Crazy for You

I recently took advantage of Fantagraphics' annual Fantabucks sale, and Crazy for You is the first book I've received and read from them. It contains two short stories written by novelist Paul Theroux and adapted by Steve Lafler, who has been making comics for decades. His most notable creation is Dog Boy and I have also really enjoyed a number of his smaller works as well. Theroux and Lafler speak of their collaboration here in this interview.

The first tale in this book is "Minor Watt," about a wealthy man who decides that he is going to deal with a divorce and economic recession by destroying precious artworks that he owns and buys. It was a roller-coaster ride of events that left me guessing how things would resolve. It lampoons contemporary art dealers and culture while also following a man's descent into madness.

The second story in the book is "Siamese Nights," about an aging businessman named Boyd who is sent by his company to Bangkok. He is an amateur artist who tours the town, sketching buildings and sites to bring home to his wife in Maine. He's also near retirement, and at first, he avoids socializing and going to bars with his younger colleagues. Eventually he joins them and meets a katoey named Song. He begins an affair with her and becomes obsessed, which complicates his marriage as well as his work situation. 

I found both stories compelling, even if the second trucks in exoticism. The artwork brings a strong sense of character, action, and passion to the events of each tale. These stories are also weirdly almost anthropological looks at later-life crises and male mania, including how emotional and social constraints can become warped, troubling, and destructive. These stories might be pitched at a specific mature audience, but I feel that they are well-rendered and thought-provoking.

The reviews I have read about this book have been conflicted. Steve Baxi called it a "mixed bag" and concluded, "I think 'Minor Watt' is worth the price of admission, but after that there’s plenty of other comics by Lafler and short stories by Theroux worth reading." William Schwartz pondered who the audience for graphic versions of these stories is and wrote that "the combination comes out like a well-aged Roy Lichtenstein, petty drama blown up to such an extent it’s hard to tell who’s laughing at who."

Crazy for You was published by Fantagraphics, and they offer a preview and more information here. This book contains profanity, nudity, and sexual situations and is recommended for readers mature enough to deal with them.