Blurry

“Few graphic novels pursue the “novel” part of the construction so successfully. “Blurry” uses a story-within-a-story-within-a-story structure, something less common in comics than in the prose of, say, David Mitchell or Italo Calvino.” — Sam Thielman, The New York Times


“Shaw is in control of all the elements of this book, which could have been created as a prose novel but gains something via the funky, unpredictable turns of his illustrations. Not one moment seems wasted in its 480 pages. It feels like a book I’ll reread in a few years. It’s the most satisfying new work I’ve read in 2024.” —Frank M. Young, The Comics Journal

“It’s a thoughtful work full of well-delineated characters and intriguingly articulated questions.” — Greg Hunter, The Comics Journal

“A chance encounter triggers an intricate sequence of stories within stories in Shaw’s kaleidoscopic latest … Shaw’s lithe ink illustrations complement the intimacy of the shared confidences, with subtle stylistic shifts lending each a distinct tone. As the anecdotes form links in a chain of received wisdom, Shaw finds insight glimmering in even the murkiest fog of uncertainty.” —Publishers Weekly

“The stories build, blossom and intertwine, moving forward or laterally at their own pace. Truly an example of the journey itself being the designation.” —Rob Salkowitz, Forbes

“Shaw has established himself as one of this generation’s most distinguished cartoonists…. As characters are faced with decisions … the focus shifts entirely to a new protagonist, framing personal choices as cliffhangers while steadily expanding the story outward. It all builds to a grand finale that reveals just how much careful consideration Shaw has put into weaving these character threads together to create a fully realized community.” —Oliver Sava, A/V Club

“This novel in intricately crafted interconnected stories represents by far the most emotionally affecting and thematically rich entry in Shaw’s already-impressive body of work. Not to be missed.” —Library Journal

“Shaw, the author-illustrator of “Bodyworld and Bottomless Belly Button,” reinvents himself with each graphic novel. Blurry lacks a central character, instead letting the narrative flow from person to person, couple to couple, like a passed baton made up of grace and light.” — Ed Park, The Week