On sale date: February 24, 2026
Anticipated reprint arrival date: September 29, 2026
A captivating mediation on existence by acclaimed artist and graphic novelist Roman Muradov.
Waking up in Purgatory, a young woman is forced to take part in a lottery, which she wins. Unfortunately for her, since she has had enough of life, the prize is to return to the world of the living and continue her life from where she had left it, with one significant difference: this time, she can see and communicate with ghosts—her own included. Her dull, monotonous life carries on, though her profound solitude is now mitigated by the presence of the ghosts of the dead, most notably her own. She discovers that living with her ghost has its advantages, until this relationship suddenly turns into a spectral triangle...
By turns compassionate and cruel, All the Living is a quiet, melancholy story full of delicate details, and unexpected humor. It's a slow and subtle meditation on loneliness, rendered in Muradov's shifting style, full of finesse and sensuality. A parable — at the same time gentle, penetrating, and occasionally profane — that marks the return of a master of the modern graphic novel.
Praise
"What a strange and beguiling book this is. No summary can quite prepare you for it. Beneath the scrawly surface of Muradov's artwork, there is meticulous care and a painterly eye, borrowing from Japanese manga as much as European modernism. Each time I revisited the book, more salient details emerged." — The Observer
"Muradov's minimalist illustrations underpin the story's minor-key modernism with diaphanous pencil strokes and muted tones, echoing the work of Øyvind Torseter and Ludwig Bemelmans. Gradually, the clever story of a woman haunted by herself gives way to a subtle meditation on inhabiting loneliness—and perhaps sharing it. Fans of the melancholic whimsy of Kore-eda, Ali Smith, and Tove Jansson will be pleased." — Publishers Weekly
"Nothing on the shelves looks like All the Living, and few things are as existentially touching. The protagonist's despondence and loneliness is palpable and oozes from every page. That this somehow makes the book inviting is a wonder – we feel our own tendencies toward loneliness call out, reach out, connect." — AIPT Comics
"Breathtakingly intimate, moving, and possessed of transcendent power in the most unexpected places. It's the kind of book you don't know you'll want to read until you do, and then you'll wonder how you got along without it." — The Comics Journal
"Very controlled, very clever and sensitive. A book that ends in a deep darkness that makes you want to start again from the beginning and stay in the loop." — Radio France
Specs
- Pages
- 160
- Format
- Paperback/Softback
- Color
- Full color.
- Dimensions
- 7" × 10.1"
- ISBN-13
- 9798875002427