Book Review: On Loving Women

On Loving Women, Diane Obomsawin, 88pgs, Drawn & Quarterly, www.drawnandquarterly.com, $16.95

Montreal animator Diane Obomsawin’s second English language book is a quiet, articulate collection of short stories about first loves, adolescent awkwardness, and the often-uphill journey towards discovering and understanding one’s sexuality.

Like Kaspar, her previous graphic novel with Drawn & Quarterly, On Loving Women is best described as staccato storytelling. Each of the book’s ten vignettes is named for another woman; their narratives trace the early stages of their individual sexual journeys, from falling in love with secondary school teachers, fooling around on a train with a nun’s niece, and being shuttled off to a farm by one’s parents to remove the temptation of other women, to dropping acid, frequent underage encounters, and even a threesome.

Obomsawin’s art is characterized by its simplicity, with inelegantly drawn anthropomorphic animals standing in for humans. The style is unobtrusive, allowing for a bluntness of visual metaphor that perfectly matches the understated text, such as in the book’s final story and the employment of the parallel peacock imagery in one panel and lone hovering eyes in the next, drawing a line between the conflicting desires to be the centre of attention while also wishing to disappear into the crowd.

The collected stories feel strangely complete and incomplete at the same time; they’re first paragraphs to larger narratives the author has decided to leave off the table, choosing instead to focus on the discombobulating first steps of girls exploring their sexuality. While a few of the vignettes do stand out above the rest—“Sasha’s Story,” “October’s Story,” and “M-H’s Story” in particular—the overall quality of these micro-narratives is excellent. In their punctuated simplicity lies a disarming innocence; Obomsawin’s charming art and to-the-point writing help the book retain a certain levity in the face of heartache, confusion, and childhood expectations so unceremoniously checked. (Andrew Wilmot)

1 thought on “Book Review: On Loving Women

  1. [URL=http://www.codeceu.com/mulberry-mens-large-oliver-natural-leather-laptop-briefcase-black-mmb013-p-365.html]Mulberry Men’s Large Oliver Natural Leather Laptop Briefcase Black MMB013[/URL]

    [URL=http://www.txs-hldm.com/oakley-sunglasses-polarized-blue-with-logo-in-front-p-384.html]Oakley Sunglasses Polarized Blue With Logo In Front[/URL]

    [URL=http://www.codeceu.com/mulberry-mens-dominic-natural-leather-messenger-bag-black-mmm008-p-394.html]Mulberry Men’s Dominic Natural Leather Messenger Bag Black MMM008[/URL]

    Measuring the inside diameter of a ring you understand fits your finger delivers a figure you can later use to figure out your ring dimension. This procedure also helps you to measure a ring for someone else if you want to surprise them. If measuring a ring for someone else, make sure that it can be one that fits and that they put on it within the finger you intend your ring to go on. Measure from one end of the interior in the ring not the outdoors straight across for the other end’s inner edge. The measurement ought to be in millimeters.
    Guidebook to Ring Sizes for Fingers
    When pritned, make sure the length from the “A” tab on the “B” marking measures specifically 3.five inches. Lower a slit on the line towards the left of “A.” Wrap the paper across the meant finger with all the print dealing with outward so you’re able to see it. Slide the little finish as a result of the “A” slot. When the sizer is wrapped tightly all-around your finger, the number closest to your slit is your ring dimension. When the measurement falls concerning two numbers, try on each sizes and see which fits significantly more comfortably.

    [URL=http://www.codeceu.com/mulberry-womens-bags-mulberry-stachel-bags-c-7_9.html]Mulberry Stachel Bags[/URL]

    [URL=http://www.codeceu.com/mulberry-zip-around-printed-leather-key-holder-amp-coin-purse-light-coffee-mpc008-p-481.html]Mulberry Zip Around Printed Leather Key Holder & Coin Purse Light Coffee MPC008[/URL]

    [URL=http://www.codeceu.com/mulberry-mens-albert-messenger-natural-leather-bag-brown-mmm013-p-383.html]Mulberry Men’s Albert Messenger Natural Leather Bag Brown MMM013[/URL]

    The universe of purses is exceptionally targeted. Immediately after all, getting ready to get a corporation trip isn’t pretty like getting ready for any pleasure trip. A small business trip can be just the same as gonna function with all the additional complication of being from your workplace! Right here are a couple of strategies that can assist you prepare to your enterprise journey within a way that lowers tension, supports productivity, and leaves a little space for enjoyable!
    You will discover varied kinds of satchels prevalent within the marketplace. Presently it is a paramount device for enriching oneself using the most current magnificence. You may be welcome on the universe of designer purses. These designer tote handbags will provide you with for you personally the shot of brightening your overall appear. The satchels are for trying to keep your minor necessary stuff to the evening combined with it can offer you the chance of conveying and demonstrating the class you’ve got.
    In the style sector, there are distinctive sorts of totes and all will not serve the same function. As we’re managing the corporation for quite a even while, we have an extended background in regards to this. Here you’ll get one of the most current outline with distinguished form. We have now the most suitable designers shaping the purses only to make the satchels top. Our fashioners are operating day and evening for your alter of its high quality. We will deliver to suit your needs the most current design and shade, and shape.
    handbags Articles on ArticleSnatch
    Classy dresses add an additional attractiveness to all gals by accentuating the top parts of their entire body and hiding the flaws simultaneously. For which you ought to prefer the perfect dress as per your whole body form. But for many of your gals, they uncover it difficult to get the ideal dresses for them as a consequence of the large rates. So we usually hunt for some revenue. In case you have not heard in regards to the Dressve Cyber Monday product sales present till now, then you are most almost certainly the single one particular.
    Once you travel, always keep your bag light and only pack it full of essentials. The less matters you’ve with you, the less likelihood you will have of dropping valuables or risking possessing them stolen. Restrict the amount of shoes you bring along since these are quite often the largest and heaviest goods individuals carry with them.
    Dressve is providing exciting product sales on all their products this kind of as dresses, prom sneakers, boots, outerwear, handbags, lingerie, hats and more. The interesting thing is the fact that any time you pay for one item on Dressve Cyber Monday sales, you will get a present. Dressve can also be supplying absolutely free shipping on orders more than $69. The net purchasing is definitely an massive detonation in today’s reality and it merely made everything simple for the benefactors. A gigantic scope of marked packs is accessible on the net.
    Label your details. You recognize all of people return address labels you have accumulated over the many years? Put them to superior use as labels for the items. Stick them on everything from luggage and handbags to cameras and umbrellas. Thanks to this truth, a lot of using the web merchants are growing up guaranteeing reduced fees and excellent superior merchandise. Beneath such circumstances, it truly is rather puzzling to select the ones which are suitable for you. Currently you’ll be able to decide to buy something by on line mode, from clothing to groceries and electronic appliances. You will discover that every one of these products are available for you at fascinating gives and at a good deal much less prices when compared to that of bodily stores. Other than selecting the above goods, have you attempted investing in some furnishings accessories like cushion covers or clothes accessories like hand bags? These merchandise might be bought not having any doubts, as they’re attainable to in flashy discounts and also in different sizes and models. Now you’ll be able to buy cushion covers on-line with just by sitting at your home by using a single click.

    [URL=http://www.ariztile2.com/herve-leger-pacific-blue-ardell-boatneck-bandage-dress-p-47.html]HERVE LEGER PACIFIC BLUE ARDELL BOATNECK BANDAGE DRESS[/URL]

    [URL=http://www.codeceu.com/mulberry-mens-brynmore-for-macbook-pro-leather-messenger-bag-black-mmm037-p-414.html]Mulberry Men’s Brynmore For Macbook Pro Leather Messenger Bag Black MMM037[/URL]

    [URL=http://www.ariztile2.com/herve-leger-silver-combo-sigrid-foilprint-dress-p-31.html]HERVE LEGER SILVER COMBO SIGRID FOIL-PRINT DRESS[/URL]

Leave a Reply to saeozbrm Cancel reply