⋙ [PDF] Gratis Dykes to Watch Out for Alison Bechdel 9780932379177 Books

Dykes to Watch Out for Alison Bechdel 9780932379177 Books

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Dykes to Watch Out for Alison Bechdel 9780932379177 Books

Reading Alison Bechdel's first collection of DTWOF was a surprise, but a pleasant one. I just assumed that the on-going storylines and regular characters that made up later volumes would have an explicit beginning in this one. Wrong. Although some of the later characters and themes might be here in utero (especially Mo), none of them have been quite born yet. Instead, what Ms. Bechdel offers is a number of witty, sometimes hilarious, and usually insightful independent vignettes.

One thing that comes through clearly in this early collection is how much of an iconoclast Bechdel was and will become in her later work. There are no sacred cows. She pokes fun at lesbians who romanticize the virtues of relationship over singledom, and ironically comments on first dates, the trajectory of romances, and political zealotry. But she always does so in a compassionate way that suggests she speaks from the sort of personal experience that encourages kindness as well as a bit of wariness.

Probably the very best strip in the collection is an allegory called "Politi-cola; or, the Birth of an Activist," in which a fantasized political rivalry between Pepsi-cola and Coca-cola symbolizes the utter lack of distinctiveness between democratic and republican presidential rivals in the 1988 election. It's really a brilliant (and, alas, far-seeing) piece of political satire.

Less effective (but not displeasing) is the lesbian alphabet series that punctuates the collection. I suspect it was drawn especially for this volume as filler.

All in all, a fine start of what has become the career of one of our very best social and cultural commentators.


Tags : Dykes to Watch Out for [Alison Bechdel] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. A collection of cartoons recounting the lives and loves of Mo and Harriet and their diverse group of lesbian friends is accompanied by an autobiographical account of the difficulty of finding a permanent relationship,Alison Bechdel,Dykes to Watch Out for,Firebrand Books,0932379176,Form - Comic Strips & Cartoons,Lgbt,Topic - Adult,Comic books, strips, etc,Comic books, strips, etc.,COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS LGBT,Cartoons & comic strips,GRAPHIC NOVELS,HUMOR Form Comic Strips & Cartoons,HUMOR Topic Adult,Humor,Humor Topic Men, Women & Relationships,HumorForm - Comic Strips & Cartoons,Lesbian Studies,Non-Fiction,Social ScienceLGBT Studies - Lesbian Studies,Topic - Relationships,American wit and humor, Pictor,Lesbianism,Lesbians,United States,GayLesbian Nonfiction

Dykes to Watch Out for Alison Bechdel 9780932379177 Books Reviews

I first found Ms. Bechdel's work in, of all places, a science fiction bookstore. I was in the mood for cartoon books, picked up hers, and noticed that her characters had four fingers to go with their thumbs, were mostly female, had women of all races and shapes, and they were drawn in a reasonably anatomically correct manner.
Although I am not a lesbian (but am a friend of the family), I was drawn to the richness and humanity of Bechdel's characters. When I saw the drawing of one woman cowering under the bedcovers and her partner going after a stray bat (animal) with a tennis racket, I roared with laughter and took the book to the checkout line.
If you are straight and want a gentle and humorous look into lesbian life or are lesbian and just want a warm "me too" kind of chuckle, this is the book for you.
Reading Alison Bechdel's first collection of DTWOF was a surprise, but a pleasant one. I just assumed that the on-going storylines and regular characters that made up later volumes would have an explicit beginning in this one. Wrong. Although some of the later characters and themes might be here in utero (especially Mo), none of them have been quite born yet. Instead, what Ms. Bechdel offers is a number of witty, sometimes hilarious, and usually insightful independent vignettes.

One thing that comes through clearly in this early collection is how much of an iconoclast Bechdel was and will become in her later work. There are no sacred cows. She pokes fun at lesbians who romanticize the virtues of relationship over singledom, and ironically comments on first dates, the trajectory of romances, and political zealotry. But she always does so in a compassionate way that suggests she speaks from the sort of personal experience that encourages kindness as well as a bit of wariness.

Probably the very best strip in the collection is an allegory called "Politi-cola; or, the Birth of an Activist," in which a fantasized political rivalry between Pepsi-cola and Coca-cola symbolizes the utter lack of distinctiveness between democratic and republican presidential rivals in the 1988 election. It's really a brilliant (and, alas, far-seeing) piece of political satire.

Less effective (but not displeasing) is the lesbian alphabet series that punctuates the collection. I suspect it was drawn especially for this volume as filler.

All in all, a fine start of what has become the career of one of our very best social and cultural commentators.