In my fun-reading free time, I’m trying to get through a stack of graphic novels that I’ve collected over the years. Especially when I’m at thrift stores that aren’t as “expensive” as Goodwill (I hate that place for books!), I’ll basically buy anything graphic in nature, even if doesn’t pique my interests in the least.
This book fit that bill, with its pastel-pink cover, revealing title, and female lead. Slow News Day was definitely not promising to be my cup of tea—and sure enough, English Breakfast it was!
From the outset, I’ll remind my readers that I’ll never judge a cartoonist harshly for their efforts. Even when I absolutely hate a book (i.e. Marked by Steve Ross), I’ve got to give the author props for even attempting to develop and publish a graphic novel! I’ll do the same here. I know nothing about Andi Watson (save for the quick bibliography search I just did online), but he’s a cartoonist who followed through with his vision, and so, props for that.
The drawing style in this book is consistently minimalist, employing thick black lines, simple shapes, and basic cartoony facial features to convey emotions and attitudes. Even when zooming out to show a cityscape or spectacular landscape, Watson sticks with the same thick lines and lack of detail. It’s pleasant once you get used to it, though at first glance one might think it lazy. I personally like the style and felt it matched the theme of, well, slow news in a boring town!
The plot of this story is that an American writer, Kate, decides to head over to England for a few months to work in a dying weekly newspaper in order to understand better the context for a sitcom she’s writing which includes a charmingly funny yet caricature-esque Briton. While there, she experiences some mild culture shock, has a love-hate relationship with her co-workers, and tries to balance relationships back home, now long-distance.
My 11yo daughter saw me reading this a few days ago, and she asked if the book was any good. I had to reply honestly, so I said, “Not really. It’s like watching a TV romance.” She responded with a disgusted “Bleh!” and I had to laugh. Of course, I don’t think she’ll feel the same way about romance in a few years, but for the moment at least, I’ve got her where I want her.
This book contains some hefty adult language, so I wouldn’t let my daughter read it even if she was interested in romance, but that’s not the only reason I disliked it. It’s fraught with broken relationships and treats infidelity so lightly that you figure no human relationship can be trusted.
I suppose the complete absence of marriage in this book sets the foundation for such thinking, and in a world where marriage is seen as old fashioned and non-essential, why not? If two people can’t commit to each other in a marriage, why should we expect faithfulness in any corner of their lives? And so everyone sleeps around, or suspects their “partners” of sleeping around, and round and round we go.
What a miserable existence! Thank God for “old-fashioned” marriage and the nuclear family. It ain’t considered the bedrock of civilization for nothing.
I’ll not be intentionally seeking out Andi Watson’s other books in the future, though I’m sure I’ll pick them up if I see them by chance, really to see what other life perspectives he has. I won’t recommend this book because I didn’t enjoy it, but at least now you know why.
©2023 E.T.