Book Review: I Never Liked You by Chester Brown

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Book Review: I Never Liked You by Chester Brown

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I really sympathized with the main character’s struggles of expressing his thoughts to loved ones – his mother, crush on a girl friend – from his self-censorship, anxiety, and fears. Growing up in an environment where people expect you to say and do certain things stomps him from expressing his feelings and desires – in Chester’s case; he’s bullied and ridiculized for not saying vulgar/crude words and he’s picked on by the girl’s that have a crush on him. Therefore, any experience that is new is unsafe to him such as, getting ground beef for his mother, going out on a date, etc, rather be avoided. As a result, his growth and self-confidence is compromised and he eventually loses the people he loves from this inability to perform/articulate his feelings. I truly believe if this story was told outside Chester’s point of view; it would portray him – as others do – as insensitive and therefore this comic like Chester’s drawing gives him the voice and agency that he has censored. 

“Those we love never truly leave us, Harry. There are things that death cannot touch.” 

“In every shining moment of happiness is that drop of poison: the knowledge that pain will come again. Be honest to those you love, show your pain. To suffer is as human as to breathe.” 

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