Munch

by Steffen Kverneland, Francesca Nichols (Translator)

A landmark graphic biography of the great expressionist painter

An extraordinary and inventive graphic biography, Steffen Kverneland’s Munch explores the relationships and obsessions that drove the artist behind “The Scream”. Using text drawn from the writings of Edvard Munch and his contemporaries, this extensively researched and beautifully drawn graphic novel debunks the familiar myth of the half-mad expressionist painter – anguished, starving and ill-treated – to reveal the artist’s neglected sense of humour and optimism.
Born out of a life-long fascination with all things Munch, Kverneland’s award-winning seven-year project is the funniest and most entertaining portrait yet of a complex man and a pioneering artist.

“A mesmerising read… Funny and irreverent, it makes Munch seem very human, even as it places his genius beyond doubt” –The Observer, Graphic Novel of the Month

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

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2013

About the author

Steffen Kverneland (født 14. januar 1963 i Haugesund) er en norsk tegneserieskaper og illustratør. Han er blant annet kjent for sine mange treffende karikaturer, særlig av kjente forfattere, og tegneserieversjoner av litterære verk.

Steffen Kverneland er i hovedsak en selvlært tegner, men har fått god hjelp av sin onkel, maleren og tegneren Karl Anton Østensjø.

Kverneland debuterte allerede som 16-åring i humorbladet KOnk. På første del av 1980-tallet leverte han serier til en rekker undergrunnsfanziner, slik som Brage. Han tegnet ofte under pseudonym, et av dem er S. Susej.

Kvernelands debutalbum, De knyttede never, kom ut i 1993 på det lille forlaget TEGN A/L Bum. For dette albumet fikk han Sproingprisen. Albumet var basert på Øvre Richter Frichs roman om «den ariske kjempen» Jonas Fjeld. Dette var ikke første gang han lagde en serie basert på litterære tekster. Han hadde samme år lansert serien Amputerte klassikere. Det er en uhøytidelig og satirisk lek med kjente litterære verk, der hele bøker kan være gjengitt på én tegneserieside, mens andre utgjør små føljetonger. Amputerte klassikere ble samlet i fire album (1994–2001)

I 2001 ga Kverneland også ut et hefte om dikteren Arne Garborg. I heftet har han dreid fokuset bort fra verket og over til dikteren. Heftet, som het Garborg & Co, minner både i tittel og logo mye om Donald Duck & Co. Kverneland har fremstilt Garborg som rabiat fyllebøtte i sterk kontrast til den mer vanlige forestillingen om ham som traust målmann og forfatter. Han har også jobbet som karikaturtegner for avisene Ny Tid, Dag og Tid, Samtiden og Nationen.

Steffen Kverneland har inspirert flere av andre tegnere. I 2004 utgav han sammen med Lars Fiske Olaf G., en prisbelønt tegneseriebiografi om den norske mestertegneren Olaf Gulbransson. Høsten 2006 utga Fiske og Kverneland nok et samarbeidsprosjekt; tegneserieboken Kanon, som hittil er utkommet i fem bind. Kvernelands bidrag har hovedsakelig vært en føljetong om Edvard Munch. I 2013 ble en omarbeidet og utvidet versjon av den samlet i ett bind - Munch, som Kverneland fikk Brageprisen i sakprosa for i 2013.

(Artikkel fra Wikipedia. Foto: Nina Hansen/Dagbladet)

Reviews

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Few paintings have felt like proto-memes for modern daily living quite like Norwegian artist Edvard Munch’s 1893 painting The Scream. You know, this one:

‘Here are doomsday angst and the torments of death, a scripture ablaze in the nocturnal vault of the heavens…the inscrutable terror of all life.’
—Poet Vilhelm Krag on Sick Mood at Sunset , the painting that would later be updated into The Scream.

Bringing the story of fellow Norwegian Edvard Munch and his artistic cohorts to life comes Steffen Kverneland
’s Munch, a strikingly gorgeous and metafictional graphic novel biography of the renowned artist. The artwork, which Kverneland says took seven years to complete, is utterly jaw-dropping, moving between styles and mediums to capture the frenzied state of the artist’s mind, recreate the atmosphere of his beloved paintings, and craft a visual storytelling so brimming with energy and emotion that goes far beyond what words on a page could produce. This would be worth the read for the art alone as it is such a magnificent achievement:

Various panels of artwork to show a range of style

The wealth of research here is astonishing too, with Kverneland drawing heavily from Munch’s own writings for the multitude of quotes and giving a rather accessible and engaging in-depth narrative of the artist’s life. The graphic novel takes on a rather metafictional quality moving back and forth between Munch’s life and Kverneland’s where he discusses Munch along with his friend Lars, or visits various locales from which Munch took inspiration. This is a rather welcomed approach that adds a cool element drawing the reader further into the narrative and artistic endeavours.

Kverneland at one of two locations Munch sketched to create the composite background from The Scream.

Okay, but I have to confess despite how much I enjoyed all the aforementioned elements, this is a bit tedious and chaotic and just rife with people who are rather caustic. The direct quotations are a bit overly dramatic at times and it just jumbles its way through a sort of streamlined biographical “plot.” But everyone is sort of a prick. That said the art and overall presentation of this book is so good it’s hard to even give a shit that I also have complaints. I have the most nonsensical rating system, I apologize but I’m all about the chaos of the vibes in a present moment. Moving on.

I certainly learned a lot here, such as how the red sky from his famous painting was likely caused by a volcanic eruption in Indonesia that created a red sky visible for much of the northern hemisphere. There is certainly a lot to learn here from Munch’s own writings about his inspirations and creative process as well, which I greatly enjoyed.

But I also learned a lot about the Norwegian art scene of the time, such as how much outrage and uproar there was over Munch’s paintings as well as the goings-on of those he was close to, such as Christian Krohg, Swedish playwright, poet, and painter August Strindberg, or Norwegian artists and activist Hans Jæger who was jailed for a novel deemed “pornography” by authorities due to its anti-government and anti-christian sentiments.

The catch is, most of the people in this book were assholes. I enjoy that the artwork does Strindberg dirty because, honestly, fuck that guy. He was paranoid, aggressive, and fond of being known for his open hatred of women (he had Munch remove the frame of the portrait he did of Strindberg because it had a woman draped on it and Strindberg took it as a mockery of his professed disdain for women. That guy suuuuuuuuuucks). But Munch also doesn’t come across as the sort of person you’d want to hang with either. Well, maybe join for a round since that dude loved to drink deeply, but his womanizing and general demeanor and aggression aren’t all that appealing. His paintings certainly are and I loved reading about him, but he certainly isn’t someone to look up to outside of his art. There is some effort to humanize him, however, which I greatly appreciated too.

All in all, Munch was a fantastic read. I came across it on my desk this morning and basically ignored all my work duties to read this in one sitting because I simply could not put it down. It moves quickly and quirkily, jumping between scenes abruptly and can be a bit difficult to follow occasionally, but it is so engaging and interesting it won’t matter. Plus the art is simply outstanding. This is a wonderful read on art history and on an artist who’s painting I’ve long loved (The Sun is my favorite). If you enjoy art, you’ll enjoy this. Oh, and don't forget to listen to that Wonderlick song about Edvard Munch's Madonna.

⅘

[Paul Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

SCREAMADELICA!

At this point the Goodreads star rating system breaks down completely.

For beauty, exuberance, glorious graphic art and all-round awesomeness : FIVE FANTABULOUS STARS!!!!

For narrative interest and coherence : a poxy TWO STARS and that is being generous.



Why this bizarre discombobulation? Because Steffan Kverneland is a great artist with no more idea of what makes a story worth telling or interesting than my cat Hatter. In this magnificent book, Munch

moans on about life

I don’t know how my nerves tolerated it. I sat there at the table and could never bring myself to say a word.

moans on about his family

Why had I not told him everything – then he would have understood why I was so impetuous – so nervous – so often unyielding and callous – why had I not remained home when he asked me to…

Strikes poses

I saw all the people behind their masks – smiling, phlegmatic – subdued faces – I saw through them and there was suffering in them all – pale corpses who restlessly scurried about along a tortuous road whose end was the grave

And drinks with his mates and drinks alone in his bed and paints rather a lot and then does it all again. And again. He's a right pompous bore. Now, that may not be so bad – we have enjoyed books that sound remarkably like this (Earthly Powers). But Steffen makes a – for me – disastrous editorial decision which he explains in the introduction:

I want to hear Munch’s and Strindberg’s own voices…I’ll make my own “Dogme rule” : the entire text has to be made up of the authentic quotes and it’s strictly forbidden to rewrite or add anything yourself

So, pages of great graphics art with stilted melodramatic Munchtalk :

The man reels deeper and deeper into the abyss, unresisting, powerless, and rejoicing at the prospect of being able to tumble as passively as a stone. And yet he cannot escape the vampire, nor the pain. And the woman will be there for all eternity biting him with a thousand serpent tongues, with a thousand venomous fangs.

So all right, we get that Munch was a big fan of Edgar Allen Poe. A lot of people were. But, you know, spare me.

For me, unlike for Steffan, Munch’s voice (and those of his cronies) was stilted, screechy, artificial and wearing. I hated him and I hated the lot of them.

Of course, the paintings of Edvard Much are stunning, sick and utterly scrummy. (That is a technical art term.)

E.g.



Munch is not the first great artist who was a jerk.

So the only reason to get this book is because of the 275 pages of wonderful art… you see how difficult this book is to rate?

I have slagged off Steffan’s Munch-in-his-own-words concept, but at various points in the book Steffan and his friend Lars Fiske break into the story and appear as themselves, discussing Munch, drinking a whole lot, and visiting Munch-related places, as two fans would do. These parts are really fun. They say stuff like

The Scream is kinda like a mental self-portrait. Munch distilled the raw angst he felt on the hillside over there into a bald embryo dude. It’s the sickest self-portrait ever, like Ben Kingsley with planets for eyes.



The whole book should have been the other way round, with Steffan and Lars being the main characters and Munch popping up here and there.

The other brilliant thing SK does is effortlessly create panels and pages in about five or six completely different styles, from photorealism to comedy cartooning. I loved all that.



Finally, one continually disconcerting aspect to the whole thing was the resemblance between Munch as Basil Fawlty.

Edvard Munch as portrayed by Steffen Kverneland



Basil Fawlty



If you’re not a fan of that sitcom this will not bother you but if you are, it’s kind of weird to see Basil Fawlty painting The Scream.

But the hell with it, this book is wrongheaded, but it’s just great. So 5 stars for Steffan.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't say I loved this book, but it's not because Kverneland's art that depicts Munch and his world isn't inventive and great; it's that Munch, his crowd, including his friend Strindberg, all of them are unlikeable. And Kverneland and his interlocutor Lars, who weave the story of this book's creation through the story of Munch, are also not very likable. So the art and story captures the jarring unlikeability of both worlds! Munch is a womanizer, a drunk, anti-social, rude, and in a kind of spiraling intense artistic despair about the world that he best captures in his best known work "The Scream," which we do learn quite a bit about, and that's what most of us came for, I suppose. But who wants to hang out with a person like that?! Well, me, obviously, for a little while. 270 pages is more than a little while.

Munch (the novel) has this meta-fiction element in that we see Kverneland and his friend Lars drunkenly cook up the approach to Munch Kverneland takes, and we tack back and forth between Munch's jerk artist world and Kverneland's (okay, less so) jerk artist world. He uses actual quotes from the half crazy Munch's writings for the text, and bases his story on deep research into his life, with stabs at humanizing him in places. The problem is that the story from artist Kverneland is truncated, disjointed, and just not a terrific story. But an artist doesn't have to be a warm and cuddly guy to be interesting, of course. We know that from Picasso, Van Gogh, and so many others. Finally the approach is inventive and impressive in many ways. Maybe 3.75 rating from me, grading up for the artwork, (perhaps unfairly) grading down for character it depicts.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Munch is my second biography in graphic novel form from SelfMadeHero, following on from the life of Agatha Christie I reviewed last month. Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (1863–1944) is, of course, best known for The Scream, but I learned a lot more about his work through this striking visual tour curated by illustrator Steffen Kverneland. Much of the text accompanying Kverneland’s images is from authentic primary sources: Munch’s diaries and letters, his contemporaries’ responses to his art, and so on.

Munch’s mother died early in his life, and sickroom and deathbed scenes were to permeate his work. “Disease and insanity and death were the black angels that stood by my cradle,” he wrote. “A mother who died early – gave me the seed of consumption – a distraught father – piously religious, verging on madness – gave me the seeds of insanity.” His first solo show opened in Kristiania (now Oslo) in 1889. Three and a half years later scandal erupted when his exhibition in Berlin was closed down. The establishment disapproved of the Impressionist influence in his work and thought he showed a lack of artistic technique. As it turned out, having his show shut down was the best publicity he ever could have asked for.

Kverneland shows different incarnations of Munch’s most famous pieces, such as Madonna, The Girls on the Bridge and The Scream. He also traces the painter’s important relationships, such as his friendship with playwright August Strindberg and his pursuit of the various women who inspired his nudes. In 1895, the writer Sigbjørn Obstfelder gave a lecture on Munch’s art. His appreciation included the following:

As no other Norwegian painter, Munch has focused on essential questions – has caused the deepest subjects to quiver. Before, one painted landscapes and everyday life – Munch paints human beings in all their shapes – even the beastly human. He finds his subjects where the emotions are strongest. Munch is one of the genuine artists who can shift boundaries.

This is a visually remarkable book, with various styles coexisting sometimes on the same page. Sometimes Munch is portrayed like a superhero in a comic (often with a hugely exaggerated chin); other times the images are more like photographs or nineteenth-century portraits. Pen sketches alternate with color spreads in which red, orange, sepia and flesh tones and black dominate. Some of my most admired individual panels have angular faces drawn in almost kaleidoscopic fragments. Strindberg’s is the most frighteningly fractured face, with triangles and trapezoids emphasizing his angry expression.

There’s also a meta aspect to this work: Kverneland depicts his travels with his friend Lars Fiske to sites associated with Munch, again using everything from black-and-white sketches to color photographs. These were, I’m afraid, my least favorite parts of the book: the friends’ raunchy, booze-filled banter has not translated well, and the style of some of their scenes is among the most cartoon-ish.

“Munch had become a monk whose life was devoted to art” is one of the last lines of the graphic novel. It’s a nice summation of what has gone before – with that wordplay especially remarkable given that this is a work in translation. I haven’t come away with a particularly clear sense of the trajectory of Munch’s life, but that’s probably not the point of a deliberately splintered biography like this one.

Kverneland worked on the book for seven years. First published in 2013, it won Norway’s Brage Prize for Literature. This is the fourth installment in SelfMadeHero’s “Art Masters” series, after Pablo, Vincent and Rembrandt. I can highly recommend it to you if you are already a fan of Munch’s work. However, if, like me, you look to graphic novels to also tell you a good story, you might come away slightly disappointed.

Originally published with images on my blog, Bookish Beck.

[Elle Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am so disappointed with this book, I had to force myself to finish in the end which is never a good endorsement for a book, and the whole thing was overly complicated, scattered and felt like I was reading random thoughts from the inside of the author's brain.

It seemed well researched and the art was good but the narrative desperately needed editing and structure and cohesion and this is where it fell down for me.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, IT’S A COMICS BIO OF EDVARD MUNCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Geddit? ‘cos The Scream!)

Steffen Kverneland’s Munch (pronounced “Monk”) is an epic part-biography/part-art appreciation/whole mash note to the painter Edvard Munch. There’s plenty to like about the book like it’s experimental approach, mixing various styles, and it really is beautiful to behold – Kverneland is an enormously talented artist who took seven years to create this book – and you’ll learn plenty about the background to Munch’s work, particularly his paintings The Vampire, The Frieze of Life, and, of course, The Scream. It’s also sometimes dull, a bit overlong, and a lot meandering.

The framing device is Kverneland and his buddy Lars Fiske in 2005 visiting real life locations that influenced Munch’s paintings which is the only intrusive part of the narrative from the author’s perspective. When he takes the reader through Munch’s life he cites Munch, his family, friends, acquaintances and colleagues directly rather than interpret it through his voice. It’s a good choice as we get to hear Munch’s own voice though it becomes tiresome reading quotes from the many, many people who appear throughout and then having to glance to the bottom of the page to see who said it, what their dates were, and what they did.

Munch first became popular in Berlin where his artistic philosophy - “One should not paint as one sees, but as one saw” – leads to controversy but establishes him an exciting new painter. Besides being part of the intellectual bohemian scene, Munch was quite the ladies’ man and a heavy drinker. He moved around a lot but still managed to produce quality work, among them his most famous paintings.

And… that’s about it, really. It’s not the most fascinating life to read about! He drank a lot, schmoozed with other artists, slept with this woman, drank a lot, met some other artists, slept with this woman, repeat. The stories behind The Vampire, The Frieze of Life, etc. are pretty mundane while The Scream’s background is more abstract and probably has to do with his hectic lifestyle at the time. On top of that, a lot of this book sees Kverneland becoming too bogged down in detail which makes what’s already a sluggish narrative even more slow-moving.

And while it is an informative read, as a biography the timeline jumps around a bit too much leading to a skewed perspective. The structure of the book essentially builds up to Munch’s masterpiece, The Scream, which he painted before The Vampire and others though we learn about the less famous works long before we get to The Scream. The remaining years of Munch’s life from roughly 1900 to his death in 1944 are rushed through in the scant few pages left before the book ends. It’s a very loose biography that mostly concerns itself with the artist’s major works and little else besides.

But if the narrative itself is rambling and tedious the artwork more than makes up for it. My word, this is a beautiful book! Kverneland’s approach is to switch between multiple artistic styles throughout, from caricature, to realist, abstract, even incorporating photos. Some panels mirror the famous paintings, some pages are stunningly painted, some barely sketched, and all of it is masterfully encapsulated within the comics format. Appropriately for an appreciation of an Art Master the art is of the highest quality.

Steffen Kverneland clearly has an enormous love of his subject but his expression of it is more gracefully captured visually than with the written word. Munch is a somewhat informative and uneven read whose real draw is the inspired artwork that celebrates the artist’s legacy.

[Antje · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das ist schon ein ziemlich schräges Buch, das Kverneland sich da aus den Fingern geschüttelt hat. Beim ersten oberflächlichen Durchblättern war ich auch prompt enttäuscht.
Das Cover sowie die Idee eine graphische Biographie über Edvard Munch zu bewerkstelligen, ließen mich zunächst begeistert danach greifen. Dann jedoch über Seiten zu stolpern, auf denen Photographien des Autoren und Zeichnungen von sich und einem Freund zu sehen sind, auf denen beide ungepflegt, rauchend, trinkend und sich in derber Sprache über Munch austauschend, in Erscheinung treten, enttäuschte mich.

Interessanterweise sollte mich dieser Umstand bei tiefgründiger Betrachtung immer weniger stören. Zu Beginn nutzt Kverneland diese Technik, um seine Absicht und Vorgehensweise dem Leser vorzustellen, was mir wiederum gefiel. Eine Art graphisches Vorwort ist mir bis dahin noch nicht begegnet.
Ferner schöpft der Autor seine Inhalte aus diversen Briefwechseln zwischen Munch und dessen Angehörigen oder Freunden. So passiert es, dass bestimmte Ereignisse aus verschiedenen Perspektiven erzählt werden, meistens aber aus der des Malers. Gab es widersprüchliche Ansichten, meldeten sich wieder Kverneland und sein Freund graphisch im Dialog zu Wort. Irgendwie schon originell!

Obwohl mit 270 Seiten verständlicherweise keine ausführliche Lebensdarstellung Munchs zu erwarten ist, gelingt es allein durch ausgewählte Episoden, sich dem Menschen, Künstler und seinem Werk anzunähern. So beeindruckten mich insbesondere die Umsetzung der einzelnen traumatischen Lebensphasen wie den Verlusten naher Angehöriger und seine Besessenheit von einer bestimmten Frau und wie sich diese auf sein künstlerisches Schaffen auswirkten. Einen besseren Zugang zu Munchs Bildern zu finden, hätte ich mir nicht wünschen können.

Die graphische Umsetzung an sich ist ohne Frage ein kleines Kunstwerk für sich. Ich glaube gar, mit jeder weiteren eingehenden Betrachtung würde ich die wahren Schätze und Glanzpunkte erst entdecken. Kverneland wechselt konsequent seine Zeichentechnik. Beispielsweise bei spannungsgeladenen Ereignissen gewinnen die Personen an unglaublicher Schärfe und Kantigkeit. Ihre Gesichter wirken dann entweder kritzelig oder prismenhaft. Der sparsame und genau ausgeklügelte Einsatz von Farbe unterstreicht hierbei Stimmungen. Hauptsächlich dominieren Schwarz und Weiß sowie Rot- und Brauntöne. Indes finden sich auch kolorierte Szenen.

Je länger ich mich mit dieser Einschätzung befasse, muss ich doch einsehen, dass ich nicht aus dieser Nummer komme, ohne fünf Sterne zu geben. Obwohl es dennoch den einen oder zwei Wermutstropfen gab.
Es gebraucht schon enorme Konzentration und Willen den permanenten Wechsel von Zeitpunkten und Erzählperspektiven mit Gelassenheit zu ertragen. So zweifle ich auch an, die ganzen Frauen richtig zugeordnet zu haben, dadurch regelmäßig und manchmal zu ausführlich die Liebesbeziehungen befreundeter Künstler Munchs dargestellt wurden. Diese ganzen Personen wirken geradezu durcheinandergewirbelt und in ihrem Zentrum Munch. - Doch letztlich ist das Ganze derart schräg, dass es mir auch schon wieder gefällt. Das verstehe, wer will ...

[Paul Dembina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone expecting a straightforward biography of Munch will be disappointed.

Kverneland focuses on a few specific incidents that influenced some of his most famous paintings.

I liked the various techniques used including photos of the author and his mate at several key locations.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Norjalaisen taidemaalarin elämäkerta sarjakuvamuodossa perustuu dogmaattisen tiukasti aikalaislähteisiin. Visuaalisesti aika metkan albumin myötä tulin oppineeksi kaikenlaista uutta taidehistoriasta - muun muassa sen, että aikamoista symposionia on ollut skandinaavitaiteilijoiden elämä Keski-Euroopan kaupungeissa!

[Jonathan Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A straightforward tale that shows the brilliance of Munch, and the brilliance of Steffen Kverneland

I'm a big fan of the Art Masters series - Pablo, Gauguin: The Other World: Art Masters Series, and look forward to reading Vincent.

This series takes an artist and tells their own tale, employing their own technique to illustrate the panels.

Some, like Gauguin: The Other World: Art Masters Series have a straightforward style - because Gauguin had one style.

Some, like Pablo were more difficult - because Pablo Picasso had so many styles.

Munch by Steffen Kverneland tells the tale of Edvard Munch, and it is partially a cartoon style, with shades of Munch's backgrounds, and often characters as well.

One of the many, many things I loved about this book is that it is straightforward, though in a unique way.

It tells the tale of Edvard Munch, and wraps it in Kverneland's own tale of the 7 years it took him to write this.

Kverneland can surprise - he'll do many pages of Munch and his friends in a straightforward comic style, and then hit you with a full page interpretation of one of Munch's works.

Or Kverneland will put in a photo of himself on his journey to understanding Munch, which provides an equivalent impact.

So yes - the book jumps around with style and even a timeline. But it is still straightforward. It let's Munch's intensity push through in the right way - and by the end you feel as if you know him.

I'd recommend this to anyone - whether you are a fan of Munch, or like me - you would like to be.

And I'd also like to thank Steffen Kverneland - he has done Munch, and this world a great service! Munch might be hard to understand, but Kverneland took him and brought him to us.

In short - I recommend this book to anyone!

[Newly Wardell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really dug this. The art is top notch and Munch's life was a perfect topic. It's really funny too.

[Fredrik Strömberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final, massive collection of Steffen Kverneland's comics odyssey into the life and art of Norwegian superstar artist Edward Munch. Kverneland, who earlier did a biography of another Norwegian artist, Olaf Gulbrandsen, the much lauded graphic novel Olaf G, with his partner in crime Lars Fiske, returns with hs very own effort in the same genre, and does so with a vengeance.

This is, without a doubt, a masterpiece in every way. In some ways, I miss the interaction between Kverneland's earthy, lavish art and Fiske's strict pen and ink, which made for the artistic tensions in Olaf G., but Kverneland makes up for this and more in this insightful, emotional and very artistic graphic novel.

The book tells the story of Munch, from birth to death, but not in the easy way, by going through his life in predictable, chronological order. Kverneland's obviously personal relationship with Munch shines through in the idiosyncratic way in which this biography is presented, with sections about Kverneland's and Fiske's often alcohol-infused trips in Munch's footsteps, excursions into the lives of people who were related to Munch and so on.

The storytelling in this book is excellent, but what really fascinates me is how Kverneland's art has a constant dialogue with that of Munch. There are parts that are direct reproductions of Munch paintings, parts with Kverneland's interpretations of Munch's art, parts that are all Kverneland but still echo Munch, parts that are made up of photos with Kverneland and Fiske reenacting scenes from Munch's art on the locations where they were painted, and so on, in a mix that defies description.

One thing that I, as a Swede, found interesting, was Kverneland's very obvious fascination with Munch's friend, the Swedish novelist, poet and artist August Strindberg. Kverneland's rendition of Strindberg is just as lively and engaging as that of Munch (if not more so, since Strindberg was a more lively person), and I am left with a yearning for a Kverneland book just about Strindberg. There are several Swedish comics that are based on the life and work of Strindberg, but nothing as far as I am concerned that comes near the sheer artistic intensity of this one.

If you are able to read and understand Norwegian, I heartily recommend this book. If not, pester a likely publisher in your country to make it available, or buy it for the beautiful art alone. It's that good.

[Katja · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Phew. What a tour de force. This book was definitely too long and could have benefited from some heavy editing. What also peeved me was the constant “meta” narrative with the author and his buddy having drunk discussions about Munch (the alcoholism is strong with this one).

The art was excellent, but the varying points of view from which Munch’s life story was told were often confusing if you’re not familiar with all of Munch’s contemporaries (and who is?).

My biggest complaint and the reason for my low rating is this: Despite having spent so much time with Munch (so. much. time.) I feel like I still didn’t really understand him. The idea I get of him from his paintings doesn’t really correspond with the image the author conveyed, actually, I feel like I understand Kverneland now better than I understand Munch (and I had no interest in THAT).

Sure, he keeps on pointing out Munch’s losses etc. but I wasn’t FEELING any of his struggles and didn’t understand him any better as a person as I would have from a Wikipedia article. Was it Kverneland’s art that kept it impersonal? The text? Probably a mixture of both. Just pointing out Munch’s angst in the meta discussions doesn’t cut it.

I can see the similarities between Munch and Kverneland. Obviously both have / had a problem with alcohol and women (oh the subtle misogyny…), both are / were definitely not happy people, both are hard to like.

Only recommended if you’re a Munch fanatic, otherwise skip this and read up on him on Wikipedia.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scattered thoughts:
1) Confusing at times - especially at one specific point, where I just couldn't figure out if two or three people died?? (I think it was two though)
2) Strindberg was a whoreson loggerhead
3) Impressive drawings by Steffen Kverneland
4) Also pretty impressive paintings from Munch
5) Well researched book
6) Not sure I feel like I learned that much about Munch though.. A lot of people in his life died.. He had anxiety (no surprise when you've seen "the scream" really).. He caused hue and cry with his expressionistic paintings.. Not really any surprising elements, but I guess that's not Kverneland's fault

[BellaGBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very lovely artwork which is a mix between Munch' style and of the author himself. Also this work made me understand the works of Munch better because it places his works in context. I always love it to learn more about artists and the why and how's of their work.

So recommended for everyone interested in Munch and art. However the story in itself is not very plot-oriented so as story in itself the book is not recommended.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit odd, but interesting, entertaining and informative.

[Anamarija · Rating 5 out of 5]

o Munchu nisam znala ništa. sada znam dosta. i impresionirana sam.
sjajan crtež, vrlo zanimljiv koncept!

[Bendik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Er det bare jeg som har opplevd å ha bevitnet kunst og tenkt at "jeg skjønner at dette er sykt bra, men jeg må innrømme at jeg ikke helt skjønner meg på hva det er"?

Sånn er det ofte for meg hvert fall. Ofte med malerier, og deriblant kunsten til Munch. Og dels føler jeg også dette om Kvernelands biografi. Jeg henger overhodet ikke med på alle overgangene i storylinen, det hopper karakterer ut og inn som jeg ikke umiddelbart drar kjensel på, og jeg hadde nok ikke klart å fortelle så mye om kronologien på verken livshendelsene til Munch eller kunsten som snart skal inn i Lambda-bygget.

Men jeg skjønner at dette er et solid stykke god bok. Imponerende gode tegninger og en fin tilnærming at det (nesten) utelukkende benyttes sitater fra karakterene fra datiden.

Burde jeg lese den, spør du kanskje? Jeg må innrømme at det eneste gode svaret på det er: Det kommer an på. Mange ting. Så du får sende en DM i så fall, så skal jeg ta en vurdering.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Munch' life was full of alcohol, friendships and women, which served as a great inspiration for his paintings and makes for an interesting and exciting read for us. You could say that the alcohol sometimes distorted his memory of events and that the alcohol fueled his somewhat insane, insubordinate and self-destructive personality. His controversial work was loved by many, but loathed by even many more, leading to exhibitions being cancelled even before they started.

It's not all insanity in this book though. Kverneland did a lot of research that shows in the number of sources he used and quoted from, such as the aforementioned Strindberg, which is a true achievement in itself! Correspondence between Munch and his aunt show a different side of him than his alcohol fueled nightly escapades. I loved the artwork too. The characters are portrayed in quite a cartoony way, but that really brings these characters and their emotions to life and shows Kverneland's obvious sense of humour, or lack thereof I suppose. Munch' artwork was very diverse and so is Kverneland's. The way in which he adapts his skills to the stage where Munch's life and paintings fare are a reflection of the chameleon-like ability Kverneland has.

For a full review check out http://the9thblog.blogspot.nl/2013/10...

[Shaun P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this in my local library and had to pick it up. The idea of having a graphic novel biography is so great. To see an artists life and career told with art itself is just the perfect tribute to what the person devoted their life to. This graphic novel focuses on the life and career of Edvard Munch, the artist most famously known for "The Scream" using mostly Munch's own words. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his career and taking in the artistic interpretations of his life. I learned that there is a whole series of these graphic novel artist bios called Art Masters. I look forward to picking up more.

[Ian Ruge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lot going on and pulls off most of it quite well. It's a story within a story and for me the inner story (about Munch) was more successful than the one which contains it (about the process of writing the book). The book is incredibly ambitious and feels like a love letter from a Norwegian artist to a iconic figure that must loom over every one of his countrymen who picks up a paintbrush. Beautifully and stylishly drawn, its one of those graphic novels that uses the form to great effect.

[Dustyloup · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pas très facile à lire - surtout si vous êtes ni norvégien ni chercheur en Art / histoire. Parfois le details étaient trop dense, mais l'histoire était hypnotic - au finale j'ai aimé le va et vient sur certains épisodes de sa vie comme Munch lui - même abordait les mêmes thèmes. J'étais déçu qu'il n'y avait pas plus sur la period entre 1910 et sa mort en 1944. Pendant ma lecture, je n'ai pas toujours aimée la narration et l'art mais ce style troublant était parfaitement adapté au sujet.

[Komuniststar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prvi paf je bio je bio jbt zar ovo Kunc crta!? Drugi je bio vise vau kad sam pročita da je cela strip biografija izgrađena od citata.
I kako to na kraju funka? Dobro, dovoljno podataka da steknemo sliku vremena i okruženja boemsko umjetnickog svita na prelomu stoljeća, puno podataka o nastajanju najvažnijih djela.
Jedna od boljih strip biografija koje sam čita.

[Botros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kverneland har rott iland ett enormt projekt. Här får man höra Munch själv berätta och även höra andra samtida röster. Dessutom går Kverneland och vännen Lars Fiske på jakt efter platser som var viktiga i Edvard Munchs liv.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvellous, original, impressive and idiosyncratic. Based on thorough research it leaves the reader with multiple good points of departure for further study of Munch, his works, friends and age

[Neil Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

MUNCH!

[Victoria Dembrovska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great comic art.

[Eduardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is outstanding. I’d enjoyed looking at images Munch’s paintings in my teens and promised myself I would one day go to Oslo and visit the Munch Museum. I finally did so a few weeks ago and became even more intrigued by him and his art. I bought this graphic novel at the museum gift shop afterwards and now that I’ve read it, I want to revisit all his work.

Not only is this an incredibly well drawn book, with beautiful and haunting images in every page, but the author (and illustrator) is a big fan of the painter and he manages to capture the characteristics of this enigmatic painter and his group of crazy bohemian friends (Strindberg should get his own book- I’d read that ).

Anyway, I would highly recommend this book to anyone both mildly or hugely interested in Edvard Munch, there is so much more to know about the man who painted “The Scream”. I’m glad Kverneland dedicated these years of his life into this labour of love, his passion project.

[Asta Schmitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially I was annoyed by how the author turned almost everyone in Munch's life into a caricature, including Munch himself. It made Munch's circle of drunk bohémiens seem like a monoculture of boring, deranged pomposity. August Strindberg apparently was batshit crazy and violent, he and others come off as real nasty. Yet many of these people also made worthwhile and/or groundbreaking art.

What I found much more interesting was the dive into Munch's work: how it came about, what his intentions were with certain paintings. Much of his art is autobiographical in nature and maybe that's why it still resonates today. I love how art is taken so seriously by the people portrayed in this book and it makes me want to go paint something myself.

Whether you like this comic depends on what you're hoping to get from it. I liked it as an introduction to both Munch's body of work and the scene of artists he was part of. The art of Steffen Kverneland is also a thing to behold.

[sheribubble · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was educational and interesting but was a lot to process in one book. I liked the second half much more than the first half though but I still found myself getting mixed up between all the people.

Probably closer to 3.5, would definitely recommend to anyone studying Munch or art in general though as it would be good for visual learners.