Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to read this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Amazon.

Melancholy but beautiful tale. Artwork is gorgeous and accompanies the story well. Will definitely recommend to colleagues and students when we study or plan to teach graphic novels

So, I took a dip into Catherine Meurisse's "The Young Woman and the Sea," expecting a captivating journey between the pages. Spoiler alert: I didn't quite ride the anticipated wave of enthusiasm.

The graphic novel, inspired by Meurisse's 2018 sojourn in Japan, promised a fusion of Western and Far Eastern allure. I envisioned an artistic escapade with dialogues that would unlock the mysteries of this cultural confluence. What I got, however, left me treading water in a sea of underwhelm.

Meurisse's approach, akin to Lewis Carroll, invites characters from legend to guide her artistic exploration. While the landscapes are beautifully illustrated, the narrative felt more like a meandering stroll than a purposeful quest. The young explorer, perhaps lost in the beauty of this unknown land, daydreams and wonders, occasionally grappling with the pull of reality and nature.

The blend of imagination and dialogue, touted as keys to unraveling the secrets, felt more like a scenic detour than a revelation. The seasons unfold, landscapes evolve, but the connection between the artist's progress and the depicted beauty seemed elusive, like a ship passing in the night.

Despite the promise of a splendid visual journey, "The Young Woman and the Sea" left me feeling adrift, missing the anchor that could have tethered me to the heart of the narrative. It's not a total shipwreck, but it didn't quite sail smoothly into the harbor of my expectations.

*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*

I'll start by saying the illustrations are stunning, but the text was hard to read due to the front style and it felt clunky and rushed. There was also a difficult read due to the "dumb westerner" stereotype and it was hard to figure out the timeline.

The illustrations were gorgeous but I could not simply get through the text.

The main character felt cartoonish, the Japanese too elevated with their wise sayings and haikus (they are also 'normal' people you know), and the observations were sometimes cringeworthy and felt extremely Western.

Had to DNF this. If only the story and text were half as stunning as the illustrations.

With thanks to netgalley and the author

Sadly I couldn't download this book

So can't really give a review

Anyone could make a run-of-the-mill travel diary. Hell, I sometimes post stuff like that on my blog and it’s nothing too crazy compared to what some folks can do. It takes a special sort of artist to take their memories of travelling and apply it to a whimsical narrative incorporating local folklore and culture as an artistic model. That is the whole idea behind The Young Woman and the Sea, a new graphic novel from Europe Comics by Catherine Meurisse. This book not only shows off the many places she visited when she travelled to Japan, she does it in such a light-hearted and fun way that you can’t help but smile when reading it. The book is a mix of her typical cartoon style, and lush, very artistic, landscapes and other near paintings that make this book really pop.

The humor in this book is great. Anything that makes a reference to a Tanuki having “enormous balls” as in the Studio Ghibli film Pom Poko it immediately going to be something I enjoy, and goes to show the humor in the book is a great mix of self-deprecation and witty asides. I wouldn’t expect anything less from someone that has made their living doing humorous satirical cartoons for their entire career. Speaking of the author’s career…It’s hard to talk about this without addressing the author, Catherine Meurisse being a survivor of the infamous Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack, and honestly I’m amazed that she can be just as witty and light-hearted as one can be with a book like this.

I enjoyed this book, and especially loved the colorful, vibrant artwork inside. It’s a unique look at a person’s travels to an exotic place, and shows that not all travel diaries are cut from the same cloth. I’ve heard the author has more autobiographical books like tis out there, and I will definitely have to track them down. Europe Comics continues its trend of releasing great books of just about every genre out there, for just about everyone.

I received an eARC copy from Europe Comics via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Exploring rural Japan with the illustrator, we embark on a magical journey through Japanese folktales, legends, cultural differences, and Haiku poetry. These various landscapes, complemented by gorgeous, sublime illustrations, demand from us respect and appreciation of nature and its elements, Earth, Water, Air, and Fire, reminding us at the same time to be in peace and harmony with our surroundings. With an incredible talent for saying a lot using a few words, Meurisse manages to present us with her lyrical travelogue of mysteries she unravelled in the ever-fascinating land of Japan.

I wouldn’t want to box this book into restrictive genre classifications, but through her sublime illustrations, the artists has taken us on a journey of the parts of Japan she visited. This is done through characters based on japanese legends and folklore, adding just enough whimsy to elevate this from a travel diary. I’ve always been a fan of nature poetry, and this novel is poetry in pictures, about the beauty if the landscape the artist had visited.
There are a few moments of humor that add to the light and relaxed feeling that you would associate with a visit to an island country, and her comments on cultural and linguistic differences makes the experience of reading the book more than just aesthetically enjoyable.
I am just dipping my toes into graphic novels and 5is one makes me eager to discover more! Thank you to Netgalley for giving me this opportunity!

Gorgeous! The artwork in this was simply gorgeous—but it was also haunting. The graphic novel takes you on a very interesting journey in which you are transport through various landscapes in nature. It tries to discuss the difference between Western vs Japanese art, along with what it actually means to be an artist. Although this was a bit rushed at times I did thoroughly enjoy it!

Beautifully illustrated landscape drawings of Japan following a woman as she finds peace in discovering herself through her work in a new land, where she meets a tanuki. He is a talking and playful racoon, who gifts her with a paintbrush made from his fur.
The beautiful landscape and flowers shown really draw you in, also the fact that life is Japan is dictated by the weather. I found it a bit difficult to read some of the text, due to the font style they used, which occasionally made the story hard to follow.

"Men always like to see themselves as champions, whether of creation or of destruction. Now and again, nature reminds them she got here first and she knows what's what." (pg. 103)


I highly recommend this title to anyone who loves art, Japan and their culture, or is looking to find their own balance in life.

3.5*

I first read Meurisse's work with Lightness, about her trauma after the massacra at Charlie Hebdo in January 2015. The novel was a bit unusual, deeply sad, and yet incredibly moving. It left me wanting more from her, but I knew I needed a break, her work left too big of a scar in me. Finally, when The Young Woman and the See came out, I felt ready again.

Even though this novel is only inspired by her stays in Japan, and therefore fiction, it has many similarities with her previous work. There isn't much of a story, at least not in the traditional sense; it's more of a dialogue of the author with herself (or with her companions in this story, a tanuki, a Japanese artist and an ethereal, suprahuman woman.) It feels like we just get a glimpse of a brief moment in time, in history, where the author ponders on the relationship between humans and societies with the nature around them; the sea, what it takes from us and what it gives us; art, and how artists across countries and cultures are inspired by the same things in different ways, to make art that is linked and at the same time is different. All of it never losing her sense of humour.

Although the story is interesting and meaningful, it is her art that really takes this work to a higher level. Just as the themes seem slightly inspired by Japanese literature and their use of magical realism, the art seems slightly inspired by Japanese art; ukiyo-e and woodblock printing, to be more precise. The mountains, hills, volcanoes, trees, rivers and sea are a delight, a treat for the eyes. The pages filled with only with watercolours of the landscape, with no text, are as expressive as the discussions on haikus or drowned women. I couldn't take my eyes off of the pages.

Meurisse has an incredible talent for saying a lot in few pages, and telling deeply important stories mixed with her characteristic sense of humour. The abstract themes she chooses, the poetic way she presents them to the public, and her soothing artwork are a perfect combination that allows her to create works that don't have many rivals presently.

I was quite enticed by the illustrations which I found gorgeous and wondrous, but alas the text was a great disappointment. The narrative felt rushed and at times muddled. I also felt great reservations when it comes to the unavoidable western gaze which made this a very tedious read. To sum it up, this did not make for a pleasant read.

Beautifully illustrated landscape drawings of Japan following a woman as she finds peace in discovering herself through her work in a new land. The graphic novel follows an artist as she visits Japan to “find her way” and get inspiration for creating. Along the way she meets a tanuki, who is a talking and playful racoon. He gifts her with a paintbrush made from his fur. She also meets another artist who predominantly works with haiku.

The landscapes provide a serene and whimsical emotion as I read through the story. It’s a peaceful read, and I kind of favored the side stories in which the artist discovers through her journey. Thanks to #NetGalley & Europe Comics for providing a digital copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Absolutely stunning book.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

A graphic memoir, picturing Meurisse's stay in Japan in 2018. It has interesting parts, but it feels like it falls a bit too much in the 'stupid westerner' stereotype, which means we also get the 'wise eastener' stereotype.

The art is beautiful, especially the depictions of Japan's nature, and I kind of like Meurisse herself looking like a Claire Bretecher character inside of that painterly landscape.

Like the author, I too get lost constantly in Japan and am also in awe of its nature. Not just the beautiful landscape and flowers but how life is dictated by the weather. That can be the searing heat and humidity of summer, typhoons, rainy season or earthquake tremors that arrive out of the blue.

Throw in haiku, a tanuki, myths, onsen, some romanticism and tea and this story really captures Japan. There were so many little details that made me smile like the group of three painters with their easels. A common sight!

What beautiful illustrations! I would love to have these hanging on my walls.

I had thought I’d missed the chance to read this one but it reappeared on my NetGalley‘bookshelf’ (or I am getting scatty?!) and I am so glad, thank you. In fact, I’m going to read it again before it expires!

The style was very different from what i expected, but after getting used to it is was really nice! I really liked that every chapter there was this big impressive artwork. Honestly they were my favorite of the book 😊

THE YOUNG WOMAN AND THE SEA
GENRE: GRAPHIC NOVEL, FICTION, FOLKLORE
This story is a by-product of the authoress’ memories about her stay in Japan. Her stay at a villa Kujomaya in a far off strange yet familiar land of Japan in 2018 gave her a boost to go on this creative quest. In this story the west blends with the far East.
The story starts with an illustrator who is traveling through rural Japan to paint the perfect nature. Along the way she meets Tanuki, a talkative and mischievous racoon and a painter who prefers to work on haiku until he comes across the perfect picture to paint. The story is a blend of poetry, nature, folk tales of love triangles, natural disaster and most importantly their relationship with the sea. Catherine Meurisse also brings forth a most important topic about the present situation of the disappearance of the beautiful Japanese countryside only to be replaced by large concrete walls built in order to protect its people from the furies of tsunamis.
The book has some gorgeous illustrations which would make you long earnestly to visit Japan at least once. The authoress’s vivid imagination and dialogue along with the beautiful illustrations are the key to unravel the mysteries of this land and understand why the young explorer is so fascinated by the strange yet fascinating land of Japan.
Ratings: 3.5/5

*ARC REVIEW*

This is the story of a French woman who goes to Japan to paint nature and the people/creatures she meets during her stay.

The art in this book is interesting in that it pairs detailed and beautiful landscapes with simplistic character designs. While this could be tied to the theme of the prominence of nature in our lives, it also reflects the lack of depth I felt these characters had. Because the story tries to hit so many points, there is little space for the reader to really dig in upon first read. I often skimmed over dialogue because I either wasn’t interested or didn’t understand what I was supposed to be learning. My genera opinion is that the storyline feels rushed.

I often found myself annoyed with the main character’s actions regarding Japanese culture & how often she tried to impose European aesthetics on the Japanese painter’s work. I also had a hard time grasping the timeline — did this take course over a few days or a few weeks? The character growth felt unclear with respect to time.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for providing access to this work in exchange for an honest review.