The Voyeurs - by Gabrielle Bell (Hardcover)

About the Book

"One of the best things going in auto-bio inflected comics these days." -- Art Spiegelman, Maus

Book Synopsis

The Voyeurs is the work of a mature writer, if not one of the most sincere voices of her literary generation. It's a fun, honest read that spans continents, relationships and life decisions. I loved it.--Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library

As she watches other people living life, and watches herself watching them, Bell's pen becomes a kind of laser, first illuminating the surface distractions of the world, then scorching them away to reveal a deeper reality that is almost too painful and too beautiful to bear.-- Alison Bechdel, Fun Home

A master of the exquisite detail, Bell provides a welcome peephole into our lives.--Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker

I don't think I could tolerate her if she wasn't so talented.--Michel Gondry, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

The Voyeurs is a real-time memoir of a turbulent five years in the life of renowned cartoonist, diarist, and filmmaker Gabrielle Bell. It collects episodes from her award-winning series Lucky, in which she travels to Tokyo, Paris, the South of France, and all over the United States, but remains anchored by her beloved Brooklyn, where sidekick Tony provides ongoing insight, offbeat humor, and enduring friendship.

Gabrielle Bell's work has been selected for the 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011 Houghton-Mifflin Best American Comics and the Yale Anthology of Graphic Fiction, and has been featured in McSweeney's, The Believer, and Vice magazines. Cecil and Jordan In New York, the title story of her most recent book, was adapted for the screen by Bell and director Michel Gondry in the film anthology Tokyo! She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Review Quotes

One of the Best Nonfiction Books of the year.--Kirkus Reviews

One of the Best Graphic Novels of the year.--Publishers Weekly

Best Graphic Memoir.--The Atlantic Wire

As a baseline, [Bell's] work is always graceful and funny, while still extremely intense and thoughtful. There's just no one out there with a voice quite like hers. But then on top of that, this book is just plain juicy, as it documents parts of her relationship with filmmaker Michel Gondry. So if you're into poking your nose into that sort of thing, this book has an extra thrill to it. Also it is gorgeous and will look lovely on your bookshelf. If you're into that sort of thing, too.--Jami Attenberg, The Middlesteins

Playfully drawn and provocatively written, the memoir reinforces Bell's standing among the first rank of the genre's artists.--Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

[Gabrielle Bell's] thoughtful and revealing comics are eccentric, funny, and irresistibly readable.--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

You could say The Voyeurs is the work of a writer's writer, but it's actually something more cool, more exotic, more punk: a rare glimpse of the fiercely mysterious human heart, observed in its natural habitat.--The Comics Journal

[...] Bell's work stands out for its meticulous, detailed presentation, in both words and pictures. When she tells author Lorrie Moore what I'd really like to do is write (Moore's cartoon-perfect response: Oh, no!), one can't help but wonder what kind of prose book this gifted voice might produce.--Rain Taxi Review of Books

The Voyeurs is the work of a mature writer, if not one of the most sincere voices of her literary generation. It's a fun, honest read that spans continents, relationships and life decisions. I loved it.--Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library

As she watches other people living life, and watches herself watching them, Bell's pen becomes a kind of laser, first illuminating the surface distractions of the world, then scorching them away to reveal a deeper reality that is almost too painful and too beautiful to bear.-- Alison Bechdel, Fun Home

A master of the exquisite detail, Bell provides a welcome peephole into our lives.--Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker

A concise short story cartoonist and an accomplished storyteller of the mundane, Gabrielle Bell humorously blends the extraordinary -- shooting a movie in Japan, and the all-too common -- obsessing about a pimple. A master of the exquisite detail, Bell provides a welcome peephole into our lives."--Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker

"One of the best things going in auto-bio inflected comics these days."--Art Spiegelman, Maus

About the Author

Gabrielle Bell's work has been selected for the 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Houghton-Mifflin Best American Comics and the Yale Anthology of Graphic Fiction, and has been featured in McSweeney's, The Believer, Bookforum and Vice magazines. "Cecil and Jordan In New York," the title story of her most recent book, was adapted for the screen by Bell and director Michel Gondry in the film anthology Tokyo! She lives in Brooklyn.