Not necessarily a graphic novel enthusiast, I have to say, the illustrations and color schemes in this graphic novel are spectacular. Reading this fairytale like story about the Annas was made that much more delightful. The illustrations genuinely add to the enjoyment of the tale.

I enjoyed the childlike and adult themes intermingled in the struggles and discoveries of the “too tall” Annas. How they are loved by their families, how they try to assimilate into village life, and how they experience loneliness and try and persevere.

Anna by Mia Oberländer is a modern day fairytale in graphic novel form which was originally written in German and then translated into English by Nika Knight. Anna follows generations of Annas in the german country side who are extremely tall. while this modern day fairytale was intended to have empowering, feminist undertones, it ultimately fell flat for me.

the art style was weird, the font was weird, and the story itself was weird. I typically don’t mind weird things, but this really didn’t hit for me.
—1) Art Style. the comics looked like they had been drawn with crayons? and not in a good way? there were also hot pink boxes over some of the images and text, which was very out of place for the color scheme. I assume this was due to my copy being an advanced review copy, but given that this book comes out this month, I would think this would’ve been fixed by now.
—2) Font. the font was this odd cursive font that felt really out of place, and it wasn’t the easiest to read.
—3) Plot. the plot was just not cohesive. every once in a while there was some imagery that felt significant, but the overall tone and incoherence of the plot caused these images to fall flat. ultimately, I didn’t feel like the story had its intended effect.

notably, at the end of the graphic novel, Oberländer says that this comic was originally part of her bachelor’s thesis, which makes me wonder: 1) if I would’ve understood this graphic novel better alongside her dissertation, and 2) if this comic was meant to be read alongside a dissertation, and was never adjusted accordingly to be read as a standalone book.

nonetheless, I wouldn’t recommend this one.

{I received an advanced review copy from Fantagraphics Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review}

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for granting my wish to read this graphic novel for free!

Unfortunately I didn’t really understand it and felt the art was rather meh. I know it’s suppose to be sending a message on feminism but at the same time, I just felt it just wasn’t really for me unfortunately….

Anna has a problem; she’s too tall for her small (and small-minded) German town. She receives little sympathy or support from her mother (also named Anna), who despairs at her daughter’s abnormality. Anna tries to navigate life towering above everyone else, tackling motherhood, and embracing her differences.

Anna is a wonderfully charming and funny graphic novel. I absolutely adore Mia Oberlander’s bold and colorful art. I always appreciate clear text in graphic novels, and Oberlander’s lettering is outstanding.

There are some hilarious moments in Anna; I especially loved the “educational video” Anna’s mother shares with her, basically telling Anna to drastically lower her standards if she wants to find a romantic partner. Oberlander creates so much humor through the absurdity of Anna’s size. I genuinely chuckled throughout.

On a deeper level, this is an empowering book about aesthetic expectations placed on women, whether within their control or not. I would gladly share this book with my young daughter.

Anna is funny, absurd, and joyous. Highly recommended.

Leaving out the work that has to be done in the writing on some pages, this is a really interesting and stunning piece of art. oddly enough I never heard about it in german, but in this translation now. And I‘m glad I did. Especially the chapter with Anna2 climbing up the hill and screaming her lungs out, really hit my nerve.

Anna" by Mia Oberländer presents a whimsical yet thought-provoking allegory of female empowerment and societal nonconformity. While the graphic novel showcases delightful exaggeration and inventive storytelling, personally, the narrative and artistic style did not resonate with my tastes. However, for those intrigued by audacious storytelling and modern fairy tales, "Anna" may offer a unique and captivating read.

Anna is the most delightful kind of graphic novel: playful, original, striking, and gorgeously illustrated. Told in several, swiftly-moving parts, in non-chronological order, this is the story of three generations of unusually tall women (part of the book's charm is the way in which Oberlander has depicted their comically gangly legs). For anyone who has ever felt out of place (particularly those, like myself, who have often felt conscious of sticking out like a sore thumb - literally - due to their height!), there will be much to relate to here, and the art style is both skillful and pleasingly childlike.

As fun as they were, however, some of the more absurd elements (particularly the out-of-order structure, and the fact that the main characters share the same name) made the reading experience feel somewhat disjointed - at times, the story itself was quite difficult to follow, and thus it sadly failed to leave a strong impression on me.

Thank you to Fantagraphics Books and NetGalley for this free ebook ARC!

Anna by Mia Oberländer uses a unique art style and quirky characters to create an intriguing story. The “Annas”, three generations of women, each growing ridiculously taller than the last, live in a mountainside town where they’re harshly judged by their neighbours and each other. Oberländer explores the complex relationships between different generations of women who see the negative parts of themselves in their daughters and granddaughters and the intricacies of wanting to be a mother. Simultaneously funny and pitiful, the Annas portray a narrative of insecurity and belonging through art.

Anna is Tallllllllll. Like so tall.

I am so thankful to Fantagraphics Books, Netgalley, and Mia Oberländer for granting me advanced access to this gem before it hits shelves on March 26, 2024. I am all about graphic novels now and can't wait to get my hands on more.

Like I said, Anna is really tall and she has a hard time going about life. We get to learn about her mother, who is normal-sized, and her daughter Anna 3, who is gigantic and also struggles to live amongst the normal-sized people of her village. Throughout the explicitly beautiful pages of this book, you'll watch all three Anna's go through the trials of their lives with determination and rigor like no other, standing up tall and for themselves.

Fast paced telling of gender expectations placed on women over three generations. Anna 1 is well liked because she has a good blossom. Yet, her dog is too tall, so no likes her dog. Anna 2 will never belong because she is too tall. Anna 3 carves her own path. Unique line art and artistic exaggerations hit on the absurdity of what a woman is supposed to look like.

Anna is a graphic novel that follows the lives of three generations of women, each called Anna. Anna 1 had a very tall dog, and Annas 2 and 3 each were extremely tall themselves. The story explores the way that their community rejected them due to their height and tried to dictate the way they should present themselves in order to confirm to the norms of society.

The story was a little abstract, not really following a linear plot, but short chapters jumping back and forth between the different characters at different points in their lives. You do need to read between the lines a bit to appreciate the message.

The art style is beautiful and what led me to picking up this book. The illustrations are a little absurd and metaphorical, showing the characters with their legs so long and tangled that they can't move about properly.

Trigger warnings for animal cruelty and violence.

What a fantastic, interesting graphic novel! Anna is born tall in her little German town. Her appearance is odd to the point of absurdity, and Anna tries to fit into normal life, but is unable to fit into a regular car seat. Through multiple generations of Annas, we see how Anna manages normal life. Is this a fairytale? A fable? I'm not sure, but it's really cool.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

This is an amazing book. A story about being tall when others prefer a short woman, showing the downsides of toxic female beauty standards. It shows the life of Anna 1, Anna 2 and Anna 3. A complex mother daughter relationship between all three women.

Honestly, this book has a pretty weird premise, and maybe I just didn’t get it, but I didn’t feel like there was any point to this story.

This was an interesting surreal little book about three generations of Annas. I really enjoyed the stark yet evocative drawing style. It was unlike any I had seen before. I think it captured how people can be so bizarre when there is anything about you that makes you different.

I don't think this family needs any more pets!!

What stands out, for me, in this graphic novel, is the fresh, flat, bold style of illustration, unexpectedly humorous with the use of elongated legs which move and must bend in a world of short people. Its feminist premise is a bit too superficial - too much about being desirable for men, with a particularly weird TV scene. The relationship to animals is also fraught and somewhat uncritical.

My favorite chapter is the one depicting female rage on top of a mountain, beautifully painted with richer colors than the rest of the book. I also liked the fact that it dealt with three generations of women, but it seemed a bit underexplored and cut short.

Ps. there is no happy bacon, eggs or milk (as opposed to what is said in one of the book’s pages) - even if the animals roam in a field, their children are taken and killed young, and when they stop being productive the adults are killed to. Kinda sucks that this still needs to be said… especially in a book that considers itself feminist.

Thanks to NetGalley & Fantagraphics for the E-arc! Opinions all mine.

🏘️ BOOK REVIEW 🏘️

Synopsis: In the sleepy German countryside live the Annas, cursed to be too tall for their small town. Laughably long-limbed and gangly, their bodies refuse to conform with societal norms of delicate femininity, and the trauma of being different ripples across generations. And yet, there may be a blessing to their burden; like the mighty mountains surrounding their town, they find that there is resilience and strength to be gained from their heightened perspective. Drawn with delightful exaggeration and formal inventiveness, Anna is a tongue-in-cheek, modern-day fairy tale about being “too big” for a narrow-minded world.

Review: WOW! What a genuinely beautiful book and story. This graphic novel presented so many underlying themes that I would love to conduct a formal in-depth analysis of one day, but for now, the illustrations and the story at face value were enough to pull on my heart strings and read in one sitting at midnight because I couldn’t put it down.

My sincerest thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for granting this ✨wish✨ request.

4/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The book is gorgeous in its illustrations and the right amount of weird. It reminds me of conversations I’ve had with my tall friends and how cruel people can be for seemingly no reason. I will definitely be purchasing this for my folk art loving pals and will likely add it to my collection.

Although my name makes me biased, I adored ANNA. Absurd, charming, and emotionally resonant, it's a read-in-one-sitting kind of graphic novel. It's perfect for anyone who ever feels a little too tall--or otherwise peculiar. I'll be closely following Oberländer's comic work going forward.

=this funky little comic is a pretty simple premise: three generations of women named anna, each taller than the last. it's a nice take on the trauma we carry throughout our lineage, but some of the more absurdist elements ended up reading incomplete as opposed to surrealist. there's not too much of a plot, rather tiny chapters that read like vignettes, but the art is interesting and the premise is pretty good.