Highly Recommended Graphic Novel: Daytripper by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá

Posted On August 8, 2024

Hi Readers! I am again in a funk reading wise, so thought I might at least share book reviews. When it comes to books I loved beyond measure, it’s either always very difficult or very easy to write their review. For Daytripper, it’s the former. I loved the book, and I want everyone to read it. So, what could I possibly write to make that happen? From this perspective, it becomes even more difficult. But, here I am, giving it a shot anyway.

~~GOODREADS DESCRIPTION~~

What are the most important days of your life?

Meet Brás de Oliva Domingos. The miracle child of a world-famous Brazilian writer, Brás spends his days penning other people’s obituaries and his nights dreaming of becoming a successful author himself—writing the end of other people’s stories, while his own has barely begun.

But on the day that life begins, would he even notice? Does it start at 21 when he meets the girl of his dreams? Or at 11, when he has his first kiss? Is it later in his life when his first son is born? Or earlier when he might have found his voice as a writer?

Each day in Brás’s life is like a page from a book. Each one reveals the people and things who have made him who he is: his mother and father, his child and his best friend, his first love and the love of his life. And like all great stories, each day has a twist he’ll never see coming…

In Daytripper, the Eisner Award-winning twin brothers Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá tell a magical, mysterious and moving story about life itself—a hauntingly lyrical journey that uses the quiet moments to ask the big questions.

~~THOUGHTS~~

Daytripper is a graphic novel with 10 issues and lasts about 250 pages. It was published in 2010, so I am really surprised why I hadn’t heard of it before, and why isn’t everyone reading and recommending it. I think this is the first time I have read a graphic novel with as much depth as this one. Usually there’s either action or it’s biographical. But, this one, while following a very basic story has profound qualities.

We follow the life and deaths of Brás de Oliva Domingo. He is a common man who aspires to be a writer but is forced to write other people’s obituaries. At the end of each issue, Brás dies. And, at the start of each issue, the story picks up with a time jump as if what would happen if he hadn’t died.

We see his death by different ways, such as getting shot, drowned, hit by a truck, heart attack, electric shock etc and at all these times his age varies. He is 32 or 21 or 41 or 12 or 47. I think this part stayed with me the most. It made me realize how life is a fickle thing and how we never know which day could be our last. It’s dark! Yes, but it’s also such an eye-opener.

It made me think about what I am doing with my life. It made me question why I wasn’t following my dreams, whether big ones or little ones. I was in an unsettled kind of a state for days after reading this novel. Because, it made me reconsider my life choice and almost made me brave enough to follow my dreams before the routine clawed me back into it. I am going to read this book more often until I am brave enough to actually do what I am meant to do and who I envision to become. If you feel like you are stuck, you should definitely read this book.

The book also talks about grief in complicated ways. Grief of losing a distant and critical father. Grief of losing a childhood best friend who became estranged over the years. Grief of not following your dreams. Grief of never forming lasting bonds with people. Grief of not living in the moment.

This book has so many layers in the content and is displayed so vibrantly in beautiful colors and perfect expressions on the characters’ faces. Because of this, the darkness of mortality never really becomes depressing, instead becomes inspiring. I 100% recommend you to read this book. It’s available for free on Amazon Kindle. I have rated Daytripper by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá at 5/5 stars!

Until next time,