Description

At once heartrending and enlivening, this phenomenal graphic memoir is not another ode to New York but a meditation on how easy it is to fall beautifully, ridiculously in love

*AN OBSERVER GRAPHIC NOVEL OF THE MONTH*

‘This is such a rich book, both visually and narratively’ – Isabel Greenberg, author of Young Hag

‘A ravishing new take on a storied city’ – Katherine May, New York Times bestselling author of, Wintering and Enchantment

On her first night in New York, Kay Sohini sits on the tarmac of JFK airport making an inventory of all she’s left behind in India. Kay realises two things: she’s finally made it to the city that made her in celluloid and prose from across the Pacific – Kerouac, Friends, Plath – and that trauma she’s endured in her relationship has left gaping holes in her memory.

In New York, at last, Kay has room to begin the work of piecing herself back together through art and food. But as her personal story becomes a window onto a mystifying metropolis both inhospitable and inspiring to the many who call it home, Kay embarks on an electric exploration of how to forge the self and a life of one’s own today.

At once heartrending and enlivening, This Beautiful, Ridiculous City is not another ode to New York but a phenomenal meditation on how easy it is to fall beautifully, ridiculously in love with places – and indeed people – that do not always love us back but somehow still save us in weird, unexpected ways.

‘A stunning graphic memoir… a praise-song to her adopted home… with its glorious, candy-coloured drawings’ – FINANCIAL TIMES

Publisher Review

This is such a rich book, both visually and narratively. Kay Sohini captures a vivid sense of place through literature, landscape and food, taking us on a journey from the heady suburbs of Calcutta to the New York that has so enchanted her. — Isabel Greenberg, author of * Young Hag * A ravishing new take on a storied city. — Katherine May, New York Times bestselling author of * Wintering and Enchantment * Part reflective memoir, part family history, part architectural survey, part literary companion, part food blog, part dreamscape, part data-driven political and cultural critique — this book is all kinds of genius. — MK Czerwiec, Eisner-award winning editor of * Menopause: A Comic Treatment * A radiant love letter to New York City that paints a portrait of how the restlessly ever-changing megalopolis can save us, change us and captivate us. Kay Sohini deftly holds the greatest city in the world close and tenderly, while imbuing the most introspective, vulnerable memories with sweeping mythic quality. An intimate insight into an artistic awakening that invigorates hope for finding a home that lays ahead of our dreams, ambitions and curiosities. — Matt Huynh, Emmy Award winning artist With a strong command of the comics form, Kay Sohini has composed a gorgeous love letter to New York City. Her delightful drawings of food and the city’s architecture, all bathed in sumptuous color, offer an intimate portrait of the city not only as a place of dreams, but as a vital source for healing and self-discovery in this compelling memoir. — Nick Sousanis, author of * Unflattening * Threading multiple stories with assured creative layouts, Kay Sohini weaves a nuanced and deeply personalized portrait of New York City through the lens of literature, cinema, food, personal relationships, and family history. — Eddie Ahn, nationally bestselling author of Advocate