An Age of License

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Overview

Lucy Knisley’s latest food-themed graphic memoir recounts her adventures (some romantic) on a European book tour.
Acclaimed cartoonist Lucy Knisley (French Milk, Relish) got an opportunity that most only dream of: a travel-expenses-paid trip to Europe/Scandinavia, thanks to a book tour. An Age of License is Knisley’s comics travel memoir recounting her charming (and romantic!) adventures. It’s punctuated by whimsical visual devices (such as a “new experiences” funnel); peppered ...

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Overview

Lucy Knisley’s latest food-themed graphic memoir recounts her adventures (some romantic) on a European book tour.
Acclaimed cartoonist Lucy Knisley (French Milk, Relish) got an opportunity that most only dream of: a travel-expenses-paid trip to Europe/Scandinavia, thanks to a book tour. An Age of License is Knisley’s comics travel memoir recounting her charming (and romantic!) adventures. It’s punctuated by whimsical visual devices (such as a “new experiences” funnel); peppered with the cute cats she meets along the way; and, of course, features her hallmark—drawings and descriptions of food that will make your mouth water. But it’s not all kittens and raclette crepes: Knisley’s experiences are colored by anxieties, introspective self-inquiries, and quotidian revelations—about traveling alone in unfamiliar countries, and about her life and career—that many young adults will relate to. An Age of License—which takes its name from a French saying—is an Eat, Pray, Love for the alternative comics fan.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
★ 07/28/2014
Knisley (French Milk, Relish) continues to own the travelogue/graphic novel genre by bringing her characteristic humor and heart to this memoir of a summer in Europe. Created during a journey from a comics convention in Norway to the vineyards of Burgundy and a lover’s loft in Montmartre, the in-process method of writing and drawing her adventures as they happen gives a vibrant immediacy to situations and sensations. Belying her relatively simple but charming cartooning style, Knisley pages are a cornucopia of information and detail: oversized seagulls, bilingual schoolchildren, and lying sat-navs populate her travels. Her observations are frequently laugh-out-loud funny (for instance, on her new Swedish boyfriend: “They should sell these at Ikea!”). It’s easy to excuse a temporary lapse in keeping up her illustrated journal when she falls in love—a sequence evocatively drawn with much emotional impact. Knisley’s already established passion for foreign foods is highlighted: Norwegian pastries, mustard in a tube, the French milk of her previous memoir, and that punch line to so many Scandinavian jokes, lutefisk. The title comes from the French l’age licence—the freedom to explore, experiment, and feel joy, all feelings beautifully captured here. (Sept.)
Rob Clough - High-Low
“The mix of color and crisp black & white in An Age of License makes this the first book of [Knisley's] that truly showcases her abilities as a draftsman and a cartoonist.”
Candice Mack - Booklist
“In her classic travelogue style and interspersed with lovely, contemplative watercolor sketches, [Knisley] offers glimpses of her journey-feeling...as she observes her life from the distance of travel, and her simple lines, lively illustrations, and patchwork of moments she chooses to include artfully capture her introspective mood. Fans of Knisley's earlier works, particularly older teens or young adults, will appreciate this honest, charming, and gently paced travel journal.”
Marie Anello - (The) Absolute
“[Knisley's] art, as always, has a melancholy whimsy, combining childlike joy with the all-too familiar doubts and fears that are born of burgeoning adulthood. ...An Age of License carries all the weight and emotion of a diary entry, but with the added benefit of charming visuals that only enhance the beauty and apprehension that accompany Lucy throughout her journey.”
Johanna Draper Carlson - Comics Worth Reading
“Like the best travelogues, An Age of License shows you what it would be like to visit a place while reminding you that you can never have the same experience. If you liked her last book, Relish: My Life in the Kitchen, you should definitely check this out… This book is more thought-provoking than her other works, demonstrating growth and a challenge to readers to think about these things in their own lives.”
Richard Pachter - Miami Herald
“Knisley is a good artist and entertaining storyteller, and her rather typical tale rises well above the mundane.”
Library Journal
★ 09/15/2014
A trip to a Norwegian comics festival takes twentysomething Knisley (French Milk; the acclaimed Relish) out of her comfort zone and yet further into herself. While Relish tells of experiences well digested intellectually and artistically, this literaryish travelog captures in charming, spontaneous black-and-white outline the unscripted flood of experiences and images that traveling yields. Additionally, over 50 detailed colored drawings appear throughout, suggesting gaily hued photos inserted into letters sent home. Knisley's account juxtaposes her professional comics activities at the festival with her sightseeing escapades across Europe with friends and family, her enjoyment of local food, and a romantic adventure. Indeed, some of her loveliest "snapshots" are of the beguiling, intellectual Swede Henrik, whose different opinions lead her to conjecture regarding her own life and future. VERDICT Knisley makes memoir comics seem both sophisticated and approachable—and beyond these, useful in helping an individual delve into and communicate personal issues. Her journey, external and internal, will resonate with older teens and twentysomethings.—M.C
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781606997680
  • Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
  • Publication date: 9/22/2014
  • Pages: 208
  • Sales rank: 236808
  • Product dimensions: 5.50 (w) x 7.40 (h) x 0.60 (d)

Meet the Author

Lucy Knisley is a cartoonist and occasional puppeteer, ukulele player, and food/travel writer living in Chicago, IL. She is a graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and
Center for Cartoon Studies.

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