Author / Artist:
Natusume Ono
Complex, powerful, and emotionally wrenching, not simple is a novel told in visual form by one of the most acclaimed creators at work today. Ian, a young man with a fractured family history, travels from Australia to England to America in the hope of realizing his dreams and reuniting with his beloved sister. His story unfolds backwards through the framing narrative of Jim, a reporter driven to capture Ian’s experiences in a novel: not simple. A story within a story, a book within a book, a tale about the search for family, for an emotional home.
Wed, 01/27/2010 - 20:31 — Anonymous
Pull Quote:
This is a devastating work and yet I never felt emotionally manipulated by Ono. She somehow earns every bad thing that happens to Ian and the people close to him. While the character may seem like a black hole of pure misfortune, there are small moments of relief, perhaps even triumph, in his journey.
Wed, 01/27/2010 - 20:32 — Anonymous
Pull Quote:
The narrative is a little strange, starting at the very end and then going all the way back through the life story of Ian, and then the epilogue is a major event that was skipped in the main narrative. Ian’s days are numbered, and for more reasons than it first seems. Actually, not an awful lot about this story is as it seems. It will start off with disturbing subject matter, and then somehow twist it so that it gets even more disturbing when we learn the truth of a situation.
Wed, 01/27/2010 - 20:34 — Anonymous
Pull Quote:
I normally reserve my comments about a comic’s art for somewhere near the end of my review, but since the fact that Natsume Ono’s style deviates from the manga norm is glaringly obvious, I thought I’d address it first. Her art is spare and kind of squiggly, true, and yet it’s absolutely perfect, adding to rather than detracting from the narrative. I honestly cannot imagine this heartbreaking story being illustrated in any other way; to pair it with pretty art would be too wrong for words, so don’t let the lack of same be a deterrent.
Wed, 01/27/2010 - 20:35 — Anonymous
Pull Quote:
I'm not saying that a comic--or a TV show, or a movie--has to be all "ha ha ha ha! Weeeee!" But if you are a person such as I, seeking a pleasurable experience that will hopefully lead to more pleasurable experiences (either by reading a series or more work by the same writer), this was not the book for that. Because this book is BLEAK. It is also KIND OF STUPID.
Wed, 01/27/2010 - 20:37 — Anonymous
Pull Quote:
The year in manga is off to a great start with this very strong offering from Natsume Ono. Already, I can tell you that this is going to be one strong contender for one of the best books of the year.
Sat, 02/06/2010 - 19:57 — Anonymous
Pull Quote:
There is no other manga in English like not simple. A profound and moving character piece, it is affecting and well told. Ono approaches sex, family, and the everyday horrors that humans inflict on one another in ways that most manga-ka wouldn’t dare. If not simple forebears the arrival of a new sort of mature manga, then fans are very lucky indeed.
Sat, 06/19/2010 - 15:04 — Anonymous
Pull Quote:
Natsume Ono's Not Simple arrives as a work in that tradition of melodramatic storytelling, complete with outsize tragedy, doomed romance, and lost chances. That Ono overdoes it (a bit), and that her characters' actions and motivations a times strain credulity... well, I hope she can be forgiven for trying but not quite succeeding in bringing us a meaty melodrama.
