Bande dessinée et narration

Système de la bande dessinée #2

by Thierry Groensteen

This book is the follow-up to Thierry Groensteen's ground-breaking "The System of Comics," in which the leading French-language comics theorist set out to investigate how the medium functions, introducing the principle of iconic solidarity, and showing the systems that underlie the articulation between panels at three levels: page layout, linear sequence, and nonsequential links woven through the comic book as a whole. He now develops that analysis further, using examples from a very wide range of comics, including the work of American artists such as Chris Ware and Robert Crumb. He tests out his theoretical framework by bringing it up against cases that challenge it, such as abstract comics, digital comics and sh?jo manga, and offers insightful reflections on these innovations. In addition, he includes lengthy chapters on three areas not covered in the first book. First, he explores the role of the narrator, both verbal and visual, and the particular issues that arise out of narration in autobiographical comics. Second, Groensteen tackles the question of rhythm in comics, and the skill demonstrated by virtuoso artists in intertwining different rhythms over and above the basic beat provided by the discontinuity of the panels. And third he resets the relationship of comics to contemporary art, conditioned by cultural history and aesthetic traditions but evolving recently as comics artists move onto avant-garde terrain.

Genres: Comics, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, Criticism

220 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

Reviews

[Diz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is deep in theory and heavy on jargon, so it is probably only of interest to narratologists. I can't recommend it for the general reader. Also, be aware that this book frequently refers to a previously published book by the author (The System of Comics), so to fully appreciate this book, you'll need to have a copy of the first book as well.

[Derek Royal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a significant follow up to The System of Comics, and overall, a much more readable translation (by Ann Miller). The core of this book resides in its inner chapters, 2-7. However, there are parts that read more tentative, less informed, or almost tangential to the narratological emphasis of the book. These include the sections on manga, on digital/online comics, and, to a lesser degree, on abstract comics (the first chapter). The last chapter, on comics and contemporary art, isn't near as successful as the rest of the book, but I do understand why Groensteen would want to address this issue. It just seems a little out of place, given the rest of the text. Overall, I find the proposals and insights in this book a major step forward in the formal and rhetorical criticism surrounding comics.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Não existe maior teórico dos quadrinhos maior que Thierry Groensteen. Will Eisner e Scott McCloud podem ser os mais populares porque uniram o fazer quadrinhos com o estudar quadrinhos. Mas nenhum estudioso foi mais fundo - ao menos no campo da linguagem dos quadrinhos - do que o francês. Este seu segundo livro mais famoso, além de ter sido inspirado pelo trabalho de Chris Ware, parece ter ficado mais fluido em sua forma. Enquanto o primeiro usava de estruturas, artrologias e formas bastante metódicas de apresentar a linguagem dos quadrinhos, este segundo possui um texto mais fácil -ainda que continue denso - de se compreender. Se no primeiro livro o autor deu mais ênfase à forma dos quadrinhos, aqui ele vai dar mais destaque ao conteúdo, sublinhando as características narrativas desse meio tão especial que são as histórias em quadrinhos. O Brasil ainda carece de muitas traduções no que tange ao estudo de quadrinhos. A Marsupial Editora fez um belo trabalho em trazer, em 2015, O Sistema dos Quadrinhos, primeiro livro do autor, lançado no longínquo 1999. Vamos torcer para que Comics and Narration não demore tanto assim também. Alô editoras!

[Steen Ledet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting essays but more buffet-style than The System of Comics.

[Mélanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent insight into how narrative functions within comics.