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Madre, vuelve a casa
Thomas tiene siete años y acaba de perder a su madre. A pesar de sus esfuerzos por superar su pérdida, tanto él como su padre son incapaces de iniciar una nueva vida. Disfrazado con una máscara de león y una capa de terciopelo rojo, Thomas se convierte en el guardián de los lugares que solÃa frecuentar su madre mientras su padre se distancia progresivamente de la realidad.
Más que una historia sobre la muerte, Madre, vuelve a casa es una historia sobre la ausencia. La ausencia de una madre y una esposa, pero también sobre la ausencia de un padre que, en plena depresión, se distancia del mundo exterior incluido su propio hijo. La máscara de león que se pone Thomas es un sÃmbolo de memoria pero es, también, un escudo contra la aceptación de la realidad.
Más que una historia sobre la muerte, Madre, vuelve a casa es una historia sobre la ausencia. La ausencia de una madre y una esposa, pero también sobre la ausencia de un padre que, en plena depresión, se distancia del mundo exterior incluido su propio hijo. La máscara de león que se pone Thomas es un sÃmbolo de memoria pero es, también, un escudo contra la aceptación de la realidad.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
12 people are currently reading
2,250 people want to read
About the author
Paul Hornschemeier
48Ìýbooks64ÌýfollowersPaul Hornschemeier was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1977 and raised in nearby rural Georgetown, Ohio. As a child he liked to draw, dreaming that he might publish his own comic books one day. While majoring in philosophy and psychology at The Ohio State University, Hornschemeier was introduced to the graphic novel Ghost World by Daniel Clowes and began exploring underground and literary comics. He saw that comics could be a venue for exploring issues from his studies and other interests, and within a year he began publishing his own black and white comics, under the banner "Sequential". Those early experimental works have since been compiled by AdHouse Books under the title The Collected Sequential. After graduation from college, Hornschemeier began using colors in his comics. In 2001, after moving to Chicago, he self-published the final issue of "Sequential," and began publishing the full-color comics series "Forlorn Funnies" with (now defunct) Absence of Ink Press. In 2003, Dark Horse Comics published his first graphic novel titled Mother, Come Home.
In 2007 Hornschemeier colored the Marvel mini-series Omega The Unknown.
Hornschemeier also sang and played guitar for the now defunct band Arks.
In 2007 Hornschemeier colored the Marvel mini-series Omega The Unknown.
Hornschemeier also sang and played guitar for the now defunct band Arks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
May 13, 2019
i can't even get close to reviewing this book. ("well, who asked you to?," they sneer) i can't but i feel like i have to. i have been putting it off for a really long time now but i think i have to get it over with once and for all. this review done, i am going to wash my hands of all complicated human emotions because this week has been far too full of mourning and apprehension and second-guessing and worry. after this, i am pure cylon and you can all go to hell with your feelings.
after this review, of course...
this book will probably make you cry. i don't know you, and i don't care how emotionally hardened you think you are, because i'm pretty sure it will make you cry. i don't know what it is in particular about it that makes it more shattering than other books that deal with death - i remained dry-eyed throughout "don't go where i cant follow", i never get emotionally invested enough in movies to be a movie-crier (although, like jen, i totally leaked at 'up') but there's something extra in this - some sort of drug blended in with the ink which causes heightened emotions upon contact. even reading other people's reviews of it had me a little emotional (especially the ones i was directly or indirectly responsible for, reading-wise). it is a powerful little piece of work.
don't read this book if you have ever lost anyone. don't read this book if you have ever felt culpable in anyone's death. don't read this book if you know anyone who has ever lost someone or had an emotion or a family or ever been confused or frustrated or was unsure where the "you" was in relation to someone else. don't read this book when you are already sad. don't read this book when you are happy. i mean, read this book - please read this book. but be aware.
and that is my final feeling.
after this review, of course...
this book will probably make you cry. i don't know you, and i don't care how emotionally hardened you think you are, because i'm pretty sure it will make you cry. i don't know what it is in particular about it that makes it more shattering than other books that deal with death - i remained dry-eyed throughout "don't go where i cant follow", i never get emotionally invested enough in movies to be a movie-crier (although, like jen, i totally leaked at 'up') but there's something extra in this - some sort of drug blended in with the ink which causes heightened emotions upon contact. even reading other people's reviews of it had me a little emotional (especially the ones i was directly or indirectly responsible for, reading-wise). it is a powerful little piece of work.
don't read this book if you have ever lost anyone. don't read this book if you have ever felt culpable in anyone's death. don't read this book if you know anyone who has ever lost someone or had an emotion or a family or ever been confused or frustrated or was unsure where the "you" was in relation to someone else. don't read this book when you are already sad. don't read this book when you are happy. i mean, read this book - please read this book. but be aware.
and that is my final feeling.
June 26, 2018
Puissant!
Melancholy at its striking best.
There is a sweet pain and there is a bad pain. Sometimes, some souls suffer sufferings. Not a problem, not uncommon.
The problem begins when they start loving this suffering.
To be frank, I did not expect a book to render me clueless after 25% of its total page length. I did not know where it was heading, what the genre was or am I reading an actual book even?
And then it came to me. Hard and powerful. The keeper of the grounds and the mask he wears. I was too stunned to react this. Paul Hornschemeier threw me off-guard and I could not breathe.
The illustrations of grief are as real as it gets. Strangely honest and pin-point sharp in pointing out what sadness actually is.
Sadness is a monster that engulfs you. A creature that makes you want your own child to push you off the cliff.
Sadness is an illusion that portrays a picture of memories that never weren't as good as their nostalgia.
Intense.
Pretty intense.
Just might break your defenses.
Melancholy at its striking best.
There is a sweet pain and there is a bad pain. Sometimes, some souls suffer sufferings. Not a problem, not uncommon.
The problem begins when they start loving this suffering.
To be frank, I did not expect a book to render me clueless after 25% of its total page length. I did not know where it was heading, what the genre was or am I reading an actual book even?
And then it came to me. Hard and powerful. The keeper of the grounds and the mask he wears. I was too stunned to react this. Paul Hornschemeier threw me off-guard and I could not breathe.
The illustrations of grief are as real as it gets. Strangely honest and pin-point sharp in pointing out what sadness actually is.
Sadness is a monster that engulfs you. A creature that makes you want your own child to push you off the cliff.
Sadness is an illusion that portrays a picture of memories that never weren't as good as their nostalgia.
"I may have grown up but I was much older then..."
Intense.
Pretty intense.
Just might break your defenses.
April 12, 2014
Shit.
This one disarmed me.
Today is beautiful outside. A little warm for my tastes, but this is the weather normal people like and they all go outside and do normal-people things. Personally I like a little gloominess, a little overcast skies, even some rain. It doesn't have to be cold, but I'm not a hot-weather kind of gal. I do not like to sweat. Or even glisten. I do not like to glisten.
But in honor of the nice weather, I took the longest walk known to man, and it was good. I went all over the place, first with the boyfriend and the dogs, and then up to the library. That last bit of the walk takes only about 20 mins, though the way there is uphill, and I was already a bit tired from the first walk, so I was pretty gross by the time I got to the library. I went to pick up some books that were on hold, this being one of them. I sat down to read a couple of them before heading back home so I could get a little less gross. I read first because that was the sort of mood I was feeling, and it seemed to match what I needed. This was the second book I picked up. And I flipped through it.
What the hell?
The illustrations were not what I was expecting, and I sort of even rolled my eyes. Because it was not what I wanted to read, the colors and the art and the teeny text even. I mean if I wanted to read a book I would have read a book, I wanted a graphic novel, I wanted some action, I wanted...
And then twenty minutes later I realized I was still reading. And I didn't want to put it down.
This is the saddest story I have read in a long time. This doesn't make it bad, or even good. It is simply a truly sad story about loss - loss of loved ones, loss of innocence, loss of childhood. I did not cry because I am a statue, but something inside of me ping'ed. There was a ping inside of me somewhere. It made me think of my own losses and that's not something people normally want to think about. The relationship between the boy and his father is the most heartbreaking relationship I've ever encountered, even in a graphic novel. And the illustrations that at first I wanted to smirk at? I completely forgot that I was even reading a graphic novel.
It's like a sad, heartbreaking version of Calvin & Hobbes. Sort of. In a way. Kinda. And not.
This is Hornschemeier's first collection. I will be looking for more of his work.
Walking home from the library I found myself wishing I had a lion mask to wear. I just sort of wanted to hide for a little bit. Which is what I am doing now this afternoon, sans lion mask (alas, I do not own one). I have my pug and my books and I am just going to hide and have all the feelings for a bit..
This one disarmed me.
Today is beautiful outside. A little warm for my tastes, but this is the weather normal people like and they all go outside and do normal-people things. Personally I like a little gloominess, a little overcast skies, even some rain. It doesn't have to be cold, but I'm not a hot-weather kind of gal. I do not like to sweat. Or even glisten. I do not like to glisten.
But in honor of the nice weather, I took the longest walk known to man, and it was good. I went all over the place, first with the boyfriend and the dogs, and then up to the library. That last bit of the walk takes only about 20 mins, though the way there is uphill, and I was already a bit tired from the first walk, so I was pretty gross by the time I got to the library. I went to pick up some books that were on hold, this being one of them. I sat down to read a couple of them before heading back home so I could get a little less gross. I read first because that was the sort of mood I was feeling, and it seemed to match what I needed. This was the second book I picked up. And I flipped through it.
What the hell?
The illustrations were not what I was expecting, and I sort of even rolled my eyes. Because it was not what I wanted to read, the colors and the art and the teeny text even. I mean if I wanted to read a book I would have read a book, I wanted a graphic novel, I wanted some action, I wanted...
And then twenty minutes later I realized I was still reading. And I didn't want to put it down.
This is the saddest story I have read in a long time. This doesn't make it bad, or even good. It is simply a truly sad story about loss - loss of loved ones, loss of innocence, loss of childhood. I did not cry because I am a statue, but something inside of me ping'ed. There was a ping inside of me somewhere. It made me think of my own losses and that's not something people normally want to think about. The relationship between the boy and his father is the most heartbreaking relationship I've ever encountered, even in a graphic novel. And the illustrations that at first I wanted to smirk at? I completely forgot that I was even reading a graphic novel.
It's like a sad, heartbreaking version of Calvin & Hobbes. Sort of. In a way. Kinda. And not.
This is Hornschemeier's first collection. I will be looking for more of his work.
Walking home from the library I found myself wishing I had a lion mask to wear. I just sort of wanted to hide for a little bit. Which is what I am doing now this afternoon, sans lion mask (alas, I do not own one). I have my pug and my books and I am just going to hide and have all the feelings for a bit..
May 24, 2024
Read on 05/24/2024.
Wow, this was really something special. It was NOT what I was expecting at all, even tho I don’t even know what I was expecting. It’s a story about a 7 year old boy who is dealing with the early death of his mother, and the subsequent loss of his father as well.
As one would naturally assume from the subject matter, this is not a light graphic novel. There is no comic relief, or moments of levity. Even in the seemingly calm, innocent moments with the child, there was so much implied meaning for the reader. The adorable-but-well-drawn cartoons also pulled at the heart strings in the most devastating way.
I have been meaning to read this for forever. I’ve seen it recommended so many times, I’m glad I finally got around to it. The beginning was a bit confusing, & drawn out, I thought I might wind up DNF’ing it, but I’m very glad I stuck with it bc once we got to the panels with the child, I was totally hooked.
This is not the sort of graphic novel you pick up looking for interesting storylines, or monsters, or lots of action. It’s about the way a child processes the death of his parents, & it’s every bit as dark & tragic as it sounds. Best for people looking to have a good cry.
Wow, this was really something special. It was NOT what I was expecting at all, even tho I don’t even know what I was expecting. It’s a story about a 7 year old boy who is dealing with the early death of his mother, and the subsequent loss of his father as well.
As one would naturally assume from the subject matter, this is not a light graphic novel. There is no comic relief, or moments of levity. Even in the seemingly calm, innocent moments with the child, there was so much implied meaning for the reader. The adorable-but-well-drawn cartoons also pulled at the heart strings in the most devastating way.
I have been meaning to read this for forever. I’ve seen it recommended so many times, I’m glad I finally got around to it. The beginning was a bit confusing, & drawn out, I thought I might wind up DNF’ing it, but I’m very glad I stuck with it bc once we got to the panels with the child, I was totally hooked.
This is not the sort of graphic novel you pick up looking for interesting storylines, or monsters, or lots of action. It’s about the way a child processes the death of his parents, & it’s every bit as dark & tragic as it sounds. Best for people looking to have a good cry.
July 8, 2009
so i read this book because 1)it was a graphic novel and as of late, being a new mommy and all, graphic novels complement my short attention span very well. 2)i was familiar with this guy because of the whole jeffrey brown/holy consumption affiliation and figured it was about time to read something from him, especially because the drawings were just the right type for me when it came to graphic novels and 3)because i saw it on karen's list of books that made her cry and being the nosy me, i just needed to know what sort of stuff could make her cry...
well, i cried too, but on the inside, only because i read it at work (yes, tsk on me) and i needed to stay tough there like one needs to when it comes to retail and customer service. anyway, this book is SAD. it made my insides all knotty and my limbs limp. limpy limbs. but it was lovely and dreamlike, and went into fantasy just at the right moment when reality seemed to get too rough. i am in love with the little boy in this and wish he were real for me to take home, along with his lion mask that i so badly want to try on.
this also made me fully aware of my own mortality as a mother and i swear, all i could think while reading it was to try as hard as possible to not die anytime soon...
well, i cried too, but on the inside, only because i read it at work (yes, tsk on me) and i needed to stay tough there like one needs to when it comes to retail and customer service. anyway, this book is SAD. it made my insides all knotty and my limbs limp. limpy limbs. but it was lovely and dreamlike, and went into fantasy just at the right moment when reality seemed to get too rough. i am in love with the little boy in this and wish he were real for me to take home, along with his lion mask that i so badly want to try on.
this also made me fully aware of my own mortality as a mother and i swear, all i could think while reading it was to try as hard as possible to not die anytime soon...
September 7, 2015
1.5 stars
This was just so weird for me.
The story is about a boy and his father. The boy's mother has just died and his father is basically like a zombie that he neglects his 7yr old son. The uncle and aunt try and step in and help but it's not enough. Dad gets institutionalized and the boy goes to live with uncle and aunt.
There were just so many things wrong with this book. The print was so hard to read, I almost gave up into the first two pages. The colors were a muddy, depressing tone (it fit the mood of the book, but visually, it's just not appealing to look at). The characters are never shown before the mother's death, so it's hard to see just how much of an effect it's had on both dad and son, although we can see their current lives have been turned topsy-turvy. I just feel that if we had gotten a glimpse of who these people were prior to the death, there could have been more empathy for them.
Finally, the ending took me completely by surprise, but it was just so strange it made me uncomfortable. There was no follow-up to what happened after the ending. That might have made for a more compelling book. This was very depressing book, but it's the kind you wish you had not ended up reading.
Artwork is very basic, no wow factor there.
This was just so weird for me.
The story is about a boy and his father. The boy's mother has just died and his father is basically like a zombie that he neglects his 7yr old son. The uncle and aunt try and step in and help but it's not enough. Dad gets institutionalized and the boy goes to live with uncle and aunt.
There were just so many things wrong with this book. The print was so hard to read, I almost gave up into the first two pages. The colors were a muddy, depressing tone (it fit the mood of the book, but visually, it's just not appealing to look at). The characters are never shown before the mother's death, so it's hard to see just how much of an effect it's had on both dad and son, although we can see their current lives have been turned topsy-turvy. I just feel that if we had gotten a glimpse of who these people were prior to the death, there could have been more empathy for them.
Finally, the ending took me completely by surprise, but it was just so strange it made me uncomfortable. There was no follow-up to what happened after the ending. That might have made for a more compelling book. This was very depressing book, but it's the kind you wish you had not ended up reading.
Artwork is very basic, no wow factor there.
August 12, 2011
It has to be a hard decision for an author to begin a book with something that moves in the direction of North-by-North-Impenetrable. Especially when the rest of the book is engaging and enjoyable. And moreso when the author hopes to secure readers.
(Those who don't write to be read are more than welcome to make not just their introduction but their entire book a roadblock to diligent readers.)
Personally, I'm working on a novel and the first chapter is a bit... high concept. And therefore, a bit obnoxious to the casual reader. It's important that it be this way, of course, but I do worry that those who might otherwise love the book will be turned off by its introduction. It was keeping that in mind that helped me through the introductory pages of Hornschemeier's Mother, Come Home.
Mother, Come Home's opening set is a bit oblique and I feared I had picked up another bout of art comix childishness, that kind of book where you feel like you're spending time with a stereotypical high school theatre student (something infantile like Monologues for the Coming Plague, perhaps*). Hornschemeier continues on like this for six pages and by the fifth I had almost gotten into the flow of what he was doing. I was even able to sort of appreciate it. But I absolutely did not want to read 128 pages in the same vein, so turning that seventh page was like a boon from heaven. As if God in his wisdom had known exactly how much I could take and inspired Hornschemeier to rein it in at exactly the right moment.
Of course later, according to the ordo apocalypsis, I came to deeply appreciate what Hornschemeier does in his opening. This is because Mother, Come Home is a Very Good Book.
Fig. 2: "My mother loved to give presents."
It won't be revealing too much to say that Mother, Come Home deals with some heavy topics (as seen in figure 2, above). Told largely through the eyes of a child, the reader gets a rare sense of a very difficult set of extraordinary circumstances. Hornschemeier gradually unveils his narrative topography, controlling revelation in a way that should satisfy most readers, leaving them both affected by the story told and conscious that literature was absorbed.
One of Mother, Come home's great charms is Hornschemeier's artwork throughout. His work is clean, uncluttered. I have seen more than one review compare him to Chris Ware, and while I cannot know how indebted the present author is to one of the obvious luminaries of the medium, common ground is aptly noted. Even beyond the book's muted palette, which recalls Ware's work in the nineteenth-century portion of Jimmy Corrigan, his panel focuses and strong linework evoke Ware's own. And of course the submerged tone, hollow of emotion by its very flood of emotion, is also evocative of Jimmy Corrigan (which some may characterize as a stoic sort of work).
Mother, Come Home is a work deserving reflection. Hornschemeier has filled his pages with mysteries of life, some demanding interpretation, others commandeering their own liberty from such shackles. In many ways I feel inadequate to speak for it, having only read the book once so far. I am going to rectify this lapse.
(Those who don't write to be read are more than welcome to make not just their introduction but their entire book a roadblock to diligent readers.)
Personally, I'm working on a novel and the first chapter is a bit... high concept. And therefore, a bit obnoxious to the casual reader. It's important that it be this way, of course, but I do worry that those who might otherwise love the book will be turned off by its introduction. It was keeping that in mind that helped me through the introductory pages of Hornschemeier's Mother, Come Home.
Mother, Come Home's opening set is a bit oblique and I feared I had picked up another bout of art comix childishness, that kind of book where you feel like you're spending time with a stereotypical high school theatre student (something infantile like Monologues for the Coming Plague, perhaps*). Hornschemeier continues on like this for six pages and by the fifth I had almost gotten into the flow of what he was doing. I was even able to sort of appreciate it. But I absolutely did not want to read 128 pages in the same vein, so turning that seventh page was like a boon from heaven. As if God in his wisdom had known exactly how much I could take and inspired Hornschemeier to rein it in at exactly the right moment.
Of course later, according to the ordo apocalypsis, I came to deeply appreciate what Hornschemeier does in his opening. This is because Mother, Come Home is a Very Good Book.
Fig. 2: "My mother loved to give presents."
It won't be revealing too much to say that Mother, Come Home deals with some heavy topics (as seen in figure 2, above). Told largely through the eyes of a child, the reader gets a rare sense of a very difficult set of extraordinary circumstances. Hornschemeier gradually unveils his narrative topography, controlling revelation in a way that should satisfy most readers, leaving them both affected by the story told and conscious that literature was absorbed.
One of Mother, Come home's great charms is Hornschemeier's artwork throughout. His work is clean, uncluttered. I have seen more than one review compare him to Chris Ware, and while I cannot know how indebted the present author is to one of the obvious luminaries of the medium, common ground is aptly noted. Even beyond the book's muted palette, which recalls Ware's work in the nineteenth-century portion of Jimmy Corrigan, his panel focuses and strong linework evoke Ware's own. And of course the submerged tone, hollow of emotion by its very flood of emotion, is also evocative of Jimmy Corrigan (which some may characterize as a stoic sort of work).
Mother, Come Home is a work deserving reflection. Hornschemeier has filled his pages with mysteries of life, some demanding interpretation, others commandeering their own liberty from such shackles. In many ways I feel inadequate to speak for it, having only read the book once so far. I am going to rectify this lapse.
*note: if you are Anders Nilsen, we can just shake hands and believe that I didn't understand.[Review courtesy of ]
June 26, 2009
WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IN PUBLIC!
I think the word depressive comes short to describe this comic thingy� is there a word that express more depression than well, depression??? Maybe There is a term among my people used to describe depressive songs... it translates to something like “wrist slitters� or something like that. but if there is an actual word for it please let me know so I can update this review! When I asked a friend to pick a short comic for me the other day I was expecting something fun and quick so I could go get hammer and enjoy a movie in a really good mood� little did I knew that my plans were about to drastically change� she passed me this depressive as fuck book and told me to read it, with a really cool attitude (she may have say something in the lines of; I didn’t ask you if you like the title I told you to read it) so despite the title I decided to give it a try� 20 minutes later I was in my mighty corner screaming (quietly inside my head) you are not going to cry Alfonso I repeat you are not going to cry like a little bitch in public! I think I used my last reserves of testosterone in me to actually manage that� at the end I have to go and get me a book with funny pictures of cats to cheer me up before I went to my “lets get hammer and watch a movie thing* (I do not drink while depressed or angry)� and one more thing if you have ermm� if you ever experience how it feels to lost a love one� I do not recommend this book� trust me when I say this shit is depressive I mean is good! but is too fucking depressive for me atleast� (still looking for that word more depressive than depression)
I think the word depressive comes short to describe this comic thingy� is there a word that express more depression than well, depression??? Maybe There is a term among my people used to describe depressive songs... it translates to something like “wrist slitters� or something like that. but if there is an actual word for it please let me know so I can update this review! When I asked a friend to pick a short comic for me the other day I was expecting something fun and quick so I could go get hammer and enjoy a movie in a really good mood� little did I knew that my plans were about to drastically change� she passed me this depressive as fuck book and told me to read it, with a really cool attitude (she may have say something in the lines of; I didn’t ask you if you like the title I told you to read it) so despite the title I decided to give it a try� 20 minutes later I was in my mighty corner screaming (quietly inside my head) you are not going to cry Alfonso I repeat you are not going to cry like a little bitch in public! I think I used my last reserves of testosterone in me to actually manage that� at the end I have to go and get me a book with funny pictures of cats to cheer me up before I went to my “lets get hammer and watch a movie thing* (I do not drink while depressed or angry)� and one more thing if you have ermm� if you ever experience how it feels to lost a love one� I do not recommend this book� trust me when I say this shit is depressive I mean is good! but is too fucking depressive for me atleast� (still looking for that word more depressive than depression)
August 2, 2019
Trigger warning: suicide.
Good grief. What a book. Don't read if you're not in a good place mentally.
Good grief. What a book. Don't read if you're not in a good place mentally.
October 31, 2014
Sad and depressing, but beautiful at the same time.
June 12, 2016
Overall depressing.
Too wordy for a graphic novel. Even worse, the font chosen is hard to follow.
The artwork is also lame.
If possible, skip this one.
Too wordy for a graphic novel. Even worse, the font chosen is hard to follow.
The artwork is also lame.
If possible, skip this one.
January 18, 2019
This book happened to me like a gust of wind: sudden, unexpected and startling.
It had been a while since I read a graphic novel, so I reached for the shortest one at hand, deciding to give this a second chance. I’d started it a few months earlier and promptly set it aside because the first few pages are just... weird. But on this attempt, once I’d made it past the oddity that is the introduction, it proved a thoroughly captivating and completely devastating book.
This is a tale of death and loss, told through the eyes of a seven year-old boy. But it’s also a tale of mental illness, the process of grieving, and coping mechanisms, told in reflection. If you’ve ever experienced a family tragedy, this book outlines—with very little embellishment—all that comes after: the fantasies and lies that we tell ourselves to escape the pain, and the desperation with which we cling to routine and familiar surroundings in order to build a façade.
Every once in a while, I find myself pleading with unsuspecting friends, telling them they’re dismissing an entire mode of expression by refusing to explore comics. I rarely succeed, but books like this one motivate me to keep trying... While it isn’t representative of the tremendous heights that the medium can reach, it does transcend its constraints and achieve something profound on the level of truly moving art or haunting words:
Hornschemeier is a powerful and nuanced storyteller; he wields symbolism so subtly that the repeating motifs only became obvious after I’d finished the book. His ligne claire artwork seemed unremarkable at first, but quickly began to complement the story; both work in tandem to create an irresistible strain of melancholy.
It had been a while since I read a graphic novel, so I reached for the shortest one at hand, deciding to give this a second chance. I’d started it a few months earlier and promptly set it aside because the first few pages are just... weird. But on this attempt, once I’d made it past the oddity that is the introduction, it proved a thoroughly captivating and completely devastating book.
This is a tale of death and loss, told through the eyes of a seven year-old boy. But it’s also a tale of mental illness, the process of grieving, and coping mechanisms, told in reflection. If you’ve ever experienced a family tragedy, this book outlines—with very little embellishment—all that comes after: the fantasies and lies that we tell ourselves to escape the pain, and the desperation with which we cling to routine and familiar surroundings in order to build a façade.
“People create... little systems of explanation.
Things that are not really true, but are easier to digest than the intricacies of reality.�
Every once in a while, I find myself pleading with unsuspecting friends, telling them they’re dismissing an entire mode of expression by refusing to explore comics. I rarely succeed, but books like this one motivate me to keep trying... While it isn’t representative of the tremendous heights that the medium can reach, it does transcend its constraints and achieve something profound on the level of truly moving art or haunting words:
“The house’s condition suffered considerably, initially... but sporadically: my father would emerge and act with calculated intent, cleaning one patch or another such that there were scattered islands of the immaculate.
In a way, in retrospect, it was a sort of abstract of his mind.
And the islands began to dwindle.�
Hornschemeier is a powerful and nuanced storyteller; he wields symbolism so subtly that the repeating motifs only became obvious after I’d finished the book. His ligne claire artwork seemed unremarkable at first, but quickly began to complement the story; both work in tandem to create an irresistible strain of melancholy.
July 3, 2011
WOW!
I read a lot of comic books as a kid, but have not read many graphic novels as an adult because I generally find them unappealing. This book is so different from any book I have ever read. The pictures are an integral part of this story and bring meaning to the words.
In graphic novel form, this book tells the story of father and 7 year old son who have lost their wife/mom, mostly through the eyes of the son. Even though the pictures are kind of odd at times:
The pictures really captured my emotions:
As I read this book, I kept thinking, "This is what I have known all along. It is the Mom that holds the family together in a fun and loving way. It is Mom that makes the hard times bearable, and even fun. Mom is the heart and the glue of the family." Maybe I think that just because I am a Mom--I don't know. But this family of 2 that is left behind is falling apart.
It only took an hour at most to read this book and it was worth it! The only negative I have about it is that some of the print was so small that I could barely read it, and I had my glasses on.
At the end of the book on the "About the Author" page, is a photo of what looks like a Dad and a 7 year old boy. The funny thing is that the Dad in the photo looks like the Dad in the book. So I had to wonder if Paul Hornschemeier lost his Mom when he was 7. I did several internet searches but did not turn up any info about his parents.
You can even get it in Spanish:
July 24, 2013
What a gut punch of a book. There are few emotionally manipulative, emotionally draining works by indie white people, in the category of white-people-hating-stuff, that I feel are on the level of actual tragedy. As such, I was skeptical of "Mother, Come Home," but Paul Hornschemeier deftly transcends this category. Technically beautiful, this book is well worth your time if you can stomach depressingly sad works. Though the repetitive dream sequence at the beginning is slightly off-putting, the rest of the book moves quickly for all the emotionally numbing ground it covers.
Hornschemeier shares more than a passing kinship with . Their drawing styles are similar. Though Hornschemeier is obsessively formal, he is much less so than Ware in terms of layout. Hornschemeier takes risks in difficult storytelling whereas Ware sublimates these risks into the layout of his pages. Both do what they do well. On the strength of this book, I plan on reading the rest of Hornschemeier's work when I get the chance.
Hornschemeier shares more than a passing kinship with . Their drawing styles are similar. Though Hornschemeier is obsessively formal, he is much less so than Ware in terms of layout. Hornschemeier takes risks in difficult storytelling whereas Ware sublimates these risks into the layout of his pages. Both do what they do well. On the strength of this book, I plan on reading the rest of Hornschemeier's work when I get the chance.
July 20, 2015
this book is sad and dumb, it probably shouldnt be read by anyone but absentee parents, and only so they can see the bullshit that their selfish behavior puts their children through. the final actions of the father in this book are strictly self-important and vain. it makes me angry even to have read it. angry and sick.
February 25, 2018
Zo hee, dit was me een partij verdrietig. De achterkanttekst zegt al wel dat het over verlies en trauma gaat, maar verwacht absoluut geen happy end. Verder doet het heel interessante dingen als graphic novel, met een veranderde tekenstijl die een soort cartoon wordt als copingmechanisme voor het kind.
March 10, 2017
"My Heart is far too clouded."
Death. Loss. Agony. Existential Dread.
"Sometimes, when I'm sad, I think life was a commercial for something so much bigger, but then we ordered it and it was broken or didn't come. That's a bit muddled, I think. Does that make any sense? Probably not, I think up a lot of things when I'm sad that I think must be pretty great or profound, but then someone points out that they (the ideas) are foolish."
Death. Loss. Agony. Existential Dread.
"Sometimes, when I'm sad, I think life was a commercial for something so much bigger, but then we ordered it and it was broken or didn't come. That's a bit muddled, I think. Does that make any sense? Probably not, I think up a lot of things when I'm sad that I think must be pretty great or profound, but then someone points out that they (the ideas) are foolish."
February 25, 2017
«Ha detto che si capiva che stava per piovere perché le foglie erano diventate bianche. Ma le foglie non diventano bianche» disse dolcemente. «Quello che vedi è il retro delle foglie, a causa del vento che accompagna la tempesta, tutto qua. Per spiegare le cose…la gente crea dei piccoli sistemi. Cose non vere ma più facili da accettare delle complicazioni della realtà .»
Una storia di disperazione, che parla chi rimane, di chi non riesce a sopportare la perdita ed accettarla, di chi preferisce smettere di lottare e chi vive ogni giorno col senso di colpa. Viene raccontata attraverso gli occhi di un bambino di sette anni, in uno stile surreale che spesso rappresenta delle fantasie oppure ciò che il bambino non riesce a comprendere a pieno per via dell’età , e che spiega poi nella narrazione in età adulta. È un omaggio alle vittime collaterali della perdita.
«³§³¦°ù¾±±¹±ð°ù²¹¾±?»
«Un po�. Comincerai a capire più avanti.»
«Allora ti scriverò io.»
«Sì. E saremo entrambi liberi.»
Di sicuro ciò che ho apprezzato di più sono i dettagli; la storia delle foglie, la maschera, il panino, i capelli che si stanno scurendo... Quest’ultimo mi ha colpito particolarmente, anche per una vicenda personale che mi ha ricordato, ed è sempre bello quando succede. Tutti questi dettagli rendono la storia personale, ha meno punti in comune con i lettori, diventa meno didascalica ma più vera, e sicuramente rimane più impressa.
«È difficile leggere attraverso la propria mente…ma credo� di fare progressi. È molto difficile e gli obiettivi sono confusi.»
«Sì, ma sono d’accordo con te: stai facendo progressi, progressi significativi. E molto rapidamente, dovresti sentirti orgoglioso.»
«Cerco di non farlo.»
«Di sentirti orgoglioso?»
«Di sentirmi.»
Mi piace perché non vuole insegnare nulla, vuole solo raccontare la storia di un padre e di un figlio che affrontano il dolore, ognuno a modo suo.
Tutto fece del suo meglio, quella primavera. Nessuno potrà dire che non ci abbiamo provato.
La nota più negativa in assoluto sono le scritte: illeggibili. Lo so che è fatto di proposito, per non stonare con la palette di colori cupi, per dare il senso di oppressione e disagio. Ma una Graphic Novel deve essere comprensibile, e non può esserlo se le scritte sono piccolissime, di un font poco leggibile e di una dimensione minuscola. Ho dovuto leggere con la luce puntata sulle pagine, e questo è un ostacolo non indifferente.
«Lei ha subìto una perdita…ma la sua mente cerca di allontanarsi da tutto il resto nel tentativo di conservare qualcosa di già perso. Deve decidere a che cosa dire addio.»
Una Graphic Novel originale, intima, fuori dagli schemi. Per chi vuole esplorare un lato del dolore spesso trascurato oppure rivivere qualcosa attraverso dettagli.
Sto venendo comunque a cercarti, ma ricordi?
Ecco, uh, sì� ma è bello sentirtelo dire� voglio dire, ci dispiace molto per te, naturalmente, ma è bello sentire che lo accetti.»
«Accetto il fatto, non l’assurdità che ne deriva.»
«Mi sembra che i tuoi capelli stiano diventando più scuri.»
Quanto siamo inconsapevoli di ciò che accade? O forse non siamo disposti ad accettarlo.
February 25, 2016
Spoiler-free review
My impressions.
Pros:
-Nice linework, textures, colour scheme and panels to suit the mood.
-Easy to read speech and panel transitions.
-Clear focus (albeit, not direction).
-Punch-in-the-gut morose imagery.
Cons:
-Too melodramatic and directionless.
-Plot feels claustrophic and much too abstract/cryptic/confusing for some readers.
I'm a bit unsettled about this. This is an odd disappointment, as I tend to very much enjoy work that plays with this level of 'severity'... I feel like I have watched a film which does not clearly suggest whether the events occurred within reality or a dream. What I mean to say is that I don't think the emotions or events in this work would play out in the same way in reality, given the same events. And that would be fine, except that I think it proposed to be realistic at some points, and that felt dishonest. The intensity, yes... maybe, the context and timescale too, but something about the mood of this tops it over into a realistic nightmare rather than a nightmarish reality. It was too unstable for me to not have an emotional distance from it. The theme just looms around every panel, but there seems to be no strong distance with it.
I am also confused by the reviews of most readers to this. I think everyone can hands-down agree that this is poignant. But is it a tearjerker? When I reread the cryptic introduction after finishing this, I felt physically sick rather than tearful. I think that this is tearful depending more on how readers relate to the given events to people they know in their real lives rather than the exact manner and people involved in these pages. Or otherwise, it draws the line between whether one feels sympathy/pity or anger/disgust for individuals who refuse to help themselves.
Also, I'd equate this with Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan only in that they contain some sad adult scenes. But both the aesthetic and goal of this seem pitched in completely different directions and levels. Ware's work works more on the monotony and purposelessness in everyday life events in social settings; this works more on the pessimistic idealistic struggle for fate/love/happiness during or following 'severe life-changing' events. This is much closer to the wreckage, and though the neurosis has its aesthetic charm, I think it's ultimately too unstable to be fruitful.
My impressions.
Pros:
-Nice linework, textures, colour scheme and panels to suit the mood.
-Easy to read speech and panel transitions.
-Clear focus (albeit, not direction).
-Punch-in-the-gut morose imagery.
Cons:
-Too melodramatic and directionless.
-Plot feels claustrophic and much too abstract/cryptic/confusing for some readers.
I'm a bit unsettled about this. This is an odd disappointment, as I tend to very much enjoy work that plays with this level of 'severity'... I feel like I have watched a film which does not clearly suggest whether the events occurred within reality or a dream. What I mean to say is that I don't think the emotions or events in this work would play out in the same way in reality, given the same events. And that would be fine, except that I think it proposed to be realistic at some points, and that felt dishonest. The intensity, yes... maybe, the context and timescale too, but something about the mood of this tops it over into a realistic nightmare rather than a nightmarish reality. It was too unstable for me to not have an emotional distance from it. The theme just looms around every panel, but there seems to be no strong distance with it.
I am also confused by the reviews of most readers to this. I think everyone can hands-down agree that this is poignant. But is it a tearjerker? When I reread the cryptic introduction after finishing this, I felt physically sick rather than tearful. I think that this is tearful depending more on how readers relate to the given events to people they know in their real lives rather than the exact manner and people involved in these pages. Or otherwise, it draws the line between whether one feels sympathy/pity or anger/disgust for individuals who refuse to help themselves.
Also, I'd equate this with Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan only in that they contain some sad adult scenes. But both the aesthetic and goal of this seem pitched in completely different directions and levels. Ware's work works more on the monotony and purposelessness in everyday life events in social settings; this works more on the pessimistic idealistic struggle for fate/love/happiness during or following 'severe life-changing' events. This is much closer to the wreckage, and though the neurosis has its aesthetic charm, I think it's ultimately too unstable to be fruitful.
June 3, 2008
Paul Hornschemeier writes a heart-breaking book. There's no getting around that. Nor, after reading "Mother, Come Home" is there really any desire to.
Death is one of life's inescapable parts, and this books deals with it on many different levels. I'm pretty sure this is autobiographical, seeing as that Paul's uncle (referenced and drawn at several points throughout the book) draws the introduction. It grants its reader a squirmingly intimate look at grief and loss through the eyes of a small boy.
Paul's mother has recently died, and in the wake of this tragedy, he embraces fantasy and escapism as a means of coping. His father, whom he lives with, is profoundly wounded by the loss himself, meaning that during his gradual mental breakdown and withdrawal from the world, he is little to no help to young Paul.
Instead, routine shows itself as what it truly is: both something that can save and something that can deny. In trying to keep the daily routines alive in his home as his father collapses in upon himself (eventually being hospitalized), the boy is broken himself, finally realizing he is unable to maintain a falsehood: his mother is not alive, and he and his father are not "okay".
Further sadness and tragedy occur, but the moments of sweetness, although they are few, are breathtaking.
My wife asked me why I would choose to read something so sad, particularly as I deal with it throughout my days as a therapist. My answer doesn't entirely make sense even to me, but I hold to it:
"There are things that need to be experienced, statements that need to be heard, and books that need to be read. They may be dark, or sad, or heartbreaking, but they deserve to be felt."
Death is one of life's inescapable parts, and this books deals with it on many different levels. I'm pretty sure this is autobiographical, seeing as that Paul's uncle (referenced and drawn at several points throughout the book) draws the introduction. It grants its reader a squirmingly intimate look at grief and loss through the eyes of a small boy.
Paul's mother has recently died, and in the wake of this tragedy, he embraces fantasy and escapism as a means of coping. His father, whom he lives with, is profoundly wounded by the loss himself, meaning that during his gradual mental breakdown and withdrawal from the world, he is little to no help to young Paul.
Instead, routine shows itself as what it truly is: both something that can save and something that can deny. In trying to keep the daily routines alive in his home as his father collapses in upon himself (eventually being hospitalized), the boy is broken himself, finally realizing he is unable to maintain a falsehood: his mother is not alive, and he and his father are not "okay".
Further sadness and tragedy occur, but the moments of sweetness, although they are few, are breathtaking.
My wife asked me why I would choose to read something so sad, particularly as I deal with it throughout my days as a therapist. My answer doesn't entirely make sense even to me, but I hold to it:
"There are things that need to be experienced, statements that need to be heard, and books that need to be read. They may be dark, or sad, or heartbreaking, but they deserve to be felt."
September 20, 2011
"Mother, Come Home" is Paul Hornschemeier's first graphic novel. I've read two of his previous books "Let Us.." and "Paradoxes" which were interesting and enjoyable with shades of Clowes and Ware. It follows the breakdown of the family once the mother dies leaving the father and son shattered. The father seems hardest hit - he is unable to function properly and the 7 year old boy soon assumes the day to day running of the household and acts as secretary to his father. Soon it's found out that the father has had a complete breakdown and he's taken away to be treated while the boy is taken in by his uncle and aunt.
The story is unremittingly tragic as we initially see the boy standing before his mother's grave wearing the last two gifts she gave him - a red cape and a lion's mask, two items he wears constantly. From then on we see the boy having to grow up and see too much for a child, made all the more difficult as he wears the lion's mask. He tries to keep what little there is left of his childhood only to have to put it aside to help his father. The ending contains a devastating revelation and an even sadder ending.
It's basically one very long and difficult cry of sadness throughout. It's hard to read but equally hard to put down. The vivid colours of everyday scenes and imaginative methods of storytelling contrast bleak, dulled colours of unbridled misery. It's straightforward and a very depressing read.
The story is unremittingly tragic as we initially see the boy standing before his mother's grave wearing the last two gifts she gave him - a red cape and a lion's mask, two items he wears constantly. From then on we see the boy having to grow up and see too much for a child, made all the more difficult as he wears the lion's mask. He tries to keep what little there is left of his childhood only to have to put it aside to help his father. The ending contains a devastating revelation and an even sadder ending.
It's basically one very long and difficult cry of sadness throughout. It's hard to read but equally hard to put down. The vivid colours of everyday scenes and imaginative methods of storytelling contrast bleak, dulled colours of unbridled misery. It's straightforward and a very depressing read.
October 15, 2012
Maybe because I went into this read thinking, "Brace yourself, you're going to cry" that I never got to the point where I needed to. Yes, it's beautifully written book and a few times I choked up. There's the time where there's a shot of everyone sleeping in their separate beds at night. Another time when Thomas talks about the feel of his father's cordoroy jacket.
The kid was great, walking around in his lion mask. It reminded me of the kid in that movie A Perfect World. I loved that kid too.
The kid was great, walking around in his lion mask. It reminded me of the kid in that movie A Perfect World. I loved that kid too.
April 19, 2012
I read someone's review that said not to read this book if you've lost someone or feel culpable in someone's death. To which I cry bullshit. As far as I'm concerned, this book belongs on that hallowed list of comics that are required reading for the entire human race.
December 21, 2017
Melancholic!
A poignant story of the loss of a family's mother - how father & son strive to accept the fact through various levels of escapism & fantasy. Paul's drawings provide a beautiful narrative of this fateful sad tale.
A poignant story of the loss of a family's mother - how father & son strive to accept the fact through various levels of escapism & fantasy. Paul's drawings provide a beautiful narrative of this fateful sad tale.
January 4, 2018
Retrato de un abismo desde la óptica infantil. Sútil. MortÃfero.
Con un dibujo y un color muy acertados.
Con un dibujo y un color muy acertados.
February 4, 2008
Excellent. And completely depressing. After reading, I sat silently for fifteen minutes contemplating the impossibility of happiness. And then promptly watched “Animal Crackers,� as a rebuttal.
July 23, 2022
This is probably the most heart-wrenching, gut-punching, tear-jerking comic I've read. It's all about loss and grief � about bereavement causing people to retreat from reality and into themselves � and as if that weren't upsetting enough, it's told from the perspective of a child. The whole thing is executed with subtlety, nuance and raw honesty that make it feel completely real � never cloying, sentimental or emotionally manipulative. Hornschemeier's artwork is gorgeous, but more importantly his impeccable cartooning transports the reader right into his characters' inner worlds.
My review is sorely failing to do this comic justice. I suppose I'm struggling to find adequate words because my reaction to it is almost completely emotional. I don't have much analysis or reflection to offer, other than to say that it's pretty much flawless. It's a slight work � it could easily be read in a single sitting � but it's powerful, affecting, brutal. I can’t believe Hornschemeier isn’t better known and more talked about.
My review is sorely failing to do this comic justice. I suppose I'm struggling to find adequate words because my reaction to it is almost completely emotional. I don't have much analysis or reflection to offer, other than to say that it's pretty much flawless. It's a slight work � it could easily be read in a single sitting � but it's powerful, affecting, brutal. I can’t believe Hornschemeier isn’t better known and more talked about.
March 10, 2019
The artwork was great, it captured the mood perfectly. I liked how the drawing style slightly changed in Thomas' reality vs. imaginations. I loved the part where he was imagining his aunt and uncle as a duck and a cat, I believe. I'd love to see that scene made into an animation, with like clay figures.
The ending was complete whiplash, I can't completely comprehend what happened with Thomas and his dad on the cliff. The abruptness was actually a good shift from the flatness before it.
The ending was complete whiplash, I can't completely comprehend what happened with Thomas and his dad on the cliff. The abruptness was actually a good shift from the flatness before it.
January 17, 2023
More people should know about Paul Hornschemeier because this book was simply incredible. It's gut-wrenchingly sad and delivers such a beautiful, poignant tale about loss and moving on. I was a big fan of Hornschemeier's uncluttered artwork, though at times it did feel a bit too muted for me. But a definite recommendation from me, though this does come with the caveat that this is a heavy read and not everyone might be in the right space to engage with this type of story.
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