It is hard to think of a more relevant and "correct" literary product for the current generation of blacks than a "breathtaking" series of books.
The writer of these lines is aware that he risks being perceived as an elder ("boomer" in the damned language of young people), but at least for the eye of those who do not belong to what is commonly called Gen Z - it is a product that defines the spirit of the times exactly as it is defined.
First of all, a bit of order: "Heartstopper" ("Heartstopper" in the original language) began as an online comic book series written and illustrated by Alice Ozman, from what appears to be a means to achieve her ultimate goal - finding any kind of occupation or income that will save her the need to get to the office .
Over time, Internet comics have gained resonance and sympathy on the Internet, and they have evolved into a best-selling series of physical books in the UK, in the genre of LGBT youth literature - a fairly popular genre in the world, which is also making aliyah to Israel. Eight episodes (which has already been renewed for two more seasons), and now, with the required timing for Pride Month, it's hard not to refer to the series of graphic novels in their Hebrew version.
Graphic novels have long been no anomaly on the bookshelf of the average reader.
If in the past comics were the domain of only lovers of the field and crazy to talk, today (thanks in no small part to the cinematic universe of Marvel and its metastases), it is a fairly legitimate medium, the kind that can be taught (or at least recommended) in schools.
This is just one of the exams that demonstrates how "breathtaking" is a generation-friendly product: it simply speaks its language.
Speaks the language of youth.
The first book in the "Breathtaking" series of books,
The category "LGBT youth literature in particular" and LGBT adult literature in particular could not have flourished in the way it has flourished in recent years without the tremendous perceptual change that the term pride has undergone in the last two decades.
It's hard to think of parents in the '80s or' 90s who would not accept in disgust the fact that their stupid teenager needed literary content centered on same-sex romance.
But recent years have shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that not only do young generations have no real problem or interest in accepting sexual complexity as a legitimate thing, but that their perception of sexuality is far more fluid than that of previous generations.
It is no coincidence that trance discourse is gaining ground today in mainstream culture and media discourse more than ever.
This is the result of a (too long) process of accepting LGBT people, and the ability to expand the discourse into deeper and more complex gender categories. Boys and girls are already preoccupying themselves with broader questions of gender identity.
And that brings back to "Breathtaking," a series of comic books about Charlie and Nick, classmates who become mates over time.
Charlie is a gay boy (a bit clichéd, to be honest, in terms of gentleness and interests) who has already come out of the closet at his school and is complete with his sexual orientation.
Nick, on the other hand, leads a straightforward lifestyle (and no less clichéd - he is a sports fan and does not understand the subtleties of fashion, say), and the two cultivate a seemingly platonic friendship.
At least until the moment she becomes romantic.
It is on the one hand a love story like all love stories that are not dependent on sexual orientation.
But, because of the complexity of the situation and its accessibility to a generation that is already willing to accept such categories at younger ages, it invites more challenges than the average heterosexual relationship.
The question of Nick's sexual identity (which reconciles with the fact of being bisexual) is at the center of the story here, alongside responses from sub-characters like the two's parents (who range from acceptance to having to keep their kids from growing up too fast - like straight teenage parents) or categorizers like Harry , A homophobe boy who does quite a bit to embitter the lives of the two.
Access to a generation that is ready for it.
"Breathtaking",
The illustrative language of the books does not end with the bubbles of texts identified with the comic book genre, and it actually corresponds with the aesthetics of social networks.
On the one hand it's a personal diary, in which Nick describes the evolution of the relationship between him and Charlie in a rather intimate way.
On the other hand, the world of social networks - an important branch of the public personality of today's teenagers (and not only them, to be honest) is also represented here, in the form of a glimpse of how socialization is extroverted and later the relationship between the two in the social world.
This is not a per-sey comic book reading, but one that stops at illustrative staging stations that review Charlie and Nick's hobbies, fashion preferences and inner cultural world (and other lovable background characters) in an almost cinematic way.
Illustrative waypoints.
"Breathtaking",
There is also room for criticism.
The language of the book, and perhaps this is its translation into Hebrew, is rather meager and simplistic.
In a sense, not only does she not challenge those whose age has passed the 15th threshold, the way she handles issues at its core also feels superficial at times, ticking like a children’s film and less like a teen product.
Hence the feeling that the comic book series "Breathtaking" is intended for those who are just beginning to discover their sexuality, and not for those who have already begun its completion process.
For adults, who still remember how "non-binary" sexual orientation or definition was a charged and painful matter to deal with, this is a great opportunity to explore in depth the face of the existing generation of young people, to wonder about its pitcher and congratulate the great way the LGBT concept has gone (and now the LGBT) In recent years.
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