Hackenporsche

The cover itself gives it away: this graphic novel is about a young woman who, heavily laden, is trying to climb a steep flight of stairs but isn’t quite sure she’ll make it. This sets the scene for part of the book: Paulina’s story of rising from the humblest of beginnings to studying fine art. This is embedded within a walk during which she allows her father – unexpectedly and following a recent embarrassing incident – to recount his childhood in a care home, marked by violence and neglect. In varied panels, inked in grey and black, Lüdtke depicts the story shared with her, often in few words or even in silence. Pink-hued inserts depict this far from rosy childhood. Their time together is interrupted by episodes from Paulina’s current life. She illustrates the – rarely addressed – theme of classism in various settings: at the art exhibition, when her father embarrasses her; during a visit to an upper-class lawyer’s household; or during a conversation in English with fellow students. Here, too, the eponymous “Hackenporsche” is discussed, which is a cool item for the wealthy students but a sign of poverty for Paulina.