Shortcomings

This is mandatory reading for all human inhabitants of planet Earth. It should be discussed in school, used in therapy sessions for couples, discussed in marriage counseling. The writing is brilliant, the drawings expressive. Without knowing much about Tomine, it turned me into a fan, although i prefer the more sarcastic work of Clowes and the more experimental work of Chris Ware. Some complain that it's emo. Well it's actually the opposite, with characters desperately trying to desensitize and getting rid of emotions in order to achieve through cynical justification what they momentarily think is "a higher purpose"

To those of us who have lived in the San Francisco Bay area, and known so many young people represented by these drawings, this book is absolutely delicious. Truthful, insightful, humorous and yet, frequently sad. Far beyond the drawings with which it is conveyed, it is--profoundly wonderful.

Tomine has created characters who are truly flawed yet fascinating. They have such depth yet we know them only from the simple yet masterful line work of the artist. Themes of fantasy, honesty and prejudice both racial and sexual are covered in the 100 pages far better than most novels or movies.

Written in 3 "chapters," which are more like 3 film Acts, Shortcomings tells the tale of cynical, lust-soaked Ben Tanaka, a 30-year-old movie house manager in Berkeley. Even though his girlfriend Miko is a gorgeous Japanese cultural activist with sensitivity and intelligence, Ben's wandering eye for Anglo girls and his surly attitude cause friction in his relationship with disastrous consequences. Ben finds solace in his only friend, Alice, a spunky, sharp lesbian who attends Mills College. In this context, Shortcomings explores with sadness and hilarity sexual and racial stereotypes and the painful search for an authentic identity. The characters are painfully realistic, beset by misguided desires, raging egos, and intense selfishness. But Tomine's brilliance as an artist is to give his characters complexity, believability, and, yes, our sympathy. I was sad after I finished the book in 90 minutes of reading because I loved the characters and wanted to spend more time with them and found myself fantasizing a long-running TV show about them or a series of more graphic novels so I could follow their lives in more depth. Such is the pang this great book left me.

Surprising and rare treat. The combination of art and dialogue make for a richly detailed story and character development. Funny and sad, Tomine highlights the hypocricy, sadness, fear, loneliness and beauty of a relationship where both individuals are looking for something "more".