I think I read this too fast. I think I might've given myself a trauma by vicariously processing 25 years or so of Gloeckner's survival in less than 24 hours.This is unrelenting horror that is sometimes strangely banal. It isn't like Lynda Barry's childhood comics, with their more than occasional genuine laughs despite the violence, and their rousing theatricality. It's...discouraging.But really good!

Really, really good. Incredibly honest and heartbreaking. A beautiful and extremely sad collection that covers some of the worst things in life.

A book that made me alternate between squirming, grinning and feeling really sad. Sometimes I couldn't figure out which one to do because I kind of felt like doing them all at once. This is a child molestation story as written by the child, now all-grown-up. Except the child has grown up into something of a sassy pervert with a twisted sense of humor. You're now getting close to what this book is like.

This was a very disturbing book. One of those that made me feel like I needed to take a shower after reading it. I don't even know how to rate this because I can't say that I should give it 4 or 5 stars. I didn't enjoy reading about the subject matter. But does it deserve that because it's a book I won't soon forget? Or do I rate it 1 or 2 stars because I hated the subject matter? That wouldn't be fair either because it doesn't make this book less important to read just because I was uncomfortab...

Collection of Phoebe's earlier works, many of which appeared in comic anthologies...the bulk of these stories revolve around Minnie as a child (ad in Nightmare On Polk Street, a teenager.) Phoebe creates a sense of abuse as an all-encompassing atmosphere - Minnie's stepfather Pascal is never shown laying a hand on her (though he physically forces her sister to drink wine in one story), but is a pompous pseudo-intellectual master at what is sometimes called "grooming". With Pascal around, even mu...

I read this book in one sitting. There short narratives that have similar themes as “Diary of a Teenage Girl”. I think she's an incredible story teller and an equally incredible visual artist, but this is difficult subject matter. I have to agree with other commenters of this book that what is particularly disturbing is R. Crumb's introduction to the book where he comments on how hot she is and, considering the books subject matters, his comments are inappropriate. I could have done without his

Whoa. I think this is the most disturbing thing I've ever read, and it's hard to imagine really recommending it to anybody, even though it's brilliant. It's just brutal. Abuse, sexuality in a place- determined by age, class, and gender- where consent is a total grey area (e.g.: not really available), just kind of going along with the drugs everybody's doing- it's intense. Like beats the shit out of Chuck Palahniuk or Dennis Cooper without even trying intense. She's also a phenomenal visual artis...

An absolutely heart-breaking piece of art. This autobiographically-inspired collection of graphics tells of girls' struggles with sex, drugs, and abuse. The stories disturbed me to the core and the drawings were phenomenal. Worth the time to read the words and pictures but definitely for mature readers.

This book is not for the faint of heart. It has graphic depictions of rape, drug abuse, and child abuse. I kept thinking about how difficult it must have been for her to draw this, and at the same time, how therapeutic. Like other books I like, the author's ability to be vulnerable, show raw emotion, no holds barred, drew me in and kept my heart hurting for her all the way through. It's a beautiful and sad book to read, but it's strength lies in the honesty and brutality of the author and her yo...

While I am still enraptured with Phoebe Gloeckner's art, this didn't have a fraction of the story arc or cohesion as Diary of a Teenage Girl.

It has been difficult to decide how I should rate this. I don't like the style of the art and that has been holding me back from giving this 5 stars. However, I've come to realise how trivial that is. Although Gloeckner's style isn't my thing, this collection is masterfully constructed and the in-your-face art is part of the reason why it's so powerful. Narratives like this are extremely important. This is immediately illustrated by the gross introduction where R. Crumb makes light of the fact t...

I'm not sure how Phoebe Gloeckner is still around with us, and I'm not sure how she's survived as much pain and manipulation as she has without breaking. I'm sure this work is part of what kept her going.A Child's Life is not just an incredible graphic novel, it's a marvelous demonstration of the ability of comics to allow artists a freedom of expression denied to other mediums. The writing and images of these stories of sexual, emotional, and spiritual abuse by friends, family, and complete str...

A Child's Life and Other Stories is all over the map, including comics representing a span of twenty years and a short portfolio of non-comic work. This isn't a problem per-se, but I found the lack of clear organization frustrating (I wish it had been easier to see when the stories had been written), and a lot of distinct pieces ended up melding together in a way that I don't feel did them any service. At her best, Gloeckner is brilliant and her artistic talent is astounding. She is brutally hon...

Stunning graphic style, disturbing and deeply honest confessional of drug and sexual abuse, plenty of humour- this one really shows the potential of the comics form. It is only marred by an inappropriate leering intro by Robert Crumb who is clearly erotically excited by the thought of Gloeckner's abuse....

- Great read as a follow on from 'Diary of a Teenage Girl'- Phoebe 'Gets over nothing' Gloeckner - It's interesting to see stories explored in 'Diary of a Teenage Girl' expressed in short comic form decades prior, and in different styles too.- Something I cannot look past even though I admire this artist's work: The one dimensional and racist portrayal of African American men as sexually aggressive in both books. It could be argued that this perspective comes from her character 'Minnie' and not

This book was utterly horrifying, but I mean that in the best way? Very, very uncomfortable subject material, rendered beautifully

This is probably the most fucked up book I'll have ever read in my life. This is also probably the most evocative and personally affective art piece I'll ever seen, read, held or otherwise observed in my life. This collection of work is nothing short of a masterpiece. At 150 primarily illustrated pages, you could get through this book in one sitting, but the emotional impact of what you're consuming, rendered beautifully in graphic detail, blooms as if it's a bruise and I found it best to let th...

phoebe gloeckner is an amazing artist/illustrator, and a good storyteller, but the subject matter is definitely hard. i read this book on a day when i already had a bunch of shit up, i can't say it was exactly cathartic. these are not healing-from stories, they're more like reliving that sense of powerlessness and confusingness of adults' (particularly creepy men's) mind games and power trips on kids. the worst thing about this book is the introduction by robert crumb, who knew phoebe as kid and...

Not a pleasant read by any means: I had to put the book down several times for longer periods before I could finally finish it. There is a frankness to its depiction of abuse that is much more disturbing than your typical mass-marketable, predictable, manipulative contemporary drama. A classic of the late underground period and of the autobiographical genre, as well as a milestone in the history of women's comics. Highly recommended!

Trigger warning: sexual abuse, child abuse, drug content. Not a pleasant reading. It is a tough autobiographical work about the difficulties of living in a toxic enviroment, but it is also the story of a strong and brave woman coming out of it, becoming an adult, a great cartoonist and a survivor. Not my cup of tea by the way, but it deserves four star because it is really important when stories like this are written and read.