Review - Stitches

Stitches
by David Small
published by W.W. Norton

Stitches is an autobiographical tale by David Small. Starting when he was six by describing his family, an emotionally distant and dower group consisting of his emotionally stunted and hateful mother, an unsympathetic and mean older brother, and an apathetic and distant father. The family on the surface seems to be a typical 1950's suburban, Ozzie and Harriet image. The father works as a radiologist at the hospital and the mother hosts bridge parties for the neighbors. But underneath the pretense David shows that there was a dysfunctional relationship between every member of the family. When David is 14, he is taken in for surgery to remove a tumor from his neck. As a result of the procedure is the loss of his voice and a large scar. From that point in the book story is almost wordless relying on the artwork to carry on the story.

This graphic novel is a view into a very dark personal reflection of childhood. Not all the answers are presented completely and not until the end when David has grown up do we see inside the minds of the mother and father. Prior to these revelations, David is stuck with his lot in life without any explanation why his family is so messed up. We are carried along with David through terrible events like when he spends a summer with his insane grandmother, or when the neighborhood boys try to beat him up. Eventually, towards the end of the book David is an adult and relates how his life got better once away from his family.

The art work in this book is very strong in its presentation. Ink lines and grey shading is all that is used. The way he is able to show the contempt in the characters faces is almost visceral and as David shows himself getting more angry with his situation. I wasn't the one to purchase this for the library. Instead, Gayle saw it on one of the "best of 2009" reading lists and acquired it for our collection. And similarto Alison Bechdel's Fun Home and Shane White's North Country, it is a grim recollection of a incomprehensible childhood. It certainly isn't a teen graphic novel, but it also doesn't belong in the 741.5 non-fiction area. I'll ask to have it cataloged in the adult biography area.