Book Review: Pass Me By, Gone Fishin’ by Kyle Simmers and Ryan Danny Owen
So there’s a new book club in town, and no, I’m not leading it. But I am excited about it! It’s called the Alberta Reads Book Club, and it’s a government initiative highlighting the wonderful breadth of books that our province publishes. The inaugural book pick is Pass Me By, Gone Fishin’ by Kyle Simmer and Ryan Danny Owen, a graphic novel featuring a queer man struggling with dementia. Is a graphic novel a strange choice for a province-wide book club? Yes. Should you read this book anyway? Yes! It’s a compelling story with a fantastic color scheme to match.
This book is a slow burn, and from what I understand, the beginning of a series, which explains why not much happens in Gone Fishin’. Regardless, I was completely invested in the protagonist Ed, his old hippie friend Rory, and the tough women looking out for Ed as he slowly slips further into the reaches of dementia. In some ways, he furthers the old rural white man stereotype, but he’ll no doubt break through those same stereotypes the more we get to know him in future novels. There’s lots to enjoy in these slim volumes, so I’ll be keeping my eye out for the coming installments!
it definitely is! I hope it gets some good pick-up
This appeals to me and I’m adding it to my TBR. Another advantage to the graphic narrative is that it could invite a broader demographic to participate, maybe? I’ve been steadily trying to improve my French language skills for years (partly because both step-kids were in immersion programs) and I’m still more comfortable reading graphic narratives in French than full-text narratives. The visual cues are really helpful and the sense of moving through the story at a decent pace, even if you have to stop to look up definitions/translations is very encouraging.
Absolutely! I think this is why my daugther loves reading comics like Calvin and Hobbes. She’s on the cusp of reading, so the pictures help her along