Joe and Azat

by Jesse Lonergan

Joe is an American in the strange land of Turkmenistan who finds a good friend in Azat, a Turkmen dreamer whose optimism knows no bounds. With tales of doomed desert cab rides, nights of endless vodka shots, unlikely Turkmen business schemes, and secret girlfriends, Lonergan captures the bizareness of his Peace Corps experience in the former Soviet republic.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Asia, Nonfiction, Travel, Friendship, Adult

95 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

I grew up in Saudi Arabia and Vermont, attended Hampshire College, was a Peace Corps volunteer, and have always been an only child. I'll never be a real uncle, but I'll be a pretend to be one to my friends' children. I like Star Wars, Elvis, and black coffee. I don't like waiting in line, whistling, or writing biographies about myself. I'm worried about the state of modern America and the individualism and self-importance that has become the norm. There seems to be a lot of loneliness out there and a lot of anger too, but then again, maybe I just like to worry.

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 2 out of 5]

A graphic memoir about Lonergan's Peace Corps stint in the former Soviet republic of Turkmenistan, where he meets a wild and crazy guy, Azat, who becomes his best bud. We don't get to know anything about his Peace Corps work, or much about anything, really, except crazy Azat, and corrupt cops, dysfunctional government, and a lot of drinking. I kind of wanted to know some more about Turkmenistan! I knew very little about it, so was interested, and still know very little except the stereotypical stuff you get from Peace Corps stories about the bureaucracy and poverty and chaos.

The art is just okay. I just thought it was all okay. No insult to Lonergan. Pretty all right, really, Jesse. Short and sort of a good bar story. Azat gets to be this positive spirit in the story and that's good.

[Raina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm surprised by how much I liked this. I looked forward to reading it in between sessions.

Lonergan tackles traveling in a foreign country through the microlens of a relationship with one native individual.

This is a fictionalized account of Lonergan's experiences serving in the Peace Corps in the former Soviet republic. But we don't really get to know what he did for the Peace Corps, or why he was there, or anything about his experience - except for his relationship with Azat.

I've never read a book set in Turkmenistan before. We learn about police corruption, wife-stealing practices, alcoholism, and the class system.

I was really struck by Lonergan's ability to get into the heads of a nonamerikan. Through Joe's conversations with Azat and his family, I got a glimpse of what it is like to have a relatively powerless (and small) country as your only context for knowing the world. For example, one of the characters asks Joe to take him to America. When Joe says that the man will need a visa, the man tells him he should call the president of america and tell him what a nice person this man is, so that he will get a visa. Granted, the man is depicted as kind of an idiot in general, but in his country (evidenced by other anecdotes from the story), the natives are much closer to people of power and everything is microaccessible. Lonergan does a great job of showing (not telling) that very unamerican perspective.

A quick, but surprisingly meaty, read.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This graphic novel tells the story of Joe, an American Peace Corps volunteer stationed in Turkmenistan, and his friendship with his driver and guide Azat. Azat is a sunny and positive person who is constantly looking for his next entrepreneurial project, and his unending energy and optimism draw Joe and the reader in. Joe’s observations about the culture and people of Turkmenistan and his descriptions of the strange and often funny differences between our two worlds make up the majority of the book. One thing Joe finds most incongruous is the Turkmenistan’s idea of the American dream and the reality of that dream here in the states. This idea is depicted through Azat and his family who asks Joe countless questions about America and is constantly searching for a way to obtain the freedoms associated with our country. The book presents an interesting look into an unfamiliar culture, but the overall story is disjointed and bordering on stereotypical. Lonergan often resorts to the overdone cliché of American meets funny foreigner and gets in crazy situations, and there is very little factual information about the country. It would have been nice to learn more about Joe’s other experiences in Turkmenistan including what he actually did for Peace Corps while he was there. The book makes it look as though all he did was drive around with Azat, go to weddings and get drunk. I’m not sure how relatable this story is to American teens and I can’t see many teachers picking it up as a supplement to a curriculum. This is an ok graphic novel but not a definite buy.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a graphic novel by a Peace Corps volunteer who served after us in the same town. He really does a wonderful job of showing the strange logistics of friendships in that situation. It's nostalgic for me, but also a very good read. I ordered Jesse's other book from the library.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very entertaining -- a look at the two years the author spent in Turkmenistan as a Peace Corps volunteer and his friendship with a native. It's a short little sketch, but funny and insightful. Really enjoyed it.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

So realistic and funny. Reminded me of living in Central Asia. I was sorry it ended so soon. I read it straight through in 30 minutes.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Loosely based on Lonegran's time in Turkmenistan while in the Peace Corps, this book chronicles the unlikely friendship between an American Peace Corps volunteer and a young, idealistic Turkman. It's warm and humorous, a little saccharine, but charmingly so rather than grossly so. The art's nice, big-foot and effective, though sometimes characters are difficult to distinguish. The culture clash is played effective, presenting Azat as naive, but determined, and Joe comes across as a balance of frustrated by the cultural assumptions made by Azat, but appreciative of his enthusiasm and friendship.

Solid work.

[Doris Cover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic art tells a wonderful story between a cheerful Turkmenistan local and a slightly morose American. It's like Terry Pratchett's Discworld but solidly set in this world. Read as soon as possible!

[Madeleine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this little graphic novel. I feel like I learned a lot about Turkmenistan and its culture and attitudes from the skillful character sketches. Read this!

[Michele Benson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turkmenistan. Two young men become friends and try to understand each other’s culture. Politics, hospitality, and marriage are explained.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Joe and Azat" is an entertaining story about cross-cultural friendship, but the author seems to have missed an opportunity to more fully realize this theme by miscalculating the balance between humor and insight. The amusing anecdotes about cultural misunderstandings offer an engaging introduction to the friendship between Joe, a Peace Corps volunteer to Turkmenistan, and Azat, an incredibly optimistic, if naive, young local man who enthusiastically absorbs Joe into his life. Lonergan eventually does push past the limiting factors of humor that can produce one-dimensional characters, as Joe discovers threads of Azat's story that more fully bring him into focus, such as the mysterious death of his father and the impact that had on the unfolding of his life. If this exploration had been deepened or met by a parallel reflection of the events that prompted Joe to go to Turkmenistan, the story would have felt more complete. Perhaps Lonergan is underscoring the essentially enigmatic aspects of friendships developed not only in adulthood but also across cultural norms that shape the way we define, pursue, and fundamentally understand our connection to one another. Still, a good effort that fell just a bit short on delivering a more impactful story.

[Emilia P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sooo I'm a small press comic-book groupie. I met Jesse Lonergan at last year's SPX and was like oh i really liked your book I checked it out of the library! He was like yay tell your library to buy my next book! Which was this one. The tale of a young man in the peacecorps and his Turkmeni friend Azat, and how very well they connected and how very separate they were anyway. From the few Peace Corps folks I've known, whom I respect very much, it seems like there is a pretty well-tempered sense of how you can never fit in to a different world, but you can still learn and care about it very much. Plus the illustration was great. The characters seemed like real people and there was very little pretense. Way to go Jesse L. I'll check the next one out of the library too. :)

[Kirk · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know the book is called Joe & Azat and that I should expect a book about these guys and their friendship, but still I'd have liked to learn what excatly Joe was doing in Turkmenistan on behalf of the Peace Corps. Based on the short graphic novel, we're led to believe that he just followed around a couple people and remarked on their oddities. Guy Delisle does the travelogue GN so much better.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

What the heck is it like to be a peace corps volunteer in Turkmenistan? Find out through a volunteer's story about his life there and his friend and family Azat. Who will try and marry him off to keep him in the country. What are the biggest perils he faces? Are there dreamers?

Answers to this and more are captured in this graphic novel. Having spent time in Central Asia and hearing so much about Turkmenistan, I was drawn to this accessible account of life in a very foreign place.

[Zack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, not great, but good.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

A touching, humorous, thought-provoking look at a cross-cultural friendship. The differences in how the two cultures approach relationships and marriage is fascinating.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. I haven't read a lot of graphic novels, but it was a good story, entertaining, funny and touching in parts.

[Jason Walker · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a complete waste of time. The author/artist has no talent for either trade. In retrospect I would have ground flour in a stone mill than read this book.

[Terri London Mabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read, fun look into a different culture, and a sweet friendship.

[Derek Royal · Rating 3 out of 5]

An insightful brief travelogue, in fictional form, of the authos's time in Turkmenistan while in the Peace Corps. More a slice of life tan anything. The story just seems to end.

[Releasethedogs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this after traveling through Turkmenistan. Love it.

[Valerie H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't really have a strong narrative but it was enjoyable.