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Seth
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It's a Good Life, If You Don't Weaken: A Picture Novella Paperback – July 1, 2003

by Seth (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 100 ratings
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An Acknowledged Classic returns gorgeously re-designed.

In his first graphic novel, It's a Good Life, if You Don't Weaken–one of the best-selling D & Q titles ever–Seth pays homage to the wit and sophistication of the old-fashioned magazine cartoon. While trying to understand his dissatisfaction with the present, Seth discovers the life and work of Kalo, a forgotten New Yorker cartoonist from the 1940s. But his obsession blinds him to the needs of his lover and the quiet desperation of his family. Wry self-reflection and moody colours characterize Seth's style in this tale about learning lessons from nostalgia. His playful and sophisticated experiment with memoir provoked a furious debate among cartoon historians and archivists about the existence of Kalo, and prompted a Details feature about Seth's "hoax".

Previous page
  1. Part of Series
    It's A Good Life if You Don't Weaken
  2. Print length
    176 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Drawn and Quarterly
  5. Publication date
    July 1, 2003
  6. Dimensions
    5.98 x 0.73 x 8.95 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    189659770X
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1896597706
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“[Seth] invites the reader to linger cozily in his ruminative, patient stories, each of which grows from Seth's obsession with the past.” ―The Village Voice

“Rich, evocative...characterized by small moments revealing the author's sharp eye for detail” ―The Globe and Mail

About the Author

Seth is the cartoonist behind the comic book series Palookaville and Clyde Fans, the first graphic novel nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. His comics have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Best American Comics, and McSweeneys Quarterly. His illustrations have appeared in numerous publications including the cover of the New Yorker, the Walrus, and Canadian Notes & Queries. He is Lemony Snicket's partner for the series All the Wrong Questions. He designs several classic comics reprint series, notably collections of work by Charles Schulz, John Stanley, and Doug Wright.

He was the subject of a National Film Board documentary entitled Seth's Dominion. Seth lives in Guelph, Canada, with his wife Tania and two cats in a house he has named Inkwell's End.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Drawn and Quarterly; New edition (July 1, 2003)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 176 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 189659770X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1896597706
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 0.73 x 8.95 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 100 ratings

About the author

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Seth

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
100 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Dr. Death
5.0 out of 5 stars Shows you what a graphic novel can achieve!
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2019
Verified Purchase
I purchased this after reading a review in the Times Book review of Seth's latest work and I have to say that this book was much more than I initially thought that it was going to be. More of a thoughtful meditation on the past and exactly what memory achieves, I was extremely impressed with Seth's dialogue and plot. Seth is the main character of the story and he is a cartoonist who is intrigued by another artist's work that he discovers in an old issue of The New Yorker. Part detective story, Seth is compelled to find out as much as he can about the artist, even going so far as interviewing the man's daughter and his mother. Searching for something that he can't quite put his finger on, Seth obviously sees the other man as a reflection of self and as he searches for answers, he continues to look within at his own life. The depth of the issues examined in this graphic novel really surprised me and I must say that I am intrigued in reading more of the author's work. I really enjoyed how Seth captured his home town and using simple illustrations showed the passage of time as he looks for answers for some difficult questions. Warning: This comic make actually cause you to think, so be warned. A highly commendable book.
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Richard C. Geschke
5.0 out of 5 stars In Search of the Real Seth
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2009
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I'm glad I got to read this graphic novella by Seth as the third work and not the first which I believe many have done. This graphic work does much to explain the later oeuvre of Seth's body of work. I realize that every fiction novelist writes into their novels their own life experiences. Seth goes beyond these normal limitations; he actually creates a fictionalized autobiography with himself as the main character of the story. The complete story is set on Seth's obsession with the recent past that being in the time frame from the 1930's to the 1960's. He grudgedly puts himself in the present time set. I must believe that Seth is fixated with this historical time frame and insists on frequently visiting it. Also we find out about Seth's fanaticism of all cartoonists and his absolute adoration of the New Yorker magazine.
In reality this novella would serve as a manual for a psychiatrist to search the mind of one's desires, ambitions and the meaning of life. Well the meaning of life according to Seth. Just remember Seth intersperses real people such as Peter Arno and Charles Schulz along the likes of his fictional character of constant search in this story named Kalo. Seth bares all in this book which explains his later writings of "Clyde's Fans" and "George Sprott".
This is indeed a new way of utilizing the graphic novel format. Although I enjoyed his later works more than this work, it does serve as a basis of just who Seth really is. Five Stars!! No Problem!!!
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Roger Pitcher
4.0 out of 5 stars Glad I have my own copy, yet...
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2024
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Would have been five stars except for being printed on pale pink paper. Loses the subtlety of the original coloring.
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Luke Nye
5.0 out of 5 stars Great as Expected
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2013
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Seth is one of the best graphic novelists out there. His stories are interesting and his art is superb. If you like this one check out his book, "George Sprott."
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Garrett Zecker
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, Beautiful, and Hushed Fictionalized Non-Fiction
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2014
This is perhaps my favorite of Seth’s work that I have read recently. I have digested a lot of it - from his New Yorker Appearances to his New York Times appearances, to a recent jaunt through all of his available works online and in my public library. This all spawned from an interview he did with Gil Roth on the Virtual Memories podcast, available here (http://chimeraobscura.com/vm/podcast-haste-ye-back) and to subscribe at (http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-virtual-memories-show/id531173075) that absolutely fascinated me and led me to devour his work. What is even funnier is that I wasn’t aware that I knew who he was until I picked up George Sprott and realized that I had already read it serialized in the Times.

Seth is a great artist, and his work is clean and almost art-deco. His Palookavillian world is one of booze and cigarettes, and days gone by that seem to swim in the reality that all of the men and women of the bygone era he represents saw as lasting forever. Plastics were the future. And Formica. And fans. And jazz. And everything seemed like it would be okay.

This particular novel stood out to me the most as it is a reflection on life - and a real life that seems so much more genuine than the one that he normally beautifully illustrates that is a reflection on this alternate history. While his normal fiction is amazing - this piece is a fiction piece that is awash in nonfiction reality, and seems to dance on the edges of what is real and what is not.

The story is that the main character - Seth - finds an obscure comic that he falls in love with in a back issue of a magazine at a used bookstore. He goes on a quest to find out everything about the artist - and ends up surprised at the artists life and his work. In the end, he is inspired and has learned about his community in Canada as well as his community of artists. It is simple. It is true. It doesn’t necessarily have a brilliantly crafted narrative plot that is tied up at the end. It is genuine.

This melding of truth and fiction is something that I find to be absolutely wonderful in work when I find it and it is done well. It reminds me of Jonathan Safran Foer or Dave Eggers in this way - a fictionalized nonfiction that is so hazily real and true that you are able to truly see a three-dimensional human being on the edges of the characters. What is most impressive about this work is that Seth was able to do it in his Palookaville style and communicate his community and world in his illustrations - reminiscent of Spiegleman in a way - and write something that is touching and beautiful about art and life and community with simple words and brush strokes. This book is quite the achievement, and I was compelled to write the author after I read it.

Pick this up. You will enjoy it. Drawn and Quarterly does an incredible job with their books, and the inky flavor of the scent, as well as the high quality paper they print their books on makes reading this book a real beautiful sensory experience.
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Top reviews from other countries

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M. Lanciault
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite Graphic novel.
Reviewed in Canada on November 4, 2018
Verified Purchase
It's definitely on top of the list of my favorite graphic novels, with the likes of Chris Ware's Building.
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mauro
5.0 out of 5 stars NICE
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 18, 2014
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It is a very subtle book and written with tons of wisdom and sensibility. A good choice for a present.
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くろぐろ
5.0 out of 5 stars さみしさを味わう絵本。
Reviewed in Japan on June 2, 2010
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エイミー・マンのアルバム「LOST IN SPACE」の
ジャケット＆スリーブに使われていて、
一目惚れして買ってしまった
（音楽との見事なマッチングもあったのだろうけど）。
セリフの英語はわからんが（汗）
このさみしげな独特の味わいのある絵を時々眺めるだけで満足。
人物もさることながら、
建物や道路など、センスいいです。
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Valentin
5.0 out of 5 stars I recomend this sweet way to tell his life side
Reviewed in Canada on June 19, 2017
Verified Purchase
Amazong book, Seth's universe is rich and deep. I recomend this sweet way to tell his life side. A master piece
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Southport psychobilly
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 29, 2017
Verified Purchase
A masterpiece
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