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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
A graphic novel accounting of the wartime life of Francisco Boix, who was imprisoned at the Mauthausen concentration camp. Boix became the "photographic assistant" of an SS Officer at the camp and in doing so, managed to smuggle 20,000 negatives documenting both the atrocities and the visits of officers who would later claim to "know nothing." His photographs and testimony at the Nuremburg and Dachau trials would go on to be used as evidence to convict dozens. This graphic novel documents both his and those whose assistance he required to successfully get the negatives out bravery.
A very interesting read this was! I'm a huge fan of anything that has to do with world war 2; it fascinates me. Mauthausen is one of the camps I haven't read much about and reading and seeing it through the eyes of Fransesco, talking to his Nuria gave me a whole new perspective. I really enjoyed the storyline; it matched very well with the graphics and those two combined made the novel feel very much real. For me, this is a book I'd recommend if you're into ww2 stories or if you want to know more about what happened at Mauthausen.
"They'll listen to us, but... They'll probably never be able to understand us."
"Why not?"
"Because there are not words, no images which can make people understand something they haven't lived through. As photographers, sure, we can capture reality on film, but we can never convey to other people the atmosphere, the smell, the sunlight... Or in our case , the trials we've been through. No one can do it, Francois, no one..."
10/10.
No matter the traumas you've faced nothing can prepare you for stories like this. Being Jewish I have an idea of these things, but I'm always gravely hurt by the pain of others.
"Why not?"
"Because there are not words, no images which can make people understand something they haven't lived through. As photographers, sure, we can capture reality on film, but we can never convey to other people the atmosphere, the smell, the sunlight... Or in our case , the trials we've been through. No one can do it, Francois, no one..."
10/10.
No matter the traumas you've faced nothing can prepare you for stories like this. Being Jewish I have an idea of these things, but I'm always gravely hurt by the pain of others.
'The Photographer of Mauthausen' by Salva Rubio with illustrations by Pedro Columbo is a retelling of the life of Francisco Boix, a Spanish press photographer who found himself in a concentration camp and was witness to horrific events.
Francisco, or Francois, fled to France at the beginning of World War II. The French handed him over to the Nazis and he was sent to Mauthausen, a camp with an entrance, but not much of an exit. He found himself using his photographic skills in a bid to survive. He photographed Nazi officers, but also the dead. He realized that he had access to evidence to potentially convict the Nazis, but first he had to figure out how to get the photos out.
It's not an easy story to read, but it's a good one. The things that Francisco saw were pretty terrible, and that's alluded to with the amazing cover to this volume. The art is top notch throughout, as is the story.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Francisco, or Francois, fled to France at the beginning of World War II. The French handed him over to the Nazis and he was sent to Mauthausen, a camp with an entrance, but not much of an exit. He found himself using his photographic skills in a bid to survive. He photographed Nazi officers, but also the dead. He realized that he had access to evidence to potentially convict the Nazis, but first he had to figure out how to get the photos out.
It's not an easy story to read, but it's a good one. The things that Francisco saw were pretty terrible, and that's alluded to with the amazing cover to this volume. The art is top notch throughout, as is the story.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
First, I want to thank both NetGalley and Dead Reckoning for giving me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very powerful story and it felt very appropriate to have been made into a visual story since photographs are such a crucial part of the narrative. Most of the holocaust narratives I have read in books or seen in movies over the years have mostly featured Jews or those who were trying to help them. In history class we learned that there were those who didn't have any connection to Judaism or Jews who got sent to concentration camps, but this is the first story I have read that didn't focus on those groups. In this case, Spaniards. And more specifically, mostly those who fled Spain when Franco came to power. (If I hadn't read [b:A Long Petal of the Sea|46042377|A Long Petal of the Sea|Isabel Allende|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1565211383l/46042377._SY75_.jpg|69307454], I probably would not have understood situation as to how these men ended up in France and then the concentration camp. Though, in that book, the Spain refugees go to South America.)
This graphic novel mostly focuses on one man: Francisco Boix and how he hopes to use photographs to fight the Nazis. The artwork is gorgeous. The color palate sets the mood and feel of the story perfectly. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to know about this part of history.
Content Warning: Scenes from concentration camps (though they clearly convey about the conditions, they are not specifically graphic in gory detail)
This was a very powerful story and it felt very appropriate to have been made into a visual story since photographs are such a crucial part of the narrative. Most of the holocaust narratives I have read in books or seen in movies over the years have mostly featured Jews or those who were trying to help them. In history class we learned that there were those who didn't have any connection to Judaism or Jews who got sent to concentration camps, but this is the first story I have read that didn't focus on those groups. In this case, Spaniards. And more specifically, mostly those who fled Spain when Franco came to power. (If I hadn't read [b:A Long Petal of the Sea|46042377|A Long Petal of the Sea|Isabel Allende|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1565211383l/46042377._SY75_.jpg|69307454], I probably would not have understood situation as to how these men ended up in France and then the concentration camp. Though, in that book, the Spain refugees go to South America.)
This graphic novel mostly focuses on one man: Francisco Boix and how he hopes to use photographs to fight the Nazis. The artwork is gorgeous. The color palate sets the mood and feel of the story perfectly. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to know about this part of history.
Content Warning: Scenes from concentration camps (though they clearly convey about the conditions, they are not specifically graphic in gory detail)
dark
emotional
sad
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
informative
reflective
fast-paced