Thanks dad x

My dad - who would rather stick pins in his eyes than go shopping - ventured out into a mega-mall and bought me a present yesterday all of his own volition. And guess what it was?!
Jimmy Corrigan - The Smartest Kid on Earth!
Started reading it last night and, for my first foray into the graphic novel form, I reckon it's the ideal introduction. The images are simple yet soulful, Jimmy speaks to you using few words but loads of expression, so the text and imagery are in perfect symmetry. I like its thickness and its texture and the way you have to turn the book sideways sometimes to read the frames, and I love that my dad bought it for me after reading my blog.
That's makes me RubyfireWrites - The Luckiest Girl on Earth.
Here's what other writers and critics say about the book:
'Arguably the greatest achievement of the form, ever.' Dave Eggers
'Beautiful, poignant, and at times utterly heartbreaking, this multi-layered coming-of-age story may be one of the finest sympathetic portraits of a loser we have in history.' 
The Boston Sunday Globe.
'A work of genius.' Zadie Smith
And this...
'Ware's work is the comic equivalent of Joyce's Ulysses - no one's ever read it, and those who have know that it sucks, but it sure looks great on your bookshelf.' Ted Rall
Am only a few pages in yet, but so far so good (blah to you Mr Rall). Will keep you posted.
(Click on the images to enlarge for your reading pleasure.)