{"product_id":"9781770464070","title":"The Contradictions","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eThe Contradictions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Sophie Yanow\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Eisner Award–winning story about a student figuring out radical politics in a messy world\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eSophie is young and queer and into feminist theory. She decides to study abroad, choosing Paris for no firm reason beyond liking French comics. Feeling a bit lonely and out of place, she’s desperate for community and a sense of belonging. She stumbles into what\/who she’s looking for when she meets Zena. An anarchist student-activist committed to veganism and shoplifting, Zena offers Sophie a whole new political ideology that feels electric. Enamored—of Zena, of the idea of living more righteously—Sophie finds herself swept up in a whirlwind friendship that blows her even further from her rural California roots as they embark on a disastrous hitchhiking trip to Amsterdam and Berlin, full of couch surfing, drug tripping, and radical book fairs. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCapturing that time in your life where you’re meeting new people and learning about the world—when everything feels vital and urgent—\u003ci\u003eThe Contradictions\u003c\/i\u003e is Sophie Yanow’s fictionalized coming-of-age story. Sophie’s attempts at ideological purity are challenged time and again, putting into question the plausibility of a life of dogma in a world filled with contradictions. Keenly observed, frank, and very funny, \u003ci\u003eThe Contradictions\u003c\/i\u003e speaks to a specific reality while also being incredibly relatable, reminding us that we are all imperfect people in an imperfect world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Contradictions\u003c\/i\u003e is a masterpiece. Sophie Yanow’s tale of hitchhiking around Europe under the spell of a sulky, fixie-riding anarchist is a pitch-perfect portrait of youthful disillusionment and self-discovery. Yanow’s impeccable \u003ci\u003eligne claire\u003c\/i\u003e drawing seems to mathematically cancel out everything nonessential in her panels, and the effect is surprisingly, even transcendently, emotional.\" —Alison Bechdel, author of \u003ci\u003eFun Home\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Contradictions\u003c\/i\u003e is Yanow’s best work yet. The atmosphere of Yanow’s lines paired with the clarity of her writing form a style of comics that I have never seen before. Every panel makes you want to cry and laugh simultaneously.\" —Tillie Walden, author of \u003ci\u003eOn a Sunbeam\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Contradictions\u003c\/i\u003e isn't just an engaging read, it's a warming and affirming one.\" —\u003ci\u003eNPR\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This funny and very knowing graphic novel will still strike an exceedingly loud chord with anyone who is, or has ever been, a fresher, far from home and all at sea.\" —Rachel Cooke,\u003ci\u003e The Guardian\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"Yanow’s voice is pointed, her cartooning delightfully specific without being precious or showy. [\u003ci\u003eThe Contradictions\u003c\/i\u003e] subtly, effectively challenges readers to dig into their own internal dissonance.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Contradictions\u003c\/i\u003e captures that period of trying on a self, and is by turns discomfiting and funny… Using only a few lines and a slender story, Yanow conjures the particular pleasure of wandering aimlessly around a European city.\" —Rumaan Alam, \u003ci\u003eThe New Republic\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"Yanow’s book—with its neatly organized six-panel pages, observant narrator, and simple black-and-white illustrations—is surprisingly calm for all the wild events that happen, but that’s probably the point. Across all the adventures, Sophie’s doing her best to find herself. And eventually, she’ll find her way to a place where she can call home.\" —\u003ci\u003eSan Francisco Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eThe Contradictions\u003c\/i\u003e can evoke a sense of nostalgia—not just for younger days in all their complications, but also for travel. Each time the girls pass up an opportunity to visit a museum or join friends dancing, you may want to shake them by the shoulders and tell them to suck the marrow out of every moment. But ultimately, you’ll want to lay on the couch all day and read \u003ci\u003eThe Contradictions\u003c\/i\u003e in one sitting.\" —\u003ci\u003eThe Rumpus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Achingly funny.\" —\u003ci\u003eThe Irish Times, Best Graphic Novels of 2020\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"\u003c\/i\u003eA clever, endearing tale of the thrill of falling in with someone new, and the relief of returning to oneself.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"As the title highlights, Sophie is pushed and pulled between extremes, frequently contradicting herself in exchanges and social interactions (as well as in her own internal monologue). The strength of the story is its ability to show these contradictions not just as youthful weaknesses or mistakes, but as testament to the complex layers that come with growing up.\" —\u003ci\u003eElephant\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"Exciting new work from a writer-artist who seems set to be a cornerstone for the industry for years to come.\"\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eComic Book Resources\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"[\u003ci\u003eThe Contradictions\u003c\/i\u003e is] delivered in a comics style that has clarity of line and of writing, and its maturity creeps up on you.\" —\u003ci\u003eThe Toronto Star\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"Drawn in a black-and-white ligne claire style and primarily laid out on a six-panel grid, \u003ci\u003eThe Contradictions\u003c\/i\u003e’ understated visuals sell the austerity of Sophie’s study abroad experience, which loses its wonder when Sophie understands the personal cost.\" —\u003ci\u003eThe AV Club\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781770464070\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Drawn and Quarterly","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":40735882150094,"sku":"9781770464070","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_400aeb3b-7cf1-40e7-a179-befefbd28c11.jpg?v=1641274996","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781770464070","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}