so odd, and so English all at the same time. Aspiring writers: beware. Lots of sitting around, promoting a book that no one asked for. Worth a very quick read.
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What a wonderfully frustrating book. Have you ever seen that bit by Eddie Izzard where he talks about British films being nothing but people walking into doors and being mildly befuddled. That's what this felt like but in a good way. I feel frustrated for the protagonist and how he's treated but also frustrated because he's such a schlub. This man truly is the British Jon Arbuckle. As infuriating as it is to see the events unfold, that's actually why I liked it so much. I keep expecting Fretwell to grow a spine or snap or do something and it's that anticipation that kept me going. A wholly unique read, loved it.
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Dla autora nie ma niczego bardziej stresującego niż spotkanie autorskie, na które nikt nie przyszedł. Pisarze i pisarki opowiadają z zażenowaniem ale i lekko masochistyczną radością o takich sytuacjach. Przeważnie winę można zrzucić na promocję, pogodę termin, ale co gdy sytuacja się powtarza, a frekwencyjne sukcesy święci inny autor? W takiej sytuacji jest G.H. Fretwell, autor niebestsellerowego "Bez K.", bohater "Trasy promocyjnej" Andiego Watsona (tłum. Jacek Żuławnik).
Zerowa frekwencja to jednak nie koniec jego problemów - Fretwell to taki literacki Piszczek - będzie podejrzany o morderstwo, zmuszony spać pod mostem, a kafkowska w duchu opowieść doprowadzi go do więzienia. To z jednej strony satyra na trasy promocyjne, podczas których autorom przychodzi spać w najdziwniejszych hotelach (ile z tego jest później historii opowiadanych na literackich festiwalach!), spotykać nadgorliwych pracowników księgarń czy bibliotek, wpisywać dziwaczne dedykacje i słuchać od czytelników intymnych, niekiedy kuriozalnych zwierzeń. Z drugiej zaś komiks Watsona opowiada absurdalną i wciągającą historię kryminalną. Wszystko to naszkicowane lekką jakby pospieszną kreską i elegancko wydane.
Mało czytam ostatnio komiksów, po latach pracy "w komiksie" odpoczywam od tej formy i niewiele mnie w niej zaskakuje. Podobnie jest z "Trasą promocyjną" - to uroczo zabawny i całkiem wciągający tytuł, ale też przewidywalne czytadełko bez graficznych czy narracyjnych odlotów. Bardziej do wypożyczenia z biblioteki niż kupowania. -
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210522: eerie, excellent, exasperating. never been on book tour but this seems to capture its strange nature, in everything from just following a stranger's orders because he talks of your 'itinerary', to having nobody who wants you to sign your book, to your elusive publisher, to being mistaken for murderer (!). this is graphic kafkaesque: easy to read, easy to imagine. fun, fast, the art is great 'retro', the dialog sketched in comic misunderstandings and omissions. and you really cannot imagine a better name for the protagonist...
the city is vaguely continental european, resembling paris mostly, and the streets are cobbled, carless, buildings looming steeply, and the various bookstores visited are local and not big box. the city seems attractive until you learn what is happening and see how fretwell is mistreated. there is something effective in the open, gentle line which characterises both buildings, books and people. facial features are alluded to, not fully closed, though individuals are recognisable, for this is not herge-style 'ligne claire' but reminds me of certain new yorker cartoons... -
The Book Tour is an odd little graphic novel that follows the author protagonist as he attempts to promote his latest book release. Along the way he experiences unusual circumstances that place him a little too close to an ongoing murder investigation.
He deals with every little thing going wrong. As he doesn't fix a single problem, they build into bigger and bigger problems along the way. Note to self, don't just accept stolen luggage or unplanned itineraries.
review continued at
https://amanjareads.com/2020/12/25/th... -
You know when you're reading something and you feel emotional and agitated about it but then you realize that that's the author's intention so you kind of appreciate it? I felt frustrated and anxious throughout this graphic novel. Pretty sure that was the point so job well done. The art style went perfectly with the feel of the story. If anyone reads this and can explain the ending to me I would greatly appreciate it!
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This was very unsettling and beautifully illustrated and just the right kind of ambiguously weird that it feels rare to see and I'm going to be thinking about the way Watson illustrates the sense of isolation that Fretwell experiences repeatedly for a long time.
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En fait 4,5/5 ... une lecture à l'atmosphère très british mais une fin qui m'a laissée un peu perplexe ! Sinon, cela aurait sûrement été un 5/5.
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Cute! Cute yet arch. Very Englishy. Definitely one where the whole time I’m reading I’m almost guilty, all the hours the artist put in, the slim evenings I funnel all that labor into.
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"Trasa promocyjna" to dla mnie komiks smutny i przygnębiający.
Ukazuje on życie pisarza, który moim zdaniem jest nieco wycofany i nie potrafi wyrazić swojego zdania na różne tematy. Jego relacje z żoną są w moim odczuciu skomplikowane o czym mogą świadczyć te nieliczne rozmowy toczone w sposób raczej dziwny i mało uczuciowy. Jego życie zawodowe także okazuje się mało satysfakcjonujące, gdyż na zapowiedzianą trasę promocyjną jego najnowszej książki nie stawia się praktycznie żaden czytelnik. Jego wydawca ma swój świat i swoje zabawki, nie w głowie mu takie problemy jak kontakt z autorem.
Różne zbiegi okoliczności powodują, że główny bohater powiązany jest ze sprawą kryminalną. A. Watson wplątuje go w dziwny ciąg wydarzeń, który prowadzi do zagadkowej i nieco dwuznacznej końcówki, którą można interpretować na różne sposoby.
Polecam ten tytuł wielbicielom komiksów, którzy mają ochotę uzupełnić swoją półkę o kolejny przeczytany tytuł. Najlepiej wypożyczyć go z biblioteki, bo nie wiem, czy jest sens, aby go kupować.... -
Non ho amato particolarmente i disegni, a volte un po' "confusi" ma credo sia stato un qualcosa di voluto da parte dell'autore, nel senso che tramite i disegni vuol dare un senso di vaghezza e "disagio".
Un fumetto Kafkiano e Beckettiano se così vogliamo dire, che ti lascia interdetto dall'inizio alla fine, sensazione comune al protagonista della storia, Fretwell.
Forse non tra i fumetti più importanti ma che riesce a dare sicuramente una panoramica del mondo dell'editoria mondiale. -
Recommended by Julia. Read her review on the Cook Memorial Public Library blog, Shelf Life:
https://shelflife.cooklib.org/2021/03...
Check our catalog:
https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore... -
Reflections and lessons learned:
“I don’t alphabetise, I’d rather customers explore”
Things that I enjoyed about this book:
The story and it’s weaving around
The range of seen and unseen characters
The illustrations
The wonderful depicted world of books and bookshops
The detached scenarios
The randomness
The genuine creeping fear (never had that from a cartoon strip before!)
The recognisable moments of detached pain and genuine situational confusion
Things that I did not understand:
The end!
Worth a read if you’re interested in authors, books and societal detachment -
2.75
I was enjoying this. I thought it was weird and interesting, but the ending ruined it for me. I will say I was confused the whole time, but it didn’t bother me. -
There's a genius to setting a book in bookstores and on an author tour. Bookstores and authors consume a lot of books. Built in audience.
Libraries, too. If you want to sell like a billion copies right now, write a book that features a heroic librarian helping a group of plucky, marginalized youths. Dangerous Minds, but set in a library. You'll make enough to keep Michelle Pfeiffer in leather jackets forever. -
Achei interessante o tema deste quadrinho, da editora mineira estreante Moby Dick: um escritor está envolvido em um tour de lançamento de seu novo livro e, depois de passar por diversos "acidentes" e "incidentes", acaba sendo incriminado do assassinato de uma livreira. É fácil de alguém com pretensões literárias se identicar com o périplo kafkaniano do protagonista, afinal, publicar seu próprio livro ou seu próprio quadrinho não é um tarefa fácil ou simples e, muitas vezes - na maioria delas - dá errado, muito aquém das espectativas. Book Tour é um quadrinho que fascina por enredar o leitor num novelo e o peronagem num labirinto sem minotauro, em que ele vai se ferrando mais e mais. Talvez por isso li o quadrinho de cabo a arbo quase sem suspirar. A não ser pela angústia que os personagens do livro (muito parecidos com gente ignorante real) faziam o protagonista e o leitor passar. O final do quadrinho é aberto e cabe uma segunda leitura para, talvez, identificar os reais culpados dos assassinatos. De toda forma, foi uma viagem de leitura de textos e imagens bastante especial e divertida. Adorei!
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Farklı bir kitap. İngiliz olduğu belli. Buram buram İngiliz usulü bir kara mizah işi. Bu anlamda çok diyaloglu yapısı başarılı. İlginç ikili diyalogların çokça olduğu kitabı okurken İngilizlerin pek iyi kıvırdığı kara komedi filmlerinden birine pekala uyarlanabilir diye düşündüm. Finale doğru da bu kanaatim eldeki eserin çok keyifli bir tiyatro oyununa dönüşebileceği şekline büründü. Başta Fretwell olmak üzere iyi bir cast ile elbette.
Siyah beyaz çizimleri de anlatıma uyumlu. Lezzetli. Fakat yüksek dozda ön plana çıkıyor diyemeyiz. Biraz Sempé, biraz Piyale Madra, biraz gazete comic strip havasında.
Baobab yine özgün bir seçkiyle raflarımızı zenginleştirdi. Alternatif mizah severler başta olmak üzere tavsiyedir.
Not: Okurken serbest çağrışanlar; İrlanda yapımı ama olsun The Guard (2011) film, Simon Pegg ve Nick Frost ikilisi, (izlemeyen kalmamıştır ama Ferhan Şensoy’lu) Pardon (2005) -
Un volume unico, le atmosfere e la sensazioni che trasmette le ho provate solo leggendo Kafka e il suo processo e a tratti Anubi di Taddei.
Una storia che via via si fa sempre più surreale, ti lascia spiazzato, a disagio, ti fa salire il nervoso perché ci sono delle incomprensioni e delle difficoltà di comunicazione fra il protagonista e il suo mondo volutamente assurde.
Alla fine lettura le certezze su cosa si è letto vacillano, non è ben chiaro e delineato, ma siamo davanti ad una storia dell'assurdo resa benissimo con il bianco e nero usata per trasporla.
5 stelle perché è una lettura unica, ben scritta e disegnata, che riesce a farti provare emozioni e stati d'animo che difficilmente si provano leggendo un fumetto.
Non lo consiglierei a tutti, ma se amate Kafka e roba per voi. -
This is one of those stories that's minimalist to a fault. I have a bit of a rough time enjoying stories that are absolutely absurdist in plot and ancillary characters while trying to cement the main character in reality. There's a bit of surrealistic dark humor to this story that made me want to learn more, but by the end it turned out to be a mean-spirited story about nothing with no conclusion.
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2,5*
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This was... interesting. Andi Watson's art style was a bit reminiscent of Quentin Blake which was a plus for me; it felt familiar which clashed with the slightly surreal, very frustrating plot in a satisfying way. I did enjoy the vague ending: it feels like Fretwell could still be wandering around ordering steaks and tea and selling no books on his book tour of purgatory forever. Kafkaesque is a good way to describe this for sure. 3.5!
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I enjoyed this simple and quirky author on his less than stellar book tour. The differing styles of bookshop owners, following a blockbuster author and the decreasing standards of his accommodation were lovingly rendered.
I hated the ending. -
I’ve had days like this.
