ORDINARY VICTORIES:
What is Precious
Manu Larcenet
Marc comes to terms with having a child, the loss of his father and his relationship with him, his mother comes to terms with living alone, a man dies in the countryside, a journalist cracks under pressure. The final part of this extraordinarily moving story which has received top acclaim. It’s about small things, rare moments, banal sadness and an ordinary guy who’s just trying to live the best way he can.
An ICv2 Pick Hit to Click
"Larcenet is witty and varies the mood of the piece so that it became
neither too introspective nor too slapstick. That wit shines through in his drawing as much as it does in the dialogue. There's a warmth in Larcenet's work that welcomes the reader in, but the questions he raises offer a challenge as well. We don't just read of Marco's life, we find ourselves asking the same questions he did, and that's why ORDINARY VICTORIES lingers in one's mind long after it's been read."-Sequart.com
"A subtle, powerful work, using the tools of comic art beautifully."
-Publishers Weekly Starred Review
"Masterpiece. The best example of graphic-novel realism to date."
-BOOKLIST
61/2x9, 128pp, full color trade pb.: $15.95
ISBN 978-1-56163-533-7

ORDINARY VICTORIES
Manu Larcenet
This is the story of Marc, a photographer who’s tired, of a very patient chick he meets, of banal horrors and of his pain-in-the-neck cat.
It’s the story of his art thrown against heavy anxiety attacks; of a really cute woman in his small town who seems to take to him against all odds; of the old neighbor, a peaceful likable fellah until you get to know his disturbing role in the war...
Movingly real and deeply perceptive, this graphic novel was the recipient of the top award in Angouleme, France’s largest comics event. It reveals an enormous talent (he is the artist of Astronauts of the Future) among the new generation of European comics artists.
"TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVEL OF THE YEAR. Superb marriage of literary realism and comics." -Booklist
"Sounds promising." -Ninth Art, Greg McElhalton
"A genuine and consequential graphic novel."
-Booklist Starred review
"A multilayered book. The dialogue is insightful and sometimes painfully realistic. The complex characterization and breadth of scope make this a compelling, insightful story that rewards careful attention."
-Publishers Weekly
"ONE OF FIVE BEST GRAPHIC NOVELS. An emotion-packed story about a burned-out photographer struggling to connect with the world and a woman. Charmingly drawn. Filled with endearing characters, Larcenet's Ordinary Victories has all the attraction and dislocation of a trip abroad." -Time magazine
"There aren't many books that deal intelligently with men's fear of commitment, and the number of books that do a good job with the growing-up done in early adulthood seem reasonably few. Larcenet hits both peaks rather well." -LA Times
"Grade: 10/10. In fact out of the ordinary." -Sequential Tart
"Larcenet's pages are of simple and elegant beauty. This is the type of book that the term "graphic novel" was meant to describe. Grade: A"
-Marc, Mason, Movie popshoot.com
"Achieves a degree of sensitivity and emotional nuance rare in any literary medium, and his expressive, cartoonish drawings help contribute suble humor to the chronicle of Marc's plight."
-Kirkus Reviews
***1/2 (out of 4) "Deserves praise. Fascinating!"
-Comics Buyers Guide
65/8x9, 120pp., full color trade pb.: $15.95, ISBN 1-56163-423-9
Previews