Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast
This is a stunningly, sometimes painfully, honest graphic novel about what it
means to be the child of aging parents.
Sounds fun, huh?
Chast recounts her own trials and tribulations (of which
there are many) of being the only child of two stubborn, senile, and generally
falling apart parents. That’s not
entirely true. Her father was
senile. Her mother was falling
apart. Her mother was the stubborn one
and her father was stubbornly supportive of her mother. The storytelling is vivid and real; the
illustrations add both humor and depth; and the overall sentiment is of both
love and frustration.
If you’re looking for a light and fun graphic novel, pass
this by. But, for anyone in this
situation or soon to be in this situation, it’s helpful reading. Chast writes of the things most of us don’t
want to think about, let alone reflect on after the fact. You might even learn a thing or two. It is a heartbreaking love letter.
Reviewed by Ashley