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Sloth
One year after willfully slipping into a coma, troubled teenager Miguel Torres becomes a walking urban legend as he wakes up virtually unchanged--except for his sloth-like pace.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published July 6, 2006
About the author
Gilbert Hernández
432 books400 followersGilbert and his brother Jaime Hernández mostly publish their separate storylines together in Love And Rockets and are often referred to as 'Los Bros Hernandez'.
Gilbert Hernandez, born in 1957, enjoyed a pleasant childhood in Oxnard, California, with four brothers and one sister. In Gilbert’s words, they were “born into a world with comic books in the house.” His childhood enthusiasm for the medium was equaled only by his appetite for punk rock.
Initiated by older brother Mario and bankrolled by younger brother Ismael, Gilbert created Love and Rockets #1 with his brother Jaime in 1981. Over 30 years later, the series is regarded as a modern classic and the Hernandez brothers continue to create some of the most startling, original, and intelligent comic art ever seen.
From 1983 to 1996, Gilbert produced the now legendary Palomar saga, collected in the graphic novels Heartbreak Soup and Human Diastrophism, and considered to be one of the defining bodies of literature of its era.
Gilbert lives in Las Vegas, NV, with his wife Carol and daughter Natalia.
Gilbert Hernandez, born in 1957, enjoyed a pleasant childhood in Oxnard, California, with four brothers and one sister. In Gilbert’s words, they were “born into a world with comic books in the house.” His childhood enthusiasm for the medium was equaled only by his appetite for punk rock.
Initiated by older brother Mario and bankrolled by younger brother Ismael, Gilbert created Love and Rockets #1 with his brother Jaime in 1981. Over 30 years later, the series is regarded as a modern classic and the Hernandez brothers continue to create some of the most startling, original, and intelligent comic art ever seen.
From 1983 to 1996, Gilbert produced the now legendary Palomar saga, collected in the graphic novels Heartbreak Soup and Human Diastrophism, and considered to be one of the defining bodies of literature of its era.
Gilbert lives in Las Vegas, NV, with his wife Carol and daughter Natalia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
October 14, 2008
Dude. Yes! My girlfriend has a total boner for Love & Rockets so I bought her this. I was like, 'Isn't Gilbert the one you like better?' She had a fever. She was like, 'No.'
So anyway then I went to bed and read it the next morning and it totally rules. Comparisons to that movie Lost Highway are kind of inevitable, because of... um, not to give anything away, but because of some things that happen to some folks' identities. It's a little more explained here than it is in Lost Highway, though. Plus there is a monster! And parts where people who can't walk very fast just sort of take flight! I love that shit.
I was talking to Alex about it at Rudy's after I read the first chunk of it. I was like, 'I think I don't care at all about what happens in a story as long as the atmosphere draws me in and either stays consistent or changes compellingly,' and she was like, 'I know. It's a very annoying thing about you. I'll ask you, "what happened in that book you loved so much," and you'll answer "I dunno. It was sad."'
Also: lemon orchard as site of mystery and terror is a totally new thing for me! I love that.
So anyway then I went to bed and read it the next morning and it totally rules. Comparisons to that movie Lost Highway are kind of inevitable, because of... um, not to give anything away, but because of some things that happen to some folks' identities. It's a little more explained here than it is in Lost Highway, though. Plus there is a monster! And parts where people who can't walk very fast just sort of take flight! I love that shit.
I was talking to Alex about it at Rudy's after I read the first chunk of it. I was like, 'I think I don't care at all about what happens in a story as long as the atmosphere draws me in and either stays consistent or changes compellingly,' and she was like, 'I know. It's a very annoying thing about you. I'll ask you, "what happened in that book you loved so much," and you'll answer "I dunno. It was sad."'
Also: lemon orchard as site of mystery and terror is a totally new thing for me! I love that.
February 4, 2010
I've heard really good things about Love & Rockets but never read any of the series ... it just seems too long and daunting, like the comix equivalent of Proust! I was told this is not Hernandez's best work, and unfortunately I have to agree. The topics explored were fascinating--teens falling into mysterious, seemingly willed comas, the urban legend of the Goat Man--but he didn't succeed in bringing all these elements together into a cohesive story. I found myself really thrown when, halfway through the book, we suddenly learn that the heroine has been in a coma as well as the hero. Another character has somehow become a rock star. There's no continuity and a few tantalizing suggestions about the "Goat Man" taking over characters' lives, but the book never really follows through.
The art is clean and has a kind of retro simplicity that reminds me of a hipper, edgier Archie comics. It almost seems like Hernandez is edging into Charles Burns territory here, but the vibe is wrong.
I have a feeling this is not a good introduction to his work, so I'll try reading something else ... any suggestions?
The art is clean and has a kind of retro simplicity that reminds me of a hipper, edgier Archie comics. It almost seems like Hernandez is edging into Charles Burns territory here, but the vibe is wrong.
I have a feeling this is not a good introduction to his work, so I'll try reading something else ... any suggestions?
May 2, 2015
This is a bit of strange surreal story that tells of three teenagers growing up in a small town with a lemon grove that feeds their imaginations and is an integral part of the town's urban legends. As one of the teens awakens from a year long self induced(?) coma they decide to investigate the legends and find themselves changing and swapping their identities (in turn making you reread what came before just to make sure you hadn't missed anything) trying to find the truth about the grove and themselves. The illustrations are simple black and white and in their simplicity they add to the story and keep you focused, which is vital for this story. An interesting read but not quite what I expected. I imagine it's one of those that becomes more substantial as time goes on and the subtleties of the story really sink in.
October 4, 2017
Comics Confessional Time: I've never really been into the Hernandez Bros.' stuff. I know. Some serious loss of nerd cred, right? "Love & Rockets," "Luba," "Palomar," "Marble Season," etc. - none of them have ever really grabbed me. I appreciate their unique perspective, their gorgeous art, and their influence on the medium, but I wouldn't call myself a fan of those books, or the Hernandez Bros. in general... until now. Gilbert Hernandez's first completely original graphic novel, "Sloth," has totally converted me. Profane, gentle, lyrical, and dreamy, "Sloth" is a bewildering and beautiful meditation on adolescence and all its accompanying pitfalls.
The book jacket says "Sloth" is about a disaffected teenager named Miguel who wills himself into a year-long coma to escape the drudgery of his dull suburban life; when he awakens, he finds that he has tapped into the supernatural undercurrents of his hometown, in particular, a lemon grove that is purportedly haunted. Yes, the book is about this but it also pulls a clever little bait-and-switch about halfway through. At about the midway point, "Sloth" becomes the story of Lita, Miguel's girlfriend (sort of), who also undergoes her own comatose state and, upon waking, every character from Miguel's story has taken on a brand new role in her narrative. It's disorienting but also magical. It may have something to do with an urban legend known as the Goatman who can switch personalities with its unwitting victims but the "why" of "Sloth" isn't nearly as important as the "how." It's enough just to see how Hernandez circumvents and reinvents his characters, creating a comic that feels like a fever dream.
I can't guarantee that I'll get into the other Hernandez Bros. books as much but I feel like "Sloth" has the potential to be my sort of keystone to appreciating their work. Then again, when creators have as large a canon of work as the Hernandez Bros., maybe it's not necessary for every book to speak to every reader. "Sloth" certainly did for me, though, and I feel grateful that it did. Maybe that'll earn me back some Nerd Points?
The book jacket says "Sloth" is about a disaffected teenager named Miguel who wills himself into a year-long coma to escape the drudgery of his dull suburban life; when he awakens, he finds that he has tapped into the supernatural undercurrents of his hometown, in particular, a lemon grove that is purportedly haunted. Yes, the book is about this but it also pulls a clever little bait-and-switch about halfway through. At about the midway point, "Sloth" becomes the story of Lita, Miguel's girlfriend (sort of), who also undergoes her own comatose state and, upon waking, every character from Miguel's story has taken on a brand new role in her narrative. It's disorienting but also magical. It may have something to do with an urban legend known as the Goatman who can switch personalities with its unwitting victims but the "why" of "Sloth" isn't nearly as important as the "how." It's enough just to see how Hernandez circumvents and reinvents his characters, creating a comic that feels like a fever dream.
I can't guarantee that I'll get into the other Hernandez Bros. books as much but I feel like "Sloth" has the potential to be my sort of keystone to appreciating their work. Then again, when creators have as large a canon of work as the Hernandez Bros., maybe it's not necessary for every book to speak to every reader. "Sloth" certainly did for me, though, and I feel grateful that it did. Maybe that'll earn me back some Nerd Points?
June 10, 2007
I continue to try to like the Hernandez brothers. I feel like I'm supposed to like them, and I would really like to like them, but in the end they're not my favorites. (To be fair, this book is only by one of them.)
The main gripe I had with Sloth (aside from the art, of which I wasn't the biggest fan) was that it couldn't decide on the rules of the world in which it was set - or, rather, that it couldn't decide on what the characters thought were the rules. I'm more than fine with occasional (or not-so-occasional) flashes of the weird or the inexplicable, but it is real tough to identify with a character when you can't figure out their reactions to these phenomena. Miguel and Lita are sometimes truly freaked by the things they see, but other incogruous experiences fail to receive even a raised eyebrow. Their reactions to random non-mystical encounters tend to baffle, as well. Why isn't Miguel confused when he's threatened with a knife for no reason by the guy who was calling him "homey" several pages ago? What causes Miguel and Lita to erupt into two pages of shouting at the elderly lemon farmer? I can't figure it out. I want to root for these characters but it's a little like rooting for a dog who will fetch the newspaper seven times out of ten, but the other three times will instead put on a top hat and monocle and with a straight face perform a flamenco dance on your countertop.
All the same, there's plenty to recommend this book. I like the theme of characters as actors who will take on any part required of them by whatever story they find themselves in. There's a certain amount of snappy dialogue (though not all of it by any means). It was an okay, quick read.
The main gripe I had with Sloth (aside from the art, of which I wasn't the biggest fan) was that it couldn't decide on the rules of the world in which it was set - or, rather, that it couldn't decide on what the characters thought were the rules. I'm more than fine with occasional (or not-so-occasional) flashes of the weird or the inexplicable, but it is real tough to identify with a character when you can't figure out their reactions to these phenomena. Miguel and Lita are sometimes truly freaked by the things they see, but other incogruous experiences fail to receive even a raised eyebrow. Their reactions to random non-mystical encounters tend to baffle, as well. Why isn't Miguel confused when he's threatened with a knife for no reason by the guy who was calling him "homey" several pages ago? What causes Miguel and Lita to erupt into two pages of shouting at the elderly lemon farmer? I can't figure it out. I want to root for these characters but it's a little like rooting for a dog who will fetch the newspaper seven times out of ten, but the other three times will instead put on a top hat and monocle and with a straight face perform a flamenco dance on your countertop.
All the same, there's plenty to recommend this book. I like the theme of characters as actors who will take on any part required of them by whatever story they find themselves in. There's a certain amount of snappy dialogue (though not all of it by any means). It was an okay, quick read.
July 1, 2014
An interesting, but spare, graphic novel featuring Mexican American (I think, at least they seem to be Chicano) teenagers dealing with life in a lemon-grove town with a urban-legend mysteriousness about it. Focuses more on typical teenager issues than on social or political issues. The story takes a couple of twists, which makes you question all that came before. First time I have tried one of this artist's works, though he is supposedly well known for another series featuring the Chicano community.
August 9, 2016
Books like this is why I read comics. There's so much that comics can do that normal books cannot and it's in that sweet spot of literary exploration and visual power that Sloth falls. It's a little reminiscent of Ghost World in the ennui of suburban life, but the magical realism and dreamy pace/tone set it apart in the right way.
It's the kind of book where I'm not exactly sure what happened--nor do i think logic is necessarily the point--and I'm still thinking about it a few days later. I know I'll be delving back into it soon to make my own understanding of it.
It's the kind of book where I'm not exactly sure what happened--nor do i think logic is necessarily the point--and I'm still thinking about it a few days later. I know I'll be delving back into it soon to make my own understanding of it.
October 16, 2014
I really didn't get the "point" of this book. I couldn't relate to the characters. At times the art was confusing. "is that a lemon or a pear."
The saving grace in the book is the style of the art. Non-superhero art is really refreashing and how so many possibilities.
Maybe I need to reread a few times to appreciate the story and the characters but at the moment this wasn't my cup of tea.
The saving grace in the book is the style of the art. Non-superhero art is really refreashing and how so many possibilities.
Maybe I need to reread a few times to appreciate the story and the characters but at the moment this wasn't my cup of tea.
May 19, 2015
Blaaaaaaah. This was awful.
I think I get what this wanted to be...? It has a Donnie-Darko-like somber tone, and it uses an unusual storytelling method. The art is black and white and heavy-handed. Symbolism is obvious.
'Sloth' might have appeal with kids new to graphic novels. They don't know books like 'Blankets' and 'Lost At Sea' exist.
I think I get what this wanted to be...? It has a Donnie-Darko-like somber tone, and it uses an unusual storytelling method. The art is black and white and heavy-handed. Symbolism is obvious.
'Sloth' might have appeal with kids new to graphic novels. They don't know books like 'Blankets' and 'Lost At Sea' exist.
May 6, 2017
Los juegos temporales y las relaciones personales, dos temas muy presentes en el trabajo de Gilbert Hernández, combinados en una de sus historias menos crípticas. Un sencillo triángulo sentimental bañado en los misterios propios de un pueblo pequeño, los que sirven de herramienta para las ingratas decisiones de sus protagonistas.
March 26, 2008
A sort of suburban 'Mulholland Drive' by the Great Gilbert; a love story about twisting identities, alternate realities, the allure of lemon groves, and the gentle beauty of being in a coma; all tightly packed into 150 pages without a single wasted frame.
October 15, 2014
This one never felt like the narrative fully coalesced to me. The doubled story, the twists, even the characters... It all just ended up feeling rushed and full of narrative dead-ends.
Certainly not an awful GN, but not something I would claim as one of the best, at any stretch.
Certainly not an awful GN, but not something I would claim as one of the best, at any stretch.
December 1, 2008
an interesting suburban legend with a switch-up that makes it more interesting. plus, haunted lemon orchards are cool.
January 2, 2015
One of Gilbert's non-Palomar books that I would recommend...
February 14, 2016
I'm not much for these stories with bands that seem prevalent in graphic novels for some reason, but I loved this one. Very surreal.
April 11, 2016
This book made literally no sense
June 14, 2020
This is somehow my first Hernandez brother comic, and if this is any indication of their typical work, I absolutely have to read more ASAP. There's such a gentle, ethereal mood to this story of a teenager navigating the possibilities of his life and the weirdnesses of his small town. It feels like a Marquez novel, or something like Kafka on the Shore, only with the added benefit of Hernandez's perfectly matched artwork. For the first half of this story I was utterly engrossed, ready to go anywhere the characters took me, like I was on a guided tour of a lucid dream.
The problem is, the tour abruptly ends about halfway through and shifts to a different character's POV, killing the momentum that was building. This isn't really a spoiler, because I can't really explain why the story does this. It feels very sudden and unearned, even though the resulting story (basically a whole new story set in some sort of parallel universe) is also a layered, surrealist take on teenage struggles.
I feel like there's meant to be something artistic about this decision. It's indicative of how uncertain your life is as a teenager, how at any time things can change, how you have no idea what your future actually holds, or who your true loves will really be. It's almost Proustian (ugh, I know, listen to me), a dreamy remembrance of how high school could be, and how it could feel.
The problem is, it all feels a little too disconnected, a little too free-associated. There's genuinely a lot to love about this story, but somehow it just feels like it's missing something. With just a tiny bit more structure and payoff, this could've been one of the best graphic novels I've read in years. Instead, it's merely "very good."
The problem is, the tour abruptly ends about halfway through and shifts to a different character's POV, killing the momentum that was building. This isn't really a spoiler, because I can't really explain why the story does this. It feels very sudden and unearned, even though the resulting story (basically a whole new story set in some sort of parallel universe) is also a layered, surrealist take on teenage struggles.
I feel like there's meant to be something artistic about this decision. It's indicative of how uncertain your life is as a teenager, how at any time things can change, how you have no idea what your future actually holds, or who your true loves will really be. It's almost Proustian (ugh, I know, listen to me), a dreamy remembrance of how high school could be, and how it could feel.
The problem is, it all feels a little too disconnected, a little too free-associated. There's genuinely a lot to love about this story, but somehow it just feels like it's missing something. With just a tiny bit more structure and payoff, this could've been one of the best graphic novels I've read in years. Instead, it's merely "very good."
September 8, 2023
Sloth is an early non-"Love and Rockets" graphic novel by Beto and while his brand of surrealism hasn't fully matured yet, there's still plenty to chew on here. The story opens with anecdotes of teenagers committing suicide to escape the banality of American suburban life. The narrative hones in on Miguel, a high schooler who manges to self induce himself into a coma which persists for a year. When he wakes up, he's reunited with his grandparents and girlfriend, who all tread on eggshells around him. The story gets confusing quick since Beto employs dream logic, shifting perspectives and even parallel realities to deliver a story about teen drama. The story never really coalescences into anything all that meaningful - it's really just vibes that Beto is selling here. There's a lot of imagery surrounding falling lemons from a tree and a grove, but what it all means is kept cryptic throughout. A lot of people will likely find Sloth to be an unsatisfying read due to the highly open-ended nature to the story, but as a longtime fan of Gilbert Hernandez, I did enjoy his early attempts into honing the absurdist tone found in his later works. The story didn't do much for me, but the unsettling atmosphere and overall strangeness worked for me.
May 23, 2017
I was excited when I saw this on the shelf at my local library. It was a pleasant surprise to find something by one of the Hernandez brothers tucked in among the fairly limited selection of graphic novels available. Compared to the typically dense style that Hernandez writes with in his Love and Rockets work, this stand alone story is a fairly light and quick read.
If you're familiar with Love and Rockets, then you know it can be assumed anything written by Gilbert Hernandez will be full of strong, relationship based, character development. Sloth is no exception to this rule. The central plot, shifting though it may be, always centers on the relationship between a high school aged boy and girl. Hernandez adeptly handles the always-challenging emotions of young men and women of that age and has them navigate through love triangles, long absences, and family pressure.
I would have given this book a higher rating if it weren't for the strange narrative shift that occurs halfway through the book. Without spoiling, I will say the change seemed confusing and jarring when it occurred. It was certainly enlightening to see how the different characters might react in similar circumstances, but the idea seemed a bit forced. I would have preferred to see an expansion on the second half of the book, as that is where I felt the story and character work was the strongest.
If you're familiar with Love and Rockets, then you know it can be assumed anything written by Gilbert Hernandez will be full of strong, relationship based, character development. Sloth is no exception to this rule. The central plot, shifting though it may be, always centers on the relationship between a high school aged boy and girl. Hernandez adeptly handles the always-challenging emotions of young men and women of that age and has them navigate through love triangles, long absences, and family pressure.
I would have given this book a higher rating if it weren't for the strange narrative shift that occurs halfway through the book. Without spoiling, I will say the change seemed confusing and jarring when it occurred. It was certainly enlightening to see how the different characters might react in similar circumstances, but the idea seemed a bit forced. I would have preferred to see an expansion on the second half of the book, as that is where I felt the story and character work was the strongest.
May 28, 2017
Have to give the same review as everyone else: Meh.
The storyline is a good start, but it reads like a draft. As others have said, I couldn't feel the continuity.
This is one of those GNs that can be saved by great art, but it also felt like a book where the artist is riding on the ability of his story to compensate for his art. There are some points where this 100% works, but largely... Well, look at the women and tell me you don't see why I was uncomfortable.
The storyline is a good start, but it reads like a draft. As others have said, I couldn't feel the continuity.
This is one of those GNs that can be saved by great art, but it also felt like a book where the artist is riding on the ability of his story to compensate for his art. There are some points where this 100% works, but largely... Well, look at the women and tell me you don't see why I was uncomfortable.
March 23, 2018
I love Beto's work, and this is no exception. He offers up a couple different perspectives on the story, but it's basically about lethargic teens finding their place in the world, haunted lemon orchards, dreams intruding on reality and rock n' roll.
Beto crafts wonderfully unique, believable and individual characters through his art and writing; he asks the reader to suspend expectations and follow him through this maze of existence; and he makes it look easy.
He's hands down one of the absolute masters of comics.
Beto crafts wonderfully unique, believable and individual characters through his art and writing; he asks the reader to suspend expectations and follow him through this maze of existence; and he makes it look easy.
He's hands down one of the absolute masters of comics.
February 1, 2019
There is some great artwork in this book, but the story is just ok. Not a lot seems to really happen. It's also kind of a confusing story. The main character, Miguel, has just woken up from a coma. It's not clear to his doctors why he fell into the coma, or why he woke up. About halfway through the book the focus shifts to his girlfriend, but now it was her who was in the coma? Or she was possibly in a coma before Miguel? I'm not really sure.
March 16, 2019
It's been a long time since I picked up anything by a Hernandez brother. I walked into, of all places, a record shop and this was sitting on top of a shelf like it was waiting for me to pick it up. Who was I to ignore that call?
Anyway, it's OK. I've never found Gilbert as engaging as Jaime when it comes to storytelling. This one is interesting, a bit surreal, and the art is good. I can't say I'm over the moon about it but I liked it.
Anyway, it's OK. I've never found Gilbert as engaging as Jaime when it comes to storytelling. This one is interesting, a bit surreal, and the art is good. I can't say I'm over the moon about it but I liked it.
January 18, 2020
I've been reading the Hernandez brothers work for almost forty years, and they always tell an engaging story. Sloth is no exception.
A story about three close friends, one of whom spent a year in a coma and willed themselves out of it, Sloth revolves around their relationships and their links to a mysterious lemon orchard. I'm going to have to read it again to fully understand it, as there is a twist about halfway through that is both confusing and integral to the story.
A story about three close friends, one of whom spent a year in a coma and willed themselves out of it, Sloth revolves around their relationships and their links to a mysterious lemon orchard. I'm going to have to read it again to fully understand it, as there is a twist about halfway through that is both confusing and integral to the story.
December 23, 2020
Gilbert recrea y adapta el mito órfico por el cual el alma inmortal está en tránsito permanente de un cuerpo a otro. En Pereza, su primera novela gráfica fuera de Love&Rockets, utiliza todas las posibilidades del medio para jugar con las perspectivas y plantear un interesante ejercicio de espejos que esconde y difumina la identidad de los propios personajes. Un viaje delicioso lleno de detalles cuidados que se disfruta al ritmo pausado de quien acaba de despertar de un largo coma...
May 6, 2023
4 -> semi-awakenly generated fever dream
Okay, what the hell. This is the type of story that's dreamy in a way that it doesn't know it's dreamy. This is the type of story that pretends to be easily comprehendible.
However, it is oddly marvelous precisely thanks to this puzzling quality, with all its curiously unresolved scenes and lowkey mysterious dialogue, all of which makes you understand that they are part of a bigger picture that you are not able to see it at the moment.
Okay, what the hell. This is the type of story that's dreamy in a way that it doesn't know it's dreamy. This is the type of story that pretends to be easily comprehendible.
However, it is oddly marvelous precisely thanks to this puzzling quality, with all its curiously unresolved scenes and lowkey mysterious dialogue, all of which makes you understand that they are part of a bigger picture that you are not able to see it at the moment.
February 10, 2017
Hmmm. I liked the art. The story was okay, interesting and a little confusing (which is fine). I really can't find much to say about Sloth. It was an okay read and I liked it while I was in the middle of it, but I don't think I'd press it on anyone.
August 1, 2017
The art is wonderful, reminiscent of Archie. The story is confusing and almost paranormal. SO MANY COMAS Who is dreaming whom? And why can't the protagonist run? Is it all a coma dream? What about the lemons? Definitely worth reading and it's short enough for a single sitting.
September 2, 2018
This is a haunting tale about personal identity and dream-life. Illustrated beautifully, the surreal nature of dreams and memory play out a symphony of strangeness. I've read it twice and will read it again, I'm sure.
January 16, 2022
I was really into this until about halfway when the author fails to draw a cohesive story. A few major events seem like they're completely different stories but the characters involved are connected to both of these events. I felt like I had a whole section missing from this story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews