Graphic Novel Review: The House by Paco Roca

Posted on May 28, 2020 at 8:49 am by Gene Ambaum

The House by Paco Roca. Translator: Andrea Rosenberg. Fantagraphics, 2019. 9781683962632. 132pp.

Three siblings — José, Carla, and Vicente — return to their father’s place in the country with their families, after his death. As they work to fix it up, they remember him.

My favorite thing about the book is the way everyone’s memories occur in panels alongside and sometimes with moments in the present. It feels just as natural as the conversations and relationships in the book.

I’m a huge fan of Roca’s work, and I’ve read everything by him that’s been translated into English. This is right up there with Portugal as my favorite. It’s quiet, touching, and entirely adult in the best way possible.