Layers: A Memoir - Pénélope Bagieu - ★★★★.½

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: Pénélope Bagieu

TRANSLATOR: Montana Kane

GENRE: Graphic Memoir

PUBLICATION DATE: October 17, 2023

RATING: 4.5 stars.

In a Nutshell: A graphic memoir, but not of the kind you typically see. Loved this eclectic collection of anecdotes from the author’s life, covering sweet and bittersweet memories. The writing and the artwork both are great. Definitely recommended.

Somehow, there have been too many graphic memoirs coming my way in the last few weeks. Most of them hadn’t gone too well, so I had decided to take a break from nonfiction graphic works. When I picked this book up, I didn’t realise it was again a memoir, having totally missed that tiny tagline under the title. I just saw the adorable cover art and grabbed it. But this book has been a delight in various ways.

This graphic comic was originally published in French under the title ‘Les Strates’ in 2021. This English translation was released in 2023. Had I not read this on the inside page, I would never have guessed that this was a translation. The language, even in the dialogues, is smooth.

Most graphic memoirs cover the same kinds of topics: someone dealing with a painful part of the past, or an ordeal of the present. Whether gender identity struggles or health scares or grief over the passing of a loved one, the topic is, more often than not, painful. Many artists thus seem to use their artistic talent as some sort of cathartic outlet for their emotional injuries.

In a way, this book also falls in the same category of topics. But it differs from of the above format in two key aspects. Firstly, it is not one large anecdote from the author’s life, but fifteen little ones. Each story focusses on a specific incident that led to a major or minor epiphany. Whether through awkward moments or through personal losses, the anecdote offers us a clear picture of the author’s current personality and how that event helped shape it. Secondly, the book doesn’t collect only mournful memories. While a couple of the stories are indeed sad, many are humorous and heartwarming as well.

The fifteen included anecdotes cover key events from her childhood to teenage years. These have not been arrange chronologically, so they do go back and forth in time. But as the presentation is lighthearted in general and the graphics indicate the approximate age of the author even when it is not explicitly specified, the timeline shuffles don’t matter much.

What I like best is that the author never presents herself as perfect, nor does she whine about her circumstances. She has no hesitation laughing at her past self, while, at the same time, she never once looks at her youthful gaffes with dismay or embarrassment. Every story in this collection contains a strong undertone of honesty and genuineness; every step and misstep is presented as a learning experience. As all the anecdotes are written in first person, there is an added personal touch to the reading experience. One of my favourites, exposing the double standards of an older family member, doesn’t even have any dialogues, but the comics are more than enough to highlight the hypocrisy of the situation.

The illustrations inside are as adorable as that on the cover. There is a cute quirkiness to the graphics, with every expression conveying volumes. There are a couple of pages that have lovemaking scenes and nudity, but it’s never vulgar. Do note that the internal illustrations are in B&W. They still work effectively, but those who expect a full-colour experience might be disappointed.

Overall, I had a great time reading this amazing and one-of-a-kind graphic memoir, even if all the stories were not happy ones. It is so amazing that the author could share some sad, bittersweet, happy, and funny moments of her life within a single collection without making the book feel jumpy. This is my first book by this author, and I’d love to read more by her.

Definitely recommended to those looking for unusual graphic memoirs that are serious and lighthearted at once.