As the thrill of bohemian romance leads inevitably to disappointment, Alison begins to find her own path - through art, friendship and love. This graphic novel chronicles the fictional life story of Alison Porter, whose talent as a painter blossoms in bohemian 1970s London. And I liked the way the story was told (mix of paragraphs, comics, letters, picture rows), that made it a really diverse an immersive reading experience. But the vehicle for her escape is a charismatic older man whose reputation as an artist and philanderer casts a shadow which will follow Alison for years as she pursues her painting career.

Alison by Lizzy Stewart review – a tale as old as the hills made new by Alison by Lizzy Stewart review – a tale as old as the hills made

Just a beautifully detailed graphic novel about relationships amid the late-1970s, early-1980s London art scene. Stewart (who, like her subject, moved from the south coast of England to London, though in her case via an art degree in Edinburgh) tells Alison’s story via an engaging mix of media. First of all: The pictures were stunning and really brought the atmosphere of the story to live and the prose were so delicately beautiful. This really had everything - if you think that cover is beautiful just wait until you open it up and see the amazing drawings etc inside.

I really enjoyed this imaginary reminiscence filled with relatable characters and slice of life moments.

Alison by Lizzy Stewart | Waterstones Alison by Lizzy Stewart | Waterstones

The expectation was for a woman to be a wife and a mother and Alison rejected that option to pursue her passion for art, finding herself in a world still dominated by male creativity and voices. A través de prosa, il·lustració i còmic, ens relata la vida d’una jove de vint anys al Londres dels anys 70, recent arribada d’un poble petit de Dorset. In the city, far from her family, Alison is still isolated, but she has new purpose now, first in the form of Patrick, with whom she’s infatuated, and later in the form of her own art.I currently have covid and am struggling to concentrate but this beautiful book managed to work its way beneath the covid fog and held my attention throughout. Lizzie Stewart is an incredible illustrator and I absolutely loved the distribution of writing, incorporation of notes and sketchbook pages in this piece. They left strange-shaped holes in my life, their outlines too specific to ever be filled by anyone else. It’s a heartening journey, a delicious portrait of 80s and 90s London and a more universal tale of a working-class young woman making a life in a world that has not been designed for the likes of her. It’s not an easy mix to get right, but Stewart makes this scrapbook approach feel like the most natural thing in the world.