Shortcomings

Description

When Miko moves temporarily to live and study in New York she leaves behind behind Ben, a confused, obsessive, 30-year-old theatre manager who finds himself desperately trying to answer the big questions. But aided only by his promiscuous friend Alice, and spending increasing time with his new employee Autumn, things only seem to get more confusing. Does he know what he wants? Is he everything Miko accuses him of? Should he follow her to New York? A painful, charming and stunningly illustrated look at the realities of modern relationships, Shortcomings is one of the most brilliantly subtle, witty and moving graphic novels around.

Born in Sacramento in 1974, Adrian Tomine is the author of the acclaimed series Optic Nerve, that has been running since 1991. His work has also appeared in the New Yorker and Esquire, among other publications. His books include Shortcomings, which was awarded the Gold Medal at the 2008 IPPYS and was a 2007 New York Times Notable Book, Summer Blonde, Sleepwalk, and, most recently, Scenes From an Impending Marriage, all of which are published by Faber in the UK.

"Meticulously observed . . . Pitch-perfect and succinct. [Tomine] is an invisible reporter, a scientist of the heart." --"The New York Times Book Review ""Exploring race, adulthood, and ambition with exquisitely tuned humor and poignancy, "Shortcomings" is a graphic narrative as piercingly realistic as any prose fiction. A" --"Entertainment Weekly ""Tomine's lacerating falling-out-of-love story is an irresistible gem of a graphic novel." --Junot Diaz, "Publishers Weekly """Shortcomings" is Tomine's richest and most rewarding read, packed with the most human characters he has ever created." --"Star-Tribune" (Minneapolis) "One of the most masterful cartoonists of his generation . . . ["Shortcomings" is] equal parts poignant, hilarious, and sad." --"The Village Voice" "Meticulously observed . . . Pitch-perfect and succinct. [Tomine] is an invisible reporter, a scientist of the heart." -"The New York Times Book Review ""Exploring race, adulthood, and ambition with exquisitely tuned humor and poignancy, "Shortcomings" is a graphic narrative as piercingly realistic as any prose fiction. A" -"Entertainment Weekly ""Tomine's lacerating falling-out-of-love story is an irresistible gem of a graphic novel." -Junot Diaz, "Publishers Weekly """Shortcomings" is Tomine's richest and most rewarding read, packed with the most human characters he has ever created." -"Star-Tribune" (Minneapolis) "One of the most masterful cartoonists of his generation . . . ["Shortcomings" is] equal parts poignant, hilarious, and sad." -"The Village Voice" "Adrian Tomine . . . may be the best prose writer of the bunch. His young people, falling in and out of relationships, paralyzed by shyness and self-consciousness, take on a certain dignity and individuality." --Charles McGrath, "The New York Times Magazine" "["Shortcomings"] follows moody movie-theater owner Ben Tanaka, who struggles to hang on to his Asian girlfriend while secretly lusting after white ladies. He's sad and somewhat despicable, and yet Tomine, being the understated virtuoso he is, effortlessly spins him into a Gen-X hero." --"Entertainment Weekly" " Adrian Tomine . . . may be the best prose writer of the bunch. His young people, falling in and out of relationships, paralyzed by shyness and self-consciousness, take on a certain dignity and individuality." -- Charles McGrath, "The New York Times Magazine" " ["Shortcomings"] follows moody movie-theater owner Ben Tanaka, who struggles to hang on to his Asian girlfriend while secretly lusting after white ladies. He's sad and somewhat despicable, and yet Tomine, being the understated virtuoso he is, effortlessly spins him into a Gen-X hero." -- "Entertainment Weekly"