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I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together
I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together: A Memoir | Maurice Vellekoop
7 posts | 3 read | 1 reading | 4 to read
An astonishing, epic graphic memoir in the spirit of Fun Home by Alison Bechdel and Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe �I�m So Glad We Had This Time Together is that rarest of things: a book about coming out to a loving yet conservative family (…more)
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Chelsea.Poole
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Pickpick

Another graphic novel memoir, which I‘m realizing is my new genre sweet-spot. I loved the way Maurice brought the reader through his childhood, enjoying time with his mother, a looming presence in his life, then coming of age through middle age. The use of color is masterful here. I am also here to explore therapy with my characters so this just ticked alllll the boxes. Deals with sexual repression, Christian conservative family, set in Toronto.

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Lauredhel
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Lauredhel
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Frequently comped to Fun Home, this rambling, unfocused graphic memoir of a gay artist from a conservative family is no Fun Home. I've come to the conclusion that I'm deeply uninterested in other people's spiritual and psychotherapy journeys, and this is both. If competently edited down the half the size, it might have been better.

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Lindy
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–Oh, the illustrator?
–That‘s me!
–I thought you said you were an artist.

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Lindy
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5-year-old Maurice: Why are they being like that?
Mother: Some people just aren‘t nice. I tell you what. Just ignore them.

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Lindy
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My most Recent Reads (May 21) on YouTube: Canadian authors; queer novels, gay memoir; nature writing; graphic format & audio
https://youtu.be/XABqlRZyGcc

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psalva
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Mehso-so

This took me a long time to read, esp. for a graphic novel. Vellekoop uses the graphic memoir format to chronicle his life, growing up in a conservative Christian family, his growth into an artist and his coming out/dating experiences. Most of the second half draws on his long-term struggles with depression, as well as his journey to eventual self-acceptance and expression in middle age. There are long scenes lifted from counseling sessions.⬇️

psalva The depiction of his experience with therapy, despair, and depression are raw and chaotic- in other words, quite realistic to my eyes. This made for a drawn out reading experience. In the end there is happiness for Vellekoop but I almost didn‘t want to go through the airing of his trauma to get there. I‘m glad I read his- the art and color are outstanding- but I don‘t think this is for everyone. (edited) 10mo
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