The Reddest Rose Unfolds

“A nervy application of social theory that makes for an invigorating primer and a jarring riposte to present-day assumptions on dating, attachment, and the nuclear family.”

– Publishers Weekly

“If her strips are clever, angry, funny and righteous, they're also informative to an eye-popping degree.”

– The Guardian

“Strömquist didn't make a comic book; she made a journalistic examination with a cartoonist's eye.”

– AIPT Comics

“In her feminist, irreverent comics, Strömquist delights in tackling massive (even titanic) topics from surprising angles, educating readers while making them laugh and blush.”

– Words Without Borders

“Liv Strömquist is one of those brilliant artists who manages to combine light-hearted rage with biting humour.”

– Book Riot

“An irreverent, scathing critique of our modern way of love, staunchly steeped in ancient and modern philosophy. Why does Leonardo DiCaprio keep dating young swimsuit models, even as he settles deep into middle age? What cultural assumptions underpin “I could have another you in a minute”—the hook of Beyonce’s hit song “Irreplaceable?” In the immortal words of singer Haddaway: “What is love?” But really, what is it? Intertwining the hard-hitting work of cultural philosophers Byung-Chul Han and Eva Illouz, Strömquist brilliantly, empathically posits that our modern capitalist system erodes the allure of the other and narrows our approach to the pursuit of romantic partners to essentially seeking narcissistic reflections of our selves. Dating apps and social algorithms narrow our view further to those with whom we perceive shared interests, while capitalism simultaneously rejects a sense of true conclusion—there might always be someone more appealing out there. Strömquist’s modern examples of romance and romantic dysfunction are primarily heteronormative and suggest that men bear a distinct romantic advantage over women since women are currently saddled with the cultural imperative to desire children. However, her strongest examples of love as something mystical, magical and beyond economic interference come from the ancient Greeks—particularly from Socrates and Sappho, both homophilic in their romantic inclinations. The book’s title, drawn from a poem by bisexual modernist writer H.D., beautifully captures a similarly strange and thrillingly elusive expectation of mystical, earth-shaking love. It’s crystal clear what Strömquist is against here, but an alternative, preferable, less-calculating romantic model for our broken modern age feels a bit harder to pin down, for better or worse. Wryly broad humor buzzes through her intentionally uneven, shaky illustrations, rendering esoteric concepts approachable and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. A challenging polemic and a comic conversation starter—an unexpected, idiosyncratic treat.”

– Kirkus Reviews