GRAPHIC NOVELS

The Man Without Talent

by Yoshiharu Tsuge
NYRC. Feb. 2020. 240p. ISBN 9781681374437. pap. $22.95. Rated: Teen+. f
COPY ISBN
Once an acclaimed cartoonist, Sukezo Sukesawa no longer finds any value in his own work and devotes himself to a series of largely misguided schemes in order to provide for his family. After some initial success selling restored antique cameras, he becomes interested in the aesthetics of stone appreciation, an art dating back to ancient Japan and still practiced by a small number of devotees, and begins hunting the river near his home for rare specimens he believes he’ll be able to sell for a healthy profit. His wife’s insistence that he’s a lazy fool only grows after he takes her and their son to a stone auction where his samples are deemed worthless.
VERDICT While the opening chapters deliver a portrait of an artist’s ennui, later scenes depicting Sukesawa’s interactions with the owner of a bird store and a bookseller in his village reveal that Tsgue’s (Nejishiki) actual interest lies in a withering dissection of male entitlement in a rapidly changing society.
Reviewed by Thomas L. Batten , Dec 01, 2019
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

GRAPHIC NOVELS

Past Tense: Facing Family Secrets and Finding Myself in Therapy
by Mardou, Sacha
GRAPHIC NOVELS

Soseki Natsume’s Botchan: The Manga Edition
by Natsume, Soseki
GRAPHIC NOVELS

The Hidden Life of Trees: A Graphic Adaptation
by Wohlleben, Peter & Fred Bernard
GRAPHIC NOVELS

Masterpiece
by Bendis, Brian Michael
GRAPHIC NOVELS

Cemetery Kids Don’t Die, Vol. 1
by Thompson, Zac
GRAPHIC NOVELS

Caravaggio: The Palette and the Sword, Vol. 1
by Manara, Milo
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?