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My Friend Dahmer

My Friend Dahmer



Summary: For those who may not have heard of Jeffrey Dahmer, he was one of America's notorious serial killers.  He was able to kill for such an extended period of time because of the victims he chose. His unfortunate victims were those who were often ignored by society, people lost in the shadows.  Yet, despite his heinous crimes and with apologies to the victim's families, we forget that Dahmer was once a part of our society, a part of someone's family, a part of the public school system, and a part someone else's personal history.  It's the school system and personal history that is written about here. Derf Backderf is a graphic novelist who just happened to grow up in the same town as Dahmer.  Derf writes about the person that Jeff was in middle and high school, as well as his friendship with him, too.  However, I'm reluctant to use the word "friendship" because I don't know if that accurately describes the relationship Derf has with Jeff.  As the author tells it, nobody was really Jeff's "friend," Jeff was basically "a shy kid who turned into a social invalid."  Plus, as we discover Jeff's life at home, you get an idea as to why Jeff was the way he was.  Admittedly, Derf doesn't really delve deeply into the reasons for Jeff's sociopathic tendencies, but the author isn't a psychologist, so why should expect him to write about those things.  The only thing the author can write about is the only thing he knows, and that was his own personal relationship with Jeffrey Dahmer.

Reference: Backderf, Derf (2012). My Friend Dahmer. Abrams ComicArts. New York.

Why I Picked It Up: Initially, I was appalled that someone would write a book about Dahmer, especially in graphic novel form. Knowing who Jeffrey Dahmer was and what he had done, I saw it as someone exploiting Dahmer's infamy just so they could sell a book. I've seen enough of comic books to know that there are some artists/publishers who will create a comic just for the sake of shock. However, as I looked inside and read some of the critical reviews, I felt that maybe I had misjudged the novel.  So, I resolved that perhaps my opinion was rushed and that I should give the book a read.

Why I Finished It: I couldn't put the novel down, and when I did, I couldn't stop thinking about it. The personal experiences and insight that Derf writes and illustrates with is advantageous. We get to see the confused young boy who unfortunately turns into a confused man, a man who found no answers for whatever plagued him. We realize that he was a loner who found no comfort at home nor at school. We see that Jeff was also troubled early on and with no visible respite from those troubles, troubles that simply festered throughout his adolescent years.  Yet, as Derf explains, these childhood problems are in no way an excuse for what Jeff did, but what Derf does write about gives us some deep insight into Dahmer's character, personality, and behavior.  Artistically, Derf's panel transitions are fairly simple and easy to follow.  His illustrations are quite clean which allows the reader to see in detail some of the disturbing images, leaving no doubt as to what's being depicted.  Derf also uses the blank-eyeglass-lenses look to full effect, especially when depicting Dahmer's visage; quite creepy. Overall, Derf's artistic abilities do not get in the way of his storytelling, which compliment the novel. We can easily see that Dahmer is a disturbed individual with a disastrous upbringing, yet despite this the reader can't help but be drawn in.

Recommendation: This is a good graphic novel for reading on your living room sofa, especially if you're someone who enjoys Edgar Allan Poe and who's addicted to true life crime TV programs, like Forensic Files (guilty!).  There are a few grotesque imagery that some may find disturbing, but nothing really over the top.  But, like many of Poe's short stories, the more macabre the tale, then the more intrigued you become...and intrigued I was.

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