The Freddy Stories: with the Great Marlys and Sister Maybonne.

Clearly I've been saving all of my postings until I had time to write them! But I did read The Freddie Stories in two parts, and finished it just recently.


What can I say? Lynda Barry rocks! I may have said that before on this blog, and I will probably say it again. I fell in love with her characters Maybonne and Marlys and their childhood stories that are at times traumatic, and at times very light and fun just as childhood can be. Barry's stories read like a memoir, drawing you into the inner world of her characters that no one else gets to see. The stories are funny, sad, and very moving, and The Freddie Stories are no different.

Freddy is witness to some pretty horrifying events, and Barry recounts the events through Freddy's point of view. His sister Marlys' sums up the book very well on the back cover.

Um this is the story of the weirdest year of my brother Freddie's life.

She goes on to describe some of the "weird" events, and then sums up:

So, um, if a very realistic story about an unusual boy could make you nervous, you should probably not read this. But if you don't mind unusual children, I think you will like my brother, who to me, is the best brother of all time!

I guess I don't mind unusual children. These kids don't really seem so unusual, they are just witness to unusual events for kids to be exposed to. Barry's characters are so well drawn (so to speak), it is evident that there is a universal experience of childhood that makes her stories accessible to all.



Visually, in traditional Barry fashion, the page is full of doodles and extra information to round out the entire Freddy experience. 

If you've never read her, I highly recommend any of Marlys, Maybonne, or Freddy books.



You can see a sample of her work here from the Drawn & Quarterly website, a fantastic bookstore in Montreal. If you're ever there try and visit (just a little plug for them). In a world of Chapters and Borders, it's what I wish more bookstores were like.