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A review by baroque
Don't Go Where I Can't Follow by Anders Nilsen
5.0
How do you write a review about a book like this? Anders shares with us a few key memories about the love of his life, Cheryl Weaver.
If I have one valid criticism, I suppose it's that I wish the book was longer. But I figure it's rude to even ask for that-- he's let us pry into this private part of his life for long enough. This book, in its sparseness, makes you want to meet her, want to know her as he does, so perhaps this criticism is also a strength.
Possibly written as a tribute to her, to help conclude (in the vaguest sense of the word) his own feelings, and/or an attempt to help others who have faced similar tragedy-- this is a beautiful little attempt to immortalized her and let the world know that it lost a good person to a horrid illness.
I met Anders very briefly once, and I'm certain I came off as a bumbling idiot (I think I said something to the effect of "I understand comic paneling"). "Big Questions" is one of my favorite, probably my absolute favorite, graphic novel, so I was naturally a bit nervous. I hadn't read this book yet, but I had bought it, knowing what it was about and already blown away by the gorgeously tragic title. I handed Anders a stack of books to sign; "Don't Go Where I Can't Follow" was one of them. I barely thought twice about asking him to sign it; half-heartedly, I figured that if he was open enough about it to publish the book, he wouldn't be affected by signing it. That was an ill considered thought.
He signed it, kindly, with a drawing of Cheryl's glasses, without a negative word about it. Now, having read the book, I've read and obviously realized that he's had reservations about publishing this private look into his life; this should've been obvious. So, I'm sorry, Anders. Publishing this book to memorialize her and to help others doesn't mean you should have to sign it for ill-considered strangers like me.
Famous writers have often said that writers write to expel demons, to deal with the problems and questions in our own lives. This is why I write fiction, this is why I wrote this review, this is why Anders Nilsen wrote "Don't Go Where I Can't Follow," and why I hope he'll continue to write intelligent, yet emotionally-sensitive graphic narrative for years to come.
If I have one valid criticism, I suppose it's that I wish the book was longer. But I figure it's rude to even ask for that-- he's let us pry into this private part of his life for long enough. This book, in its sparseness, makes you want to meet her, want to know her as he does, so perhaps this criticism is also a strength.
Possibly written as a tribute to her, to help conclude (in the vaguest sense of the word) his own feelings, and/or an attempt to help others who have faced similar tragedy-- this is a beautiful little attempt to immortalized her and let the world know that it lost a good person to a horrid illness.
I met Anders very briefly once, and I'm certain I came off as a bumbling idiot (I think I said something to the effect of "I understand comic paneling"). "Big Questions" is one of my favorite, probably my absolute favorite, graphic novel, so I was naturally a bit nervous. I hadn't read this book yet, but I had bought it, knowing what it was about and already blown away by the gorgeously tragic title. I handed Anders a stack of books to sign; "Don't Go Where I Can't Follow" was one of them. I barely thought twice about asking him to sign it; half-heartedly, I figured that if he was open enough about it to publish the book, he wouldn't be affected by signing it. That was an ill considered thought.
He signed it, kindly, with a drawing of Cheryl's glasses, without a negative word about it. Now, having read the book, I've read and obviously realized that he's had reservations about publishing this private look into his life; this should've been obvious. So, I'm sorry, Anders. Publishing this book to memorialize her and to help others doesn't mean you should have to sign it for ill-considered strangers like me.
Famous writers have often said that writers write to expel demons, to deal with the problems and questions in our own lives. This is why I write fiction, this is why I wrote this review, this is why Anders Nilsen wrote "Don't Go Where I Can't Follow," and why I hope he'll continue to write intelligent, yet emotionally-sensitive graphic narrative for years to come.