Lucy Knisley

In 2010, Lucy and her long-term boyfriend John broke up. Three long, lonely years later, John returned to New York, walked into Lucy's apartment, and proposed. This is not that story. It is the story of what came after: The Wedding. DIY maven Lucy Knisley was fascinated by American wedding culture . . . but also sort of horrified by it. So she set out to plan and execute the adorable DIY wedding to end all adorable DIY weddings. And she succeeded. This graphic novel, Something New--clocking in at almost 300 pages of humor, despair, and eternal love--is the story of how Lucy built a barn, invented a whole new kind of photo booth, and managed to turn an outdoor wedding on a rainy day into a joyous (though muddy) triumph.

Tales from a Makeshift Bride

Something New

Sarah Sammis

Maggie Gordon

I have a complicated relationship with Lucy Knisley's books. I love her art, find a lot of her mini-comics adorable, and I really enjoyed both Relish and Displacement. On the other hand, French Milk and Age of License drove me batty. Both books were too indulgent in their navel gazing, and thus were frustrating additions to millennial literature. Just what we need... more reasons for people to say that we're self-absorbed and whiny! So it was with trepidation that I picked up Something New from the bookstore, but I am glad that I did.

I am planning a wedding myself, and a lot of Knisley's questions and musings spoke to my feelings about the whole process. I could identify with this particular topic substantially more than her sad feels while travelling abroad. I enjoyed that she didn't turn the book into a "how to have a wedding" or "this is why my wedding is progressive/feminist" spiel. Instead, it's just her experiences, thoughts, conflicts, and some interesting trivia about weddings overall. She's not prescriptive, and she doesn't claim to be an expert. It's a quiet piece, and it made me feel better about my own planning process. 

As always, her art is delightful. The lineart and colours are so clean, and each page looks quite polished. The book is also huge. There's a lot more content in this one than was in her previous novels. 

Overall, I enjoyed Something New quite a lot, but I'm in the exact demographic this book is meant to appeal to. I am pleased that Knisley continues to write memoirs because she does fill an important gap (represent, young, mostly middle class women in their late 20s and early 30s!), and I am relieved that each of her books shows maturation. Despite having no interest in being a parent, I look forward to her next installment on her pregnancy and experiences with a new baby. 

One last note... I did find that the relationship between Lucy and her now husband was... well, don't use their experiences as a template for what to do if you are a person who doesn't want children with a person who does. It doesn't usually end as nicely as it did for these two :l

Satty

​​With my own intimate DIY home wedding coming up in less than 3 months, I was recommended this book, and picked it up hoping it would underscore some of my ​own ​ideas regarding my D-Day,​ which is to ​not ​sweat the small details. After getting through the book, however, I am now racked by myriad questions, such as:

1. Why have I not ​put a ​whole ​year​'s worth of planning into my wedding​!? 
2. Where are all the artists in our social circle willing to sew clothes, arrange flowers, and make pastries and food for our wedding?
3. Why do my parents not own a huge patch of land in upstate NY that would be the perfect (and free) spot to host the event?

​​Needless to say, I have now started stressing out about my carefree attitude so far. Knisley keeps asserting how atypical a bride she was, how off the beaten course her path to getting married, and then goes on to have a pretty mainstream wedding for 150 people, paid for and ​​arranged largely by her well-connected mother (a wonderful thing to have)​, as a result of which a lot of the expensive wedding stuff are either discounted or free. ​A real soup for brides-to-be, that one!​
I don't mean to sound mean-spirited. I have nothing against those who want a big wedding for themselves. I also greatly admire Knisley's artwork - this is my third one penned by her. I also did get the idea of making fabric pennant flags to decorate our wedding, so I suppose there is one silver lining to that stress ​stormcloud.

Yoomi

I love the way Lucy Knisley writes and draws. I've met her twice at author events in Chicago and she is as cute and funny in person.

I loved this book as much as her others. I remember the stress of planning my wedding years ago and how it led to many sleepless nights and stressful days. I wish I had had this book back then! It's her memoir about her experience with some advice sprinkled in. And some interesting tidbits about marriage traditions. But at its core, it's about her relationship with John and what that means to her. That comes through in everything that they did for the ceremony but more so in the everyday. And isn't that what really matters?

I can't wait to read future memoirs about motherhood.

b.andherbooks

A super sweet and adorkable look at a graphic novelist's road to her wedding, plus an inspection of the rite itself. Lovingly illustrated and thoughtfully researched, this is another wonderful addition to the works of Lucy Knisley.

See panel on DRESSES WITH POCKETS!

Anna Pinto

I've loved Lucy's POV and art since French Milk, and, being close to her in age, I always felt represented in her books. This one was no exception. Great for everyone who's married, is about to get married, is thinking about marriage or even hates marriage!

Something New Tales from a Makeshift Bride

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