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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
These French language comics (translated) are a mix of short stories, historical documentary in one instance, and often lyrical, poetic meditations on the modern African immigrant diaspora in France. The illustrations are evocative representations of the human form and visions of France, Benin, and other African nations / settings. Big chonky inks, lots of confidence on display.
I liked this a lot, and I'm surprised that it's the first work by Yvan Alagbe in English. I definitely want to read more. The artwork has a remarkable range, from heavy brushstrokes that invoke expressionist woodblock prints as well as minimalism to the point of abstraction, to whimsical large-eyed fine-lined cartoons, to rotoscope images of documentary photos. The storytelling styles vary, too, including brief vignettes, poetic and polemic observations on African and diaspora politics, and longer form narratives of pan-African diaspora life. Stirring stories, whimsical stories, and some opaque musings. I understand that the characters in the central title story appear in a more recent graphic novel. Translate it, please (or if the lettering is readable by Google Translate, I'll take the original).
emotional
sad
slow-paced
I couldn't decide if i loved the style of illustration and how it reflected the themes of the book or found it off putting.
Loved the title story, which is a hellish, existentialist, Freudian sweatlodge of a story, straight out of Camus or Dostoevsky.
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced