Cover Image: Biography of a Fly

Biography of a Fly

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This graphic novel was hilarious and well-drawn, definitely worth the money and the hype, and I hope will be successful!

Was this review helpful?

I didn’t quite know what to expect from this, but I really enjoyed it. It’s nice to read something a bit different.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read and review this book. Biography of a fly is a cute and quick graphic novel about a fly names Poo-Paws. I liked the friendship, the art style, and the mc fly.

Was this review helpful?

It's hard to describe this book but it Is something I think will need a second read to fully be able to comprehend its intention. Very interesting in its writing style and hard to compare with other works

Was this review helpful?

'Biography of a Fly' by Jaap Robben with art by Paul Faassen tells the life (and death) story of a common fly.

Flies live a short life, but that doesn't mean it can be without meaning. The particular fly of note here discovers existence, gets the name 'Poo-Paws,' finds a new friend with a buzzard, and finds love.

I really liked this funny and thought provoking story. There was more depth here than I was expecting and the art added to my enjoyment.

Was this review helpful?

Not sure what to make of this. It sits uncomfortably somewhere between a picture book for adults and a short graphic novel. which makes sense as it is an adaption of a street art project.

It tells the story of a fly who goes through the stages of life from birth to death. It successfully mixes poignant observances about the fleeting nature of existence and silly jokes about sex, poo and food.

The central relationship is between a fly and a buzzard as they question what it means to be alive.

It's nice enough while it lasts. The art is basic and didn't really leave a lasting impression, even if it has its compelling moments (mostly in the double-page spreads).

Worth checking out but to put in the same company as The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is a massive stretch.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a really quick read and the art is gorgeous . The story is simple but very cute.
Highly recommend this!

Was this review helpful?

The Biography of a Fly was a very interesting read. I didn’t know quite what to expect from it, if it would be funny or more serious or sad. This store definitely covers just about all emotions! It started on a funny note that got progressively more sad as the fly went through it’s lifespan.

The Biography of a Fly is definitely one to check out. The story is great and the illustrations are even better!

Was this review helpful?

This was a really quick and cute read. The story begins with the birth of our fly protagonist, later dubbed as 'Poo-Paws'. The book follows Poo-Paws as he learns to fly, meets Buzzard and tries to find a mate.

I loved the relationship with our fly and Buzzard. It was a short bittersweet relationship, but we saw both characters develop.

I love the pictures, they were very simple and really made reading this graphic novel enjoyable.

Highly recommend this!
Thanks to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and World Editions for a copy of the eARC of Biography of a Fly by Jaap Robben. This short graphic novel set to a backdrop of minimalist drawings tells the story of the 23 days of the life of a fly in a very charming manner. The story is born from a pile of dachshund poo and features discussions between the Fly and the Buzzard.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and World Editions for accepting my request to read and review Biography of a Fly.

Author: Jaap Robben
Published: 09/06/22
Genre: Comics, Graphic Novels, Manga

Perfect example of why a mind is a terrible thing to waste. I love creative people.

Included are sketches depicting the various phases and thought processes of a fly. The sketches are simple. The real story is in the words. Robben takes us on a journey where we see what a fly thinks, how it lives, where it was born; and we are there for Fly's first intimate moment.

This is a fun, somewhat educational (okay, I didn't fact check), and a sorta sad showing of the food chain.

Warning: There is a considerable amount of poo talk (just saying).

I would definitely gift this to a friend with a sense of humor as a coffee table book and a kid who needs a little tap into the cruel but fun side of life and science.

Was this review helpful?

The art in this book is gorgeous and I really enjoyed that aspect. The actual story itself didn’t meet my expectations as I expected a philosophical story that was going to make me think and learn, but I didn’t get that from this book.
I did enjoy it though.

Was this review helpful?

Biography of a Fly
by Jaap Robben

Watch this humble fly throw himself into life and his unlikely friendships with gusto, however short that life may be.

I found this graphic novel charming and very funny. Would highly recommend this.

Rating 4/5 stars

Was this review helpful?

This graphic novel was excellent. I simply adored the graphics and frequently found myself grinning aloud while reading the accompanying text.

All ages will like this book. As an adult, I thoroughly appreciated this brief novel. I found the author's use of the fly's life span as a guide to be amazing.

I wholeheartedly suggest this book to anyone who like comic books or hilarious graphics. The writing was excellent and had a poetic quality.

Was this review helpful?

(October 5th 2022)

How can something so simple be so good and interesting?

Biography of a Fly was not what I expected but I loved every page of it. The illustrations were really impressive, the storyline was so cute and, honestly, I was actually educated on the life of a fly and that, I did not expect.

It's funny, it's sweet, maybe even a bit emotional or sensitive. It really is a good book and I truly believe everyone who reads it, likes it.

Signing of,
B.

Was this review helpful?

This was a very good graphic novel. I just loved all the pictures and found myself laughing out loud held within both the text and pictures. My favourite picture was a close up of the flies many eyes. This novel is brilliant for all ages. The birds and the bees talk was very mild and there was a funny mating picture which to younger child you could tell them it's a hug lol. I really enjoyed this short book as an adult. I thought it was brilliant how the author follows the number of days that a fly lives for. And at each stage of his life he didn't know what was happening but his friend Eagle explains it all. I loved every second of this book. It might be short but well worth the read. The pictures although using minimal colours was just perfect and made me smile. It really made a statement. I definitely recommend this book to those who love graphic novels or funny pictures. The text was brilliant and felt somewhat poetic. 

So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating this wonderful story that can be enjoyed time and time again. 
The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/biography-of-a-fly-by-jaap-robben-world-editions-4-stars either under my name or ladyreading365. The retail review links are on my blog

Was this review helpful?

A funny and different type of book. It tells about life of a housefly through the mouth of a fly itself. There are accompanying illustrations. An interesting book. Funny and quirky. Can be read in a go. Recommended to all the readers.

Was this review helpful?

Biography of a Fly is what the title implies: a 23 day look at the life of the titular character (eventually dubbed "Poo-Paws" in the narrative) as he attempts to find meaning and companionship in his very short life. The book is illustrated with simple pictures showing our fly as he is born, learns to fly, meets and befriends a grumpy buzzard, and tries to find a mate. Buzzard. despite being separated from our eager and excitable character in intelligence, demeanor, and out look on life, ends up finding himself changed by their short meeting.

Pros:
- Cleverly uses unlikely subject matter to pose some truly Big Questions regarding meaning, existence, and companionship.
- Art style matches the character, being simple but memorable and fun.
- Surprisingly emotional.

Cons:
- Relies too heavily on scatological humor for my taste (it does make sense considering the protagonist though, so I guess I can't complain too much.)

Four stars. The subject character may not be one we have much sympathy for in real life, but the author has done well here to inject enough meaning into the character that we inevitably end up caring for him in the end.

FFO: deeply existential themes masquerading as harmless cuteness.

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to World Editions and Netgalley*

Was this review helpful?

Jaap Robben shared a visual work with story, image, and engaging multimodal design. A well-crafted book for fans of artistic work.

Was this review helpful?

Really strange concept but it works. It's a simple story but as others have said,despite the fact that flies are pretty disgusting,you do end up having a lot of sympathy for them and their really short lifetime.

Was this review helpful?