Blurry

A chance encounter triggers an intricate sequence of stories within stories in Shaw's kaleidoscopic latest (after Discipline). Browsing an H&M for clothes to wear to a wedding, Ken bumps into a former middle school classmate, Mel. When Ken doesn't recognize her, Mel points out that she now wears glasses. The narrative then shifts to Mel in her 20s, when her vision began blurring. Her boyfriend is about to propose when an intriguing new guy named Kay starts at work, causing Mel to have second thoughts. From there, the narrative lens turns to Kay, who tells Mel about nude modeling for a drawing class, where the instructor, Karetzky, confides in him about the agonizing end of his affair with a married colleague. The married lover then dives into her trip to Rio following an earlier breakup, where she meets an acclaimed author named Christie, who details her struggle to follow her wildly successful debut. Each episode presents a miniature tale of doubt and resolve. Shaw's lithe ink illustrations complement the intimacy of the shared confidences, with subtle stylistic shifts lending each a distinct tone. As the anecdotes form links in a chain of received wisdom, Shaw finds insight glimmering in even the murkiest fog of uncertainty. (Aug.)

A man seeks a salesclerk's help in selecting an outfit for his brother's wedding. The salesclerk offers her professional expertise, as well as an account of her personal battle to resist acting on the growing attraction she feels for a coworker, Kay. Kay is contemplating whether to quit his part-time job as a figure-drawing model in a college class, which is taught by a professor spiraling into despair following the end of an illicit affair with one of his colleagues, Maala. Towards the end of this hefty volume, while preparing for bed, Maala pauses before switching off her lamp and thinks, "I want to see the moment just as the light fades--the split second between the light on and off." After flipping the switch, she wonders, "Did I see it?" This elegantly understated scene perfectly evokes the sense of being adrift through life's liminal spaces, common to a cavalcade of characters in this profoundly moving volume from acclaimed cartoonist and filmmaker Shaw (Discipline). VERDICT This novel in intricately crafted interconnected stories represents by far the most emotionally affecting and thematically rich entry in Shaw's already-impressive body of work. Not to be missed.