Writer/Artist: Chester Brown

First Published: 1991-1993 (serialized in YUMMY FUR #26-30), 1994 (collected edition)

Format: Trade Paperback

Drawn & Quarterly

ÉÓÔÏÑÉÁ: Ï íåáñüò Chester ðåñíÜåé ìéá äýóêïëç åöçâåßá: Ç ðñïâëçìáôéêÞ ó÷Ýóç ìå ôçí áõóôçñÞ êáé áõôáñ÷éêÞ ìçôÝñá ôïõ, ç êáêïðïßçóç áðü ôïõò óõììáèçôÝò ôïõ ðïõ ôïí èåùñïýí geek êáé ôïí êïñïúäåýïõí áêüìç êáé ãéá ôï üôé äåí âñßæåé, ôá ðñþôá åñùôéêÜ óêéñôÞìáôá ðïõ Ýñ÷ïíôáé íá ìðåñäÝøïõí áêüìç ðåñéóóüôåñï ôçí Þäç ðïëýðëïêç æùÞ ôïõ. Áêüìç êáé ôï ðéï áðëü êáé áèþï Üããéãìá áðü ìéá êïðÝëá ðïõ óïõ "ìéëÜåé" åñùôéêÜ, åßíáé áñêåôü ãéá íá óå âÜëëåé óå äéáäéêáóßá ðïëëáðëþí óêÝøåùí.

¸íá ÷Üäé, Ýíá öéëß, Ýíá íåýìá ðïõ ìðïñåß íá óçìáßíåé -ôáõôü÷ñïíá- ðïëëÜ êáé ôßðïôá, óõ÷íÜ ëåéôïõñãïýí ùò óõíáéóèçìáôéêïß ïäïóôñùôÞñåò ãéá ôïí åýèñáõóôï øõ÷éóìü åíüò åõáßóèçôïõ Ýöçâïõ. Ãéá êÜðïéï ëüãï, óõ÷íÜ åñùôåýåóáé êïðÝëåò ðïõ Ý÷ïõí êÜôé áðü ôïí áõôáñ÷éóìü ôçò ìçôÝñáò óïõ. ÐáñÜëëçëá, üìùò, ôï "I love you" èá ôï ðåéò ìüíï óå áõôÝò ðïõ îÝñåéò ðùò åßíáé åîßóïõ êáëÝò ìå óÝíá êáé ðéèáíüôçôá äåí èá ãåëÜóïõí óôá ìïýôñá óïõ. Security blanket...

Ôï éóïðåäùôéêü åñþôçìá "õðÜñ÷åé ðñáãìáôéêÞ öéëßá ìåôáîý áãïñéþí êáé êïñéôóéþí;" åßíáé áðëÜ ôï êåñáóÜêé óôç ãëõêüðéêñç ôïýñôá ìéáò ôáëáéðùñçìÝíçò åöçâåßáò. Ç ôñáãéêüôçôá êïñõöþíåôáé üôáí áêïýò ôç öñé÷ôÞ öñÜóç "I never liked you" áðü ôç ìïíáäéêÞ êïðÝëá ðïõ -åíäÝ÷åôáé íá- õðÞñîå ðñáãìáôéêÜ åñùôåõìÝíç ìáæß óïõ. Say "fuck", Chester...

ÔÉ ÌÁÓ ÁÑÅÓÅ: Óå Ýíá graphic novel äéÜ÷õôï áðü óõíáßóèçìá êáé ðñïóùðéêÝò åìðåéñßåò, åßíáé åêðëçêôéêü ôï ðùò ï Brown äåí ðáñáìåëåß óå êáíÝíá óçìåßï, ôï "ôå÷íéêü" êïììÜôé ôçò äçìéïõñãßáò ôïõ comic. Ôï I NEVER LIKED YOU ìïéÜæåé, áðü ðëåõñÜò storytelling, ìå Ýíá ôÝëåéï ðïßçìá, óôï ïðïßï ï êÜèå óôß÷ïò åßíáé ôüóï ðñïóåêôéêÜ ãñáììÝíïò êáé äïìçìÝíïò, ç êÜèå ïìïéïêáôáëçîßá "÷ôõðÜåé" óôï ìõáëü ôïõ áíáãíþóôç ùò êÜôé ðïõ Ýðñåðå íá åßíáé ðñïöáíÝò, áëëÜ êáíåßò ùò ôüôå äåí ôï åß÷å óêåöôåß êáé ðïõ ç ôåëåõôáßá ëÝîç Ýñ÷åôáé ùò éäáíéêüò åðßëïãïò êáé êÜíåé ôçí üëç åìðåéñßá áíáôñé÷éáóôéêÜ åõ÷Üñéóôç. Ïé áëëáãÝò óôï panelling ðïõ Ý÷åé êÜíåé ï Brown ãéá ôï collected edition óå ó÷Ýóç ìå ôçí original serialized Ýêäïóç äåí åßíáé -üðùò èá öïâüôáí êáíåßò- âåâéáóìÝíåò Þ åðéöáíåéáêÝò, áëëÜ ëåéôïõñãïýí êáôáëõôéêÜ óôçí ïëïêëÞñùóç ôïõ Ýñãïõ. Áîßæåé íá óçìåéùèåß ðùò óôéò åðüìåíåò åêäüóåéò ôïõ trade paperback, o Brown Ý÷åé "ðåéñÜîåé" ëßãï áêüìç ôï comic ôïõ (êÜôé ðïõ Ý÷åé êÜíåé êáé óôá õðüëïéðá Ýñãá ôïõ êé ðïõ óõíçèßæïõí êáé ïé Üëëïé äçìéïõñãïß ôïõ stable ôçò Drawn & Quarterly), ðåñíþíôáò Ýôóé ôï ìÞíõìá óôïí áíáãíþóôç ðùò ãéá áõôüí ôï êÜèå graphic novel åßíáé Ýíáò "æùíôáíüò" ïñãáíéóìüò ðïõ åîåëßóóåôáé êáé ìåôáëëÜóóåôáé ìå ôï ðÝñáóìá ôïõ ÷ñüíïõ êáé ôçí ùñßìáíóç ôïõ êáëëéôÝ÷íç. Äåí åßìáé âÝâáéïò ðùò óõìöùíþ ìå áõôÞí ôçí Üðïøç (ãéá ôçí áêñßâåéá, åßìáé ó÷åäüí âÝâáéïò ðùò ÄÅÍ óõìöùíþ) áëëÜ óßãïõñá äßíåé ìéá äéáöïñåôéêÞ ïðôéêÞ êáé èåþñçóç ôùí ðñáãìÜôùí.

ÔÉ ÌÁÓ ÅÍÏ×ËÇÓÅ: ¼ðùò óå ðïëëÜ áõôïâéïãñáöéêÜ comics, õðÜñ÷ïõí óôéãìÝò ðïõ ï áíáãíþóôçò áéóèÜíåôáé ðùò ôá ãåãïíüôá ðïõ äéáäñáìáôßæïíôáé óôçí éóôïñßá äåí ìðïñïýí íá áöïñïýí êáíÝíáí ðÝñá áðü ôïí ßäéï ôï äçìéïõñãü êáé ðÝíôå-Ýîé ãíùóôïýò ôïõ. Áõôü âÝâáéá åßíáé Ýíá ðïëý ìéêñü "ôßìçìá" ðïõ ðñÝðåé íá ðëçñþóåé êáíåßò ãéá íá áðïëáýóåé Ýíá Üøïãï äåßãìá storytelling óáí áõôü ðïõ ðáñáèÝôåé ï Chester Brown.

ÓÕÍÏËÉÊÇ ÅÊÔÉÌÇÓÇ: Ãéá ðïëëïýò, ôï I NEVER LIKED YOU åßíáé ôï êïñõöáßï äåßãìá ìïíôÝñíïõ áõôïâéïãñáöéêïý comic. Áí êáé ï õðïãñÜöùí èåùñåß ðùò ôï IT'S A GOOD LIFE IF YOU DON'T WEAKEN õðåñéó÷ýåé óôá óçìåßá (ðñïóðåñíþíôáò ôï üôé, ôõðéêÜ, ôï graphic novel ôïõ Seth äåí åßíáé 100% autobio), åßíáé ãåãïíüò ðùò ôï ðüíçìá ôïõ Chester Brown Ý÷åé ðïëý ìåãáëýôåñåò äõíáôüôçôåò ãéá crossover appeal óôïí "Ýîù êüóìï" ëüãï ôçò ðïëý ðéï "ãíþñéìçò" êáé êáèçìåñéíÞò èåìáôïëïãßáò ôïõ. Óå êÜèå ðåñßðôùóç, áíáìöéóâÞôçôá Ýíá áðü ôá óçìáíôéêüôåñá graphic novels ôùí 90's êáé ðéèáíüôáôá ç êáëýôåñç óôéãìÞ áõôïý ôïõ óðïõäáßïõ äçìéïõñãïý.

ÐÁÑÁËËÇËÇ ÐÑÏÔÁÓÇ: Áðü ôïí Chester Brown, ôá THE PLAYBOY êáé ED THE HAPPY CLOWN êáèþò êáé ôï -áñêåôÜ äéáöïñåôéêü óå ýöïò, èåìáôïëïãßá êáé ôå÷íéêÞ- äõóôõ÷þò áíïëïêëÞñùôï, UNDERWATER. Óôï áõôïâéïãñáöéêü vein ôïõ I NEVER LIKED YOU, åðßóçò áðü ôçí Drawn & Quarterly, õðÜñ÷ïõí öõóéêÜ ôá IT'S A GOOD LIFE IF YOU DON'T WEAKEN ôïõ Seth êáé THE POOR BASTARD ôïõ Joe Matt.