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ejpass's review against another edition
5.0
5/5 stars
Recommended for people who like: nonfiction, politics, global events, history, memoir
I had to read this for class last fall and, having never been one to read graphic novels before, wasn't sure what to make of the assignment at first. Once I started reading, though, I found myself absorbed in the story and the art and was desperate to read the next part (the teacher uploaded the book one part at a time). I liked it so much I actually ended up analyzing it as my Final for the class.
Evans' book depicts the situation in the refugee camp in Calais, also known as The Jungle, on her visits there as an aid worker. The events she tells are true, but like many journalists, she changes the names of the people in her story and, due to the nature of drawing and painting as a medium, is also able to change the faces of the people to protect their identities. Evans manages to get at the stories of the people in The Jungle as well as the greater story of the refugee crisis and European immigration laws, which are far far more restrictive than I thought.
The art offers an interesting contrast, with many of the images depicting fences or smoke use the pattern of Calais lace, a rather delicate and beautiful art form, which starkly contrasts with the brutality and ugliness of the scenes and bridges the past with the present. The use of lace in these instances was, I think, brilliant and showed amazing attention to detail. A similar effect occurs when Evans overlays photos over the art in several scenes, depicting the actual representation of events side-by-side with the artistic rendering of them. I think the contrasts were extremely effective and did a good job of bringing around the fact that the story is real and that these things did happen, which can be easy to forget when everything is drawn and painted. The photo-art juxtaposition is actually a theme throughout the book, not just with the composition, with drawn photos and redrawn art and this repeated connection of photography = violence, art = joy, that makes sense in a refugee camp where a realistic image of someone can get them sent home or stuck in the country they're currently residing in, regardless of their final destination. Again, the way that Evans brings these ideas to the foreground while still being subtle is something I really enjoyed about the book.
I think the narrative arc of the book was also an interesting choice, since it is a memoir and not a series of interviews, and yet the stories of the refugees still make it into the book. The whole narration is told through storytelling of some kind. Evans telling her story, the refugees telling theirs, the news giving their story, and Tweets offering their version. I think it makes it more real, more human, in a way, than if it had been given in a more traditional memoir style. I didn't entirely like the parts where the author was at home, but I understand that those parts played the job of offering a contrast between Evans' home life and the home lives of the refugees we meet throughout the story.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed the book as well as the art. There are some difficult parts, obviously, since it deals with a heavy topic, but I think it's worth the read. I think the sheer irony of certain aspects of the story that Evans manages to point out is part heartbreaking part funny (in that way that's not really funny). I think the setting is just as important as the story itself and also holds its own irony, in a way, and not just because Calais used to be the main hub of a delicate art form.
Recommended for people who like: nonfiction, politics, global events, history, memoir
I had to read this for class last fall and, having never been one to read graphic novels before, wasn't sure what to make of the assignment at first. Once I started reading, though, I found myself absorbed in the story and the art and was desperate to read the next part (the teacher uploaded the book one part at a time). I liked it so much I actually ended up analyzing it as my Final for the class.
Evans' book depicts the situation in the refugee camp in Calais, also known as The Jungle, on her visits there as an aid worker. The events she tells are true, but like many journalists, she changes the names of the people in her story and, due to the nature of drawing and painting as a medium, is also able to change the faces of the people to protect their identities. Evans manages to get at the stories of the people in The Jungle as well as the greater story of the refugee crisis and European immigration laws, which are far far more restrictive than I thought.
The art offers an interesting contrast, with many of the images depicting fences or smoke use the pattern of Calais lace, a rather delicate and beautiful art form, which starkly contrasts with the brutality and ugliness of the scenes and bridges the past with the present. The use of lace in these instances was, I think, brilliant and showed amazing attention to detail. A similar effect occurs when Evans overlays photos over the art in several scenes, depicting the actual representation of events side-by-side with the artistic rendering of them. I think the contrasts were extremely effective and did a good job of bringing around the fact that the story is real and that these things did happen, which can be easy to forget when everything is drawn and painted. The photo-art juxtaposition is actually a theme throughout the book, not just with the composition, with drawn photos and redrawn art and this repeated connection of photography = violence, art = joy, that makes sense in a refugee camp where a realistic image of someone can get them sent home or stuck in the country they're currently residing in, regardless of their final destination. Again, the way that Evans brings these ideas to the foreground while still being subtle is something I really enjoyed about the book.
I think the narrative arc of the book was also an interesting choice, since it is a memoir and not a series of interviews, and yet the stories of the refugees still make it into the book. The whole narration is told through storytelling of some kind. Evans telling her story, the refugees telling theirs, the news giving their story, and Tweets offering their version. I think it makes it more real, more human, in a way, than if it had been given in a more traditional memoir style. I didn't entirely like the parts where the author was at home, but I understand that those parts played the job of offering a contrast between Evans' home life and the home lives of the refugees we meet throughout the story.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed the book as well as the art. There are some difficult parts, obviously, since it deals with a heavy topic, but I think it's worth the read. I think the sheer irony of certain aspects of the story that Evans manages to point out is part heartbreaking part funny (in that way that's not really funny). I think the setting is just as important as the story itself and also holds its own irony, in a way, and not just because Calais used to be the main hub of a delicate art form.
oli_verr's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
shiprim's review against another edition
4.0
Sert, güçlü ve hayli çarpıcı bir grafik roman. Çağın birebir tanığı olmak her zaman kolay olmuyor ve bunu başarsak dahi objektifliği korumak daha da zorlaşıyor. Yazar (ve çizer) en çok bunu başarmış.
kosr's review against another edition
This is a book about Calais, The refugee crisis and the volunteers doing what they could / can to mitigate the disgusting conditions people found themselves in there after fleeing conflict, horror and misery.
You don't rate or review a book like this. You read it; experience it; experience a fleeting glimpse into the lives of these superfluous / made stateless people, and plan how to help in any small way you can.
You also try not to despair, and realise how lucky you are you have a roof over your head.
You don't rate or review a book like this. You read it; experience it; experience a fleeting glimpse into the lives of these superfluous / made stateless people, and plan how to help in any small way you can.
You also try not to despair, and realise how lucky you are you have a roof over your head.
bookofmirth's review against another edition
4.0
A large portion of this graphic novel read like a list of events, rather than a story. It made it difficult to understand the context of the refugee situation in Calais, and lessened the impact of the novel overall (or at least the impact i felt it could have had). I was feeling a solid 3-stars until close to the end.
robertrivasplata's review against another edition
4.0
A window into the refugee crisis. Includes the stories of many of the refugees Evans encountered while working and reporting in the camps at Calais and Dunkirk. Conveys the urgency of their straits.
merixien's review against another edition
4.0
Calais mülteci kampında, Birleşik Krallık topraklarında yeni bir yaşam kurmayı bekleyen mültecilerin televizyonlarda, gazetelerde, haber kanallarında göremeyeceğiniz hayatlarını anlatıyor. Gerçek hikayeleriyle dünyanın milliyetçiliğe ve bencilliğe yönelimiyle nasıl bir hale geldiğini önünüze seriyor. Konu ve anlatılanların etkileyici yönüne karşın çizimler için aynı şeyi söyleyemeyeceğim. En azından benim bayıldığım bir tarz değil.
pleaseinsertpun's review against another edition
5.0
Heartbreaking and at times bleak, but human and caring. Provides a first hand look at the refugee crisis, admittedly through the eyes of a Western volunteer. The art at times has a crafted ugliness that emphasizes the bleakness of the camp's conditions, but Evans is also great at capturing the small moments of human kindness throughout.
engpunk77's review against another edition
3.0
A heartbreaking but eye-opening experience reading this brilliant piece, but it left me feeling hopeless and dejected. It's stylistically powerful; Evans did a fantastic job expressing her experience and feelings, and I'm filled with new knowledge because of this work, but....I'm either going to step up my contributions to the refugee crisis or I'm going to hate myself for not. This is one of those books I'm not sure I should have read. Sobering.