This book was not what I expected. The graphics were too explicit for me. I should have read more of the book details before I downloaded the book.

There are so many romances about young love. This is a romance about old love. Or rather, a romance about people in their late 50s, early 60s who are in love. Ulysses who has been forced to retire early and Mediterranean, who has spent a long time watching her mother die.

Both adrift, they find each other.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5050" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-24-at-4.49.35-PM.png" alt="Blossoms in Autumn" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5051" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-24-at-5.11.03-PM.png" alt="Blossoms in Autumn" />

Being European, the author is from Brussels and the illustrator from the Netherlands, they are open about showing bodies in all their glory, and in this case, all their wrinkled glory. This is all tastefully done, but would still be NSFW in most offices.

A most enjoyable romance. Highly recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I was greatly disappointed by this book for several reasons. But let's start by the one thing I really enjoyed.

The art was very beautiful and I admired the illustrations at each panel. It was unique, and did its part on adding to the story succesfully.

However there were so many things I didn't like, unfortunately.

To begin with, I personally can't stand graphic content in books when I am not warned about it, and even more when they have no place in the story. I am not reading erotica so I am not happy when I see detailed illustrations of a sexual scene in my book. This isn't the stuff I like to read, and if I had been reding this book in public I'd be even more disappointed.

As for the plot, I found big connection holes and I couldn't understand how the story moved from the one part to the other, actually some parts seemed to irrelevant at times. For me, some parts didn't make clear sense and I could only rely on my imagination to understand specific parts. Maybe it was intentional? A trick to keep the reader wondering? I don't know but sadly it didn't work for me.

Lastly, I can't omit mentioning that the format I received through NetGalley was faulty. Maybe this is a part of the process, but since the book is already published now I expected it to be free or editing problems. The main problem I faced was that the letter "l" often disappeared in the text, and as a result it made reading very inconvenient.

To conclude, if the book was longer, and hadn't it been a review copy, I would strongly consider not finishing it at all. I respect the author's work and I no way imply this book isn't worth reading, but as far as me and my personal tastes are concerned, it isn't something I enjoyed.

3.5~4★
“You know, Mediterranea, I can’t get my head around the fact that now . . . you’re the oldest Solenza.”

Trust a younger brother to cheer you up! This is an interesting and timely graphic novel. The characters are recognisable, normal, everyday people of older middle age you could easily know. They have both hit bitter reality checks and are having trouble dealing with life.

Mediterranea’s mother has just died, and she, not her brother, is the one who has been caring for her, so now, she’s not only grieving but she’s feeling the weight of age herself. Mind you, she’s only 61, hardly over the hill.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration of her brother reminding her she’s the oldest in the family now.

She heads for home, and the weather and the night aren’t doing much to cheer her up.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration of her waiting for the bus on a dark, wet night.

On board the bus, a woman tells her child “you need to give up your seat for old folks.” Boy, that hurts!

We also meet Ulysses, a long-haul truckdriver who is being retrenched at 57.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration of Ulysses ‘handing in’ his keys in anger.

He makes excuses to be in the neighbourhood to say hello and tries to pretend to his mates that he’s enjoying his forced retirement.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration of Ulysses with his truckie friends.

Meanwhile, Mediterranea, who used to be a girlie model, checks out every sag and bag and wrinkle. She’s sure not the girl she used to be, and it saddens her.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration of Mediterranea inspecting herself in the mirror.

I have chosen only discreet illustrations to give a sense of the realism of the story. The author and artist pull no punches. They know where people bulge and wrinkle roughly as they age and how worrying it can be, and they show it warts and all, the whole glorious body.

Meanwhile, Ulysses is doing his best, or his worst, depending on your point of view, to pass the time. Daytime TV, evening sudoku, walks in the park. He makes excuses to chat to the cashier in the supermarket just to have someone to talk to.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration of Ulysses walking through the park without stopping to chat.

We also see, in pretty graphic detail, Ulysses making his regular visit to his “comfort woman”, as she’s referred to later in the book. She’s a younger woman with a picture of her family by the bed! It’s not loving sex, but she seems fond of him and manages to give him a little relief, so to speak. We see her a little later in the story, where she’s also shown as a very real person, not just some sex object.

We know Ulysses and Mediterranea have to meet, of course. That’s why we’re still reading! It happens when she is visiting her gynaecologist, and it turns out that Ulysses is in the same waiting room also waiting for the doctor – his son.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration of meeting at the doctor’s office.

They begin chatting, and she mentions she runs a cheese shop. The inevitable happens, he visits the shop, they become friendly and start flirting a bit and going out a bit and he finds out she was the equivalent of a Playboy bunny in France, and one thing leads to another and we have quite a different sort of bedroom scene. Several of them, all very lovingly drawn, with less and less detail and more and more gentle blurring of the wrinkles and warts and all.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration of some love scenes graduating from full colour to charcoal and chalk sketches.

There is a lot of story, back story, history, shared memories of songs and events, wine and cheese and music and fun. There’s a lot of teasing about their names and what they mean. It’s more than a superficial glance at loneliness, it’s a heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS! to anyone who’s been brave enough to risk connecting with someone new at any age.

Also, Ulysses mentions at their first meeting that he hates reading, which reminds me of the importance of graphic novels. There must be millions of people who love stories and would enjoy a book like this while they would never read pages full of only words.

I enjoyed it very much. I hope the few illustrations I’ve shared will give you a sense of the depth of the story and the love that has obviously gone into producing it. I did find some of the translation a little awkward and the songs unfamiliar, which made me feel like an outsider at the party sometimes. But it's a graphic novel, so the pictures make up for it, and overall, I like it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for the preview copy which is available as Read Now on NetGalley. If you’ve not tried a graphic novel before, I suggest you have a look.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I must say that although this book is rather bleak, as some has put it, casting a shadow on growing older, I enjoyed reading this graphic novel. It's honest and a bit wacky and I did not expect the ending. Even so, I liked the book and the illustrations were lovely.

If you want to read a book about growing older, regrets, trying to find yourself even when you're older and finding love, you should pick this up.

/ Denise

Bleak look at aging

Zidrou and Aimee de Jongh are the creative team behind Blossoms in Autumn. While the story of an older couple intrigued me and the illustrations lovely overall the story showed a rather bleak look at aging and life in general which frankly was not what I expected. While I did not find it a problem, the graphic frontal nudity might be for some readers.
I received an advance reader copy via Netgalley.

<b>3 stars</b>

*Thank you to the author and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

An interesting graphic novel. I thought it was okay, just not my kind of thing. It was pretty bleak.

Blossoms in Autumn is a graphic novel by Zidrou. It is illustrated by Aimee de Jongh. Mediterranea and Ulysses are both grieving. Ulysses Varennes, at fifty-nine, has been retrenched from his job as a removalist. Sixty-one-year-old Mediterranea Solenza has just lost her mother after nine months of devoted care. Life for both of them is suddenly emptier. And each has been rudely made aware of their advancing age.

Mediterranea has her cheese shop, but the tactics Ulysses employs to fill his day are less than successful. They first encounter each other in a doctor’s surgery waiting room. Ulysses has been a widower for some fourteen years, while Mediterranea has never married. But now, something blossoms between them. And that’s not the only surprise they’re in for.

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. In a graphic novel, the text might be minimal, but what is conveyed by the illustrations is probably immeasurable. Aimee de Jongh’s art work is detailed and evocative, expressing a myriad of emotions and feelings. The message in this charming book seems to be that life need not end with a loved one’s passing or the end of a career.

The text offers plenty of perceptive observations about life and love and getting older; there’s a bit of nudity; there’s humour, sadness and joy. This is an insightful, sweet and moving story.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Europe Comics.

What a wonderful graphic novel that tells a story about finding love and happiness at an older age. This is a short and sweet read about two elderly people who find each other by chance, and who start to build a new (and incredible) life together. The story gives a keen insight into the lives and thoughts of people above the age of 60, who may have already retired, and who are trying to find ways of coping with a very sedate and often lonely life that's much different to the one they're used to. It's full of the nostalgia for 'better days' that lends the story a slightly sad but also comforting air. The topic of the elderly in this graphic novel is certainly one that hasn't seen much light of day, but the authors do a beautiful job illustrating it in this comic. The artwork is so beautifully done; it's not the super clean lines of many of the graphic novels that I read these days, but it reminds me of the older comics, which I thought complemented this story quite well. A great read!

Here are some of my favorite quotes from it:
"How many times have I told them that I'm enjoying life and finally taking my time? While in reality, it's actually time that's taking me, bit by bit, like the cruel tide gnawing at the cliffside."

"The body gives up faster than the soul. Time wrinkles it, wounds it, debases it. The body plays along, a good sport. But the soul is a sore loser. It concedes in fits and starts, through painful revelations, through a series of frights."

Thanks to Netgalley and the authors for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

A beautiful graphic novel about a seldomly talked about topic: love and sex at older age.
Stunning artwork, lovely characters and interesting storyline.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy.

Beautifully drawn art work breathtaking.An original story about an older couple falling in love honestly graphically told.A pleasure for the eyes and finally a love story for mature people, #netgalley#europecomics.

Blossoms in Autumn is a graphic novel about starting over in your sixties. We see a woman who can only see an old witch in the mirror, who feels her age in the looks and comments from friends and strangers. We see a man whose forced retirement leaves him with nothing to do with his time but to contemplate what his life is good for. Paths cross and they fall for each other rather quickly. Their relationship is tender and full of humor. In a way, they become teenagers at the end, leaving their lives behind to start fresh.

The art is vivid and full of little details. We see how age affects the body, how everything looks different from our younger days. The artist doesn’t shy away from the sex scenes, showing everything in graphic detail. The scenes are intimate and thoughtful. It’s an art style that works well with the material, showing us the complexities of our bodies when we age, and the little details in the worlds we’ve become attached to.

Overall, Blossoms in Autumn is a well-done graphic novel that shows a new couple starting their lives again. There are some unexpected occurrences that may seem far-fetched but altogether it’s a story of new beginnings and a return to youth, no matter how old the world thinks you are.

The artwork is beautiful, well drawn and colored. The page layouts are more effective in moving the story forward, than the text itself. The potential for an excellent story was there, a love story about a late-middle-aged couple, both at a vulnerable place in their lives, finding each other. Unfortunately, the writing was flat, cliched, and uninspiring, Graphic sex scenes make it an unlikely purchase for a high percentage a public library collections.

I received this graphic novel from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I was pretty excited to read this book because of two reasons, Zidrou and Aimée de Jongh. The subject of the book wasn't that interesting to me, though I did like the finding new romance aspect. Maybe I will, when I am as old as this couple, also appreciate the other things. :)

This book is about Ulysses and Mediterranea, two people in the autumn of their lives (they are old, but not that old yet) both of them had their share of things happening. Medi lost her mother, Ulysses lost his job due to forced retirement. They meet at, of really all the places to find someone, Ulysses's son's OB/GYN office. I loved that you immediately saw a spark between the two of them. Sure, it was a bit of a hesitant spark because both of them didn't expect to find someone at their age and at this spot, but that spark soon grew to much more. I was so rooting for these two to truly get together, because people weren't always that accepting of them.

We read about their lives, their youth, their family, about Ulysses and how he feels now that he is out of a job, and how they feel now that they have older bodies. I really loved that this was added, it gave so much more to this book. It made me love the characters more, and root for them further. These two souls needed to be together. To walk hand in hand through the autumn and winter of their lives.

There was at least one thing that had me going eh, and that was the scene in which Ulysses pays for sex and gets a blowjob. Not something I needed to see. I did feel kind of sorry for the woman later, I have a feeling she wasn't doing it that much for the money, but maybe also had feelings for Ulysses in a way or another.

The ending? I am kind of on the fence on how I felt about it. On the one hand very sweet and romantic, on the other hand... no. I won't spoil anything, so I will stop here, but it was a very conflicting ending for me.

The art was pretty great, I am always amazed at how fabulous Aimée can draw. I have seen many of her works, read many of them, but I never stop being amazed. What a talent.

Telling the story of two people over the age of 60 finding love and unexpected surprises along the way. Ulysses and Mediterranea both share the pain of having unusual names and understand the loneliness that comes with old age. After a chance encounter at Ulysses' son's gynaecology office, the pair realise that they still have the chance to fall in love.

Blossoms in Autumn is a super sweet and charming read. It is a cute romantic comedy that isn't afraid to deal with big issues. It pulls no punches in its attempt to show the life of older people and, particularly with Ulysses' retirement, the sense of worthlessness associated with advancing years. However, it ends up being a positive look at life and will leave any reader feeling full of hope.

In terms of the graphics, I loved the realistic style here. Everything is wonderfully rendered and the use of colour is fantastic. Their lives start in muted greys and browns to show how cut off from society they are. The past is full colour but their present lacks much excitement. Until, of course, the couple meet and slowly colour starts to seep in. They start to find happiness and purpose. They rediscover their youth and the use of colour is perfect.

All in all, this is a wonderful and quick read. A beautiful and unusual love story. We don't often get to see this side of old age but it refreshing and fun.

I enjoyed the soft art of Blossoms in Autumn. But most of all I enjoyed hearing a voice you don't see often in media especially graphic novels. But i felt like it didn't tell the whole story; not sure if there is to be another volume or not.I also didn't like the tirade went on at the climax as if it was only his choice what would happen in their lives.

This was so good! So many romances leave out this age group, and it was sweet to see them fall for each other

(Warning, this is explicit - there’s lots of nudity, sexual and non-sexual - so if that bothers you it might be best to avoid this)

This comic is a solid C grade from me, taking the average of a lot of bits I absolutely loved and several that I would like to remove entirely.

The book, which is set in urban France, begins with Ulysses, a 59 year old man, being forced into retirement from his job as a mover. We follow him for several pages as he explores the corners of his new gray existence. His wife died many years ago, as did one of his children. This leaves him with a grown son (an OB-GYN) and a group of friends with whom he no longer works. He doesn't even have a cat. It's achingly lonely. There's also a scene in which he visits a sex worker and it's clear that this is a regular thing for them.

We meet 62 year old Mediterranea as she is saying goodbye to her dying mother, then passing the funeral arrangements on to her brother. Her life is also lonely, but she owns and operates a cheese shop, so she's not retiring any time soon.

The romance that unfolds between the two is sweet and funny and very real. The ways in which their bodies are illustrated is both realistic and empathetic. Even as Mediterranea, a former nude model, is despairing of her wrinkles, her body isn't presented to the viewer as an object of disgust. It simply is. This is all the more clear when the two characters come together physically for the first time. It was quite lovely to see two mature adults together in this way. The art style is soft and the colors are muted, which gives the entire book a gentle feel.

But (you knew this was coming) there are two things that really bothered me about the book. The first is the relationship with the sex worker - not that it exists, but how it's treated. The chapter in which Ulysses says goodbye to her is titled "the comfort woman," and anyone who's read about the comfort women during WWII will understand why that bothered me a whole lot. This is a comic in translation, however, so I sort of let that slide. My real issue is that it's very clear that Ulysses is seeking sex as a way to feel less alone, but we never get any idea what Mediterranea's dating or romantic life has been like. We know that she never had children and that she's been acting as caretaker for her mother... but doesn't she get to have a physical outlet as well? Doesn't she have the right to physical pleasure before meeting Ulysses? There are a few subtle jokes at her expense throughout the book (Ulysses joking about jerking off to her nude photos as a teen, etc) and the whole thing just feels off.

The second bit is a big spoiler, so I'm going to give you a quick verdict first - buy this if you want a sweet romance comic featuring two older protagonists, but keep in mind that the HEA might not be what you expect.



SPOILERS AHEAD







AVAST, SPOILERS HO







The issue I had with the ending of the book is that Mediterranea becomes pregnant. She's 62. They quickly discuss terminating the pregnancy, but go ahead. There's no ultrasound. Instead, the characters blow off their families and run away to Corsica. The book ends with Ulysses holding Mediterranea from behind as they both cradle her very pregnant belly.

I would have preferred an ending without a miracle pregnancy. I'm not sure why it was necessary... at all. Do we not believe in a happily-ever-after beyond menopause? Is there really a reason why the heroine's menopause needed to stop after meeting Ulysses? I just... I'd like to chop off the last twenty pages of this book.



Content Warnings: Grief, miracle pregnancy, ageism



Suzanne received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley.

That was weird and a fair bit more depressing than I expected.
The illustrations were fantastic and honest in the details with many wonderful one liners to be found throughout.
Thank you NetGalley and Europe Comics for this DRC.
"And wham! Take that right in your wrinkles, old girl!"

I loved this. It is a beautiful story about a widower who is made redundant at 59. He then has to find a new way of living and he struggles but copes. He then bumps into a 62 year old former model who runs her own cheese shop and a friendship develops between the two of them.

And as the friendship deepens love emerges and the two of them decide to grasp all that life still has to offer them and they do this despite the moaning of the man's son and daughter in law and why not?

Why should older people be written off as if they can't still live, love and enjoy what the world has to offer. I must say that this kind of negativity towards age is prevalent in global North cultures but less so elsewhere. I have never seen negative attitudes towards age in West Africa and instead age is actually revered. (In my experience at least).

The story provides a beautiful perspective on what is possible and why we should continue to embrace love throughout our lives. The artwork was lovely with simple graphics that conveyed the story in a gentle but yet powerful way.

I loved this story so much that I am going to buymyself a paperback copy for my own collection.

This is a lovely story for anyone who enjoys romance with their graphic novels.

Copy provided by Europe Comics via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.