The back cover copy called Heavyweight “provocative,” which I felt was a bit much. Then I found myself getting provoked, which was amusing to me. Heavyweight is a graphic memoir that is ostensibly an attempt to find out the history of Brager’s great-grandfather Erich Levi, but expands beyond that into an examination of how history is portrayed and passed down, inequality, gentrification, colonialism, racism, and so on. There is a big focus on research and what the limits are of what research can provide us. It’s a sweeping book that packs a lot in, in an accessible and clear way. I consider myself fairly well read around this time period, but I learned some new things, especially around Portugal during the Holocaust and anti-Blackness in Germany prior to and during WWII. I enjoyed being taken along for the ride of Brager’s research rabbit holes and different approaches to their family story.
One part that I had trouble with is the concept of “critical fabulation,” but I am a literal minded autistic person with a passion for facts and history, so I don’t like the concept of inventing new things that you feel would be correct just because the primary sources don’t give it to you, and then presenting that as fact in a published book under the auspices of research. I understand that doing a graphic novel can necessitate adding dialogue, and I even can come around to the fact that no memoir is really true, that we are creatures of narrative and perspective, but Brager’s statement that “Something you have to make up things that are true!” rubbed me the wrong way. I’m still unpacking my thoughts and reasons as to why, but I was definitely provoked!
Despite the family tree in the front, I still found the difference between all of the people in the book hard to track. I think the way they portrayed some people was very similar and it confused me at times. Also, it’s not the point of the book, and I’m not saying that any trans person owes me a specific trans narrative, but as another ex-daughter who then transitioned and had some angst about leaving that identity/narrative behind, I was hoping there would be more examination of that arc. However, there’s already so much packed in this book that I get why they didn’t get sidetracked there.
Overall, a very thought provoking book and one I’m glad I read. It’s always good to challenge our perspectives and question why we approach things a certain way. I hope that Brager does further work because I’d be interested to read more of what they have to say.