Home After Dark, David Small
After finishing The Pink Line I wanted to read something that felt totally different in terms of style and content. The graphic novel Home After Dark made its way onto my list a year or two ago and appeared in a clearance bin at my local bookstore this week. Seems like fate to me.
After being abandoned by his mother, 13-year-old Russ and his father move West to California seeking opportunities in 1950’s America. The author’s haunting illustrations show us the darker side of Americana nostalgia, leaving the reader with feelings of loneliness, loss, and even despair. Russ grapples with independence, toxic masculinity, and his own safety and sense of self as he confronts the rigid standards for what it means to be a “man.”
A review from the Washington Post (and quoted on the dust jacket) describes the structure of the novel as “silent montages worthy of Alfred Hitchcock.” The watercolor, pen, and mixed media illustrations certainly evoke cinematic imagery Hitcockesque unease, supported by the sparsity of text throughout. I found that the most striking moments were usually several pages without text, evocative and full of emotion, that left space for the reader to interpret the characters’ inner lives.
The world of the story is bleak and sometimes cruel but still managed to infect me with moments of joyful nostalgia. I remembered the reckless exuberance of childhood summers and the tenderness people can have for one another against all odds. Though I connected to the theme of masculine failure, the author only approached the line when addressing queerness and queer characters. Perhaps this vagueness around sexuality reflects the climate of the 1950’s, the uncertainty of adolescence, or the author’s own heterosexuality. Regardless, the queer coding of the main character felt essential and a bit under explored.
I’d recommend this novel based on the illustrations alone. David Small has a beautiful eye and talent for capturing the essence of setting and character. The world of the story feels familiar and complete. Also, read more graphic novels! Blew through this bad boy in an hour and would happily pick it up again.
Rating: 7/10
Read if you liked: Are You My Mother?, Green: Making Sense of Growing Up, Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life