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renee_pompeii's review
4.0
Fante is back, and has become a disgusting hobo! Meanwhile, the girl that got away is finding success is not so awesome and has a skeevy boyfriend. Another fun read by Van Sciver, who earns big thumbs up by basing the skeevy boyfriend on himself (tee hee!!)
glitterandtwang's review
4.0
Noah Van Sciver is very talented and funny and it's a real shame about his jerk of a brother.
francomega's review
4.0
Follow-up look at the title wannabe writer as his ego and lack of self-awareness leads him to rock bottom. Plus, a parallel story of the rise of his ex-girlfriend's (introduced in the first book) writing career.
hypops's review
4.0
In contrast to the first volume, this second collection of Fante Bukowski comics is a much sharper critique of the pretensions and bluster of the writing life.
Where the first volume was overly interested in its main character’s neuroses, this second volume places him within the context of a literary world that is obsessed with finding new and “authentic” voices. For those of us who closely follow (or participate in) the arbitrary whims of the literary marketplace, this second volume of Noah Van Sciver’s Fante Bukowski takes shots at all of us and brings us all down a few pegs. I can’t wait to jump into the next volume!
Where the first volume was overly interested in its main character’s neuroses, this second volume places him within the context of a literary world that is obsessed with finding new and “authentic” voices. For those of us who closely follow (or participate in) the arbitrary whims of the literary marketplace, this second volume of Noah Van Sciver’s Fante Bukowski takes shots at all of us and brings us all down a few pegs. I can’t wait to jump into the next volume!
otterno11's review
4.0
When we were introduced to Fante Bukowski, the vaingloriously incompetent wannabe writer in Noah Van Sciver’s first record of his exploits, I had to wonder, what more uproarious humor could Van Sciver milk out of Bukowski after his flight from Denver in search of a new life? A lot, apparently! Thankfully, Bukowski returns even sharper and more outrageous in Fante Bukowski Two, a hilarious, glorious send up of the writing world, from editors to comics to zines.
Finding himself in Columbus, Ohio, the heart of the American lit scene (it’s where such luminaries as Chabon, Lethem, and McCarthy all live now, none of whom Fante has heard of). Setting himself up a new seedy motel, pumping out 20,000 hand numbered copies of his magnum opus, a six page zine of his poems, Fante hits a dilemma when he finds himself, at long last, cut off from his mom’s allowance. Meanwhile, his former flame Audrey has hit the big time with her second novel and is embarking on a cross country book tour with her new boyfriend, upcoming graphic novelist Noah Van Sciver.
With all of the great literary references, the dream cameos from Ira Glass and the ludicrous film adaptations, Van Sciver’s droll comedy and eye for expressions are well showcased here. In spite of Bukowski’s writing incompetence, Audrey has some pretty trenchant thoughts on writing as well. All in all, I think anyone who has ever had any thoughts (or pretensions) of being a writer can attest, there is a lot of Fante or Audrey in all of us, at least sometimes.
Finding himself in Columbus, Ohio, the heart of the American lit scene (it’s where such luminaries as Chabon, Lethem, and McCarthy all live now, none of whom Fante has heard of). Setting himself up a new seedy motel, pumping out 20,000 hand numbered copies of his magnum opus, a six page zine of his poems, Fante hits a dilemma when he finds himself, at long last, cut off from his mom’s allowance. Meanwhile, his former flame Audrey has hit the big time with her second novel and is embarking on a cross country book tour with her new boyfriend, upcoming graphic novelist Noah Van Sciver.
With all of the great literary references, the dream cameos from Ira Glass and the ludicrous film adaptations, Van Sciver’s droll comedy and eye for expressions are well showcased here. In spite of Bukowski’s writing incompetence, Audrey has some pretty trenchant thoughts on writing as well. All in all, I think anyone who has ever had any thoughts (or pretensions) of being a writer can attest, there is a lot of Fante or Audrey in all of us, at least sometimes.
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