Bob Fingerman
Beg the Question (2002)
Author: Bob Fingerman
Genre: Graphic Novel
Plot Summary:
Rob, a pornographic cartoonist, and his girlfriend Sylvia, who works as a receptionist in a beauty salon, live in New York City. The book chronicles ordinary situations through the course of a year in their lives. It takes us from just before they decide to move in with each other, through an abortion up to the day that they get married. Along the way, they are joined by their quirky friends and difficult family members.
Geographical Setting: New York City
Time Period: 1990s
Appeal Characteristics:
While Fingerman's graphic novel lacks an evident plot, it contains an overarching theme that focuses on making a relationship work despite the obstacles placed in front of it by society. It is this theme that connects each of the disjointed chapters that, by themselves, seem to be about nothing. The story, overall, flows quite slowly, but that is expected when one realized that the book follows life, which, by nature, flows slowly. The characters are not overly defined with deep personalities. Instead, we simply see the superficial and stereotypical aspects of each of them. Occasionally, we will get a brief glimpse into the private thoughts a character, but, usually, these thoughts only reveal something we could have guessed without the glimpse. The tone of the novel is one of the most important appeal characteristics. It's dark and dreary as if something bad lay around every corner. This probably has more to do with the outlook of the author, as the novel seems to be semi-autobiographical, instead of being a true example of how most people feel about life. While the novel is set in New York City and the grime of the city helps to influence the dark and depressing tone, the novel could be set in any major city and have the same effect.
Read-alikes: If you would like to read another graphic novel about the life of an artist, then I would suggest Blankets (2003) by Craig Thompson. This novel is loosely autobiographical and follows Craig's life childhood to adulthood. If, instead, you would like to focus on graphic novels based in New York City, then I would suggest Art Spiegelman's In the Shadow of No Towers (2004). This novel focuses on the Spiegelman's own experience with September 11th. The novel would probably appeal to someone who enjoys the graphic detail found in Fingerman's Beg the Question. If you enjoy Fingerman's outlook on life and would like to read more novels by him, try You Deserved It (2005). This novel is drawn in a different style, features full color and contains short stories instead of one cohesive storyline, but the underlying tone of Fingerman's perspective remains. If you enjoy graphic novels with short, inter-connected stories that on the surface seem to be about nothing, but have a deeper, overall meaning, then I suggest Ghost World by Dan Clowes. This novel focuses on the lives of two recent high school graduates as they attempt to make sense out of the world. Another novel that follows the liVes of a small group of friends as they make their way through everyday life is Sleepwalk: and Other Stories (1998) by Adrian Tomine. This book would most likely be enjoyed by fans of both Beg the Question and Ghost World.
Red Flags: Graphic sex, mild violence, strong language, racial and ethnic slurs, abortion, masturbation, nudity, sexual situations
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