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Killing and Dying
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
'Adrian Tomine can draw, think, write and feel. He sees everything, he knows everything; he's in your apartment, he's on the subway, he's in your dreams ... He has more ideas in twenty panels than novelists have in a lifetime.' Zadie SmithIn his first full-length work since Shortcomings in 2007, and working with colour for the first time, Adrian Tomine has produced a darkly funny and deeply moving collection of stories which showcases his exceptional range of focus and technique. A masterpiece about the anxieties of being alive in the twenty-first century, Killing and Dying is Tomine's most ambitious and empathetic work to date. Born in Sacramento in 1974, Adrian Tomine is the author of the acclaimed comic series Optic Nerve. His books include Shortcomings, Summer Blonde, Sleepwalk, Scenes from an Impending Marriage and, most recently, New York Drawings, all of which are published by Faber in the UK. Since 1999, his comics and illustrations have appeared regularly in The New Yorker, where he has created more than a dozen iconic covers. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and daughters.
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The_Book_Ninja
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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Pickpick

A short story collection that attempts to capture the way people navigate the mundanity of life in their own personal ways. We get snapshots of their adventures/experiences & it‘s all small-scale, but occasionally rendered poignant by clean and clear artwork.When the stories work,their narratives give you more in this format than “regular” literature as the visuals do all the extra work for the reader. Dan Clowes-like cynicism but less surrealism.

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Robotswithpersonality
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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Mehso-so

Well that was uncomfortable. If it should be rated for technical skill in drawing or the ability to elicit emotions, then high marks. But it mostly just made me feel icky. More moments in time than stories with resolutions.

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Lindy
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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Six impeccable slice-of-life stories told in comics format. Deadpan wit, emotional nuance, perceptive observations and lots of warmth for these sad, alienated, frustrated characters. These are the kinds of stories with a whole lot going on in the gutters and outside the confines of the pages. Tomine uses clean lines, matching subtly different art styles to the mood of each story. #graphicnovel #comics

batsy Nice review! I loved his collected Optic Nerve series though I can't remember if I read them all. 4y
Lindy @batsy Thanks. 😊I will look for Tomine‘s Optic Nerve books. I also loved his novel Shortcomings and I‘m on the library waiting list for his autobiography that comes out in June: 4y
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Lindy
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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In ‘Hortisculpture,‘ the first story in this collection, a gardener finds a creative outlet after he reads an article about sculptor Isamu Noguchi. I then went down an internet rabbit hole looking at Noguchi‘s work (example bottom left above). The character‘s weird art — a “synthesis of nature and craft” — actually reminded me of Kosen Ohtsubo‘s ikebana (example bottom right).

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nomadreader
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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An intriguing collection of six short story comics. I didn't LOVE any of them, but they all made me think. Together? Intriguing ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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nikirtehsuxlol
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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Not loving this one so far but at least I‘m getting a pedicure so still having a pleasant time reading. 🤗💅

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nosferatoos
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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#riotgram day 3: three word titles #bookriot #riotgrams

nosferatoos @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I was shooting for some diversity of subject matter and genre 😂 6y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @nosferatoos great job!!! 🤣👍🏻 6y
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Chelsibno
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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I enjoyed this #graphicnovel #collection of stories. Each story was unique with the only main thread running throughout them being that most had rather open or anticlimactic endings. The illustrations for each one were slightly different in style with diverse characters and plots.

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Jbakesmcgee3
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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Really really detailed and emotional book of graphic short stories 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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bookhoarder513
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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I just like this view 😍

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bookhoarder513
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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I liked this. Different from my usual graphic novel. I will be checking out more from him. I like that they are untidy endings.

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katedensen
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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Second book of #24in48 bumped me up to 4+ hours, which I'm not too upset by given how late I started.

What an amazing collection. I had forgotten how much I love Tomine's work, which can be so gorgeously dark. I particularly enjoyed "Amber Sweet." The titular story was also a fave, but a bit nerve-wracking given my recent decision to pursue a career in comedy. Obviously different from my life, but the fear/vulnerability is accurately represented.

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katedensen
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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While y'all (and Twitter) help me decide which novel to read next, I'm going to finally read my signed copy of Killing and Dying, which I bought when I got to meet Adrian Tomine at Brooklyn Book Festival.

#24in48

brendanmleonard Oh I loved this! 7y
britt_brooke Love his sketch! 7y
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bookhoarder513
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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My #bookishresolutions this year. Higher than last year so a challenge. Starting off with a bunch of graphic novels to give myself a boost.
#readjanuary

Suzze I read a graphic novel first for the same reason. Break into the new year of books quickly. 📚 7y
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Gleefulreader
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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This brilliant graphic novel of short stories is everything you hope for in a book. Each story tells of people trying to do the best they can in an often difficult or cruel world. I love that the author resisted the temptation to tie things up neatly, often leaving the reader wondering after the last panel. The artwork is terrific and must be looked at closely for unsaid parts of the story. A collection to be read slowly and savoured.

BookishMarginalia Hi, Elle! I sent you an email with a #SecretSantaGoesPostal question. Looking forward to your answer! 7y
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RobinGustafson
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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Love Adrian Tomine!

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slightlyfoxed
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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My fourth book and third graphic novel of today's #readathon. Moppet approves. #dogsoflitsy

Jinjer Oh isn't he cute!!!! 7y
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smccallum
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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Wow. Really loved this, I've read other things by Tomine and am always interested in how his work has developed. He continues to take often mundane settings and place in nuanced, complex characters. These stories are deceptively quiet but so so much is going on underneath. I feel like if Chekhov wrote comics, they would be this. Stunning book!

brendanmleonard I really loved this one; I've gone back and discovered some of his earlier stuff! So good. 7y
smccallum @brendanmleonard have you read 32 Stories? 7y
brendanmleonard @smccallum I really liked that one! A little uneven but Great 7y
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smccallum
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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Graphic novel/comic time on a Sunday evening!

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Eyelit
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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I found this collection of short graphic stories intriguing and sad. Well written with simple and lovely art. All around win. This is my first Tomine, but I'll definitely be on the lookout for more. (Tilney likes to sit on or next to books just after I finish them... which is incredibly adorable - and I'm thankful that he generally waits until I'm done.)

CherylDeFranceschi 😻❤️sweet Tilley! 8y
katedensen I picked this up and Brooklyn Book Festival when I saw Adrian Tomine signing copies at a booth. Pushing it up on my #tbr list now! 8y
LauraJ Tilney is the best cat ever! I'm lucky if I can get a sentence in before my cat plants herself on a book. 8y
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8little_paws Handsome cat! 8y
Bookzombie 💕🐱 8y
Librariana Darling! 😊💖 8y
Trav I just loved these short stories! I read it a few months ago and decided I'll definitely be reading more Tomine in the future. Did you have a favourite story in particular? 8y
Eyelit @Trav I really liked them all - but if I had to choose one I'd go with Translated from the Japanese because I'm still not quite sure what was happening and was intrigued by it from start to finish 8y
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katedensen
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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...and the unbelievably talented Adrian Tomine, who took the time to sign every book as intricately as he did here. #BKBF #BKLovesLitsy #brooklynbookfestival

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Jokila
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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I've wanted to read Adrian Tomine for a long time, and Killing and Dying did not disappoint. My favorite story in the collection is "Go Owls," about two people who meet in an AA meeting and try to forge a relationship, despite their flaws and the slow downhill roll of their lives. The book itself is a beautifully designed objet d'art; a muted palette and Japanese minimalism combine in lovely title pages and an eye-catching transparent dust jacket!

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Jokila
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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Lettters
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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Tomine is writing some of the best short stories around, but he's also one of the most vital illustrators in the game. He's at the forefront of this combination of genres, and this collection proves that he's still expanding his creative potential for each.

Treatyoshelf Shortcomings was so good. I'll have to read this one too. 8y
Lettters I liked this more than Shortcomings. 8y
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DarthDeadpool
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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I'm usually a fan of bigger, more colorful art in graphic novels, so I wasn't sure how much I'd like this once I looked inside. I just finished the first story, though, and I really liked it. The quiet, subdued art really fit with the quirky story.

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LizGotauco
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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Wow, these short stories all packed a huge punch. One major theme was decent ladies putting up with a lot of awful behavior from guys. The title story and "The Owls" were particularly heartrending.

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literati
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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This felt like it had a little more resolution than Tomine's previous collections. I really like the subtlety in his stories.

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unmanagedmischief
Killing and Dying | Adrian Tomine
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Currently reading / currently breaking my heart 💔

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