ALL THE LIVING
A melancholy, minimalist ghost story
Published by Fantagraphics (English) and Dargaud (French)
Release party February 26th at Gosh Comics in London
“What a strange and beguiling book this is. No summary can quite prepare you for it. Beneath the scrawly surface of Muradov’s artwork, there is meticulous care and a painterly eye, borrowing from Japanese manga as much as European modernism. Each time I revisited the book, more salient details emerged.”
“Muradov’s minimalist illustrations underpin the story’s minor-key modernism with diaphanous pencil strokes and muted tones, echoing the work of Øyvind Torseter and Ludwig Bemelmans. Gradually, the clever story of a woman haunted by herself gives way to a subtle meditation on inhabiting loneliness—and perhaps sharing it. Fans of the melancholic whimsy of Kore-eda, Ali Smith, and Tove Jansson will be pleased.”
“Nothing on the shelves looks like All the Living, and few things are as existentially touching. The protagonist’s despondence and loneliness is palpable and oozes from every page. That this somehow makes the book inviting is a wonder – we feel our own tendencies toward loneliness call out, reach out, connect.”