French milk

When I saw this, I immediately thought it'd be something I would like. Food and graphic novel in one book - nice! And it is, very nice actually! Although, why this young woman insists on eating foie gras at every meal is a mystery to me. Whenever I hear those words, I visualize the foie

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gras-process in my head - it's not appetizing! I think she did a really great job at capturing the essence of a traveler's visit to Paris and I'm quite jealous at all the great places they went. What a fantastic idea for a travelogue - I would copy it if I could only learn how to draw. The big problem I had with it was Knisey's own character - the fact that she manages to act like a young teenager when she is 22 years old is a little annoying. Or perhaps I was a very adult 22-year-old (way back when) without angst who can't really sympathize? It's possible... It's definitely worth a read, especially if you're a foodie. Warning: If you like flea markets, you may die of jealousy or find yourself immediately booking a flight to France.

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This was fun and sweet. It probably helped that I really did want to know what they ate for every meal. The reading was also enhanced by experiences I shared with the author, like visiting Paris, spending a college summer traveling around Europe with a friend, and later going to Europe with my

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mother. I certainly never had the budget for all that shopping to boot, but flea markets are fun so that was fine. One thing that was missing was an explanation of where the book itself fit into the trip. She spent a lot of time (understandably) panicking about her upcoming college graduation and what she'd do with her life. But when did she decided to do this book? The datelines on a lot of the drawings, if real, imply that was maybe the plan all along, but then why not say so? Wouldn't that have been part of her anxiety? Anyway, she's 22 and I can remember that age and cut a lot of slack accordingly. Although it really wasn't necessary. The fact the publisher is apparently putting this in the Travel section instead of the Comics section will probably lead to disoriented readers, but sort of neat genre-busting too.

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Quick, easy read. But mostly fluff, little insight. She spends 6 weeks in Paris and whines a lot

I wanted something cute and lightweight and French Milk is just that. Her illustration style is cute, I really liked the black and white photos. But there's nothing else. No moments of introspection. She's been to Paris before but aside from marking a milestone birthday (22) you have no idea why

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she's decided to go back. She's in Paris and she misses her boyfriend. She's checking her email. I could handle it until about page 137, when she referred to Anais Nin as "an American diarist and eroticist who lived + wrote in Paris." No excuse.

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What a charming and unique book! Lucy Knisley and her mother took a trip to Paris to celebrate milestone years for each of them. Her mom was turning 50 and Lucy was about to graduate from college. Lucy captured the trip perfectly in this illustrated journal. Eating, art, and shopping are the focus

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of the trip and I could almost taste the foie gras and pastries! I took a trip to Paris after college and some of the scenes Lucy drew feel just as I remember them, especially the staircase in the Louvre leading to the Winged Victory. Scattered throughout are photographs that she took on the trip and I enjoyed being able to compare her some of her drawings to photographs. In the end I felt like I had escaped to Paris for a few hours. I’ll be eagerly looking to see what Lucy Knisley comes up with next.

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Lucy Kinsley has hit the ball out of the park on this one. This is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. Its essentially a journal of the author's time in Paris with her Mother. The two rented an apartment for a month and saw the sites, ate the food, and watched Arrested Development

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in bed.

The pictures are charmingly whimsical, and I love the candid nature of the Journal, it's really quite personal. In addition to chronicling their sightseeing adventures, the author writes about her internal struggle with graduating college and having to make her way in the world.

I love the way the author writes not only about what she has seen, but she comments on her impression of what she sees as well. As she walks through the gardens of Versailles, she comments on how she likes to imagine ladies in their wigs and dresses scampering about. She talks about the decadent nature of the castle and paints a clear picture of what it may have been like to be there during that time.

The novel also mentions a lot of places in Paris that she would recommend. This would actually make a nice travel guide, places that she has gone are described and drawn giving a great idea of what to expect.

The novel is also peppered with photos from the trip. Its such an excellent balance of comic drawings and photos. The combination really gives the feel of being inside a private journal.

I highly recommend this read. It took me about 2 hours from start to finish, coming in at about 200 pages it is a breeze to read. Why not try something new? Comics are fun, and this is an easy way to introduce yourself to the world of graphic novels

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I picked up this book because it incorporated photographs with the standard graphic novel. The artwork and unique manner of incorporating drawings and photographs are top-notch.

However, the story of the author and her mother spending a month in Paris really doesn't go anywhere. There's lots of

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writing about the food and visiting various sites. However, the author getting depressed and stressed while on vacation was annoying. Let's see, you have rich parents who can afford to take you to Paris for a month and you are going to lay around whining about your life. Smacks of pampered privilege to me, which I'm not interested in reading about.

Despite that, however, the art makes for a decent story about a month in Paris, although nothing is exactly ground-breaking.

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Man, I really wanted to like this, I really did. I love Lucy Knisley's cartooning work, and this shows a ton of potential, but most of it goes unfulfilled. It would be great to see another stab at the graphic novel format, though... she's really come a long way since this was published.

I loved this sweet graphic novel about a twenty-something’s 6 week trip to Paris with her mother. The nonfiction piece is written as her personal journal, but sets itself apart from other travel memoirs because it consists of drawing and comics of their day-to-day life there.

Lucy and her mother

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wander the streets of Paris, visiting markets and museums, but never in a hurry. I loved reading about their meals and the weather, but I’m sure not everyone would find it enthralling. The book reminded me so much of my own time in Paris and in other European cities. I think that the majority of the appeal of this book, for me, was the nostalgia it brought about for that time in my life. I have a feeling I wouldn’t have loved it if I’d never been to Paris or if I’d read it 30 years after my trip. It was close enough to my own experience to ring with familiarity.

The other draw of the book is Lucy herself. She’s sweet, but honest in her portrayal of herself. She felt like my friend, someone I’ve always known. She was sassy, but also struggling with becoming an adult. She realized that even on vacation, your problems don’t disappear. I remember the feeling of nearing the end of college and knowing everything was going to change. You’re applying for jobs and you’re terrified you won’t find anything, but at the same time you’re terrified they will hire you and you’ll have to enter the “real world.” She captures those feelings of anxiety perfectly.

If you don’t love reading about another’s person’s travels, don’t like France or don’t like food, skip this one. But for everyone else out there, this is a lovely look at one young woman’s time in Paris and it’s a great graphic novel to try if you’re new to the genre.

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It's cute, but the writing is very small and she seems way too young for me. I won't finish it.

Lovely! A+++++ ... hehe.
I think this highly positive rating is because I've just been to Paris, and the places are familiar. There were even some photographs of famous places that were taken from the exact angle I took them!
I find the book entertaining. The comic was well-drawn, very simple yet

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detailed, and the short and sweet descriptions of the trip leaves much to the imagination, which was fun for me since I was there very recently and can actually picture the place vividly!

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Lucy Knisley is a student at the Center for Cartoon Studies. Lucy and her mother spend a month between school semesters renting an apartment in Paris. This is Lucy's travel diary from that time, told in drawings and photos. Knisley details every meal and every shopping experience. It actually made

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me want to travel to Paris -- a place I've had little interest in visiting peviously. I'd have to take this book with me so I could easily find the good food and good shopping. Besides food, shopping and sight seeing the book deals with Lucys upcoming graduation from college and her worries about having to soon become a self sufficient adult.
Prior to reading this book I thought it would suffer in comparison to my favorite graphic novel/ travel memoir Carnet de Voyage by Craig Thompson. While Knisleys drawings are not as good as Thompsons -- they are more along the lines of cartoons -- I really enjoyed this book. Recommended.

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This graphic novel is written like a travel diary. The reader gets inspired by the sites, sounds and tastes of Paris and is warmed by the close relationship between a mother and a daughter. The author really lets us get to know both characters as they get to know each other in different ways than

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before. The illustrations make you hungry and thirsty and would make anyone long to go to Paris and experience its mystique and romance.

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Lucy Knisley and her mother spent January of 2007 in a Paris apartment to celebrate Lucy’s mother’s 50th birthday (and Lucy’s 22nd.) They rented a small apartment in the 5th arrondissement. Lucy had one more semester of college and hoped to go to graduate school for cartooning. While she was

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in Paris with her mother, she kept a journal and her book, FRENCH MILK is the result of that journal.

FRENCH MILK is a quick read, since it’s a graphic travel memoir. It does include photographs as well as drawings, which I found unique. I was hooked as soon as Lucy mentioned Tintin and Milou, since our sweet dog is named after Milou.

We lived in France fifteen years before Lucy’s trip, and we never lived in Paris, but this book still brought back lots of memories for me. This book is named after Lucy’s love of French milk – she said it came in bottles and was very fresh. I found this interesting, because the only milk we ever saw in France came in a box – it was pretty nasty and most people wouldn’t drink it.

This book was a lot of fun and I think anyone who loves Paris or who would love to visit Paris will enjoy it.

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This mixed media book will bring you back to your first visit to Paris...(and for those of you who have not been given the opportunity to spend a lot of time in this city of cities, I suggest booking a trip today! The price is right and the weather is lovely. Plus, the summer tourists are back

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where they belong!) The young graphic novelist gives the reader a fun blend of personal photographs and day to day sketches of both her travels as well as the ups and downs associated with the coming of age quarter life crisis twenty somethings face in contemporary society.

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Lucy is approaching her twenty-second birthday, approaching adulthood. As a gift, as a rite-of-passage, Lucy is given a five-week trip to Paris with her mother. From a small rented apartment they venture out to see everything that Paris has to offer. They see the major attractions of Paris but they

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also see the small art museums and galleries, the bookshops, the food market, the flea market, the little specialty shops, the bakeries and the restaurants. All the things this traveler would love to see.

Lucy kept a journal of her trip that included not only words, but drawings. You see, Lucy is a graphic artist, a cartoonist so this travelogue was her own brand of diary. She shared with the reader the various places she and her mother visited on a day by day basis. Also fun were her descriptions and drawings of the food they ate.

My only complaint about the story itself was that the middle section seemed to drag. It felt like she was doing a lot of whining and sharing of too many details (I really didn't need to know when she started her period).

This is my first graphic novel. My son chuckled when he saw me reading it. He said, "I don't think of women in their sixties reading graphic novels." Well, why not? Actually, I can think of one reason: some of the print was so small it required my magnifying glass. The words were hand printed so there were times when her handwriting was hard to figure out. Except for those complaints, reading a graphic novel was a fun experience - even for a woman of a certain age.

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I loved it! I read it almost in one sitting and it made me want to get back in to drawing. (Actually, most graphic novels make me want to do that.) This is actually a graphic memoir, it's a written and drawn journal of the author's six-week stay in Paris with her mother. (There are a few photos

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thrown in as well.) The title comes from her love of the unpasteurized whole milk that she drank while she was there. There's a lot about food in the journal, but also about her relationship with her mom, her fearful transition to adulthood (she turned 21 during the trip) and French sightseeing. As soon as I finished it I knew I wanted to go to Paris, and also to read more Lucy Knisley. Now I'm hooked on her blog, and eagerly awaiting her next book.

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French Milk, by Lucy Knisley, is a graphic novel travel journal about the author’s six week stay in Paris. Lucy is nearing the end of grad school, and she’ll soon be an artist out in the world. She and her mom get an apartment right in the heart of the city, and spend their days shopping,

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touring and eating magnificent meals. She keeps her travel journal as a sketch book and narrates the whole visit for the reader. I’m not a huge graphic novel person, but I do love a good travel journal. And who doesn’t love a quick trip to Paris?

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Fantastic book. I wish I'd read it sooner. It's the story of 22-year-old Lucy Knisley, and her 6-week trip to Paris with her mother. Her sketches were whimsical and charming, and her tales of the City of Lights made me want to return there.

I could not maintain interest in the events of her life and I am not the biggest fan of the graphic novel format. This will be good for the historian in a hundred years seeking diaries of lives of this century.

When author and artist Lucy Knisley was turning 22, she and her mother took a month-long vacation to Paris, living in a rented apartment, eating at cafes, shopping, and generally exploring the city and doing the things that Americans in Paris do. This graphic novel travelogue recounts the trip and

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Lucy’s feelings about her experience. A young woman at the time, she had a young woman’s concerns—college, boyfriend, future, evolving relationships with parents—but also an artist’s background, sensibilities, and eye for detail and layers of meaning. Her drawings from the trip range from simple and cartoonish to far more detailed and nuanced, and are interspersed with black and white photographs. A travel journal first and foremost, “French Milk” will surely make the reader long for croissants and café au lait in the city of lights.

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It's a fun little graphic memoir interspersed with some photographs of Paris, the author and her mother. It's a memoir of drawings by the author, detailing their 6 week trip to France and the relationship between mother and daughter.

After seeing several reviews of French Milk around the blogs, I decided I had to get in on that action. Frenchness, drawings, and rave reviews? Count me in! Oh la la mon cherie!

So, for Lucy’s 22nd and her mother’s 50th birthdays, they decide to go to Paris for a little over a month. They rent a

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flat and spend all their time eating, drinking milk, going to museums and cafes, drinking milk, going to kitschy little yard sales, drinking milk and just generally having the time of their lives in Paris.

Did I mention they drank some milk?

Apparently French Milk is sweeter and therefore BETTER than the American kind. *shrugs* I am not a fan of milk, but I’d give it a go. BECAUSE IT IS IN PARIS. Dude. C’est magnifique!

Basically, Lucy describes her days of food, fun and milk in the style of a journal, however, instead of really writing entries alone, she also draws pictures, takes photographs, and muses about art school, first loves and her evolving relationship with her mother. It’s a really lovely little slice of life look at a girl just starting out in life and at the chance of a lifetime-living in Paris. In her 20s. And drinking all the French Milk she can stomach. All in all, I found it to be a delightfully pleasant read.

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Lucy's descriptions of Paris and young adulthood are idyllic and cynical which makes for a great coming-of-age travelogue. Her black and white illustrations are charming but I prefer her latest "Relish" in brilliant technicolor. A great read/viewing for mothers and daughters, lovers of France and

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travel alike.

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