Cover Image: Biography of a Fly

Biography of a Fly

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Cute and easy to read kid's book with a fun lesson learned and catchy prose. The illustrations are simple and bold. It could have used a bit of editing, but overall enjoyable.

Was this review helpful?

I think selling this book for fans of The boy, the mole, the fox, & the horse (BMFH) does it a diservice. I was excited to check out the Biography of a Fly as our cliental at the bookshop loves the above mentioned book, and I thought it could be a perfect recommendation at Christmas. However, this book is very different from BMFH (in its own fantasic way) and has its own quirky and entertaining look on the value of friendship and life.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed the illustration style.
I never thought that I could feel sorry for a fly! The ending was quite sweet to say what it was depicting.

Was this review helpful?

This story did not connect with me at all . There were dry humourous moments that came with attachment to the title character and the artwork was vivid and striking but the format itself didn't do it any wonders.

Was this review helpful?

Is this poignantly beautiful or plain bizarre? It's hard to tell.

'Biography of a Fly' is aptly named. A fly is born, it lives, it dies. This is shown by the countdown of days, indicating the passing of time as Fly conducts its life.
Fly is normal- it buzzes around, lands on excrement and seeks a mate.
Fly is abnormal- it has philosophical tendencies and befriends a buzzard.

It is a strange book but one that prompts some thought. Such as, a fly has no notion of its physicality; it never sees anything of its body and the book presents this concept for people to consider:
'Imagine if you could only guess what your body looked like. Based simply on how it feels. Just think how magnificent you could be.' p38

The imagery throughout is striking and, at times, unsettling; a fly has too many eyes to be seen in such a close-up view. The use of monochrome with accents of blue makes for bold, impactful spreads. Also, the layout of each page has been well-considered so the white space is balanced and the text is never impeded by the artwork.

Unavoidably, a book about the life of a fly is weird but it's also fun.

Was this review helpful?

This is a book where once you finish it you have to sit down in silence and reflect. At first glance, this book reads as a weird book about a fly and a buzzard being in a weird grumpy x sunshine friendship. However, when you take a minute to reflect. It’s about life and friendship and making the most of the time you have. It’s about throwing yourself into life and living it the best way you can. In only a few pages we got to see a fly live more than some of us will.

Was this review helpful?

A freaking beautiful tale about a fly and its place in the world. Who says insects and birds can't be friends?!

Was this review helpful?

Biography of a Fly is an unexpectedly bittersweet tale about... well, the life of a fly. And a very short one at that. The story was dry at times and occasionally funny, but somehow I grew emotionally attached to the titular character in just 65 pages.

The artwork is minimalist and vivid, though hard to view properly due to the digital format. The text feels a bit too wordy for a graphic novel and I would prefer for it to be more split up across pages or with paragraphs. Ironically, it's the illustrations that get cut off on my screen.

Overall it was an interesting read but I might enjoy this more if the reading experience was better.

Was this review helpful?

What a fun, quick read! I never thought I’d have so many emotions towards a fly! The drawings were fun too.

Was this review helpful?