Finely Crafted Contemporary Victoriana, 06 Aug 2008
Much like "Gemma Bovary", "Tamara Drewe" betrays its origins in Victorian literature (in this case Hardy's "Far From The Madding Crowd")through its preoccupation with the relatively minor hardships (or perhaps slightly firmships) of a group of well educated, affluent types with not a whole lot to worry about. Even allowing for their historical context Victorian novels can feel a bit blinkered and self-indulgent, when transposed to a contemporary setting with the modern reader's self-awareness of his or her relative lot in life this sense is only exacerbated.

That said Posy Simmonds is undeniably a skilled craftswoman and a gifted illustrator with a talent for characterisation. As a result "Tamara Drewe" is, much like its Victoria precursors, never less than eminently readable.

One other slight quibble - Some of the lettering (specifically that used to communicate Beth's thoughts) is intrusively mechanistic to no obvious narrative end, an odd "error" from such an experienced graphic novelist.


'The line of beauty', 01 Aug 2008
Immersing oneself in Simmonds's alternate reality is, as other reviewers have observed, compulsive and addictive. Her efficiency of line (I meant that graphically, but it occurs to me that it applies equally to her mastery of the written word) fills her characters with life and the story with conviction and pathos. 'Empathise' is a possibly weary word, but I found myself empathising energetically with all her characters, sensing their emotions and sliding effortlessly from frame to frame between their various POV's. Something about Simmonds's style makes this form of her work somehow more effective than cinema whilst exploiting the languageless subliminal messages of facial expression and 'body language' that literature cannot get across. It's quite ingenious. To combine graphic novel art with beautifully-structured storytelling and such acute social commentary is an amazing achievement. And how she makes her foxy chicks just so foxy, and her frequently oily, smouldering heroes quite so smoulderingly oily, with just a few pencil strokes....well! Brilliant. Her earlier satire, 'Gemma Bovery', whilst suffused with a wicked black humour, made me want to cry. A bit. And I'm a bloke. What more can one say?

A small masterpiece, 31 May 2008
I received this as a birthday present. I had followed it serialised in the Guardian but hadn't fully realised it's full quality and insights till I read it with more careful attention. Posy is without equal in this medium. She amuses, but she is dealing with serious issues and her characters feel real, often reminding me of people I know. The tale is so well constructed that it makes a rivetting and satisfying read. Posy is a highly gifted artist but her ear for language is also exceptional. She can tune effortlessly to any register she chooses with hilarious accuracy
and looking at her drawings I almost hear the voices.It's uncanny. A delightful book printed on high quality paper.Not to be missed.

Great artwork, story a little weak?, 09 May 2008
An enjoyable read although the plot could perhaps be a little stronger. A couple of minor quibbles. It's an adult book so the use of **** for swearing grates after a while. And page numbers would have helped - the story jumps about and I had to sometimes check I hadn't missed a page.

Beautifully crafted, 03 Jan 2008
Posy Simmonds latest book is a delight. The characters come to life and almost jump off the pages. Her illustrations are sympathetically drawn and add a real depth to the book. Once I started it I could not put it down. I get the impression she has drawn the characters from people she knows. One of them (an american) bears a striking resemblance to Bill Bryson!. More please

The Chunnel has made no difference. The French remain utterly foreign in English eyes, a peculiar and self-absorbed race that can give us cartoon books, call them la bande desinée and pretend they are as high an art form as, say, the novels of Gustave Flaubert. When plain English folk venture even as far as Normandy, they are letting themselves in for culture shock on a grand scale. Gemma is your average girl-about-London. Dumped by her ambitious lover, she rebounds onto a safe bet, gentle furniture restorer Charles Bovery. But Charles comes with an ex-wife and children and Gemma baulks at being the unpaid baby-sitter. When money falls into her lap, Gemma flees London and drags Charles to Normandy, where she spices up her increasingly dull marital life with a bit on the side named Patrick Large. But then she dies, under mysterious circumstances.

The English would see this as poetic comeuppance for adultery and emigration, of course, but to Bailleville baker Raymond Joubert, it's a tragedy of epic proportions, as befits Gemma's namesake (OK, near-namesake), Emma Bovary. So, with brilliant novelistic pomposity, Joubert traces Gemma's life through the diaries she left, reading Gallic depth and meaning into every trite occurrence. Posy Simmonds is of course best known for her Posy cartoons in the Guardian, but if you have never believed you could get through an entire book of cartoons, think again. This is a brilliantly funny and beautifully sustained book, that in its very form skilfully illuminates the gaping void between English and French sensibilities. You don't need to know Flaubert to read Simmonds, but after reading this, then Madame Bovary is bound to be back on your wish list of Books You Always Meant to Read. --Alan StewartThe Chunnel has made no difference. The French remain utterly foreign in English eyes, a peculiar and self-absorbed race that can give us cartoon books, call them la bande desinée and pretend they're as high an art form as, say, the novels of Gustave Flaubert. When plain English folk venture even as far as Normandy, they're letting themselves in for culture shock on a grand scale. Gemma is your average girl about London. Dumped by her ambitious lover, she rebounds onto a safe bet, gentle furniture restorer Charles Bovery. But Charles comes with an ex-wife and children and Gemma baulks at being the unpaid babysitter. When money falls into her lap, Gemma flees London and drags Charles to Normandy, where she spices up her increasingly dull marital life with a bit on the side named Patrick Large. But then she dies, under mysterious circumstances.

The English would see this as poetic comeuppance for adultery and emigration, of course, but to Bailleville baker Raymond Joubert, it's a tragedy of epic proportions, as befits Gemma's namesake (OK, near-namesake), Emma Bovary. So, with brilliant novelistic pomposity, Joubert traces Gemma's life through the diaries she left, reading Gallic depth and meaning into every trite occurrence. Posy Simmonds is of course best known for her Posy cartoons in the Guardian, but if you've never believed you could get through an entire book of cartoons, think again. This is a brilliantly funny and beautifully sustained book, that in its very form skilfully illuminates the gaping void between English and French sensibilities. You don't need to know Flaubert to read Simmonds, but after reading this, then Madame Bovary is bound to be back on your wishlist of Books You Always Meant to Read. --Alan Stewart

Finely Crafted Contemporary Victoriana, 06 Aug 2008
Much like "Gemma Bovary", "Tamara Drewe" betrays its origins in Victorian literature (in this case Hardy's "Far From The Madding Crowd")through its preoccupation with the relatively minor hardships (or perhaps slightly firmships) of a group of well educated, affluent types with not a whole lot to worry about. Even allowing for their historical context Victorian novels can feel a bit blinkered and self-indulgent, when transposed to a contemporary setting with the modern reader's self-awareness of his or her relative lot in life this sense is only exacerbated.

That said Posy Simmonds is undeniably a skilled craftswoman and a gifted illustrator with a talent for characterisation. As a result "Tamara Drewe" is, much like its Victoria precursors, never less than eminently readable.

One other slight quibble - Some of the lettering (specifically that used to communicate Beth's thoughts) is intrusively mechanistic to no obvious narrative end, an odd "error" from such an experienced graphic novelist.


'The line of beauty', 01 Aug 2008
Immersing oneself in Simmonds's alternate reality is, as other reviewers have observed, compulsive and addictive. Her efficiency of line (I meant that graphically, but it occurs to me that it applies equally to her mastery of the written word) fills her characters with life and the story with conviction and pathos. 'Empathise' is a possibly weary word, but I found myself empathising energetically with all her characters, sensing their emotions and sliding effortlessly from frame to frame between their various POV's. Something about Simmonds's style makes this form of her work somehow more effective than cinema whilst exploiting the languageless subliminal messages of facial expression and 'body language' that literature cannot get across. It's quite ingenious. To combine graphic novel art with beautifully-structured storytelling and such acute social commentary is an amazing achievement. And how she makes her foxy chicks just so foxy, and her frequently oily, smouldering heroes quite so smoulderingly oily, with just a few pencil strokes....well! Brilliant. Her earlier satire, 'Gemma Bovery', whilst suffused with a wicked black humour, made me want to cry. A bit. And I'm a bloke. What more can one say?

A small masterpiece, 31 May 2008
I received this as a birthday present. I had followed it serialised in the Guardian but hadn't fully realised it's full quality and insights till I read it with more careful attention. Posy is without equal in this medium. She amuses, but she is dealing with serious issues and her characters feel real, often reminding me of people I know. The tale is so well constructed that it makes a rivetting and satisfying read. Posy is a highly gifted artist but her ear for language is also exceptional. She can tune effortlessly to any register she chooses with hilarious accuracy
and looking at her drawings I almost hear the voices.It's uncanny. A delightful book printed on high quality paper.Not to be missed.

Great artwork, story a little weak?, 09 May 2008
An enjoyable read although the plot could perhaps be a little stronger. A couple of minor quibbles. It's an adult book so the use of **** for swearing grates after a while. And page numbers would have helped - the story jumps about and I had to sometimes check I hadn't missed a page.

Beautifully crafted, 03 Jan 2008
Posy Simmonds latest book is a delight. The characters come to life and almost jump off the pages. Her illustrations are sympathetically drawn and add a real depth to the book. Once I started it I could not put it down. I get the impression she has drawn the characters from people she knows. One of them (an american) bears a striking resemblance to Bill Bryson!. More please

A Review, 21 Sep 2008
I've not read Flaubert so I'm not qualified to judge how good this works as a modern day retelling. Nonetheless on its own merit it's a pretty good story.

Part text, part graphic novel, it tells the tragic story of Gemma Bovery, a British woman who moves to France with her new husband seeking to escape her past. The story is narrated by her French neighbour who is at first amused by the coincidence in the name but then starts to worry as her life begins to mirror that of Flaubert's heroine and rushes headlong towards the grisly end. He becomes almost something of a benign stalker and obssessed with the novel sends her photocopies pages as warnings.

The layout of the book is interesting, comic book frames nestled in prose. As the story is told in flashback there is much use of irony as we know Gemma's fate from the very beginning and can laugh as the narrator recalls his own actions. The art is simple but effective, in particular there's a lot of focus on characters eyes which sometimes betray an emotion at odds with the look plastered on their face.

I enjoyed it enough that I have now subsequently bought Madam Bovary and it's towards the top of my Next To Read Pile

Cult, 27 Feb 2008
The one thing I respect more than anything else is originality and this is the most original work I have read in yonks.
I really wish sometimes that picture stories like this would get their due and that Posy Simmonds was a household name. This is a really outstanding book and if there was any justice in this world it would be rated higher in the mainstream media but so few know about it.

Will pass it on to everyone I know and start saving for Tamara Drewe.

Great story and so much better than the superhero bilge.

A Comic with Class, 27 Dec 2007
If you want to know roughly what happens in "Madame Bovary" without the hassle of reading it and get a lot of laughs along the way this book/comic/graphic novel/work of art will suit you perfectly. If you know a little French then your ego will be flattered by understanding some of the dialogue without needing the footnotes. It's a very good read and I'd like to see the theme expanded - with Alan Moore doing "Wuthering Heights" perhaps?

Superb, 23 Jul 2006
Well-observed, well-drawn, well-written. I have not read many graphic novels, but this one is fantastic.

I was introduced to Posy Simmonds by the serialisation of Tamara Drew in the Guardian. Tamara Drew is also a compelling tale.

Joubert is a little too creepy for my tastes, but Gemma and Charlie just seem so real. A great read, highly recommended.

(F, 31)

Down to a T, 23 Nov 2000
Posy Simmonds has taken the graphic novel into new territory. Brilliant narrative, outstanding illustrations. And she has people down to a T. Especially French people. Especially French women. Anyone who's ever lived in France will recognise people they've met and shiver at the memory. The beauty of this book is that in addition to the characters' words, the author is also able to show us how they look, and she does it with an accuracy that can only come from hours of observation. The attention to detail in the drawings is such that it's worth going back to the book time and time again. I wish I could meet Joubert and have him ask me what I like and dislike about France. As long as his wife wasn't hovering.

Finely Crafted Contemporary Victoriana, 06 Aug 2008
Much like "Gemma Bovary", "Tamara Drewe" betrays its origins in Victorian literature (in this case Hardy's "Far From The Madding Crowd")through its preoccupation with the relatively minor hardships (or perhaps slightly firmships) of a group of well educated, affluent types with not a whole lot to worry about. Even allowing for their historical context Victorian novels can feel a bit blinkered and self-indulgent, when transposed to a contemporary setting with the modern reader's self-awareness of his or her relative lot in life this sense is only exacerbated.

That said Posy Simmonds is undeniably a skilled craftswoman and a gifted illustrator with a talent for characterisation. As a result "Tamara Drewe" is, much like its Victoria precursors, never less than eminently readable.

One other slight quibble - Some of the lettering (specifically that used to communicate Beth's thoughts) is intrusively mechanistic to no obvious narrative end, an odd "error" from such an experienced graphic novelist.


'The line of beauty', 01 Aug 2008
Immersing oneself in Simmonds's alternate reality is, as other reviewers have observed, compulsive and addictive. Her efficiency of line (I meant that graphically, but it occurs to me that it applies equally to her mastery of the written word) fills her characters with life and the story with conviction and pathos. 'Empathise' is a possibly weary word, but I found myself empathising energetically with all her characters, sensing their emotions and sliding effortlessly from frame to frame between their various POV's. Something about Simmonds's style makes this form of her work somehow more effective than cinema whilst exploiting the languageless subliminal messages of facial expression and 'body language' that literature cannot get across. It's quite ingenious. To combine graphic novel art with beautifully-structured storytelling and such acute social commentary is an amazing achievement. And how she makes her foxy chicks just so foxy, and her frequently oily, smouldering heroes quite so smoulderingly oily, with just a few pencil strokes....well! Brilliant. Her earlier satire, 'Gemma Bovery', whilst suffused with a wicked black humour, made me want to cry. A bit. And I'm a bloke. What more can one say?

A small masterpiece, 31 May 2008
I received this as a birthday present. I had followed it serialised in the Guardian but hadn't fully realised it's full quality and insights till I read it with more careful attention. Posy is without equal in this medium. She amuses, but she is dealing with serious issues and her characters feel real, often reminding me of people I know. The tale is so well constructed that it makes a rivetting and satisfying read. Posy is a highly gifted artist but her ear for language is also exceptional. She can tune effortlessly to any register she chooses with hilarious accuracy
and looking at her drawings I almost hear the voices.It's uncanny. A delightful book printed on high quality paper.Not to be missed.

Great artwork, story a little weak?, 09 May 2008
An enjoyable read although the plot could perhaps be a little stronger. A couple of minor quibbles. It's an adult book so the use of **** for swearing grates after a while. And page numbers would have helped - the story jumps about and I had to sometimes check I hadn't missed a page.

Beautifully crafted, 03 Jan 2008
Posy Simmonds latest book is a delight. The characters come to life and almost jump off the pages. Her illustrations are sympathetically drawn and add a real depth to the book. Once I started it I could not put it down. I get the impression she has drawn the characters from people she knows. One of them (an american) bears a striking resemblance to Bill Bryson!. More please

A Review, 21 Sep 2008
I've not read Flaubert so I'm not qualified to judge how good this works as a modern day retelling. Nonetheless on its own merit it's a pretty good story.

Part text, part graphic novel, it tells the tragic story of Gemma Bovery, a British woman who moves to France with her new husband seeking to escape her past. The story is narrated by her French neighbour who is at first amused by the coincidence in the name but then starts to worry as her life begins to mirror that of Flaubert's heroine and rushes headlong towards the grisly end. He becomes almost something of a benign stalker and obssessed with the novel sends her photocopies pages as warnings.

The layout of the book is interesting, comic book frames nestled in prose. As the story is told in flashback there is much use of irony as we know Gemma's fate from the very beginning and can laugh as the narrator recalls his own actions. The art is simple but effective, in particular there's a lot of focus on characters eyes which sometimes betray an emotion at odds with the look plastered on their face.

I enjoyed it enough that I have now subsequently bought Madam Bovary and it's towards the top of my Next To Read Pile

Cult, 27 Feb 2008
The one thing I respect more than anything else is originality and this is the most original work I have read in yonks.
I really wish sometimes that picture stories like this would get their due and that Posy Simmonds was a household name. This is a really outstanding book and if there was any justice in this world it would be rated higher in the mainstream media but so few know about it.

Will pass it on to everyone I know and start saving for Tamara Drewe.

Great story and so much better than the superhero bilge.

A Comic with Class, 27 Dec 2007
If you want to know roughly what happens in "Madame Bovary" without the hassle of reading it and get a lot of laughs along the way this book/comic/graphic novel/work of art will suit you perfectly. If you know a little French then your ego will be flattered by understanding some of the dialogue without needing the footnotes. It's a very good read and I'd like to see the theme expanded - with Alan Moore doing "Wuthering Heights" perhaps?

Superb, 23 Jul 2006
Well-observed, well-drawn, well-written. I have not read many graphic novels, but this one is fantastic.

I was introduced to Posy Simmonds by the serialisation of Tamara Drew in the Guardian. Tamara Drew is also a compelling tale.

Joubert is a little too creepy for my tastes, but Gemma and Charlie just seem so real. A great read, highly recommended.

(F, 31)

Down to a T, 23 Nov 2000
Posy Simmonds has taken the graphic novel into new territory. Brilliant narrative, outstanding illustrations. And she has people down to a T. Especially French people. Especially French women. Anyone who's ever lived in France will recognise people they've met and shiver at the memory. The beauty of this book is that in addition to the characters' words, the author is also able to show us how they look, and she does it with an accuracy that can only come from hours of observation. The attention to detail in the drawings is such that it's worth going back to the book time and time again. I wish I could meet Joubert and have him ask me what I like and dislike about France. As long as his wife wasn't hovering.

A laugh a minute.., 28 Oct 2007
This is a gorgeous, hilarious book, and right on the money, as anyone involved in the literary scene will tell you! The pomposities, pretensions and pettiness of the industry are perfectly punctured, but there's also a great sympathy with characters and dilemmas. Highly recommended!

hilarious - and all too true, 12 Mar 2007
If you are a writer or have any ambitions to be published, then you have to read this book. Posy Simmonds' cartoons are always funny, but in Literary Life she turns her sharp eyes on the publishing industry. I've read and re-read this book many times and each time it makes me laugh because it's all true. Everything in an author's life is here - disastrous book signings, the perils of success, day time television and other displacement activities. I wish she'd bring out another collection.

Literally brilliant, 24 Feb 2004
Posy punctures the pomposity, pretensions and preciousness of the literary world in this brilliant collection of cartoons from the Guardian newspaper. It may be a slim collection but it's worth every penny. Posy depicts a whole gallery of characters in this business; being a children's author/illustrator herself she must have a lot insider information about the subject. The artwork, as ever with Posy, is first-rate and the humour is spot-on and imaginative. One of the best strips in it is the 'Ask Doctor Derek' series where problems encoutered by readers and authors are dealt with by the handsome literary doctor. Very funny. My advice is simple. If you like cartoons and appreciate intelligent and thoughtful wit, buy this book.

Publishing funnies, 14 Feb 2004
A handsome selection of Posy Simmonds cartoons that originally appeared in the weekly book review supplement of the Guardian. They all relate to literature and especially publishing, either as strips or whole page cartoons. My favorites are the strips for Ask Doctor Derek, where a handsome young MD solves medical (literary) problems like a bout of plagiarism, the incredibly contagious writers cliché or dreadful critics mauling syndrome. Simmonds drawing style is typically British, slightly soft and with a caricature edge as opposed to the slick graphic style of Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury for instance.

Posy has a wicked sense of humor, especially when she is exposing the phonies of the English publishing establishment. A bull's-eye every time and great fun, too.

Finely Crafted Contemporary Victoriana, 06 Aug 2008
Much like "Gemma Bovary", "Tamara Drewe" betrays its origins in Victorian literature (in this case Hardy's "Far From The Madding Crowd")through its preoccupation with the relatively minor hardships (or perhaps slightly firmships) of a group of well educated, affluent types with not a whole lot to worry about. Even allowing for their historical context Victorian novels can feel a bit blinkered and self-indulgent, when transposed to a contemporary setting with the modern reader's self-awareness of his or her relative lot in life this sense is only exacerbated.

That said Posy Simmonds is undeniably a skilled craftswoman and a gifted illustrator with a talent for characterisation. As a result "Tamara Drewe" is, much like its Victoria precursors, never less than eminently readable.

One other slight quibble - Some of the lettering (specifically that used to communicate Beth's thoughts) is intrusively mechanistic to no obvious narrative end, an odd "error" from such an experienced graphic novelist.


'The line of beauty', 01 Aug 2008
Immersing oneself in Simmonds's alternate reality is, as other reviewers have observed, compulsive and addictive. Her efficiency of line (I meant that graphically, but it occurs to me that it applies equally to her mastery of the written word) fills her characters with life and the story with conviction and pathos. 'Empathise' is a possibly weary word, but I found myself empathising energetically with all her characters, sensing their emotions and sliding effortlessly from frame to frame between their various POV's. Something about Simmonds's style makes this form of her work somehow more effective than cinema whilst exploiting the languageless subliminal messages of facial expression and 'body language' that literature cannot get across. It's quite ingenious. To combine graphic novel art with beautifully-structured storytelling and such acute social commentary is an amazing achievement. And how she makes her foxy chicks just so foxy, and her frequently oily, smouldering heroes quite so smoulderingly oily, with just a few pencil strokes....well! Brilliant. Her earlier satire, 'Gemma Bovery', whilst suffused with a wicked black humour, made me want to cry. A bit. And I'm a bloke. What more can one say?

A small masterpiece, 31 May 2008
I received this as a birthday present. I had followed it serialised in the Guardian but hadn't fully realised it's full quality and insights till I read it with more careful attention. Posy is without equal in this medium. She amuses, but she is dealing with serious issues and her characters feel real, often reminding me of people I know. The tale is so well constructed that it makes a rivetting and satisfying read. Posy is a highly gifted artist but her ear for language is also exceptional. She can tune effortlessly to any register she chooses with hilarious accuracy
and looking at her drawings I almost hear the voices.It's uncanny. A delightful book printed on high quality paper.Not to be missed.

Great artwork, story a little weak?, 09 May 2008
An enjoyable read although the plot could perhaps be a little stronger. A couple of minor quibbles. It's an adult book so the use of **** for swearing grates after a while. And page numbers would have helped - the story jumps about and I had to sometimes check I hadn't missed a page.

Beautifully crafted, 03 Jan 2008
Posy Simmonds latest book is a delight. The characters come to life and almost jump off the pages. Her illustrations are sympathetically drawn and add a real depth to the book. Once I started it I could not put it down. I get the impression she has drawn the characters from people she knows. One of them (an american) bears a striking resemblance to Bill Bryson!. More please

A Review, 21 Sep 2008
I've not read Flaubert so I'm not qualified to judge how good this works as a modern day retelling. Nonetheless on its own merit it's a pretty good story.

Part text, part graphic novel, it tells the tragic story of Gemma Bovery, a British woman who moves to France with her new husband seeking to escape her past. The story is narrated by her French neighbour who is at first amused by the coincidence in the name but then starts to worry as her life begins to mirror that of Flaubert's heroine and rushes headlong towards the grisly end. He becomes almost something of a benign stalker and obssessed with the novel sends her photocopies pages as warnings.

The layout of the book is interesting, comic book frames nestled in prose. As the story is told in flashback there is much use of irony as we know Gemma's fate from the very beginning and can laugh as the narrator recalls his own actions. The art is simple but effective, in particular there's a lot of focus on characters eyes which sometimes betray an emotion at odds with the look plastered on their face.

I enjoyed it enough that I have now subsequently bought Madam Bovary and it's towards the top of my Next To Read Pile

Cult, 27 Feb 2008
The one thing I respect more than anything else is originality and this is the most original work I have read in yonks.
I really wish sometimes that picture stories like this would get their due and that Posy Simmonds was a household name. This is a really outstanding book and if there was any justice in this world it would be rated higher in the mainstream media but so few know about it.

Will pass it on to everyone I know and start saving for Tamara Drewe.

Great story and so much better than the superhero bilge.

A Comic with Class, 27 Dec 2007
If you want to know roughly what happens in "Madame Bovary" without the hassle of reading it and get a lot of laughs along the way this book/comic/graphic novel/work of art will suit you perfectly. If you know a little French then your ego will be flattered by understanding some of the dialogue without needing the footnotes. It's a very good read and I'd like to see the theme expanded - with Alan Moore doing "Wuthering Heights" perhaps?

Superb, 23 Jul 2006
Well-observed, well-drawn, well-written. I have not read many graphic novels, but this one is fantastic.

I was introduced to Posy Simmonds by the serialisation of Tamara Drew in the Guardian. Tamara Drew is also a compelling tale.

Joubert is a little too creepy for my tastes, but Gemma and Charlie just seem so real. A great read, highly recommended.

(F, 31)

Down to a T, 23 Nov 2000
Posy Simmonds has taken the graphic novel into new territory. Brilliant narrative, outstanding illustrations. And she has people down to a T. Especially French people. Especially French women. Anyone who's ever lived in France will recognise people they've met and shiver at the memory. The beauty of this book is that in addition to the characters' words, the author is also able to show us how they look, and she does it with an accuracy that can only come from hours of observation. The attention to detail in the drawings is such that it's worth going back to the book time and time again. I wish I could meet Joubert and have him ask me what I like and dislike about France. As long as his wife wasn't hovering.

A laugh a minute.., 28 Oct 2007
This is a gorgeous, hilarious book, and right on the money, as anyone involved in the literary scene will tell you! The pomposities, pretensions and pettiness of the industry are perfectly punctured, but there's also a great sympathy with characters and dilemmas. Highly recommended!

hilarious - and all too true, 12 Mar 2007
If you are a writer or have any ambitions to be published, then you have to read this book. Posy Simmonds' cartoons are always funny, but in Literary Life she turns her sharp eyes on the publishing industry. I've read and re-read this book many times and each time it makes me laugh because it's all true. Everything in an author's life is here - disastrous book signings, the perils of success, day time television and other displacement activities. I wish she'd bring out another collection.

Literally brilliant, 24 Feb 2004
Posy punctures the pomposity, pretensions and preciousness of the literary world in this brilliant collection of cartoons from the Guardian newspaper. It may be a slim collection but it's worth every penny. Posy depicts a whole gallery of characters in this business; being a children's author/illustrator herself she must have a lot insider information about the subject. The artwork, as ever with Posy, is first-rate and the humour is spot-on and imaginative. One of the best strips in it is the 'Ask Doctor Derek' series where problems encoutered by readers and authors are dealt with by the handsome literary doctor. Very funny. My advice is simple. If you like cartoons and appreciate intelligent and thoughtful wit, buy this book.

Publishing funnies, 14 Feb 2004
A handsome selection of Posy Simmonds cartoons that originally appeared in the weekly book review supplement of the Guardian. They all relate to literature and especially publishing, either as strips or whole page cartoons. My favorites are the strips for Ask Doctor Derek, where a handsome young MD solves medical (literary) problems like a bout of plagiarism, the incredibly contagious writers cliché or dreadful critics mauling syndrome. Simmonds drawing style is typically British, slightly soft and with a caricature edge as opposed to the slick graphic style of Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury for instance.

Posy has a wicked sense of humor, especially when she is exposing the phonies of the English publishing establishment. A bull's-eye every time and great fun, too.



Cheeky Tale!, 25 Oct 2007
Being an American living with a culture overly concerned with political correctness, I found Baker Cat not only adorable but refreshingly irreverent. It's nice to read a children's book that speaks directly to what children love--seeing the underdog win and learning a few naughty expressions! Most American children's books are so sanitized and conformist--and too focused on setting a good example. I purchased the book because I'm a teacher and thought it would be perfect for the set of third graders I had that year. With my help, my students turned the story into a play and acted it out for other children in the school. They did an amazing job, I think, because they could really understand the characters. Who wouldn't eat all the sugar and cocoa if left alone with it? The child who played the cat was British and carried off the lines and the humor perfectly. (An American can't say the word "cheeky" without sounding ridiculous!) Hats off to Posy Simmonds. I hope she writes more books like Baker Cat--with enough characters to turn into another class play!

Delightful story of cat and mouse teamwork, 17 Jan 2007
I got this out of the Amazon box yesterday evening after my 4 year old had gone to bed. This morning I showed him the new book and then found myself having to read it over and over for the next half hour through breakfast until we left for school. He loves the language and was soon chanting the mices' tail-making poem. He also loves those classic detailed Posy Simmonds drawings, pointing out to me how the snake works, the smallness of the meagre fish in the cat's dish, the cat's fur all standing up when he is threatened with being turned in to mittens - it is choc full of things to look at and talk about.

I honestly can't recommend it highly enough.

A real favourite, 24 Jan 2006
My four year old daughter loves this again and again. Quirky story, gorgeous expressions, a sensible moral and some very cheeky mice. Lots of little person reading fun in the text and illustrations and a happy 'just' ending. Wouldn't we all like to shop at this bakers?!

Love the attention to detail, 22 May 2005
Since acquiring this book, my 4-year old has insisted on having the "Cookery Cat" (his words!) read to him every single night! He loves the cheeky names the cat is called ("mangy fur-bag) and the mice running riot in the storeroom and feels sorry for him when he has a teeny weeny fish for breakfast. It's a really lovely story about getting one-up over the baddies!

We all love Posy!, 18 Dec 2004
Charming, lively, rather slight: do I detect a minor problem in not quite matching the book either to the grown up or elderly (I am 73 ...) or to a particular age of child? Do I give it to my six year old grand-daughter now, or wait another 6 ... 9? ... years? But a lovely book. There is no-one else like Posy.

Finely Crafted Contemporary Victoriana, 06 Aug 2008
Much like "Gemma Bovary", "Tamara Drewe" betrays its origins in Victorian literature (in this case Hardy's "Far From The Madding Crowd")through its preoccupation with the relatively minor hardships (or perhaps slightly firmships) of a group of well educated, affluent types with not a whole lot to worry about. Even allowing for their historical context Victorian novels can feel a bit blinkered and self-indulgent, when transposed to a contemporary setting with the modern reader's self-awareness of his or her relative lot in life this sense is only exacerbated.

That said Posy Simmonds is undeniably a skilled craftswoman and a gifted illustrator with a talent for characterisation. As a result "Tamara Drewe" is, much like its Victoria precursors, never less than eminently readable.

One other slight quibble - Some of the lettering (specifically that used to communicate Beth's thoughts) is intrusively mechanistic to no obvious narrative end, an odd "error" from such an experienced graphic novelist.


'The line of beauty', 01 Aug 2008
Immersing oneself in Simmonds's alternate reality is, as other reviewers have observed, compulsive and addictive. Her efficiency of line (I meant that graphically, but it occurs to me that it applies equally to her mastery of the written word) fills her characters with life and the story with conviction and pathos. 'Empathise' is a possibly weary word, but I found myself empathising energetically with all her characters, sensing their emotions and sliding effortlessly from frame to frame between their various POV's. Something about Simmonds's style makes this form of her work somehow more effective than cinema whilst exploiting the languageless subliminal messages of facial expression and 'body language' that literature cannot get across. It's quite ingenious. To combine graphic novel art with beautifully-structured storytelling and such acute social commentary is an amazing achievement. And how she makes her foxy chicks just so foxy, and her frequently oily, smouldering heroes quite so smoulderingly oily, with just a few pencil strokes....well! Brilliant. Her earlier satire, 'Gemma Bovery', whilst suffused with a wicked black humour, made me want to cry. A bit. And I'm a bloke. What more can one say?

A small masterpiece, 31 May 2008
I received this as a birthday present. I had followed it serialised in the Guardian but hadn't fully realised it's full quality and insights till I read it with more careful attention. Posy is without equal in this medium. She amuses, but she is dealing with serious issues and her characters feel real, often reminding me of people I know. The tale is so well constructed that it makes a rivetting and satisfying read. Posy is a highly gifted artist but her ear for language is also exceptional. She can tune effortlessly to any register she chooses with hilarious accuracy
and looking at her drawings I almost hear the voices.It's uncanny. A delightful book printed on high quality paper.Not to be missed.

Great artwork, story a little weak?, 09 May 2008
An enjoyable read although the plot could perhaps be a little stronger. A couple of minor quibbles. It's an adult book so the use of **** for swearing grates after a while. And page numbers would have helped - the story jumps about and I had to sometimes check I hadn't missed a page.

Beautifully crafted, 03 Jan 2008
Posy Simmonds latest book is a delight. The characters come to life and almost jump off the pages. Her illustrations are sympathetically drawn and add a real depth to the book. Once I started it I could not put it down. I get the impression she has drawn the characters from people she knows. One of them (an american) bears a striking resemblance to Bill Bryson!. More please

A Review, 21 Sep 2008
I've not read Flaubert so I'm not qualified to judge how good this works as a modern day retelling. Nonetheless on its own merit it's a pretty good story.

Part text, part graphic novel, it tells the tragic story of Gemma Bovery, a British woman who moves to France with her new husband seeking to escape her past. The story is narrated by her French neighbour who is at first amused by the coincidence in the name but then starts to worry as her life begins to mirror that of Flaubert's heroine and rushes headlong towards the grisly end. He becomes almost something of a benign stalker and obssessed with the novel sends her photocopies pages as warnings.

The layout of the book is interesting, comic book frames nestled in prose. As the story is told in flashback there is much use of irony as we know Gemma's fate from the very beginning and can laugh as the narrator recalls his own actions. The art is simple but effective, in particular there's a lot of focus on characters eyes which sometimes betray an emotion at odds with the look plastered on their face.

I enjoyed it enough that I have now subsequently bought Madam Bovary and it's towards the top of my Next To Read Pile

Cult, 27 Feb 2008
The one thing I respect more than anything else is originality and this is the most original work I have read in yonks.
I really wish sometimes that picture stories like this would get their due and that Posy Simmonds was a household name. This is a really outstanding book and if there was any justice in this world it would be rated higher in the mainstream media but so few know about it.

Will pass it on to everyone I know and start saving for Tamara Drewe.

Great story and so much better than the superhero bilge.

A Comic with Class, 27 Dec 2007
If you want to know roughly what happens in "Madame Bovary" without the hassle of reading it and get a lot of laughs along the way this book/comic/graphic novel/work of art will suit you perfectly. If you know a little French then your ego will be flattered by understanding some of the dialogue without needing the footnotes. It's a very good read and I'd like to see the theme expanded - with Alan Moore doing "Wuthering Heights" perhaps?

Superb, 23 Jul 2006
Well-observed, well-drawn, well-written. I have not read many graphic novels, but this one is fantastic.

I was introduced to Posy Simmonds by the serialisation of Tamara Drew in the Guardian. Tamara Drew is also a compelling tale.

Joubert is a little too creepy for my tastes, but Gemma and Charlie just seem so real. A great read, highly recommended.

(F, 31)

Down to a T, 23 Nov 2000
Posy Simmonds has taken the graphic novel into new territory. Brilliant narrative, outstanding illustrations. And she has people down to a T. Especially French people. Especially French women. Anyone who's ever lived in France will recognise people they've met and shiver at the memory. The beauty of this book is that in addition to the characters' words, the author is also able to show us how they look, and she does it with an accuracy that can only come from hours of observation. The attention to detail in the drawings is such that it's worth going back to the book time and time again. I wish I could meet Joubert and have him ask me what I like and dislike about France. As long as his wife wasn't hovering.

A laugh a minute.., 28 Oct 2007
This is a gorgeous, hilarious book, and right on the money, as anyone involved in the literary scene will tell you! The pomposities, pretensions and pettiness of the industry are perfectly punctured, but there's also a great sympathy with characters and dilemmas. Highly recommended!

hilarious - and all too true, 12 Mar 2007
If you are a writer or have any ambitions to be published, then you have to read this book. Posy Simmonds' cartoons are always funny, but in Literary Life she turns her sharp eyes on the publishing industry. I've read and re-read this book many times and each time it makes me laugh because it's all true. Everything in an author's life is here - disastrous book signings, the perils of success, day time television and other displacement activities. I wish she'd bring out another collection.

Literally brilliant, 24 Feb 2004
Posy punctures the pomposity, pretensions and preciousness of the literary world in this brilliant collection of cartoons from the Guardian newspaper. It may be a slim collection but it's worth every penny. Posy depicts a whole gallery of characters in this business; being a children's author/illustrator herself she must have a lot insider information about the subject. The artwork, as ever with Posy, is first-rate and the humour is spot-on and imaginative. One of the best strips in it is the 'Ask Doctor Derek' series where problems encoutered by readers and authors are dealt with by the handsome literary doctor. Very funny. My advice is simple. If you like cartoons and appreciate intelligent and thoughtful wit, buy this book.

Publishing funnies, 14 Feb 2004
A handsome selection of Posy Simmonds cartoons that originally appeared in the weekly book review supplement of the Guardian. They all relate to literature and especially publishing, either as strips or whole page cartoons. My favorites are the strips for Ask Doctor Derek, where a handsome young MD solves medical (literary) problems like a bout of plagiarism, the incredibly contagious writers cliché or dreadful critics mauling syndrome. Simmonds drawing style is typically British, slightly soft and with a caricature edge as opposed to the slick graphic style of Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury for instance.

Posy has a wicked sense of humor, especially when she is exposing the phonies of the English publishing establishment. A bull's-eye every time and great fun, too.



Cheeky Tale!, 25 Oct 2007
Being an American living with a culture overly concerned with political correctness, I found Baker Cat not only adorable but refreshingly irreverent. It's nice to read a children's book that speaks directly to what children love--seeing the underdog win and learning a few naughty expressions! Most American children's books are so sanitized and conformist--and too focused on setting a good example. I purchased the book because I'm a teacher and thought it would be perfect for the set of third graders I had that year. With my help, my students turned the story into a play and acted it out for other children in the school. They did an amazing job, I think, because they could really understand the characters. Who wouldn't eat all the sugar and cocoa if left alone with it? The child who played the cat was British and carried off the lines and the humor perfectly. (An American can't say the word "cheeky" without sounding ridiculous!) Hats off to Posy Simmonds. I hope she writes more books like Baker Cat--with enough characters to turn into another class play!

Delightful story of cat and mouse teamwork, 17 Jan 2007
I got this out of the Amazon box yesterday evening after my 4 year old had gone to bed. This morning I showed him the new book and then found myself having to read it over and over for the next half hour through breakfast until we left for school. He loves the language and was soon chanting the mices' tail-making poem. He also loves those classic detailed Posy Simmonds drawings, pointing out to me how the snake works, the smallness of the meagre fish in the cat's dish, the cat's fur all standing up when he is threatened with being turned in to mittens - it is choc full of things to look at and talk about.

I honestly can't recommend it highly enough.

A real favourite, 24 Jan 2006
My four year old daughter loves this again and again. Quirky story, gorgeous expressions, a sensible moral and some very cheeky mice. Lots of little person reading fun in the text and illustrations and a happy 'just' ending. Wouldn't we all like to shop at this bakers?!

Love the attention to detail, 22 May 2005
Since acquiring this book, my 4-year old has insisted on having the "Cookery Cat" (his words!) read to him every single night! He loves the cheeky names the cat is called ("mangy fur-bag) and the mice running riot in the storeroom and feels sorry for him when he has a teeny weeny fish for breakfast. It's a really lovely story about getting one-up over the baddies!

We all love Posy!, 18 Dec 2004
Charming, lively, rather slight: do I detect a minor problem in not quite matching the book either to the grown up or elderly (I am 73 ...) or to a particular age of child? Do I give it to my six year old grand-daughter now, or wait another 6 ... 9? ... years? But a lovely book. There is no-one else like Posy.

Great for children of all ages, 23 Oct 2008
My son is nearly eight and has just discovered this book in the. Its a great book for gently introducing a child to the fact that their pets will pass away, but that there's nothing wrong in celebrating all that they were in life as well as mourning their death.

Fantastic childrens (adult!) book, 22 Jun 2008
I read this book over ten years ago, and the memories of it have remained fresh ever since. Only this afternoon, my friend and I were reminising about reading it in our local library and simultaneously broke into song to sing the funeral song...."Meaow meaow, meoooo, oh waily waily woooo...."
I recommend this to anyone with children, or anyone who has cats, or basically just anyone. Just read and enjoy!

The secret life of a cat, 01 Jun 2000
A quaint story about two children grieving for their cat. They hear the mewing of cats in the garden of their house to find that they are mourning the passing of the children's cat. Fred had a secret life other than the one the children saw: he was a pop singer. Fred's secret life was well known amongst the neighbourhood pets. The children join the cats in their wake for Fred. I'm not sure whether this is a book for children or adults, but I think that you will enjoy it.