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Het eiland Bourbon 1730
Alle piraten hebben hun wapens ingeleverd, behalve La Buse. Hij zit dan ook opgesloten op La Réunion waar zijn oude strijdmakkers zich als kolonist hebben gevestigd. Gaan ze hem uit de gevangenis halen? Gaan ze op zoek naar zijn schat? Intussen zijn ook twee ornithologen op het eiland aangekomen. Ze hebben een expeditie uitgerust en zij hopen de laatste dodo te kunnen vangen.
Lewis Trontheim heeft meer strips geschreven en getekend dan hij zich kan herinneren. En hoewel hij zich had voorgenomen zelf geen strips meer te tekenen, viel hij toch voor het scenario van Apollo over het pirateneiland. Trondheim is de grootmeester van het beeldverhaal. Hij kreeg de grote prijs van Haarlem in 2004, de grote prijs van Angloulême in 2006 en hij is geridderd tot Chevalier des arts et lettres.
Lewis Trontheim heeft meer strips geschreven en getekend dan hij zich kan herinneren. En hoewel hij zich had voorgenomen zelf geen strips meer te tekenen, viel hij toch voor het scenario van Apollo over het pirateneiland. Trondheim is de grootmeester van het beeldverhaal. Hij kreeg de grote prijs van Haarlem in 2004, de grote prijs van Angloulême in 2006 en hij is geridderd tot Chevalier des arts et lettres.
290 pages, Hardcover
First published January 24, 2007
8 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
About the author
Appollo
47 books7 followersAppollo, de son vrai nom Olivier Frédéric Appollodorus, est un nouvelliste et scénariste de bande dessinée français né le 26 mars 1969 à Carthage, en Tunisie. Réunionnais, il fut l'un des piliers et fondateurs du Cri du Margouillat (dont il est l'actuel rédacteur en chef) et des éditions Centre du Monde. Il a par ailleurs collaboré à Capsule Cosmique. Il vit aujourd'hui à La Réunion après s'être installé à Luanda en tant que professeur de français en septembre 2007, puis plus tard à Kinshasa. Il a reçu le prix Jacques Lob pour l'ensemble de son œuvre en novembre 2012 et participe depuis 2013 à la revue Kanyar.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
November 8, 2008
Pirates, colonies, and slavery. Arrrgh, it’s really not all that funny. Based on the history of La Réunion island, Bourbon Island 1730 is a graphic novel co-written and illustrated by the great French novelist Lewis Trondheim. Originally uninhabited, Reunion Island (at times called Bourbon Island) was settled by the French in 1640 and is still part of France.
The theme is Freedom—the pursuit of it and the failure to find it. Pirates became civilized through amnesty, and yet the civilized looked just as ugly as the former plunderers did. Better personal hygiene, sure, but just as dirty inside. The former pirates became either rich slave owners or drunks mourning their former freebooting days. French naturalists visited the island and shot hundred of birds to catalog them. Slaves escaped and formed their own communities but were hunted like animals. The French government set up a colony on an island with no natives, but by importing slaves they quickly create a colonized state.
Were “freebooters” free? They were in many cases, murderers, rapists and kidnappers so they didn’t necessarily use their freedom for anything other than selfish pursuits. One might argue they plundered to survive, but clearly they weren’t subscribers to Simple magazine. Freedom does not necessarily have to equate to compassion. In this novel, the freebooters are only idolized by the naïve, but they can be contrasted with the various Governments of the time, which put their own legal imprimatur on the murder, rape and kidnapping of slaves. And certainly in a state of war, the Governments plundered their enemies. Many pirates were former slaves to add further complexity to the equation. They were mainly preying upon official ships of the governments that enslaved them (as well as Arab ships, which were often crewed with slaves). Neither side had strong moral ground to stand on and, both were cultural products of their times. Yet, the pirates did have a level of freedom not experienced by the bourgeoisie land-owner.
It’s interesting to consider these themes in the context of the “War on Terror.” Terrorists who commit murder are despicable and immoral. But so is the government that falsifies the evidence for a war responsible for the deaths of many.
Bourbon Island 1730 touches on the possibly apocryphal stories of a Pirate republic called Libertalia in Madagascar. It was a utopian community set up as a place for pirates to retire in peace (and freedom). But there is some evidence this was a fiction planted by Daniel Defoe in an otherwise fairly accurate history of pirates. Perhaps his wishful thinking, Libertalia was supposedly destroyed by a Malagasy native tribe from the interior of the island, ending the pirates’ attempts to find a peaceful freedom instead of a warring freedom.
I knew nothing about Reunion Island before I read this. The history is quite fascinating, and I found this fictionalized account of one brief period of that history to be an honest and intriguing exploration of pirates and the sad, casual exploitation of slaves by the French colonies.
The theme is Freedom—the pursuit of it and the failure to find it. Pirates became civilized through amnesty, and yet the civilized looked just as ugly as the former plunderers did. Better personal hygiene, sure, but just as dirty inside. The former pirates became either rich slave owners or drunks mourning their former freebooting days. French naturalists visited the island and shot hundred of birds to catalog them. Slaves escaped and formed their own communities but were hunted like animals. The French government set up a colony on an island with no natives, but by importing slaves they quickly create a colonized state.
Were “freebooters” free? They were in many cases, murderers, rapists and kidnappers so they didn’t necessarily use their freedom for anything other than selfish pursuits. One might argue they plundered to survive, but clearly they weren’t subscribers to Simple magazine. Freedom does not necessarily have to equate to compassion. In this novel, the freebooters are only idolized by the naïve, but they can be contrasted with the various Governments of the time, which put their own legal imprimatur on the murder, rape and kidnapping of slaves. And certainly in a state of war, the Governments plundered their enemies. Many pirates were former slaves to add further complexity to the equation. They were mainly preying upon official ships of the governments that enslaved them (as well as Arab ships, which were often crewed with slaves). Neither side had strong moral ground to stand on and, both were cultural products of their times. Yet, the pirates did have a level of freedom not experienced by the bourgeoisie land-owner.
It’s interesting to consider these themes in the context of the “War on Terror.” Terrorists who commit murder are despicable and immoral. But so is the government that falsifies the evidence for a war responsible for the deaths of many.
Bourbon Island 1730 touches on the possibly apocryphal stories of a Pirate republic called Libertalia in Madagascar. It was a utopian community set up as a place for pirates to retire in peace (and freedom). But there is some evidence this was a fiction planted by Daniel Defoe in an otherwise fairly accurate history of pirates. Perhaps his wishful thinking, Libertalia was supposedly destroyed by a Malagasy native tribe from the interior of the island, ending the pirates’ attempts to find a peaceful freedom instead of a warring freedom.
I knew nothing about Reunion Island before I read this. The history is quite fascinating, and I found this fictionalized account of one brief period of that history to be an honest and intriguing exploration of pirates and the sad, casual exploitation of slaves by the French colonies.
February 27, 2009
This book gained its second star in the last 50 pages. My main issue is with the artwork, and I nearly didn't finish because of it. Because there is no variation of line width, and not nearly enough usage of solid black, my eyes didn't know where to go in each panel and the characters didn't stick out. This technique works if the style is minimal, but here there is a lushness of detail that makes the characters, the action, and the scenery difficult to parse. At the end of the novel, however, events transpire at night, meaning that the sky is solid black, and that provided the contrast I needed to follow the story more easily.
I'm also a little wary of the Spiegelman-esque tactic of race/nationality represented by animal/species. The characterization of the black slaves as bears with big lips that look like blackface is problematic in itself but also because it seems to be the only designation that is even remotely derivative (aside from one vaguely native-looking creature at the end). But most of the characters are just animals, and it is left to the reader to decide what qualities differentiate them. (If it weren't translated, I might suggest that the ducks, or quackers, is a play on the term "Cracker.")
BUT all of those caveats aside, I did think the story itself was somewhat compelling. The dynamics of all the peoples on the island is interesting. The pirate aspect is interesting. But the visual presentation just made it hard to enjoy (and even get through).
I'm also a little wary of the Spiegelman-esque tactic of race/nationality represented by animal/species. The characterization of the black slaves as bears with big lips that look like blackface is problematic in itself but also because it seems to be the only designation that is even remotely derivative (aside from one vaguely native-looking creature at the end). But most of the characters are just animals, and it is left to the reader to decide what qualities differentiate them. (If it weren't translated, I might suggest that the ducks, or quackers, is a play on the term "Cracker.")
BUT all of those caveats aside, I did think the story itself was somewhat compelling. The dynamics of all the peoples on the island is interesting. The pirate aspect is interesting. But the visual presentation just made it hard to enjoy (and even get through).
January 23, 2023
Around the World Reading Challenge: RÉUNION
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3.5 stars rounded down
Pirates, slavery, colonies & colonialism, and extinct species--oh my! This was a fairly deep and intense graphic novel, telling the story of the French colony of Réunion Island. It's an interesting history, and I have to say one of my favorite parts of the book were the end notes providing a bit of historical context to the story being told. The author certainly doesn't shy away from the gritty realities of the island, and I did enjoy the story overall even if it did feel a little uneven and unfocused on the whole. I also can't say I was that impressed with the drawings themselves, which seemed rather sketch-like to the point where it looked messy and was distracting on the whole. The choice of animals for the characters also felt a little confusing and inconsistent--in other, similar graphic novels, there's a clear meaning and symbolism behind animal choices, but there was such variety here that it wasn't clear if I was missing the symbolism or if the choices really were random
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3.5 stars rounded down
Pirates, slavery, colonies & colonialism, and extinct species--oh my! This was a fairly deep and intense graphic novel, telling the story of the French colony of Réunion Island. It's an interesting history, and I have to say one of my favorite parts of the book were the end notes providing a bit of historical context to the story being told. The author certainly doesn't shy away from the gritty realities of the island, and I did enjoy the story overall even if it did feel a little uneven and unfocused on the whole. I also can't say I was that impressed with the drawings themselves, which seemed rather sketch-like to the point where it looked messy and was distracting on the whole. The choice of animals for the characters also felt a little confusing and inconsistent--in other, similar graphic novels, there's a clear meaning and symbolism behind animal choices, but there was such variety here that it wasn't clear if I was missing the symbolism or if the choices really were random
August 1, 2011
Really enjoyed this. It is a great portrait of the end of an era and the beginning of colonialism. I was surprised at how well documented it was. The drawing is minimalist but very effective in telling the story. It left me wanting more, so I will probably re-read it soon.
May 4, 2023
Entre lo histórico y el relato de aventuras, Apollo y Trondheim hacen un pequeño slice of life sobre la vida en la isla Reunión durante el ocaso de la piratería. Allí juntan una serie de personajes e historias personales en los que entremezclan la fascinación por ese mundo que había en la metrópoli con la compleja realidad sobre el terreno. Cómo esa proyección de utopía de libertad se contrastaba con el racismo, la pobreza, la esclavitud, la represión que aparecía en cuanto pisabas la isla. No todos los relatos que se cruzan están a la misma altura y esa irregularidad hace que a ratos haya avanzado a tientas, esperando reencontrarme con los personajes e historias más atractivas.
September 15, 2016
Beautiful melancholic tale about the end of the not-so-glorious era of pirates. Series of vignettes shows the decline of the world of high adventure on vast seas and the beginning of the prosaic sad life of coffee plantators, slave owners and no-life drunkards.
July 29, 2019
This historical account from Reunion (for my AtW challenge: Territories) intriguingly includes pirates and dodo-seeking ornithologists, but the story doesn't quite come together. In addition, the art is just okay; I did not understand how the anthropomorphized animals were chosen. I enjoyed, however, the historical notes on pirates at the end.
June 9, 2021
There are points of interest here, but overall it didn't do much for me. The narrative seems disjointed, Trondheim's visual style does not appeal to me (generally, I prefer art that doesn't look like it could have been done by a kid), and the point of the anthropomorphizing of the characters escapes me. There doesn't even seem to be consistency within families, let alone among people ostensibly of the same race or national origin (though maybe I just didn't pay enough attention). I suppose the point there could be to undermine the notion that there are indeed fundamental differences between people based on race, class, or nationality, but if so, the point is oblique. I guess one could call this a revisionist historical fiction, in that one of the perspective characters, Raphael (some kind of bird, apparently a rooster), is enamored of the romance of piracy but learns that the world is far more complex than such romanticization allows. Key to the plot is that La Buze, or The Buzzard (a historical pirate), is sentenced to be hanged (as indeed the historical figure was, in July 1730) and some of the other former pirates want to try to rescue him. Nothing comes of it, and in fact we never actually even see La Buze--which is too bad, since his name makes an obvious suggestion for how he should be anthropomorphized. Also key to th eplot is the failed quest for a surviving Dodo. Presumably the two plot lines comment on each other as instances of the passing/loss of something ad/or on human destruction of the natural world. Of some interest, I suppose, for its unsentimental look at the historical context, but I don't see myself revisiting it.
July 13, 2013
A rather flat story about the end of the reign of pirates; colonists struggling with the terrain, each other, and their slaves; and the notion of/quest for freedom. I found the depiction of slaves in this graphic style somewhat simplistic and mildly offensive. I actually found the notes at the end of the book pulling from various source materials more interesting than the story.
February 27, 2009
You really can't go wrong with a Trondheim book.
January 27, 2015
A nice wee part of french colonial history i was not familiar with, put into humorous graphic novel form, very inciteful and enjoyable.
November 20, 2017
Bleh. Full disclosure: I picked up the book based on title alone. Hubby and I like bourbon. I like graphic novels. I didn't read the back of the book at all, or open up the book.
Bourbon is the name of the island and that's it. There's one panel where characters mention rum, and that's it.
The entire book is black and white. The cover has color, but that's deceptive. No color once you open the book.
The drawings are crowded/busy. It's hard to know exactly where to look at each panel, as the characters and main objects and background are all the same weight and depth.
I'm not a fan of the whole representing various races by different species of animals thing. I couldn't even tell what the "slaves" species was supposed to be at first. (Fellow Goodreaders pointed out that they're bears. The creatures are drawn with huge lips, which threw me off.) They're referred to as "maroons." Then there are ducks... I guess they're white folk... and a dog. No clue what the dog is supposed to represent. It's incredibly unclear.
The story/plot itself wasn't compelling at all, and seemed to meander a little. Complete opposite of "page turner."
Bourbon is the name of the island and that's it. There's one panel where characters mention rum, and that's it.
The entire book is black and white. The cover has color, but that's deceptive. No color once you open the book.
The drawings are crowded/busy. It's hard to know exactly where to look at each panel, as the characters and main objects and background are all the same weight and depth.
I'm not a fan of the whole representing various races by different species of animals thing. I couldn't even tell what the "slaves" species was supposed to be at first. (Fellow Goodreaders pointed out that they're bears. The creatures are drawn with huge lips, which threw me off.) They're referred to as "maroons." Then there are ducks... I guess they're white folk... and a dog. No clue what the dog is supposed to represent. It's incredibly unclear.
The story/plot itself wasn't compelling at all, and seemed to meander a little. Complete opposite of "page turner."
May 6, 2021
To nie jest efekciarska historia, to rzecz o tym jak wyobrażenia i swego rodzaju naiwność zderzają się z rzeczywistością. Romantyczne wizje, jakie roją się w głowie bohatera (kaczki - to raczej u Trondheima nikogo nie dziwi) mają się nijak do dosyć brutalnej kolonialnej codzienności Wyspy Burbonów. Jest sporo nostalgii i tęsknoty za czymś co właśnie mija oraz wiele straconych złudzeń. Prawie każdy podąża za czymś co jest nieosiągalne i czytelnik wie o tym właściwie od początku. Poszukiwanie ptaka Dodo czy próba uzyskania informacji o skarbie są tu symboliczne. Również szukanie tych "prawdziwych" piratów przez Rafaela czy fantazjowanie o życiu wśród zbiegłych niewolników przez Virginię z jej teatralnymi pozami, świadczą raczej o dosyć sporym odklejeniu od rzeczywistości. Autora kojarzę oczywiście z historii fantasy, nie stroniących od solidnych porcji humoru, ale tu przeważa spokój i smutek w oczach bohaterów o zwierzęcych buźkach. Bliższe to komiksom Jasona niż klimatowi z serii o Ralphie Azhamie.
January 20, 2026
I really liked this book but I wish I liked it more. I really like the art and these quiet panels feel very deep and self reflective. I loved the characters and the environment, and the fucked up tone of the story comes out of nowhere a little bit but is very interesting. This book really made me want to read more pirate stories. There is problematic depiction of black ppl but also a lot of anti-slavery anti colonialist themes so it’s a little confusing if the artist is trying to depict the racism of the time or his own prejudice but either way it seems a bit problematic. I was a little disappointed by the story which for the first half has I think really great build up and suspense. I was really intrigued by this idea of pirates being granted amnesty and the power struggle on the island. But all of the tension just kinda fizzles out and the story kinda tails off from its original idea. Anyway still really enjoyed
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2022
Plenty of colorful characters on the Island skillfully drawn with black ink on white paper. Professor's assistant Raphael Pommery progresses from begging for more pirate stories from sailors to telling the tale of the hanging of Buzzard to a group of interested listeners. The history of the island and of the pirate era is worked into the story without slowing things down. By the time I got to the historical notes at the end I was interested in all the topics the notes covered. I hadn't learned elsewhere that the governors of this island gave amnesty to pirates to such an extent that one out of four residents were former pirates. Throw in escaped slaves, coffee plantations and a significant local population and you have quite a mix.
May 29, 2022
Une BD simili-historique, disons nettement inspirée de l'histoire de la fin de la piraterie sur l'île Bourbon (actuelle île de la Réunion).
C'est aussi une réflexion intéressante sur le piratisme et l'esclavagisme, leur place (plus ou moins réaliste) dans notre imaginaire, et dans l'imaginaire de l'époque.
Enfin je vais peut-être chercher trop loin: c'est peut-être tout simplement une histoire pleine d'aventures, souvent drôle, très bien servie (comme d'habitude) par le dessin de Trondheim.
Je reprocherais juste au dessin d'être parfois un peu brouillon; pour qui ne connaît pas le dessin de Trondheim, il a l'air d'être très simple, mais quand on y regarde de près il est fichtrement précis et expressif - ici c'est peut-être un peu moins le cas à certains moments.
C'est aussi une réflexion intéressante sur le piratisme et l'esclavagisme, leur place (plus ou moins réaliste) dans notre imaginaire, et dans l'imaginaire de l'époque.
Enfin je vais peut-être chercher trop loin: c'est peut-être tout simplement une histoire pleine d'aventures, souvent drôle, très bien servie (comme d'habitude) par le dessin de Trondheim.
Je reprocherais juste au dessin d'être parfois un peu brouillon; pour qui ne connaît pas le dessin de Trondheim, il a l'air d'être très simple, mais quand on y regarde de près il est fichtrement précis et expressif - ici c'est peut-être un peu moins le cas à certains moments.
April 2, 2018
My least favorite Trondheim book ever - and it's not bad, just a little too meandering and with a few too many characters.
On Bourbon Island, in 1730, a young ornithologist and his mentor are searching for a living dodo specimen, while all manner of political and cultural upheavals related to the pardoning of former pirates and the freedom (and lack thereof) of the island's slave population are exploding around them. The seeds of 100 great stories are here, but none of the characters manage to stick in my memory and the plot seems unfocused and indifferent. There are moments, but it's mostly unfulfilled promise.
On Bourbon Island, in 1730, a young ornithologist and his mentor are searching for a living dodo specimen, while all manner of political and cultural upheavals related to the pardoning of former pirates and the freedom (and lack thereof) of the island's slave population are exploding around them. The seeds of 100 great stories are here, but none of the characters manage to stick in my memory and the plot seems unfocused and indifferent. There are moments, but it's mostly unfulfilled promise.
February 16, 2021
I don't really know what this book was... about? It touches on a variety of subjects, all very interesting like the search for the dodo bird, what it means to be a pirate and even racism. But it doesn't seem to hone in on any of these subjects. It's a story that seems to come and go without it really wanting to say anything. Which is not a bad thing per se. I enjoyed the little journey over the Island of Bourbon and Appollo's art is excellent! I love all the squiggly lines and little details in the panels. I look forward to turning the page every single time!
January 1, 2023
this was really confusing at first because it kept switching between povs at random and sometimes I didn’t even notice but it got less confusing as I kept going. the book was actually really interesting. I liked the notes at the end too, I didn’t realize that the story was based on real people and places. kinda disappointed that no one has found Buzzard’s treasure to this day, but I guess it was never meant to be found
February 27, 2018
The history and endnotes were interesting but the story was not. You don't spend enough time with any of the characters to get attached to them and the story arcs are short and unfulfilling. Another reviewer commented on the lack of value contrast in the drawings which makes it difficult to establish a focal point... this book is not an artistic feat.
April 12, 2020
The main character ruined it for me- I hated him from page 1-278. The type that leads to strangling... just enough to take his voice away for the day. I knew that I'd never go back to it if I didn't finish the story in one extended sitting.
Otherwise, it was populated with a great quantity of quality characters but rendered with seemingly lazy art.
Otherwise, it was populated with a great quantity of quality characters but rendered with seemingly lazy art.
June 9, 2019
Jolie BD avec des dessins de Trondheim, comme d'habitude excellent sur les paysages et animaux personnifiés. L'histoire aurait mérité un peu plus de clarté tant au niveau du trait que des différents nœuds. Mais ce fut instructif sur les thèmes de la piraterie au XVIIIe siècle et sur l'île Bourbon !
February 29, 2024
I love Lewis Trondheim but this book was just so-so for me. I kept confusing the characters and the narrative was a little disjointed. Liked the historical aspect of it but the story was overall hard to follow.
April 21, 2018
an excellent work of graphic novel historical fiction.
May 21, 2025
rants:
• complex storytelling
• it reads like a movie
• it has adventure, history, and humour
• the characters are charactering
• page 73 and 269 are probably some of my favorite character moments
• complex storytelling
• it reads like a movie
• it has adventure, history, and humour
• the characters are charactering
• page 73 and 269 are probably some of my favorite character moments
November 23, 2017
I liked the style, but after the amount of investment it took to get through a historical fiction book even of this length, the ending was a vaguely-confusing anticlimax. I'm also not sure why the characters were animals, especially since many of the slaves and ex-slaves were of an indistinguishable species (they looked vaguely like Arthur the Aardvark?), but I didn't get it in The Complete Maus either and everybody loves Maus.
June 9, 2009
Looks almost like a straightforward story about pirates and slavery, but there's a lot going on here. It's a thoughtful historical drama, a comedy of manners and a political satire, based on ugly events. I would totally recommend it for young adults, but older people will appreciate it on other levels too.
Most of the plots and characters are about escape: the fugitive slaves who just want to live, the naive ornithologist who wants to be a pirate, the pirates who are trying to be respectable citizens, the plantation owner's daughter who wants to join the fugitive slaves. And the whole book is an escape - you come into this strange place with more or less the same point of view as the ornithologist, that maybe this would be a good place to have adventures. By the end, it's clear that none of it is likely to work out that way, but it's not cynical; just an exhilarating trip that's also really sad.
It's got a deceptively light tone -- Trondheim's style is made for comedy, and not just because he always draws everyone with animal heads (using an ethnic category system like Maus, but more expressive); his timing, the way he draws action, everything is basically playful. (More than other Trondheim books I've seen, the backgrounds are very lush; the tropical foliage bursts across the panels with a kind of friendly wildness, and he saves most of his solid black inking for the plants, giving them a texture that reminds me a little of Tove Jansson's beautiful Moomin books.) But the writer uses this to sly advantage, because the darkest parts of the story are all about what we only barely see or just hear about -- all the things the cheerful colonialists have managed to ignore. In the most disturbing scene, with almost no movement, an ex-pirate turned rebel slave leader (drawn as a finely dressed, emaciated dog whose face is all bitter lines and shadows) whispers through a jail window to a newly-arrived slave (drawn as a tiny, nearly featureless, child-like puppy), tells him about the awful life that's in store, tells him it's hopeless... then throws him a knife and urges him to do some damage while he can. We see the result later, from a distance, in the corner of a panel, and none of the main characters notice.
Most of the plots and characters are about escape: the fugitive slaves who just want to live, the naive ornithologist who wants to be a pirate, the pirates who are trying to be respectable citizens, the plantation owner's daughter who wants to join the fugitive slaves. And the whole book is an escape - you come into this strange place with more or less the same point of view as the ornithologist, that maybe this would be a good place to have adventures. By the end, it's clear that none of it is likely to work out that way, but it's not cynical; just an exhilarating trip that's also really sad.
It's got a deceptively light tone -- Trondheim's style is made for comedy, and not just because he always draws everyone with animal heads (using an ethnic category system like Maus, but more expressive); his timing, the way he draws action, everything is basically playful. (More than other Trondheim books I've seen, the backgrounds are very lush; the tropical foliage bursts across the panels with a kind of friendly wildness, and he saves most of his solid black inking for the plants, giving them a texture that reminds me a little of Tove Jansson's beautiful Moomin books.) But the writer uses this to sly advantage, because the darkest parts of the story are all about what we only barely see or just hear about -- all the things the cheerful colonialists have managed to ignore. In the most disturbing scene, with almost no movement, an ex-pirate turned rebel slave leader (drawn as a finely dressed, emaciated dog whose face is all bitter lines and shadows) whispers through a jail window to a newly-arrived slave (drawn as a tiny, nearly featureless, child-like puppy), tells him about the awful life that's in store, tells him it's hopeless... then throws him a knife and urges him to do some damage while he can. We see the result later, from a distance, in the corner of a panel, and none of the main characters notice.
December 21, 2012
Hankin tämän koska en ollut lukenut Trondheimilta vuosikausiin mitään ja ajattelin että tämä saattaisi olla hauska, niinku, Secret of the Monkey Island -hauska. Olin väärässä. Tämä historiallinen antiseikkailu on kuollut kuin dodo. Tarinassa ei ole rytmiä eikä rakennetta. Se ei tiedä onko se draamaa vai huumoria. Tapahtumat, sikäli kun niitä on, pyörivät ympyrää. Hahmot vaihtuvat jatkuvasti ja niitä ei joko erota toisistaan tai niissä ei ole mitään tolkkua. Tekijöiden mielenkiinto historiallista aineistoa kohtaan vaikuttaa melko pintapuoliselta eivätkä tunnu itsekään olevan siitä kovin innoissaan. Yleensä historiallisten juttujen jälkeen tulee kurkattua wikipediaan mutta nyt - ei mitään. Todella lattea ja lannistava toteutus. Trondheimin piirrosjälki elukkahahmoineen on peruskivaa mutta ei mitään yllättävää, kirjan paksuus saa ohuen viivan tuntumaan yllättävänkin paperiselta. Erityisen yllättävää on lisäksi se, että kerronnan 'flowkin' takkuilee ja tökkii kuin noviisilla. Kyllä Trondheimin pitäisi olla jo sen verran kokenut kettu että ne asiat tulee selkärangasta, mutta - ei. Käsittämättömiä töksähdyksiä. Tummaihoiset hahmot erottaa muuten siitä että niille on piirretty paksut huulet.
Niin se juoni? Ornitologi ja sen apuri saapuvat saarelle. Karanneita orjia on jossain vuorilla. Viimeinen merirosvo on saatu kiinni. Jotkut tyypit aikovat vapauttaa sen. Tätä sitten kohkataan eestaas joku 280 sivua.
Tämä ei ollut kyllä mistään kotoisin. Harvinaisen tolkuton teos.
Niin se juoni? Ornitologi ja sen apuri saapuvat saarelle. Karanneita orjia on jossain vuorilla. Viimeinen merirosvo on saatu kiinni. Jotkut tyypit aikovat vapauttaa sen. Tätä sitten kohkataan eestaas joku 280 sivua.
Tämä ei ollut kyllä mistään kotoisin. Harvinaisen tolkuton teos.
April 18, 2012
Ca fait longtemps que j'attends une sortie en librairie d'un nouvel opus de "Donjon", une des grosses séries BD de Johan Sfar & Lewis Trondheim. Pensez, le dernier album est sortie en 2008. Il a bien eu des bruits qui courts sur deux albums en forme de conclusion pour 2011, mais 2012 est arrivé et même les auteurs peinnent à donner une date définitive... Tous ça pour dire que j'étais en manque des dessins de Lewis Trondheim et des aventures qu'il fait vivre à ses personnages...
Par le plus grand des hasards, j'avais 30 minutes à perdre et à flanner du côté de la librairie 85000, et je tombe sur un petit livre (plutôt format roman graphique) de... Lewis Trondheim, intitulé : ILE BOURBON 1730. J'ai craqué !
Et je ne regrette rien... Ce livre est magnifique et dépeint des aventures sur l'ile de La Réunion, au 18ème siècle, au temps de la piraterie et de l'esclavage. Du papier de sa couverture, on imaginerait une vielle carte au trésor. Le scénariste : APPOLLO (qui habite l'ile depuis ses 10 ans) insère dans l'histoire de vrais morceaux d'Histoire...
A lire comme une détente...
August 1, 2011
Like Spiegelman in MAUS, Appollo and Trondheim use the separative effect of anthropomorphized animals to tell a socially-explorative period piece in an eye-catching way. Unlike MAUS, this piece doesn't use different species to signify class (unless I'm missing something, which is certainly possible). In this case, Appollo and Trondheim use talking animals as a way into examining colonialism in the 18th century as the need for safe trading brought law to previously isolated islands. It's an interesting look at race, social and economic chasms in a community just beginning to find itself, with a looseness in both writing and art that manage to both provide an idiosyncratic cartooning and lush detail to Bourbon Island's jungles.
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