French Milk is, in a nutshell, an illustrated journal about Lucy Knisley's five-week trip to the city of Paris. Reading it was like reading a friend's travel diary, in which she writes about the world based on what she sees, eats and feels. No BS, just the way she sees it. Standing at the crossroads of adulthood (the pressure of getting a job after graduation is weighing upon her) and the comfort of childhood (she is traveling with her mom, and that makes things a lot easier), Lucy's mood changes from happy to reflective to just plain grumpy in between bites of foie gras and visits to museums. It is a book filled with eats, book-buying (!), art, life questions, wine and little observations about la vie Parisienne. I like the book for its clarity. The writing is just so confident and unafraid to show personal vulnerability. I guess that's why this book is easy to like, it doesn't come off as snooty. In fact, it is totally enjoyable because of its simplicity. It doesn't have heavy learnings, just a lot of pretty pages. Very honest, light and in the moment, French Milk is the kind of book you read half out of envy, half out of having a story you can completely relate to. Cheers to Lucy Knisley for such a wonderful book.
I included scans of my favorite pages (you can click to enlarge). I found my copy of French Milk by chance, at a used bookstore for 145 pesos. I'm not sure if local bookstores carry copies of this wonderful comic book but if they do, get one. It's fantastic. :)
Although most of the pages have single panel sketches with a lot of detail, some pages had pictures from their trip. It came out beautifully (so beautiful that I'm a bit vexed about my inability to draw even the easiest lines and circles):
The apartment they rented (L) and its floor plan (plus food plan?) (R)
This one is a bit cheeky and cute... (may induce chocolate cravings too)
New Year's 2007:
This drawing about their trip to the Museum of Versailles made me laugh,
Lucy exploring Paris...
I think the literatis (Anais Nin, Ernest Hemingway, Oscar Wilde etc.) and their love affair with Paris makes the city all the more magical. This relationship is echoed in many travel diaries and Lucy's was not an exemption. The following set is my very favorite. It's about Lucy's 22nd birthday and how she spent it going to the grave of Oscar Wilde, leaving him a kiss in his tomb (just like hundreds of other visitors before her) and having drinks at the bar where Wilde had his last drink (before he killed himself in a hotel room upstairs). It's a fantastic way to celebrate a birthday, I must say.
