My New York Diary

My New York Diary (Drawn & Quarterly) by Julie Doucet. Like all great graphic novels, this book manages to condense a complex set of circumstances into a simple tale: Montrealer Doucet moves to New York to join her boyfriend, who turns out to be paranoid, drug-addled and obsessive. As the boyfriend clings to her, Julie is beset by epileptic seizures, and she worries about her work as a cartoonist and the life she left behind. The relationship crumbles, Julie drinks beer and searches for a way out. Most of the book is set in the boyfriend's cluttered New York apartment, perfectly suited for rendering by Doucet's sharp, hyper-detailed drawing style. Sad and unflinching.