Looking For a Good Book

One of the things that draws me to a graphic novel like this is the opportunity to not only be entertained, but to be educated as well. I like the idea of a graphic novel biography, and someone with as interesting a life as Marion Barbara Carstairs could be a really great read.

Born in 1900 in London, Marion Barbara “Joe” Carstairs was, from an early age, addicted to getting an  adrenaline rush. During the First World War she drove an ambulance and after the war she took to piloting speedboats, fought with crocodiles, and even flew an airplane through a hurricane.

Joe was also addicted to sex.

Unabashedly a lesbian, Joe typically wore masculine clothes, kept her hair cut short, and was tattooed like a sailor. Although the term wasn’t used in the 1920’s, ‘Joe’ was proudly non-binary. She had her regular lovers but was also rumored to have women as famous as Marlene Dietrich and Tallulah Bankhead as partners.

Joe lived on the edge, pushing boundaries and not caring at all what others might have thought about her lifestyle and choices.

I was surprised by this story – mostly surprised that I hadn’t head anything about Marion Barbara ‘Joe’ Carstairs prior to this. Especially with LGBTQ+ interests being so prominently promoted.

I found the general story (the life of ‘Joe’) to be interesting and the specific events detailed in the book worthy of novel status. Any life that accomplished as much as Joe did deserves a biography. Add Joe’s gender non-comformity and she’s truly a person from history worth knowing more about.

But there’s a problem with the presentation here. The book becomes much too repetitive. Joe does something unique (and adrenaline-fueled). The social elite throw a big party. Joe goes home with a woman and they make love. Then do it all again. In the beginning, I was fascinated and my attention was high. By the end I stopped caring. I felt that Joe burned herself out by living the high life – something I couldn’t identify with.

Seeing Joe naked (even in cartoon-y style), post intimate encounter, over and over again seemed overkill. However, I did suspect that this was to serve as a reminder that Joe was female. When dressed as a man, it was easy to think of her as a man.

I rather liked the artwork here.  It definitely has 1920’s vibes about it. It also reminded me of the Nickelodeon TV series, Doug.

An interesting character, I’d like to see the life of Marion Barbara Carstairs presented in a different fashion. (A stage play, perhaps? Or a non-graphic biography? )

Looking for a good book? Joe the Pirate is a graphic novel biography of a woman who flaunted her differences and lived the high life. It gets repetitive in the telling.

I received a digital copy of this book, direct from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

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Joe the Pirate

author:  Hubert

artist: Virginie Augustin

translator: Ivanka Hahnenberger

publisher: Iron Circus Comics

ISBN: 9781638991571

paperback, 224 pages