The Reddest Rose Unfurls

In this long-form comic essay, renowned Swedish graphic novelist Liv Strömquist walks us through the evolution and perception of romantic love in her distinctly irreverent style. Strömquist takes on philosophers and pop-culture figures alike—from Socrates to Leonardo DiCaprio and Beyoncé—to break down why modern love feels so devoid of genuine feeling. She reveals how, under late-stage capitalism, our preoccupation with the individual self has warped the concept of love from something felt to just consumed. Strömquist wrestles with our dating culture’s isolating obsession with endless choice and comparison, intensified by dating apps, social media, and internet culture writ large.