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Good-Bye, Chunky Rice
The Harvey Award-winning debut graphic novel from the internationally acclaimed author of Blankets —about a turtle who heeds his inner voice to leave his fishing village and his best friend to embark on a life-changing journey.
This here be the first ever “graphical novel book” by Craig Thompson. It was winnning a Harvey Award, no less. It documentates the once upon a time in our fishing village town and a short turtle lad name of Chunky, last name Rice.
Mister Chunky Rice be living in the same rooming house likewise myself, only that boy be restless. Looking for something. And he puts hisself on my brother Chuck’s ship and boats out to sea to find it. Only he be departin’ from his bestest of all friends, his deer mouse, I mean, mouse deer chum Dandel.
Now why in a whirl would someone leave beyond a buddy? Just what be that turtle lad searchings for? I said you best read the book to find out. Merle said, “Doot doot.”
This here be the first ever “graphical novel book” by Craig Thompson. It was winnning a Harvey Award, no less. It documentates the once upon a time in our fishing village town and a short turtle lad name of Chunky, last name Rice.
Mister Chunky Rice be living in the same rooming house likewise myself, only that boy be restless. Looking for something. And he puts hisself on my brother Chuck’s ship and boats out to sea to find it. Only he be departin’ from his bestest of all friends, his deer mouse, I mean, mouse deer chum Dandel.
Now why in a whirl would someone leave beyond a buddy? Just what be that turtle lad searchings for? I said you best read the book to find out. Merle said, “Doot doot.”
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
37 people are currently reading
4111 people want to read
About the author
Craig Thompson
68 books2,681 followersCraig Ringwalt Thompson (b. September 21, 1975 in Traverse City, Michigan) is a graphic novelist best known for his 2003 work Blankets. Thompson has received four Harvey Awards, two Eisner Awards, and two Ignatz Awards. In 2007, his cover design for the Menomena album Friend and Foe received a Grammy nomination for Best Recording Package.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 621 reviews
August 8, 2015
When you take a look at ‘Good-bye, Chunky Rice’ with it’s almost comical style of illustrations and cute, talking animal characters, for the first time, you will be almost duped into believing that this is a children’s book and give it a pass; this nearly happened for me. After reading through a few pages, I was so engrossed in this tale of friendship, loss and longing for lost companions in life, that I sat still for a long time after finishing the book contemplating and choking over emotions that the book evoked in me.
‘Good-bye, Chunky Rice’, written in 1999 is the debut graphic novel by Craig Thompson which won him the Harvey Award for Best New Talent in 2000. The book revolves around the story of the friendship and angst over separation – most probably of lost love too, from some of the hints given by the illustrator we can assume they were lovers too - between Chuncky Rice, a small turtle and Dandel, a deer mouse - two of the cutest graphic novel characters I have ever encountered – while interspersing their tale with similar experiences over the pangs of loss by other characters – like Solomon, the human roommate of Chunky who has his own troubling memories over his childhood companions and loss of his pet dog ; Charles, the boat captain who has his own burdens of past - to create a moving narration.
At the beginning of the graphic novel we meet Chuncky Rice, who is inspired by a desire to travel to unknown territories, preparing for a journey, which will take him to the next phase in his life. Leaving his friend Dandel behind Chunky Rice takes passage on a small boat in a voyage to new pastures while Craig Thompson creates a stylish narration permeating with emotions of loss and longing. While Chunky Rice meets other characters with their own tales of loss and sadness, back home Dandel find solace over her loss of Chunky Rice in writing one bottled message after another and floating them in ocean.
The artwork and illustration by Craig Thompson are fascinating with brilliant uses of black and white strokes intertwined with clever use of grays to create shadows of memories. The dialogs are few but the varying dialects given to the characters give a certain amount of life for them and the story takes place through narrations of events from past and present, which undulates, like a choppy ocean. This is a rare case in which a book emotionally connects with the reader while being purposefully concise – there are no elaborated plots, no in-depth characterization or a definite conclusion here, yet the graphic novel shines through the sheer amount of poignancy it exudes through brilliant artwork and clever narration.
It is no wonder that the great Alan Moore was all praises for ‘Good-bye, Chunky Rice’.
Anyone who has ever known the spasms of separation, the floods of emotion over losing one’s best friend or constant companion, the choking feeling over a missing loved one – either through tragedy or by choice - will find ‘Good-bye, Chunky Rice’ like a bittersweet candy. This is a charming and emotional graphic novel, which I will recommend for readers of all age groups. Even if you think reading a graphic novel is not a mature vocation, give it a try, as this much dosage of feelings cannot be bottled in to so concise a form in no other medium of art. It will take not much time to finish and I am sure it will resonate within you a flood of emotions.
Actual rating:4.5/5
‘Good-bye, Chunky Rice’, written in 1999 is the debut graphic novel by Craig Thompson which won him the Harvey Award for Best New Talent in 2000. The book revolves around the story of the friendship and angst over separation – most probably of lost love too, from some of the hints given by the illustrator we can assume they were lovers too - between Chuncky Rice, a small turtle and Dandel, a deer mouse - two of the cutest graphic novel characters I have ever encountered – while interspersing their tale with similar experiences over the pangs of loss by other characters – like Solomon, the human roommate of Chunky who has his own troubling memories over his childhood companions and loss of his pet dog ; Charles, the boat captain who has his own burdens of past - to create a moving narration.
At the beginning of the graphic novel we meet Chuncky Rice, who is inspired by a desire to travel to unknown territories, preparing for a journey, which will take him to the next phase in his life. Leaving his friend Dandel behind Chunky Rice takes passage on a small boat in a voyage to new pastures while Craig Thompson creates a stylish narration permeating with emotions of loss and longing. While Chunky Rice meets other characters with their own tales of loss and sadness, back home Dandel find solace over her loss of Chunky Rice in writing one bottled message after another and floating them in ocean.
The artwork and illustration by Craig Thompson are fascinating with brilliant uses of black and white strokes intertwined with clever use of grays to create shadows of memories. The dialogs are few but the varying dialects given to the characters give a certain amount of life for them and the story takes place through narrations of events from past and present, which undulates, like a choppy ocean. This is a rare case in which a book emotionally connects with the reader while being purposefully concise – there are no elaborated plots, no in-depth characterization or a definite conclusion here, yet the graphic novel shines through the sheer amount of poignancy it exudes through brilliant artwork and clever narration.
It is no wonder that the great Alan Moore was all praises for ‘Good-bye, Chunky Rice’.
“Both funny and genuinely touching in turn, Craig Thompson’s Good-bye Chunky Rice is an affecting meditation upon friendship, loneliness, and loss, all delivered with a real feel for the musicality of the comic strip form. This work sings and dances, and you could do a lot worse than to sing and dance along with it. Highly recommended.”
Anyone who has ever known the spasms of separation, the floods of emotion over losing one’s best friend or constant companion, the choking feeling over a missing loved one – either through tragedy or by choice - will find ‘Good-bye, Chunky Rice’ like a bittersweet candy. This is a charming and emotional graphic novel, which I will recommend for readers of all age groups. Even if you think reading a graphic novel is not a mature vocation, give it a try, as this much dosage of feelings cannot be bottled in to so concise a form in no other medium of art. It will take not much time to finish and I am sure it will resonate within you a flood of emotions.
Actual rating:4.5/5
April 12, 2017
Graphic Novel of the Decade
I read this book with a music in my mind. Those musical notes were melancholic and were not from an earphone bud. Rather, it was from the plucked strings of my aching heart that vibrated with each stroke of the strip drawn by Craig Thompson.
Good-Bye, Chunky Rice, was written in the year 1999 as the first work of Craig Thompson which won him the Harvey Award for Best New Talent.
I read the last page and sat for a long time contemplating the transience of all. Friendship bonds that develop overtime, only to be torn apart due to circumstances.
Regardless to say, this is a book that will make you cry your heart out.
It atleast did with mine.
Shattered it into a hundred different pieces.
Goodbye Chunky Rice is a story that you may come across in a bookstore and zoom through the pages just because you heard its name somewhere. We might forgive you for thinking that its a children's cartoon picture book with a story.
The fact is, it is not. Not even an adult's book. It is a work of mammoth proportions.
It's the story of a turtle christened Chunky Rice, a little turtle and Dandel, a deer mouse. Solomon the human faced roommate of Chunky is overburdened with childhood memories of being lost in the sea of emotions. The bad emotions. Guilt and longing make up for much of his mindset of young years.
Then there's a sailor, or you may call him a boat captain, Charles who has his on set of life issues.
In the beginning as we move to the first page, Chunky's companionship with Dandel is shown to us. The friendship is strongly and beautifully presented to the reader in black and white sketches.
Then, came a line.
By Chunky.
"I have to go to the sea, Dandel. That's where I truly belong".
Chunky, as many of us do, go to seek out greener pastures of opportunities like jobs and exploring the unknown. There's nothing wrong in that. The painful part is leaving an ocean of memories behind. Parents, friends and companions - all are left behind.
Chunky wants to take Dandel along but as often is the case (again, as with humans) it is not practical. A deer mouse has nothing to do in the world of water. It has to stay ashore.
That's where it belongs.
But the heart belongs to a little green piece of life who is moving away.
Dandel, keeps you warm and your eyes wet by the brave facade it shows to Chunky in the days leading up to his departure. Acts cool, staying positive and showcasing that it is eager for the friend to go through the decision.
The truth being is that Dandel implodes from within.
This just might snap something in your heart's core.
Dandel throws letter after letter in the sea in the hope that its thoughts could reach Chunky some day. But try as you might, emotions do not bottle up. They pour as rain on the searing earth.
With the human roommate we encounter an incident that could not be formulated into words, sentences, or in language I ever learnt. He adored playing with the puppies of his pet dog. But they were consuming much of the resources of Solomon's parents and they were annoyed with it.
Those puppies are taken to the beach along with their moms. A stick is thrown far enough for her to catch. And the puppies are killed by suffocating in the water.
And this is just one of the many waves that crash into the lives of the people in the novel. The ideas and events are drawn with pristine black and white colored strokes that open a world full of feelings for you.
With immaculately drawn characters, marvelously planned anecdotes and cute little pictures - this is an animal centered story that you should read as a human being.
Verdict : Soul Rendering 5 Stars.
I read this book with a music in my mind. Those musical notes were melancholic and were not from an earphone bud. Rather, it was from the plucked strings of my aching heart that vibrated with each stroke of the strip drawn by Craig Thompson.
Good-Bye, Chunky Rice, was written in the year 1999 as the first work of Craig Thompson which won him the Harvey Award for Best New Talent.
I read the last page and sat for a long time contemplating the transience of all. Friendship bonds that develop overtime, only to be torn apart due to circumstances.
Regardless to say, this is a book that will make you cry your heart out.
It atleast did with mine.
Shattered it into a hundred different pieces.
Goodbye Chunky Rice is a story that you may come across in a bookstore and zoom through the pages just because you heard its name somewhere. We might forgive you for thinking that its a children's cartoon picture book with a story.
The fact is, it is not. Not even an adult's book. It is a work of mammoth proportions.
It's the story of a turtle christened Chunky Rice, a little turtle and Dandel, a deer mouse. Solomon the human faced roommate of Chunky is overburdened with childhood memories of being lost in the sea of emotions. The bad emotions. Guilt and longing make up for much of his mindset of young years.
Then there's a sailor, or you may call him a boat captain, Charles who has his on set of life issues.
In the beginning as we move to the first page, Chunky's companionship with Dandel is shown to us. The friendship is strongly and beautifully presented to the reader in black and white sketches.
Then, came a line.
By Chunky.
"I have to go to the sea, Dandel. That's where I truly belong".
Chunky, as many of us do, go to seek out greener pastures of opportunities like jobs and exploring the unknown. There's nothing wrong in that. The painful part is leaving an ocean of memories behind. Parents, friends and companions - all are left behind.
Chunky wants to take Dandel along but as often is the case (again, as with humans) it is not practical. A deer mouse has nothing to do in the world of water. It has to stay ashore.
That's where it belongs.
But the heart belongs to a little green piece of life who is moving away.
Dandel, keeps you warm and your eyes wet by the brave facade it shows to Chunky in the days leading up to his departure. Acts cool, staying positive and showcasing that it is eager for the friend to go through the decision.
The truth being is that Dandel implodes from within.
This just might snap something in your heart's core.
Dandel throws letter after letter in the sea in the hope that its thoughts could reach Chunky some day. But try as you might, emotions do not bottle up. They pour as rain on the searing earth.
With the human roommate we encounter an incident that could not be formulated into words, sentences, or in language I ever learnt. He adored playing with the puppies of his pet dog. But they were consuming much of the resources of Solomon's parents and they were annoyed with it.
Those puppies are taken to the beach along with their moms. A stick is thrown far enough for her to catch. And the puppies are killed by suffocating in the water.
And this is just one of the many waves that crash into the lives of the people in the novel. The ideas and events are drawn with pristine black and white colored strokes that open a world full of feelings for you.
With immaculately drawn characters, marvelously planned anecdotes and cute little pictures - this is an animal centered story that you should read as a human being.
Verdict : Soul Rendering 5 Stars.
April 27, 2016
I have mixed feelings about Craig Thompson's debut graphic novel, winner of the 2000 Harvey Award for Best New Talent. On the one hand, the plot is very slim: tiny turtle-boy with huge bug eyes hardly says a word but inexplicably decides to leave his hometown, only to be treated as a punching bag by the people he encounters. Nothing to write home about. On the other hand, it is already obvious that Craig Thompson is a very gifted cartoonist who knows how to visually engage the reader. In the words of Alan Moore, he has "a real feel for the musicality of the comic strip form. This work sings and dances, and you could do a lot worse than to sing and dance along with it." I'm not much of a dancer myself, but I still found the reading experience pleasant enough on an aesthetic level.
October 15, 2013
This is Chunky Rice. He is a turtle, which means he carries his home on his back. He is meant to travel the world.
This is Dandel, the deer mouse who loves and is loved by Chunky Rice. But Chunky will be leaving soon, which causes both of them pain.
The relationship between Chunky and Dandel is not the only precious one in this book. There is also Solomon, the lonesome, elementary-tongued bachelor who nurses a bird named Merle back to health after his wing feathers are mysteriously chewed off. And Livonia and Ruth, a pair of conjoined twins who could not be separated without dying.
The greatest parts of this book are the parts that are missing. We do not know why Chunky and Dandel love each other so much; it is enough for us to know that they do. Merle the bird suffers from some unknown ailment that compels him to tear out his own feathers and his constant, unintelligible "doot doot" says nothing explicitly, but speaks volumes implicitly.
This graphic novella is a vignette study in heartbreak, fate, loneliness, and relationships. Chunky Rice is undoubtedly meant to leave Dandel, yet he was also by all appearances made to be with Dandel. Still, he must leave. In this world, relationships are what happens when two people's roads merge together. They depart, and maybe they will one day meet again.
July 25, 2019
I missed the boat on this one. I really didn't get much from it. I love Craig Thompson's work. 'Blankets' and 'Habibi' are beautiful stories. I like the artwork here, but I really don't get what is going on with turtle.
We start with the lovely friendship of mouse and turtle. One day turtle leaves to go explore and I didn't really get why. The rest of the book, mouse misses turtle and turtle is seeing the weird wide world, but he looks like he misses mouse too and wants to go back, but doesn't.
It's ok.
We start with the lovely friendship of mouse and turtle. One day turtle leaves to go explore and I didn't really get why. The rest of the book, mouse misses turtle and turtle is seeing the weird wide world, but he looks like he misses mouse too and wants to go back, but doesn't.
It's ok.
November 17, 2007
You know that feeling when you see something for the first time, and it perfectly defines an undefinable emotion? Like the first time you heard Pink Floyd's "Great Gig in the Sky?"
Same thing here. This book manages to completely encapsulate that raw loss---of friends, of family, of innocence, of whatever while going to seek your fortune. I don't want to sound corny, but it's like an elegy to what you leave behind in order to get to your future.
Same thing here. This book manages to completely encapsulate that raw loss---of friends, of family, of innocence, of whatever while going to seek your fortune. I don't want to sound corny, but it's like an elegy to what you leave behind in order to get to your future.
August 20, 2011
Hm. Where to begin. let's start with the good.
Solomon's dialect. This is the only thing giving the book any sense of place. As no place is ever mentioned except the fictional Kahootney Islands, it was nice to have an anchor, even if it was only a gulf-coast/Louisiana accent that did it. Solomon's dialect also made him one of the more endearing characters, in my opinion. Also, the book is well drawn. While I find some of the transitions and juxtapositions gimmicky, it was overall good in that respect.
Speaking of drawing, all the characters are split into two groups, visually: the grotesques and the not-grotesques. Those in the second group basically amount to Chunky, his (androgynously drawn and named) friend Dandel, the bird Merle, and the long-dead dog Stomper. Every other character (i.e. every human character) is a grotesque. Solomon (the uneducated bumpkin with the "Jesus Saves" shirt) certainly is a stereotype as well as a grotesque, but his kindness and careful nature despite his damaging past make for the most shining moments in the book and the only ones that are actually even close to poignant, though many try.
Women are represented in interesting ways. It is noteworthy that the only women whose faces we see are the "Siamese twins," who are decidedly grotesque, the old senile wig-wearing landlady Estelle, and the face in a picture of a dead wife (for whom Chuck is still taking lamps?). The only other woman character is the cook. We never see her face and we know that though she obviously doesn't care about Chuck in any kind of real way but sleeps with him anyway.
The relationship between Chunky and Dandel is never given any depth except that they both say how deeply important their relationship is. Dandel writes letters all the time, but we don't really know why. While that isn't strictly necessary, as we are entering the story at the point of departure, a little more history would be nice.
Chunky is a perplexing character. Though he is the point around which the whole book revolves, he is, as the gamers say, a Non Player Character. the only choice he makes in the entire book is the choice to leave, and once that choice has been made one time he never chooses anything else. He doesn't reconsider leaving based on the fact of his present happiness, he doesn't question the fee to travel on boat, or that Chuck throws his records into the water, or the fact that though he has paid he also has to work, or ANYTHING else. Everything happens to him, he causes nothing to happen. And he is practically mute. In 125 pages Chunky says literally 164 words (avg. 1.312 wds./pg.) of which six are sounds (whee, sigh, heh, um, etc.) and four are statements of his own name. He is, essentially, no more than a McGuffin.
Everything Dandel says after Chunky leaves is hipster rambling (nice trike and scarf). One thing that, upon further reflection, played well on this character was the androgyny. It takes the focus of the relationship away from questions of amorous love and places it within the realm of all loves. Are they lovers? Are they friends? It shows that friendship can be as strong and as important other kinds of love. HOWEVER, that same ambiguity in the relationship also highlights the perceived sexual aloofness of hipsters.
On the whole, I didn't understand this book (unless it's existential...then I get it). And I wouldn't recommend it.
Solomon's dialect. This is the only thing giving the book any sense of place. As no place is ever mentioned except the fictional Kahootney Islands, it was nice to have an anchor, even if it was only a gulf-coast/Louisiana accent that did it. Solomon's dialect also made him one of the more endearing characters, in my opinion. Also, the book is well drawn. While I find some of the transitions and juxtapositions gimmicky, it was overall good in that respect.
Speaking of drawing, all the characters are split into two groups, visually: the grotesques and the not-grotesques. Those in the second group basically amount to Chunky, his (androgynously drawn and named) friend Dandel, the bird Merle, and the long-dead dog Stomper. Every other character (i.e. every human character) is a grotesque. Solomon (the uneducated bumpkin with the "Jesus Saves" shirt) certainly is a stereotype as well as a grotesque, but his kindness and careful nature despite his damaging past make for the most shining moments in the book and the only ones that are actually even close to poignant, though many try.
Women are represented in interesting ways. It is noteworthy that the only women whose faces we see are the "Siamese twins," who are decidedly grotesque, the old senile wig-wearing landlady Estelle, and the face in a picture of a dead wife (for whom Chuck is still taking lamps?). The only other woman character is the cook. We never see her face and we know that though she obviously doesn't care about Chuck in any kind of real way but sleeps with him anyway.
The relationship between Chunky and Dandel is never given any depth except that they both say how deeply important their relationship is. Dandel writes letters all the time, but we don't really know why. While that isn't strictly necessary, as we are entering the story at the point of departure, a little more history would be nice.
Chunky is a perplexing character. Though he is the point around which the whole book revolves, he is, as the gamers say, a Non Player Character. the only choice he makes in the entire book is the choice to leave, and once that choice has been made one time he never chooses anything else. He doesn't reconsider leaving based on the fact of his present happiness, he doesn't question the fee to travel on boat, or that Chuck throws his records into the water, or the fact that though he has paid he also has to work, or ANYTHING else. Everything happens to him, he causes nothing to happen. And he is practically mute. In 125 pages Chunky says literally 164 words (avg. 1.312 wds./pg.) of which six are sounds (whee, sigh, heh, um, etc.) and four are statements of his own name. He is, essentially, no more than a McGuffin.
Everything Dandel says after Chunky leaves is hipster rambling (nice trike and scarf). One thing that, upon further reflection, played well on this character was the androgyny. It takes the focus of the relationship away from questions of amorous love and places it within the realm of all loves. Are they lovers? Are they friends? It shows that friendship can be as strong and as important other kinds of love. HOWEVER, that same ambiguity in the relationship also highlights the perceived sexual aloofness of hipsters.
On the whole, I didn't understand this book (unless it's existential...then I get it). And I wouldn't recommend it.
May 5, 2025
Bardzo banalna a jednocześnie bardzo dziwna.
February 15, 2018
A book full of tenderness, of loving and saying goodbye.
January 26, 2014
This felt under-developed to me. We don't really see enough of Chunky and Dandel's relationship to really feel the sense of it ending. People ask Chunky why he's leaving, and he always just says 'I don't know'; well, maybe if we knew why he had to leave, we'd have felt sympathy for him having to leave his best friend, but we don't, so I just wondered whether he really needed to go at all; I couldn't feel sorry for him if it didn't seem necessary for him to go.
Another thing; if you're going to put something as depressing as someone having to drown a sack of puppies in your story, maybe don't put it right at the beginning before we've had time to get to know the characters. I'm not objecting to putting something like this in a story, and I can see how it becomes relevant, but it would have been better if we'd got to know Solomon, and then found out about this horrible incident as a child which makes us understand him better, rather than it just being 'Hi, I be Solomon, I being drowned some puppies once!'. That's the other thing about Solomon, by the way, his dialect doesn't make an awful lot of sense, and seems to have just been made up on the fly rather than having any kind of logic to it.
I understand that this was apparently written about Craig Thompson's friends who he'd had to leave behind when moving cities. It feels like something that's written for a particular person or group of people, who will understand what parts of it mean. It assumed interest, like it didn't have to prompt me to feel sad for the characters.
Another thing; if you're going to put something as depressing as someone having to drown a sack of puppies in your story, maybe don't put it right at the beginning before we've had time to get to know the characters. I'm not objecting to putting something like this in a story, and I can see how it becomes relevant, but it would have been better if we'd got to know Solomon, and then found out about this horrible incident as a child which makes us understand him better, rather than it just being 'Hi, I be Solomon, I being drowned some puppies once!'. That's the other thing about Solomon, by the way, his dialect doesn't make an awful lot of sense, and seems to have just been made up on the fly rather than having any kind of logic to it.
I understand that this was apparently written about Craig Thompson's friends who he'd had to leave behind when moving cities. It feels like something that's written for a particular person or group of people, who will understand what parts of it mean. It assumed interest, like it didn't have to prompt me to feel sad for the characters.
December 30, 2019
Probably I’m wrong to leave.
Aw, man. Where do I begin. This was extremely sad and even though the turtle and mouse seemed to be in love they were both pushing each other apart. The turtle kept talking about leaving. The mouse kept telling him he needed to leave. The turtle at one point says, Then some really weird stuff happens on a ship. And there’s a whole other subplot of this man remembering childhood trauma and an abusive father.
It wasn’t for me.
Aw, man. Where do I begin. This was extremely sad and even though the turtle and mouse seemed to be in love they were both pushing each other apart. The turtle kept talking about leaving. The mouse kept telling him he needed to leave. The turtle at one point says, Then some really weird stuff happens on a ship. And there’s a whole other subplot of this man remembering childhood trauma and an abusive father.
It wasn’t for me.
September 8, 2007
As good as Blankets but in a different way. I'm interested in how Thompson deals with "disability," and this book addresses it in even more direct ways than Blankets. About a turtle improbably named Chunky Rice, who is perhaps even more improbably best friends with a mouse named Dandle. Chunky Rice moves away from his home and away from Dandle, meeting a crew of what should be misfits on the boat that takes him far away from his friend. Unexpectedly, the book ends up being a really profound exploration of friendship, loss, connection, and self-discovery, and it's really worth spending an hour or two with.
June 30, 2016
Given to me as a going away present by shamelessly emotionally manipulative friends, whose goal was clearly to make me bawl like a baby and turn me into a blubbering wreck. Well, mission fucking accomplished.
Every page of this book is heartbreaking and filled with loss, drowning and the sounds of the ocean. Such simple storytelling style and barely any dialogue, but you're holding your breath for everyone to just be okay. My only complaint is my strong belief, that there should've been at least another hundred pages to the book.
Speaking for Craig Thompson's work - as opposed to Habibi, that left me conflicted and confused and amazed - Chunky Rice took everything simple and heartbreaking and beautiful about Thompson's writing, and put it into a 100 pages of scratchy panels you can't look away from - even if you're scrambling for tissues and taking deep calming breaths.
Read! It'll barely take you an hour and all the crying will clear out your sinuses.
Every page of this book is heartbreaking and filled with loss, drowning and the sounds of the ocean. Such simple storytelling style and barely any dialogue, but you're holding your breath for everyone to just be okay. My only complaint is my strong belief, that there should've been at least another hundred pages to the book.
Speaking for Craig Thompson's work - as opposed to Habibi, that left me conflicted and confused and amazed - Chunky Rice took everything simple and heartbreaking and beautiful about Thompson's writing, and put it into a 100 pages of scratchy panels you can't look away from - even if you're scrambling for tissues and taking deep calming breaths.
Read! It'll barely take you an hour and all the crying will clear out your sinuses.
August 13, 2019
A few days before I moved out of state, a friend who was infatuated with graphic novels and particularly fond of Craig Thompson's work reckoned that I read Good-Bye, Chunky Rice, but I decided to read Blankets first, which I fell absolutely in love with. It's been exactly a year since then, and when I reached out to thank them for the recommendation, I was made aware that Thompson wrote this to reflect his own move and separation from those closest to him, which made this hit even closer to home.
There are more layers to this story that I probably didn't grasp, even over the two consecutive reads that I gave it. The depiction of loss in every aspect broke me and cut deeper than I expected from an illustrated storyline surrounding a literal turtle named Chunky Rice.
I am at a loss for words for anything that will deem this review as convincing enough to read such an emotive piece of work - but goodness, this seemingly sweet book tore me apart.
There are more layers to this story that I probably didn't grasp, even over the two consecutive reads that I gave it. The depiction of loss in every aspect broke me and cut deeper than I expected from an illustrated storyline surrounding a literal turtle named Chunky Rice.
I am at a loss for words for anything that will deem this review as convincing enough to read such an emotive piece of work - but goodness, this seemingly sweet book tore me apart.
October 23, 2023
Sweet, melancholy, and even gruesome at times, RICE is a graphic novel about a wandering little turtle with overarching themes of friendship, loss, and discovery. There are the sort of "freaky" characters that were so common in 1990s comics and cartoons, and even though some of that may seem dated now, the ones who populate this book are more nuanced and sympathetic than readers might expect.
Despite the cute and colorful book jacket, this comic is decidedly not for young kids. There is graphic and sad content including---[mild spoiler alert]---an ugly sequence that depicts what was once standard procedure for getting rid of unwanted litters when the family pet gave birth. (If you have ever felt annoyance about spay/neuter messaging, well, just remember that there's a reason why humane-minded people shout it from the rooftops. We don't want a return to those days.)
Despite the cute and colorful book jacket, this comic is decidedly not for young kids. There is graphic and sad content including---[mild spoiler alert]---an ugly sequence that depicts what was once standard procedure for getting rid of unwanted litters when the family pet gave birth. (If you have ever felt annoyance about spay/neuter messaging, well, just remember that there's a reason why humane-minded people shout it from the rooftops. We don't want a return to those days.)
March 25, 2020
There's some good art here, and plenty of building blocks for a great story - characters and personalities and arcs - but it ultimately cuts short and does not really deliver. I'd have wished for a more definitive ending.
June 9, 2018
Harvey Award. This one won a Harvey Award.
And because of that, and some other nominated shit, I'm pretty much convinced anything can win a Harvey fucking Award. Draw a cute fucking animal on a piece of paper and you got it.
Ugh....
Ok.
Good Artwork (at times) Like the cute little animals.
Bad artwork... The humans in it are not the best to look at. They look like fuckin graffiti quick sprayed on walls.. Oh well.. personally not my thing. Ugly.
The story is mediocre at best overall, but it really stands out as a personal story for the creator and his friends that he decided to be like, yeah, fuck it... I'm gonna publish this to the world.. lemme add some cute animals so I can do that... so.. yeah..
It's ok. It reads ok. The characters are ok. The cute turtle is the best. The inks is what I REALLY liked at this one and kept reading. The story and dialogue is ok/good half the time, but it is NOT for awards for fuck's sake.
If this can win a Harvey Award then fuck it. Give telletubbies a fucking award or Barney the purple fuckin dinosaur an award. Because Barney is teaching kids about friendship. And here is the adult version of this.
No. Just no. It's ok, and I'm willing to say it's even a good solid story about "leaving" people and situations behind. Moving on... and making decisions etc. etc.
But it is NOT "amazing" or "groundbreaking" or something that deserves fucking awards allthewhile me ranting about it is the only reason, because that's why I read in the 1st place. Because of the award.
Oh well...
And because of that, and some other nominated shit, I'm pretty much convinced anything can win a Harvey fucking Award. Draw a cute fucking animal on a piece of paper and you got it.
Ugh....
Ok.
Good Artwork (at times) Like the cute little animals.
Bad artwork... The humans in it are not the best to look at. They look like fuckin graffiti quick sprayed on walls.. Oh well.. personally not my thing. Ugly.
The story is mediocre at best overall, but it really stands out as a personal story for the creator and his friends that he decided to be like, yeah, fuck it... I'm gonna publish this to the world.. lemme add some cute animals so I can do that... so.. yeah..
It's ok. It reads ok. The characters are ok. The cute turtle is the best. The inks is what I REALLY liked at this one and kept reading. The story and dialogue is ok/good half the time, but it is NOT for awards for fuck's sake.
If this can win a Harvey Award then fuck it. Give telletubbies a fucking award or Barney the purple fuckin dinosaur an award. Because Barney is teaching kids about friendship. And here is the adult version of this.
No. Just no. It's ok, and I'm willing to say it's even a good solid story about "leaving" people and situations behind. Moving on... and making decisions etc. etc.
But it is NOT "amazing" or "groundbreaking" or something that deserves fucking awards allthewhile me ranting about it is the only reason, because that's why I read in the 1st place. Because of the award.
Oh well...
May 4, 2018
¿Puede ser lo más deprimente que he leído nunca? Si no, debe estar entre los cinco primeros.
Está bien porque realmente te hace efecto, pero salvo que queráis empeorar vuestro ánimo un rato os lo podéis ahorrar.
Está bien porque realmente te hace efecto, pero salvo que queráis empeorar vuestro ánimo un rato os lo podéis ahorrar.
September 3, 2017
We built an entire world!
Öncelikle Craig, o nasıl bir font? Kör olayazdım okurken. Gözlerimi inanılmaz yordu, algı sorunu yaşadım resmen bu nedenle tek oturuşta okunacak bir kitap olmasına rağmen günlerce süründürdüm.
Benim için tam olarak Good-bye, Craig Thompson oldu ya, hayırlısı.
Öncelikle Craig, o nasıl bir font? Kör olayazdım okurken. Gözlerimi inanılmaz yordu, algı sorunu yaşadım resmen bu nedenle tek oturuşta okunacak bir kitap olmasına rağmen günlerce süründürdüm.
Benim için tam olarak Good-bye, Craig Thompson oldu ya, hayırlısı.
September 24, 2015
Craig Thompson apparently wrote a book for children. It is also for children. But it appeals more to grown-ups, because it spans life, simply, all ages.
In a small provincial town, Chunky Rice, the turtle, leaves his best friend deermouse Dandel back home, while setting out on the sea to see the world, destination: the Kahootney islands. His kindhearted and feeble-minded neighbor Solomon shows him a little bird (Merle) whom he found injured, then helps Chunky with the boxes down to the harbor to his brother Charles' boat. Charles asks 200 dollars boarding fee and obliges Chunky to leave his lamp, dishes and disks behind and take only his backpack aboard.
On the boat Chunky meets Livonia and Ruth, a pair of funny-looking but comic Siamese sisters: they share the heads and the bodies. When one smokes, the other coughs. They are on their way somewhere to a new career for Ruth, but we are not told what that is. Meanwhile Dandel misses Chunky so much that she searches across the town for as many bottles as possible to launch messages at sea for him.
Solomon's birdie, Merle, grows feathers on her wings again and flies happily to freedom, while he falls very sad, finding himself alone and desolate once more. However, Merle returns and Solomon becomes joyful again at the re-encounter. He is the most endearing character of the book and I couldn't help feeling deeply sorry and tender towards his early unhappiness.
On the boat we see the passengers having fish dinner served by Eleanor, Charles’ mistress, then being hit by a storm, when Charles seems to feel thirsty with the passion of feeling alive, fighting with the sea, making best use of his sailor skills. When the storm ceases, Chunky and Charles stay on the deck and think about beauty and journeys, while the graphic perspective changes to Dandel who says "There is no Good-Bye, Chunky Rice".
I was particularly drawn to Captain Charles, being he is a character who puzzles us from the beginning. At first we think he is mean, selfish and frivolous, seeking to take advantage of everybody, while toward the end of the book he becomes a sort of emotional Ahab of Melville, uttering nearly philosophical phrases such as "I love the sea because it is BOUNDLESS". This, combined with the faces he makes in the book, depicts a sullen character in desperate need of loving or care and comfort. We realize that he was also not loved by their Paw but he learned to cope differently with the pain caused, becoming tough and seemingly lacking empathy.
Memory is the pregnant theme of the graphic novel. It is preserved through symbols such as messages in bottles, the sea, and through plot tools such as intercalation of moments in time. We are several times taken back in time so we can understand the characters from some meaningful point in their past.
One aspect not obvious at first sight is that the author takes care to show us that, contrary to the black and white drawings, nothing or nobody is actually just black and white. They all carry hues and nuances. Charles becomes sympathetic and forgivable, we understand he went through the terrible loss of his wife, Solomon is very simple-minded and kind but somehow we can't help feeling uneasy that he killed Stomper's puppies at the behest of his father, Dandel is caring but she doesn't really take any step farther than her limits, Chunky is active and hungry for "something different" but not terribly witty, and the sisters best exemplify false appearances: in spite of their slightly unsightly appearance, they are kindhearted, funny and childish (Livonia falls asleep with a teddy bear).
Extrapolating just a little, this is also a story of abuse and loss. Abuse of children by inadequate education and domestic violence (see Solomon’s undeveloped language, emotional fears of loneliness and past bullying by his father, brother and other kids). All the characters lose something or somebody, even Stomper loses her puppies. Overcoming these wounds takes time and learning to observe beauty around you and in others or having simple joys: Solomon loves animals and caring for them, Dandel overcomes the rupture by becoming creative and admiring the beauty of the ocean, Charles allows himself deep feelings for the sea while mourning over his former wife Glenda who “understood that”, and Livonia and Ruth overcome their condition by simply enjoying small pleasures like sunbathing, smoking, drinking, interacting with others. Like any apparently unimportant elements in writing, these details or “character realities” translate into larger powerful symbols.
And everything is wrapped in the sea background, as the waves set friends apart but also bring them close again. This edition’s 125 pages are a great and entertaining lesson for children and adults alike, a colorful non-discriminatory story of friendship, kindness, courage and helpless compassion. A story of optimism and strength, which we all need in life to succeed and… become.
Written by Andreea Sociu
In a small provincial town, Chunky Rice, the turtle, leaves his best friend deermouse Dandel back home, while setting out on the sea to see the world, destination: the Kahootney islands. His kindhearted and feeble-minded neighbor Solomon shows him a little bird (Merle) whom he found injured, then helps Chunky with the boxes down to the harbor to his brother Charles' boat. Charles asks 200 dollars boarding fee and obliges Chunky to leave his lamp, dishes and disks behind and take only his backpack aboard.
On the boat Chunky meets Livonia and Ruth, a pair of funny-looking but comic Siamese sisters: they share the heads and the bodies. When one smokes, the other coughs. They are on their way somewhere to a new career for Ruth, but we are not told what that is. Meanwhile Dandel misses Chunky so much that she searches across the town for as many bottles as possible to launch messages at sea for him.
Solomon's birdie, Merle, grows feathers on her wings again and flies happily to freedom, while he falls very sad, finding himself alone and desolate once more. However, Merle returns and Solomon becomes joyful again at the re-encounter. He is the most endearing character of the book and I couldn't help feeling deeply sorry and tender towards his early unhappiness.
On the boat we see the passengers having fish dinner served by Eleanor, Charles’ mistress, then being hit by a storm, when Charles seems to feel thirsty with the passion of feeling alive, fighting with the sea, making best use of his sailor skills. When the storm ceases, Chunky and Charles stay on the deck and think about beauty and journeys, while the graphic perspective changes to Dandel who says "There is no Good-Bye, Chunky Rice".
I was particularly drawn to Captain Charles, being he is a character who puzzles us from the beginning. At first we think he is mean, selfish and frivolous, seeking to take advantage of everybody, while toward the end of the book he becomes a sort of emotional Ahab of Melville, uttering nearly philosophical phrases such as "I love the sea because it is BOUNDLESS". This, combined with the faces he makes in the book, depicts a sullen character in desperate need of loving or care and comfort. We realize that he was also not loved by their Paw but he learned to cope differently with the pain caused, becoming tough and seemingly lacking empathy.
Memory is the pregnant theme of the graphic novel. It is preserved through symbols such as messages in bottles, the sea, and through plot tools such as intercalation of moments in time. We are several times taken back in time so we can understand the characters from some meaningful point in their past.
One aspect not obvious at first sight is that the author takes care to show us that, contrary to the black and white drawings, nothing or nobody is actually just black and white. They all carry hues and nuances. Charles becomes sympathetic and forgivable, we understand he went through the terrible loss of his wife, Solomon is very simple-minded and kind but somehow we can't help feeling uneasy that he killed Stomper's puppies at the behest of his father, Dandel is caring but she doesn't really take any step farther than her limits, Chunky is active and hungry for "something different" but not terribly witty, and the sisters best exemplify false appearances: in spite of their slightly unsightly appearance, they are kindhearted, funny and childish (Livonia falls asleep with a teddy bear).
Extrapolating just a little, this is also a story of abuse and loss. Abuse of children by inadequate education and domestic violence (see Solomon’s undeveloped language, emotional fears of loneliness and past bullying by his father, brother and other kids). All the characters lose something or somebody, even Stomper loses her puppies. Overcoming these wounds takes time and learning to observe beauty around you and in others or having simple joys: Solomon loves animals and caring for them, Dandel overcomes the rupture by becoming creative and admiring the beauty of the ocean, Charles allows himself deep feelings for the sea while mourning over his former wife Glenda who “understood that”, and Livonia and Ruth overcome their condition by simply enjoying small pleasures like sunbathing, smoking, drinking, interacting with others. Like any apparently unimportant elements in writing, these details or “character realities” translate into larger powerful symbols.
And everything is wrapped in the sea background, as the waves set friends apart but also bring them close again. This edition’s 125 pages are a great and entertaining lesson for children and adults alike, a colorful non-discriminatory story of friendship, kindness, courage and helpless compassion. A story of optimism and strength, which we all need in life to succeed and… become.
Written by Andreea Sociu
July 6, 2012
I think it's through my own ignorance that I assume I won't enjoy graphic novels. It's easy to feel like a better, more mature reader when there are, at least, an absence of pictures. However, sometimes it's because of these predispositions that we find ourselves so pleasantly surprised to find out how very wrong we were.
My cousin gifted this book to me on my most rest visit to her and I brought it home with a begrudging disinterest. However, there was a curious tug in my heart that knew she had given me Good-Bye, Chunky Rice for an unforeseen reason... and I simply had to find out why.
The writing is simple, yet poignant, and the artistry is somewhat perfect for the tale being told. As someone who travels a lot and is, unfortunately, well-versed in leaving loved ones as well as being the one left behind, the story had a familiar, reflective ring to it that left me feeling heartbroken by page 40. I've read a slew of books, though none of which has made me cry within recent memory, and yet, here was this graphic novel, primarily pictures, causing me to put it aside just to get a better grip on the tissue. I teared up multiple times from the woe of two lovers being separated by design. Oh, how well I related.
And there were side stories as well that tore at heartstrings because, whether we knew it or not, they were relateable. While we may not have hurt the pets in our lives, we do know what it's like to live with some form of regret and the residual quest for redemption that follows. Perhaps we know what it's like to still be in love with someone else, or can relate to the feeling of self-depreciation that seemed to have struck Merle at one point in his life.
But while somewhat continuously sad, there's a lingering feeling of hope that powers through the entire story and beyond. For whatever ales us, there's a remedy. It's simply our destiny our pursue it.
My cousin gifted this book to me on my most rest visit to her and I brought it home with a begrudging disinterest. However, there was a curious tug in my heart that knew she had given me Good-Bye, Chunky Rice for an unforeseen reason... and I simply had to find out why.
The writing is simple, yet poignant, and the artistry is somewhat perfect for the tale being told. As someone who travels a lot and is, unfortunately, well-versed in leaving loved ones as well as being the one left behind, the story had a familiar, reflective ring to it that left me feeling heartbroken by page 40. I've read a slew of books, though none of which has made me cry within recent memory, and yet, here was this graphic novel, primarily pictures, causing me to put it aside just to get a better grip on the tissue. I teared up multiple times from the woe of two lovers being separated by design. Oh, how well I related.
And there were side stories as well that tore at heartstrings because, whether we knew it or not, they were relateable. While we may not have hurt the pets in our lives, we do know what it's like to live with some form of regret and the residual quest for redemption that follows. Perhaps we know what it's like to still be in love with someone else, or can relate to the feeling of self-depreciation that seemed to have struck Merle at one point in his life.
But while somewhat continuously sad, there's a lingering feeling of hope that powers through the entire story and beyond. For whatever ales us, there's a remedy. It's simply our destiny our pursue it.
January 13, 2013
I found a couple of obstacles to get past with this graphic novel. First was the art. I was a bit put off by it at the start. Thompson uses a very cartoony style here, and it makes his characters almost caricatures at times. But it works. And occasionally the reader will come upon a large picture, full page or nearly, which is stunning in its beauty and detail. Secondly, the dialogue. Some of the characters talk in such a dialect that it's hard to make sense of at first glance. But it really just made me slow down and appreciate both the words and pictures more. Thompson's storytelling style takes a bit of getting used to; he intersperses wordless pictures and sequences with flashbacks and imaginary sequences, all coming from his characters' minds.
Why am I giving this book five stars, then? Because, frankly, it's downright amazing. Chunky Rice is a turtle who decides he has to move on from his home, leaving behind his friend (and lover?), a deermouse named Dandel. Much of the book follows Chunky's journey and Dandel's response to his absence, and along the way, we meet other characters who are also in the process of "finding themselves" (to use an overworn cliche) and suffering from past losses. This book tugged at me emotionally in a way that most things I read don't.
Looking forward to reading Blankets now.
Why am I giving this book five stars, then? Because, frankly, it's downright amazing. Chunky Rice is a turtle who decides he has to move on from his home, leaving behind his friend (and lover?), a deermouse named Dandel. Much of the book follows Chunky's journey and Dandel's response to his absence, and along the way, we meet other characters who are also in the process of "finding themselves" (to use an overworn cliche) and suffering from past losses. This book tugged at me emotionally in a way that most things I read don't.
Looking forward to reading Blankets now.
December 20, 2016
Sadly, I didn't enjoy this one as much as I hoped to. The art felt chaotic and the story was all over the place. I didn't care for the characters or the story at all. And the only reason why I am giving this 2 stars is because the two main characters look so freaking adorable! That's a pretty lame argumentation, eh? ;)
Anyway, I will give Craig Thompson a second chance. I am really looking forward to check out Habibi & Blankets. And hopefully I will enjoy them more :).
Anyway, I will give Craig Thompson a second chance. I am really looking forward to check out Habibi & Blankets. And hopefully I will enjoy them more :).
September 27, 2017
No. Not the characters or the art or the writing. Or the story, what there was of it. And what there was of it was basically a downer. No great insight, no small insight. And yet it won an award and people apparently like it. Clearly I'm missing something.
May 4, 2018
really mediocre and slightly annoying.
June 30, 2020
Este no es el libro de Chunky Rice, sino el libro de Solomon, que bello personaje, destaca por su inocencia, ingenuidad y soledad. Lo bueno es que ahora tienen un compañero alado, con él.
Chunky Rice se marcha en búsqueda de aventuras, de su lugar en el mundo, deja tras el a su amigo, y ambos añorandose realizan diferentes acciones que mantienen vivo el recuerdo de su amistad.
Chunky Rice se marcha en búsqueda de aventuras, de su lugar en el mundo, deja tras el a su amigo, y ambos añorandose realizan diferentes acciones que mantienen vivo el recuerdo de su amistad.
June 9, 2020
Muy lindo.
January 31, 2021
I couldn't enjoy this one. The art is fine, the story is good, the lines are good. Just that it's a bit too scattered.
April 19, 2011
What makes "Good-bye, Chunky Rice" such a great book--what makes all of Craig Thompson's books great, for that matter--is how relatable it is.
The story follows Chunky Rice, a turtle who is leaving home. Most of us have moved to other places in our lives and lost friends, or we've had friends move away. In the days before social networking, these departures could mean good-bye forever. Thompson turns an unlikely journey featuring talking animals into something emotional powerful and poignant. I had goosebumps during portions of this book. I fought back tears.
The story is interwoven through several different relationships, which gives the book a unique dynamic. Each story is one of loss, in varying degrees. The loss of a friend. The loss of a spouse. The loss of brotherhood. The loss of a pet. The loss of innocence. A recurring motif with which several characters--Chunky Rice, Solomon, and Chuck--have to deal is death. Each of these is a varying degree of the elements of death and loss that Thompson illustrates so brilliantly in this book.
This book brought to mind a lot of past, driving me almost to the point of calling an ex-girlfriend--almost. I believe Thompson's purpose with this book was to do just that: Conjur up all the loss we've experienced and, in the end, learn that there is no good-bye. We can never lose something forever, because we'll always have the memories. We just have to take a deep breath, sweep the fish off our deck, saving what's worth saving, and move on with our voyage.
The story follows Chunky Rice, a turtle who is leaving home. Most of us have moved to other places in our lives and lost friends, or we've had friends move away. In the days before social networking, these departures could mean good-bye forever. Thompson turns an unlikely journey featuring talking animals into something emotional powerful and poignant. I had goosebumps during portions of this book. I fought back tears.
The story is interwoven through several different relationships, which gives the book a unique dynamic. Each story is one of loss, in varying degrees. The loss of a friend. The loss of a spouse. The loss of brotherhood. The loss of a pet. The loss of innocence. A recurring motif with which several characters--Chunky Rice, Solomon, and Chuck--have to deal is death. Each of these is a varying degree of the elements of death and loss that Thompson illustrates so brilliantly in this book.
This book brought to mind a lot of past, driving me almost to the point of calling an ex-girlfriend--almost. I believe Thompson's purpose with this book was to do just that: Conjur up all the loss we've experienced and, in the end, learn that there is no good-bye. We can never lose something forever, because we'll always have the memories. We just have to take a deep breath, sweep the fish off our deck, saving what's worth saving, and move on with our voyage.
May 19, 2013
Craig Thompson’s first graphic novel, Good-Bye, Chunky Rice is dedicated to his friends back in Milwaukie, Wisconsin. See, he grew up there and then decided to move to Portland, Oregon. No doubt it’s tough to leave the only place you’ve ever known, for the unknown. Saying goodbye is hard, especially to that special someone who makes you question if this is for the best in the first place. And that’s what the story of Chunky Rice is all about.
Chunky Rice is a cute little boy turtle, and he’s leaving behind Dandel, a cute little girl mouse, to board a boat skippered by his neighbor’s boorish, conniving brother to go elsewhere, in search of something, to fill some sort of void. But all Chunky can do, and all Dandel can do, is think of the other.
And of course, it’s a very bittersweet, heart-warming story. (How could it not be?) We see what I think of as Thompson’s flair for his thick-penned, swirly illustrations; and the blending of one with another to transition the narrative, make a connection, or express an idea. The language he used was a little difficult to get into at first, but nevertheless always cool to read. And I couldn’t help but notice flashes of the brilliance that would become Blankets ---> from a contemplative Chunky standing on the boat in the middle of the ocean, to Thompson zooming us out to a half-filled bottle that Dandel is holding.
Totally, beautiful.
It’s a short, gentle story, all its own, but having read both Good-Bye, Chunky Rice and Blankets, you can’t help but think that this was the warm-up to him realizing his full-potential.
Chunky Rice is a cute little boy turtle, and he’s leaving behind Dandel, a cute little girl mouse, to board a boat skippered by his neighbor’s boorish, conniving brother to go elsewhere, in search of something, to fill some sort of void. But all Chunky can do, and all Dandel can do, is think of the other.
And of course, it’s a very bittersweet, heart-warming story. (How could it not be?) We see what I think of as Thompson’s flair for his thick-penned, swirly illustrations; and the blending of one with another to transition the narrative, make a connection, or express an idea. The language he used was a little difficult to get into at first, but nevertheless always cool to read. And I couldn’t help but notice flashes of the brilliance that would become Blankets ---> from a contemplative Chunky standing on the boat in the middle of the ocean, to Thompson zooming us out to a half-filled bottle that Dandel is holding.
Totally, beautiful.
It’s a short, gentle story, all its own, but having read both Good-Bye, Chunky Rice and Blankets, you can’t help but think that this was the warm-up to him realizing his full-potential.
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