Brooklyn Dreams 1 (of 4)

Short Review: Great story, great art.

The narrator of this story, right at the start, tells us that he doesn't believe in true stories, that the telling changes a story, and so he's going to tell us "Lies more accurate than truth". Does this mean that this tale of browsing up in New York is a disguised autobiography (again)? Maybe, maybe not. The narrator does seem to have the same mostly-eastern mysticism seen in other DeMatteis stories, and the details that would distinguish this from autobio, such as any serious indication of current occupation, are missing or fobbed off till another time. Still, the book stands on it's own.

The story itself is an entertaining, uncompromising story about growing up in Brooklyn, in particular around the summer of 1970. There's a lot of background about his particular familial dynamics (how the family worked, ya dunce) and a mention of drugs, as a prelude to the pivotal event, next issue, of him and a friend getting busted. Most of the story revolves around (as in, gets nowhere close) his brief ownership of a stray dog. The majority of the story is his family, though, which is told in a manner as entertaining as you'd expect of a craftsman such as DeMatteis. The subject matter is still interesting, although the mention partway through that this is ultimately a story about God does give me pause for doubt.

The art, by Glenn Barr, is brilliantly well suited to the story. From painted to line drawing, from caricature to cartoon to realism, it fits in perfectly with whatever analogies or metaphors that DeMatteis makes, as well as descriptively illustrating the simple family scenes. Brilliant, and worth the price by itself.