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librariandest's review against another edition
4.0
This is a graphic novel about Hemingway, Pound, Fitzgerald, and Joyce trying to steal money in Paris in the 1920s. It's like nerdy fan fiction, but cool.
swagmansnake's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
uosdwisrdewoh's review against another edition
4.0
All of Jason’s works can kind of blend together. When I bought this I told the clerk, “I think I haven’t read this one, but I’m not sure.” Across all of his works, Jason uses anthropomorphized dogs, cats, and birds, almost always with the same blank expressions.
But Jason’s deceptively simple style and static layouts conceals an astonishing control of rhythm and tone. He draws you in and holds you tight. And once he lulls you, he dives into an intricate clockwork plot that first confounds and then perfectly snaps into place.
But Jason’s deceptively simple style and static layouts conceals an astonishing control of rhythm and tone. He draws you in and holds you tight. And once he lulls you, he dives into an intricate clockwork plot that first confounds and then perfectly snaps into place.
billybookmark's review against another edition
5.0
like a 2D melville film, Hubert's colours are also excellent
jekutree's review against another edition
5.0
Rereading this for a third or fourth time now, it really is one of my favorite comics.
I love the first half of the book, it sets up the characters perfectly. These short vignettes really get you up to speed with all their characters and their relationships to each either. It tells you everything you need to know without feeling like an exposition dump, the brevity it all is genius as well. What Jason accomplishes here in the first half is great. The details within the way the characters act and speak characterizes them perfectly, down the Hemingway using a pen over a brush.
The second half is fantastic as well. The different POVs of the robbery work really well. I think it could come off as gimmicky for some, but for me it was very effective. The whole heist scene is shown in full by each character so the whole thing is built in the reader’s mind as we learn more information as it goes. You’ll see an action in one person’s POV that pays off in another. Since reading this the last time I got around to seeing the movie Jackie Brown which has a heist with different perspectives very similar to this. I think it’s a thing both of them borrowed from novels given a visual form. That being said, I love both sequences.
The whole premise of the story is genius too. All these famous early 20th century authors re imagined as cartoonists living together in Paris is clever enough, but having them all be broke enough to rob a bank together is incredible. Jason executes it perfectly too. His signature deadpan storytelling with tons of silent sequences and sparse dialogue brings this story to life excellently.
I love the first half of the book, it sets up the characters perfectly. These short vignettes really get you up to speed with all their characters and their relationships to each either. It tells you everything you need to know without feeling like an exposition dump, the brevity it all is genius as well. What Jason accomplishes here in the first half is great. The details within the way the characters act and speak characterizes them perfectly, down the Hemingway using a pen over a brush.
The second half is fantastic as well. The different POVs of the robbery work really well. I think it could come off as gimmicky for some, but for me it was very effective. The whole heist scene is shown in full by each character so the whole thing is built in the reader’s mind as we learn more information as it goes. You’ll see an action in one person’s POV that pays off in another. Since reading this the last time I got around to seeing the movie Jackie Brown which has a heist with different perspectives very similar to this. I think it’s a thing both of them borrowed from novels given a visual form. That being said, I love both sequences.
The whole premise of the story is genius too. All these famous early 20th century authors re imagined as cartoonists living together in Paris is clever enough, but having them all be broke enough to rob a bank together is incredible. Jason executes it perfectly too. His signature deadpan storytelling with tons of silent sequences and sparse dialogue brings this story to life excellently.
freshkatsu's review against another edition
4.0
Hemingway, describing his life as a comic artist:
'It's the only thing I know how to do. I can't drive a bus or hit a nail with a hammer. I can tell a story in tiny pictures and fuck up my eyesight a little more every day'
That's all I have to say.
'It's the only thing I know how to do. I can't drive a bus or hit a nail with a hammer. I can tell a story in tiny pictures and fuck up my eyesight a little more every day'
That's all I have to say.
showlola's review against another edition
5.0
A heist, some blood, and the motley crew of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Joyce, and Pound. I just love Jason.
thirdcoast's review against another edition
4.0
What would it be like if Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, and James Joyce were four struggling cartoonists living in Paris? Add to that idea a scheme for them to get rich in an afternoon and you have The Left Bank Gang by Norwegian artist/writer Jason. Did I mention this is a graphic novel and everyone is drawn as animals?
The Left Bank Gang is a funny, smart, and imaginative interpretation of writers associated with the Lost Generation. It's an engaging, slim volume that blends literary legends with Reservoir Dogs, though with far less violence. If you're going to pull off a crime, it never hurts to have Hemingway backing you up.
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The Left Bank Gang is a funny, smart, and imaginative interpretation of writers associated with the Lost Generation. It's an engaging, slim volume that blends literary legends with Reservoir Dogs, though with far less violence. If you're going to pull off a crime, it never hurts to have Hemingway backing you up.
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indeedithappens's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
wmhenrymorris's review against another edition
Interesting concept. Some of the art is great. The Gertrude Stein scene is hilarious. But on the whole, I felt like not much was done with the set up.