DNF. Just... boring. Really liked Sabrina, but things that worked for him there (visually indistinguishable characters, drawn out conversations that go nowhere, bland backgrounds) did not work as well here. Felt like a chore every time I picked it up to try to make progress on it. ( )

It's like that subplot in Bojack Horseman where Todd Chavez (had to look that up) joined a stand-up comedy group only to find out that it was a cult. That was meant as a joke, this takes itself seriously and I LOVE it. It made me anxious trying to determine what was acting and what was real, and learning that it was all part of a recruitment stage really made me wonder just how far that rabbit hole went. I wonder how theater folks are able to live life like it was a stage. It seems so ephemeral and dangerous! My point being is that this is psychological horror at its finest, whole lot of mind fuckery.

A group of socially awkward people attend an acting class. During the exercises reality and imagination seem to mesh and create some alternate reality. The exercises turn into harrowing situations for some, maybe bringing their fears and phobias to life. There's a suggestion that it's all part of a bigger plan at the end. ( )

From the opening scenes, the reader is frequently put off balance. What appears to be happening in a scene turns out to be something else and then that too turns out to be mistaken. It’s almost as though the characters are just playing roles, acting. So it makes sense, perhaps, that everyone we meet ends up in an acting class led by John. Individually, in pairs, and as a group, John sets scenarios for them to improvise. Is it freedom? Or does improvisation turn someone inward, forced to rely upon their (possibly meagre) own resources? Some of those in the class seem to open up deep-seated trauma which forces its way into their “real” lives. Others fantasize, becoming entirely different people, even different animals. No one is unaffected. But is there any benefit to such “work”? And more, are there unanticipated risks?

Nick Drnaso’s characters are complex. They often have disturbing histories that we gradually discover. They are, as John describes them, “misfits”. They are certainly seeking something through participation in this acting class. But whether that is personal growth or atonement or redemption is unclear, even to themselves. It makes for strangely compelling reading but without an apparent end goal. It can also make you anxious because each of the characters seem so close to harm, in whatever form. I’m not entirely sure what to make of it all, but I did enjoy the process.

Gently recommended. ( )

Acting Class is cartoonist Nick Drnaso's third graphic novel. I had high expectations for the book as his earlier Beverly and Sabrina novels were excellent reads. When I saw the advertisement that said it was a follow-up to Sabrina I thought that it would be a sequel. It wasn't.

The publisher's summary:

From the acclaimed author of Sabrina, Nick Drnaso’s Acting Classcreates a tapestry of disconnect, distrust, and manipulation. Ten strangers are brought together under the tutelage of John Smith, a mysterious and morally questionable leader. The group of social misfits and restless searchers have one thing in common: they are out of step with their surroundings and desperate for change.

A husband and wife, four years into their marriage and simmering in boredom. A single mother, her young son showing disturbing signs of mental instability. A peculiar woman with few if any friends and only her menial job keeping her grounded. A figure model, comfortable in his body and ready for a creative challenge. A worried grandmother and her adult granddaughter; a hulking laborer and gym nut; a physical therapist; an ex-con.

With thrumming unease, the class sinks deeper into their lessons as the process demands increasing devotion. When the line between real life and imagination begins to blur, the group’s deepest fears and desires are laid bare. Exploring the tension between who we are and how we present, Drnaso cracks open his characters’ masks and takes us through an unsettling American journey.

I was disappointed with the novel. It is not a straight fiction story like Sabrina and I was bored throughout the entire book. Also, it was hard to tell the characters apart because their faces sometimes looked similar. A female character looked like a male character at one point so when they began an improv exercise, it was difficult to tell who was working on their acting skills. The improv exercises were geared toward easing each character's shortcomings so when a few succumbed to fugue states, I was very confused. At the end I did not see any strings being tied up so what was the point of the book? ( )