Castro: A Graphic Novel

by Reinhard Kleist

On the heels of America’s renewed relations with Cuba: a vividly depicted graphic novel on the life of Fidel Castro.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, History, Nonfiction, Biography, Graphic Novels Comics, Politics

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Born in 1970 near Cologne.

After school he had an internship at printing and publishing Landpress in Weilerswist Studium at the College of Visual Arts in Münster. There the albums "Lovecraft", "Dorian" and "adventure of a switchman" were created.

After graduation in 1996 he moved to Berlin.
where he worked in a studio. For some years he did workshops, lectures and exhibitions in countries like Mexico, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Jordan, Algeria, Spain, Canada and others, at the invitation of the Goethe Institute or my foreign publishers.

In December 2013, as part of a project for ARTE, he was in a refugee camp in northern Iraq where he I did interviews with Syrian refugees. He did a lot of sketches, and did two workshops with children. The results and photos from the workshop can be seen at ARTE Refugees

In 2011 his comic strip "The Boxer" was published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, which was published in May 2012 in a revised version as a book by Carlsen Verlag.

In 2015, "The Dream of Olympia", the story of Samia Yusuf Omar, was published by Carlsen Verlag and in 2016 was awarded the "Annual Lynx" and the Catholic Children and Youth Book Prize.

Reviews

[Barbara McEwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - As usual, I find the graphic novel a great way to read biographies and get into history. It seemed a fair representation of him as far as I can tell and I think it was well done.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting, but fairly bland. Since Castro is such a polarizing figure, I can appreciate that he would be difficult to write about. No matter how scrupulously fair and balanced the writing, the pro-Castro faction will complain that he wasn't praised enough, and the anti-Castro forces will settle for nothing less than total demonization. Kleist, fortunately, does his best to ignore both extremes and focus on telling the story as well as he is able. Our point of view on the story is a young reporter, Karl Mertens. Through his eyes we see Castro's beginnings as a revolutionary and his eventual rise to power. Mertens seems perhaps rather naive, but we have the perspective of knowing how much of the story turns out. The story covers Cuban history from the Batista regime up to the present day. Kleist isn't strongly interested in praising or damning, and does his best to portray events as honestly as possible. Ultimately, it's a history book, and if it's not history you're particularly interested in, then you're probably not going to get much out of this.

[Rubens Mazzini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente obra tanto do ponto de vista artístico - desenho e roteiro - quanto do ponto de vista histórico. Os autores fazem uma narrativa criativa da história de Fidel Castro e da revolução cubana a partir da visão do personagem, Karl - um jornalista alemão que se apaixona pela causa e acaba casando com uma cubana revolucionária, Júlia - a qual mais tarde se desilude com a revolução e foge para Miami. O roteiro se baseia em profunda pesquisa histórica. O roteirista, Volker Skierka, autor de "Fidel Castro, uma Biografia", visitou várias outras biografias e documentários para elaborar o roteiro que, embora ficcional, é absolutamente coerente com a história, com o mérito de ser totalmente isento e não tendencioso, apresentando os fatos de modo que podem ser examinados e entendidos de diferentes pontos de vista, permitindo que o leitor tire suas próprias conclusões. O desenhista, Reinhard Kleist possui um traço vigoroso e expressivo que retrata com rigor o ambiente os personagens e ambiente. Antes de realizar a obra passou quatro semanas em Havana (experiência que registrou em outra obra, "Havanna: Uma viagem para Cuba"). É considerado um dos melhores quadrinistas alemães, sendo detentor de vários prêmios. Leitura altamente recomendável.

[Eren Buğlalılar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tipik bir 90'lar çocuğu tarzı: Devrimcilik boşuna: "denizi sabanla sürmek". İktidara gelmek anlamsız: Çünkü iktidar çürütür. Aydınların düşünce özgürlüğü devrimden de önemlidir. Hele ki heteroseksüel değilse dokunulmaz olmalıdır.

90'dan sonra sosyalist basın bitirildiği, Küba'yı eleştirmek dışında orada olan bitenler hakkında haber vermek zımnen yasaklandığı için, Kleist Küba'nın başardıklarını aktarmaya isteksiz. Ona kalırsa herkes perişan ve aç

Kleist'ta neler yok: 1991 yılında SSCB yıkıldıktan sonra Rusya'da ortalama insan ömrünün 10 yıldan fazla kısaldığı. Bunun nedeninin de Amerikan ve Avrupa tekellerinin eski Sovyet ülkelerinde giriştiği yağma olduğu.

Buna ve tüm ablukaya rağmen Küba'daki insan ömrünün ABD'dekine denk olduğu. Bebek ölümlerinin ABD'de Küba'dan daha fazla olduğu yok.

ABD eğitimli faşistlerin Küba devriminin önünü kesmek için Şili, Nikaragua, El Salvador ve Guatemala'da kaç yüzbin kişinin kanına girdikleri yok.

Kitapta gazetecilerin tutuklanışı tüm somutluğuyla var, tam olarak neyle suçlandıkları yok.

Yazar Castro'nun Güney Amerika'da acımasızca katledilen Allende'ye, Güney Afrika'da apartheid rejimine karşı savaşan ANC'ye verdiği desteği, Castro'nun sevişmesini ve golf oynamasını göstermekten daha önemsiz bulmuş.

Bravo sana Kleist.

[Nashwa S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this book four stars because I really enjoyed it. I’ve always had a weird fascination with Cuba - which may not be so strange in retrospect considering its history and being under a trade embargo for over fifty years.

One thing that helps before going into this book is knowing a bit about the Cuban revolution before because the initial chapter can be quite confusing. Divided into three sections, this book focuses on the pre-revolution Cuba, Cuba during the revolution and after the revolution.

It draws on the charismatic leadership of Fidel Castro, how he aspired to take over the government from a young age and succeeded. It also focuses on the shift in his politics and personality - as he became more ruthless in both as time passed and the situation of the country deteriorated drastically under his rule. It records the history well - with Castro going from a revered leader to a tyrant of sorts.

The fact that it is told from an outsider's perspective - a German journalist who chose to stay in Cuba - adds to the charm!

[Annegazetesi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Film tadındaydı ama... ama'sı var. Sanki bir şeyler eksikti. Kitap boyunca beklediğim ama tamamlanmayan bir şeyler vardı sanki. Castro'uy kötü mü göstermeye çalışmış anlamadım, iyi şeylerden değil de hep kötü şeylerden bahsetmiş ve yaşanılan kötü günleri sayfalarca uzun uzun anlatmış. Küba'da iyi şeyler de var, hatta iyiler kötülerden çok. Belki de eksiklik olarak hissettiğim buydu. Bir grafik roman olarak değil de, roman olarak okuyabilme şansımız olduğunda, çok daha iyi romanlar okuyabiliriz bence. Hemen araştırmalı, Castro'yu kimler yazmış.. :)

[Minnie Reader Glasses Nerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Daniela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

[Mars Dorian · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book tells the story of the young and ambitious student turned lawyer Fidel eventually fighting the Barista regime before becoming the 'revolutionary' leader fighting the 'imperialist' forces of the United States.

Most of the story is told through a fictional ideological journalist from Germany who joins the revolutionary movement and observes Castro's reign.

This could have easily been a 4-star comic, but the bewildering depiction of a mass-murdering dictator made the book come across as soft propaganda.

If you'd only read the comic, you'd believe that Fidel was a fair and just revolutionary who was persecuted by the 'evil' Americans, which 'forced' him to commit crimes against his fellow Cubans.

The artist and author conveniently leave out Castro's persecution of gay people, putting dissidents into prison work camps and/or killing them.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting graphic novel part history part surmised. Black and white illustrations have a lot of movement and intensity and are perfect for most of the 1950s to 1970s parts of the work.
A good introduction to Castro but doesn't really leave you feeling like the whole story is covered by a longshot.
A quick evening of reading.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good start for anyone interested in Cuba's struggle. The graphic novel is presented chiefly from the struggle within Cuba. Outside influences such as the USA and Russia are presented as catalysts for change after Castro takes power.

The illustrations are interesting, thick black lines and edges are applied on most frames. The best were some of the speech scenes as bold text sprays from Castro's limbs. The graphics flow from the distinctive caricature elements of the characters.

Che could have been explored more, however his farewell with Castro was very well expressed.

Kleist unveiled the women of Cuba a little unfairly. Wives are presented as solipsistic semi-capitalists who can't understand food rationing and are often keen to emigrate.

A courageous effort for a graphic novel so I do recommend it.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mais um belo trabalho sobre a biografia de uma personalidade feita pelo quadrinista alemão Reinhad Kleist. Depois de trazer para os quadrinhos as histórias O Boxeador, Elvis e Cash, dessa vez o escolhido foi Fidel Castro. A história em quadrinhos acompanha Karl, um escritor e jornalista americano que vai à Cuba para cobrir a proposta de revolução feita por Fidel Castro e Ernesto Che Guevara. Mal sabe ele que iria se encantar com a proposta revolucionária, fazer parte dela e também ajudar a construir uma nova forma de vida na ilha da América Central. Os traços de Reinhard Kleist são fabulosos, abusando de um pincel espesso para fazer suas artes. Adquiri este livro em quadrinhos na Feira do Livro do ano passado, estava em promoção na banca da Besouro Box e andava aqui por casa sem eu ter começado a ler. Quando vi que meu xará de Goodreads estava lendo um material de Kleist acabei me lembrando que tinha este Castro aqui para ler. Foi uma ótima experiência e com ela acredito que li todos os materiais do quadrinistas já publicados aqui no Brasil. Todos sensacionais.

[Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een mooi boek, vooral geschikt als introductie tot de Cubaanse Revolutie. Meer tekst was welkom geweest; niet alleen is het boek zo uit, ook is het verhaal soms lastig te volgen door het gebrek aan uitleg. Volgende keer toch maar een boek op tekstuele basis.

[Tanvir Muntasim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent biographical graphic novel which depicts Castro as a well-meaning, pragmatic, driven but still flawed human being rather than either deifying or vilifying him.

[Luke Featherstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Castro begins from the perspective of a German Journalist, Karl Mertens. He travels to Cuba to do a story on Fidel Castro and his group of revolutionaries. Enthralled with the energy of the movement, he stays to fight alongside the revolutionaries in the conflicts to come. While frequently touching back on this character, the author delivers a gripping story of Castro and his role in Cuban history. The author examines both the triumphs and defeats of a man who is seen as larger-than-life. It gives the reader a panoramic view of Castro’s Cuba.

On a scale of five stars, this book absolutely deserves five stars. Fidel Castro is such a fascinating person. Reinhard Kleist takes this legend and gives you his perspective. Any book that can take a man like this and put you inside of his head is brilliant. Throughout the story, you empathize with him, sharing his glories and his mistakes. What really make this book stand out is the ending. It concludes with an elderly Castro giving a monologue in his room. He admits his failures and contemplates the inevitability of the world. This book does not force you to make a judgement on him, but rather it reflects on the mortality of everything and everyone. By examining a legacy that has lived through several eras, it truly` gave me a new perspective on the world.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Θα προσθέσω τα 2 μου cents λέγοντας πως σε σχέση με το Αβάνα που βρήκα μέτριο και ερασιτεχνικό, εδώ έχουμε μια επαγγελματική και διεξοδική δουλειά. Πολλή έρευνα ώστε να είναι οι πληροφορίες όσο το δυνατόν ακριβέστερες (τσέκαρα για ό,τι αμφέβαλλα από άλλες πηγές και δεν βρήκα ασυμφωνία) όπως επίσης και η απεικόνιση των διαφόρων μνημείων, κτηρίων, ιστορικών μοτίβων κλπ. Μ'αρέσουν πολύ όσα κόμικ δίνουν τόσο μεγάλη αξία στην λεπτομέρεια. Μεγάλο συν το Α/Μ σχέδιο, μιας και η τεχνοτροπία του Κλάιστ μπουκώνει με το χρώμα. Το ασπρόμαυρο αναδεικνύει πολύ τις σκιάσεις του και τις εκφράσεις των προσώπων.

Η έκδοση εξαιρετική για την τιμή της. Το πήρα 5 ευρώ αλλά και τα 10 που έκανε τα έδινα ανετότατα.

[Desirée · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sehr informativ, aber für meinen Geschmack ein bisschen steif erzählt, im Vergleich zu Autoren wie zum Beispiel Joe Sacco. Etwas schwierig finde ich auch das Verhältnis von Fakt und Fiktion, das mir nicht ganz klar geworden ist. Ist Castros Monolog am Schluss zum Beispiel authentisch? Und wenn nicht, könnte er dann authentisch sein, basiert er auf seinen verbürgten Ansichten -oder ist er frei erfunden? Trotzdem habe ich auf angenehme Weise einiges gelernt und bin gespannt auf Kleists andere Graphic Novels.

[Sonic · Rating 4 out of 5]

When people are vilified by the media, here in the U.S., I know I am getting a distorted picture. So this was not only interesting as a biography, but I felt like I was getting a more objective perspective than what has usually been available.
This was well done, much stronger IMO than his Cash bio, which I also enjoyed.

[Metin Yılmaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bu kez biraz amacı dışında olmuş gibi. Daha doğrusu amacın çizgileri net çizilmemiş. Hatalarla dolu bir devrim sürecinde yaşananlar çok hızlı geçilirken, çok önemli olmayan konular uzatılmış gibi geldi bana. Castro ile ilgili aklımızda kalan fazla bir bilgi yok. Adı Castro olan çalışma için bu biraz düşündürücü.

[Frank Lang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diese Biografie von Fidel Castro erntete viele gute Kritiken. Vor allem, weil Autor und Zeichner Reinhard Kleist sich intensiv mit der Thematik auseinandergesetzt hat. Kleist ist nicht nur selbst nach Kuba gereist, um sich vor Ort ein Bild von dem Land zu machen, sondern ihm stand auch Volker Skierka beratend zur Seite, der selbst einige Biografien von Fidel Castro geschrieben hat.

Detailgetreu

Gepackt hat Kleist die Biografie in das Gewand eines deutschen Journalisten, aus dessen Sicht die Graphic Novel erzählt wird. Dieser ist nach Kuba gereist, um Fidel Castro zu interviewen und ist derart begeistert von dem Land, dass er den Rest seines Lebens nicht mehr von ihm loskommt.

Die Paarung von Detailtreue und Erzählung aus allwissender Position führt dazu, dass sehr viele indirekte Sprache in dem Buch enthalten ist. Immer wieder erzählt der Journalist aus allwissender Position. Damit wird der Leser auf Distanz gehalten und findet kaum Zugang zu den einzelnen Figuren. Der Freiheitsgedanke und die Idee der Revolution springt so kaum auf den Leser über. Die große Kraft, die Castro und seine Anhänger bewegt hat, sich gegen das Regime zu stemmen, kommt leider nicht rüber.

Gezeichnet ist die Graphic Novel in Schwarz-weiß (ohne Grauabstufungen) mit einem harten Strich und zum Teil sehr kräftigen Strukturen. Dies wirkte auf mich als Leser relativ kühl und erhöhte die erzählerische Distanz zu den Figuren. Gleichzeitig fehlt eine zeichnerische Detailtreue, da hin und wieder die Gesichter keinen Wiedererkennungswert hatten. In einer Graphic Novel (oder einem Comic) ist dies aber meiner Meinung nach essentiell wichtig.

Historisch ist die Novel sicherlich wertvoll, denn es wird sehr genau über die politischen Verstrickungen erzählt. Wie Fidel Castro immer wieder Steine in den Weg gelegt werden, wie der Aufstieg dann doc gelang bis hin zu kleineren Details wie z.B. das Überleben von über 600 (geplanten) Attentaten.

Fazit

So detailtreu und erzählerisch gewichtig die Graphic Novel auch ist, so langatmig und distanziert kommt das Leben von Fidel Castro beim Leser an. Damit wird man dem Revolutionär sicherlich nicht gerecht. Schade, dass der Funke nicht auf mich überspringen wollte.

[Flint Beard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well done “historical story”, I.e. a story that is technically a fictionalized presentation told through the eyes of a “neutral” fictional narrator, but a story that hits the non fiction historical high points in the life and career of Castro.

My take is this: the story is presented in a *relatively* neutral way, especially compared to the majority of Western writings concerned with the Cuban revolution and Fidel; and I genuinely enjoyed the read and definitely recommend it.

However, I *also* recommend taking a grain of salt along with your consumption of this graphic novel. While it was enjoyable, it is drawn well, and it’s written smoothly, it’s worth noting that this book is not unique in that it proves to have NOT been immune from falling into the all-too-familiar unfortunate tendency of “soft propaganda” in its ham handed attempt at evoking a sense of regret from the fictional narrator about his participation in the revolution. A bit eye roll inducing, for sure, but all in all it doesn’t ruin the overall experience imo.

[Daniel Stitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read Reinhard Kleist’s graphic novel, “Castro,” and found it to be a compelling exploration of Fidel Castro’s life and Cuba’s history. The narrative, presented through the perspective of German journalist Karl Mertens, effectively captures the fervor of the Cuban Revolution and the complexities of Castro’s character. 

Kleist’s black-and-white illustrations are striking, particularly the detailed depictions of Havana and the Cuban countryside, which immerse the reader in the setting. However, I felt that the lack of color sometimes diminished the vibrancy of Cuban culture and landscapes.

The book’s structure, comprising only two chapters over 280 pages, made it challenging to track the story’s progression. More chapter divisions could have provided clearer narrative breaks and enhanced readability.

Despite these minor critiques, “Castro” offers valuable insights into a turbulent period and a complex historical figure. It’s a worthwhile read for anyone interested in Cuba’s history and the dynamics of its revolution. 

[Marko8 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be quite an educational read, while not feeling submerged in text.

I really enjoyed the art style, I think it was an excellent match for the story of Fidel Castro and Cuba while he was alive.

I was not previously familiar with Fidel Castro's story, I have read Guerilla Warfare and had seen a very long time ago "the Motorcycle diaries" movie, telling the story of some of the experiences of Ernesto "Che" Guevara. I have read a couple of other books about how life has been under the regime of dictatorships in Latin America and I had read two books about Cuba, but I think this graphic novel had more depth in the story of Fidel Castro's revolution and life.

After reading this, I think that Fidel Castro was quite a contradictory character, fighting for the people and equality, nevertheless with the ruthlessness and control of power of a dictator.

I enjoyed reading this, founds this a very interesting read and I would definitely recommend.

[Taciana Nilo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Em se tratando de revolução cubana e seus protagonistas, não é fácil encontrar uma obra que consiga se manter relativamente neutra, sem se deixar levar pela crítica incondicional ou pelo entusiasmo inabalável, mas esse livro conseguiu esse feito. De um lado, narra a trajetória de um jornalista alemão (Karl) que viaja p Cuba para relatar os últimos acontecimentos políticos e revolucionários, acaba se apaixonando pelos ideais socialistas (e por uma revolucionária cubana) e resolve permanecer na ilha. Por outro lado, mostra como pessoas extremamente próximas ao jornalista são perseguidas por se oporem aos "ideiais revolucionários", são privadas de bens básicos e resolvem, desiludidos, se mudar da ilha. Vale pontuar que os fatos históricos que precederam e que sucederam a revolução são muito bem relatados e ilustrados. Sem dúvidas, é uma obra de excelente valor artístico.

[Zéro Janvier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Une bande dessinée passionnante sur la vie de Fidel Castro.

On suit l’histoire de la révolution cubaine : l’enthousiasme des débuts, la transformation d’une révolution de libération populaire en une révolution communiste, les relations plus que difficiles avec le voisin impériale américain, le durcissement progression du régime en une dictature refusant la critique et muselant notamment les intellectuels, les effets de l’embargo commercial et l’appauvrissement de la population, et enfin la sécession entre Fidel Castro et son frère Raúl.

C’est une formidable leçon d’histoire en bande dessinée, le format idéal pour donner vie aux personnalités qui ont écrit cette Histoire : Fidel Castro bien sûr, mais aussi le « Che ».

[Sourojit Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more substantial than the graphic novel on Che, Castro manages to capture both the rise of Dr Castro the charismatic lawyer turned revolutionary struggling for equality in the mountains of the Sierra Maestra, to the fall (at least in popularity) of Fidel - the man who would not lie - but under whom the Cuban economy would nosedive faster than a Stuka hunting for a tank.
Told through the eyes of a fictional journalist Karl Mertens who comes to Cuba to interivew Castro, and stays behind as an idealistic supporter of the revolution and what it stands for..to the bitter end..
As the US reaches out to Cuba again, its a fairly unbiased look at what was, what could have been, and the crumbling edifices of what is

[Aleksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4. Graphic novel about Fidel's Castro life 🖌 Thick book with black and white illustrations very briefly tells us about Revolution in Cuba and history of Fidel Castro from his childhood till retirement years. This book is a good start to explore happenings in Cuba during those years, but do not expect to get a very deep understanding about him or people who followed him during the path. Also, for an unaware person this book might be confusing, because I couldn't fully follow some of characters as they appeared very briefly, without introduction. I had to google quite often to get a fuller picture. I think, this is just a side effect of book being a graphical representation.

[Jamandelb]

Not as much immediately obvious for students to comment on in a literary study, compared to Persepolis as the text to beat. Feels much more non-fiction (which it does purport to be) than anything symbolic or artistically daring — he has illustrated what these various people did. A few interesting cinematic moments playing with overlapping time. His art and manner of aging characters throughout, though, often made the main faces hard to pick out quickly so one can occasionally get lost in the conversations. Requires some knowledge of events beforehand. I wouldn’t teach this, though I could pick up his Olympic Dream as a simple supplementary text with Persepolis.

[Firat Fidan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biyografi ile mit arasındaki çizginin dengesini kitaplarına muhteşem şekilde yansıtan Reinhard Kleist bu kitabı ile de yine şov yapmış. Güney Amerika’nın devrimci hareketinin özgür bir gazetesinde yazı işleri görevini yürüten bir Amerikan gazetecinin Fidel Castro ile tanışması, yanında beraber kamplara katılması ve bir Kübalı’dan daha fazla sosyalist olma hikayesini anlatan Kleist kitapta Castro’yu ne efsaneleştiriyor ne de şeytanlaştırıyor. Bağımsız bir sosyalizm hayali içinde olan ve stratejik bir zeka ile Batista rejimini devirerek idealist ruhunu tüm dünyaya yansıtan bu devrimci liderin hayatını farklı bir açıdan okumanız için etkileyici bir kitap.

[Tittirossa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Il segno è molto agé. La storia sommaria e priva di fascino. Quando finisco un libro e sono come prima e non ho imparato nulla di nuovo e non ho neanche voglia di leggere qualcos’altro sull’argomento, beh, sono parecchio delusa. Il segno grafico è banalmente visto e anche il plot (un fotografo tedesco che sposa la rivoluzione castrista), la narrazione è banale. A metà sbadigliavo di noia. Sopravvalutato. Parecchio (c’è da dire che l’essere pubblicato nella stessa collana di Delisle porta a sgradevoli paragoni).