''The Third Person'' is the debut

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

and

memoir A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobi ...

of artist Emma Grove. Published on May 3, 2022 by

Drawn & Quarterly Drawn & Quarterly is a publishing company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, specializing in comics. It publishes primarily comic books, graphic novels and comic strip collections. The books it publishes are noted for their artistic content, ...

, it tells the story of a woman who believes she is trans. She is about to go through the rigorous therapy prior to a sex change and discovers, through therapy, she has, the trauma based disorder,

dissociative identity disorder Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states. The di ...

Reception

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' praised Emma Grove's art style, saying that her "marvelously elastic, emotive art is reminiscent of

Jules Feiffer Jules Ralph Feiffer (born January 26, 1929)''Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; Page 107 is an American cartoonist and author, who was considered the most widely read satirist in the country. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 as North- ...

." The reviewer also commented that, while most of the story happens in the same place, the memoir never becomes "visually dull." They concluded by saying that Grove's writing "draws readers into Emma’s world and makes them feel the complexities and contradictions of her experience." ''The Third Person'' was one of Publishers Weekly's Summer Reads staff pick for 2022. ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'', which gave the novel a

starred review A starred review is a book review __NOTOC__ A book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is merely described (summary review) or analyzed based on content, style, and merit. A book review may be a primary source, opinion piece ...

, commented how, despite being 900 pages long, ''The Third Person'' is a "brisk reading experience" due to the "minimalist illustrations and powerful dialogue exchanges." They further note how Grove's talent at drawing the various facial expressions and movent done by the characters "embellishes the journey". Writing for the ''

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

'', Tom Batten gave it a starred review and called Grove's novel "an unflinching exploration of how our identities are formed and maintained." Brendan Buck, who reviewed for ''Newcity Lit'', commented on the overall narrative of the book, noting that, while Grove's novel is quick to read, it's not easy, saying "it’s about untangling trauma toward a certain truth, but it’s also about the trauma created in the untangling." Talking about the drawings, Buck notes that, despite the simple art style, Grove is capable of differentiating the main character's various personalities with her "distinct character design". The book has been longlisted for the 2023

Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction __NOTOC__ The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction were established in 2012 to recognize the best fiction and nonfiction books for adult readers published in the U.S. in the previous year. They are named in honor of ni ...

References

2022 graphic novels 2020s LGBT novels Drawn & Quarterly titles LGBT-related graphic novels Novels with transgender themes Transgender non-fiction books {{2020s-graphic-novel-stub