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The Strange
The story of one undocumented immigrant’s journey, told by the people who employ him, feed him, and report on him
The Strange follows an unnamed, undocumented immigrant who tries to forge a new life in a Western country where he doesn’t speak the language. The story is deftly told through myriad viewpoints, as each narrator recounts a situation in which they crossed paths with the newly arrived foreigner. Many of the people he meets are suspicious of his unfamiliar background, or of the unusual language they do not understand. By employing this third-person narrative structure, Jérôme Ruillier masterfully portrays the complex plight of immigrants and the vulnerability of being undocumented. The Strange shows one person’s struggle to adapt while dealing with the often brutal and unforgiving attitudes of the employers, neighbors, and strangers who populate this new land.
Ruillier employs a bold visual approach of colored pencil drawings complemented by a stark, limited palette of red, orange, and green backgrounds. Its beautiful simplicity represents the almost childlike hope and promise that is often associated with new beginnings. But as he implicitly suggests, it’s a promise that can shatter at a moment’s notice when the threat of being deported is a daily and terrifying reality.
The Strange follows an unnamed, undocumented immigrant who tries to forge a new life in a Western country where he doesn’t speak the language. The story is deftly told through myriad viewpoints, as each narrator recounts a situation in which they crossed paths with the newly arrived foreigner. Many of the people he meets are suspicious of his unfamiliar background, or of the unusual language they do not understand. By employing this third-person narrative structure, Jérôme Ruillier masterfully portrays the complex plight of immigrants and the vulnerability of being undocumented. The Strange shows one person’s struggle to adapt while dealing with the often brutal and unforgiving attitudes of the employers, neighbors, and strangers who populate this new land.
Ruillier employs a bold visual approach of colored pencil drawings complemented by a stark, limited palette of red, orange, and green backgrounds. Its beautiful simplicity represents the almost childlike hope and promise that is often associated with new beginnings. But as he implicitly suggests, it’s a promise that can shatter at a moment’s notice when the threat of being deported is a daily and terrifying reality.
160 pages, Paperback
First published June 12, 2018
1 person is currently reading
342 people want to read
About the author
Jérôme Ruillier
62 books2 followersJérôme Ruillier est né le 3 mars 1966 à Fort-Dauphin (Madagascar). Il a suivi des études aux Arts Décoratifs de Strasbourg en atelier d'illustration. Plus passionné des montagnes et d'alpinisme que de dessin, il est renvoyé en première année, puis reprend l'année suivante.
Aujourd'hui il habite Grenoble, et aime raconter des histoires, avec son amie, illustratrice aussi.
Aujourd'hui il habite Grenoble, et aime raconter des histoires, avec son amie, illustratrice aussi.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
September 2, 2018
I read this and reviewed this about a month ago and apparently lost the review. I also read the author's children book on a related topic, This is My Home. This is a close up look at one good displaced man's experience of not being very welcomed by everyone in a new country, constantly facing the threat of deportation. Powerful book that could be read with Tan's The Arrival, which I love, Flannery O' Connor's "The Displaced Person" and the texts where "loving one's neighbor" is the point.
Ruillier, born in Madagascar but living in France, also had written a graphic novel based on interviews conducted by the writer Yamina Benguigui. Les Mohamed explored the contemporary immigrant experience in France, and The Strange continues this exploration
The drawing is simple and affecting. Here's a few pages from it:
https://www.drawnandquarterly.com/blo...
Ruillier, born in Madagascar but living in France, also had written a graphic novel based on interviews conducted by the writer Yamina Benguigui. Les Mohamed explored the contemporary immigrant experience in France, and The Strange continues this exploration
The drawing is simple and affecting. Here's a few pages from it:
https://www.drawnandquarterly.com/blo...
July 31, 2018
Jerome Ruiller’s L'étrange, translated into The Strange, is a kind of extension of his Les Mohammed, mémoires d'immigrés, interviews he did with refugees. The Strange is a story of one such family based on some of those interviews, and interviews with police another officials, and locals affected by the influx of immigrants. The Strange (also in the plural Stranges) refers to the exiled, the alien, the strangers, the displaced, the immigrants, the undocumented, refugees. Ruiller keeps some of the actual dialogue from those interviews in the story he tells with anthropomorphic animals (as is commonplace in comics; think Maus, Spiegelman’s tale of the Holocaust told with mice and cats and dogs). Ruiller humanizes these strangers through depicting them sketchily as animals. Ruiller also uses the statements by public officials not as a way of demonizing them, I think, but in the interest of dialogue. He does not disrespect the perspectives of those hostile to immigrants for various reasons, though it is clear what side he is on.
Ruiller sees this story as a kind of etension of his bilingual picturebook, Aqui es mi Casa/ This is my Home on the same basic topic.
A kind of parable.
Ruiller sees this story as a kind of etension of his bilingual picturebook, Aqui es mi Casa/ This is my Home on the same basic topic.
A kind of parable.
January 12, 2019
Very moving graphic novel telling the plight of one undocumented immigrant. His story is told via how other people (or actually, various animal-ish creatures) view him - from a taxi driver, to a crow, to a neighbour etc. It's a melancholy little book that highlights themes of xenophobia, discrimination and racism. I really liked the sparsely coloured graphics too.
July 19, 2018
Had Shaun Tan written The Arrival in the Trump era (yeah, I know The Strange preceded Trump but you get the sentiment I'm going for - treating refugees with callous inhumanity) and added dialogue it would have looked a lot like this. Frustrating, sad, infuriating and, above all, heartbreaking. Brilliant.
August 28, 2018
The Strange is a graphic novel that presents a simple, though deeply felt, narrative that synthesizes the experiences of many refugees into that of one refugee, or "strange." The title character is desperately fleeing one unnamed country for another. The unnamed countries seem to be in Europe but could be anywhere. For this reader the sorrow is, if you’re American, it could easily be here, today, now, and the strange anyone from any of Trump’s list of “shithole” countries of brown or black people.
The narrative emphasizes the “otherness” of the newcomers, the risks, the loneliness, the desperation, the fear they have of every person and every shadow. It also stresses the political capital that can be raised and leveraged by demonizing the poor and politically desperate. If you have a soul it will make you cry; if you don’t, you will dismiss it as an unnecessary cautionary tale—if you break the law, what do you expect?
Ruillier is talented beyond words, literally, as the drawings and layout, combine to tell a tale of humanity under attack, manipulated by those who sell fear to those who can’t afford much of anything else, dividing the world into us and them, citizens and “others” with a fluid definition of the latter so it can be applied retroactively as well. As a citizen in a nation of “others,” where folks are trying to erase that historical fact and doing it without reference to our stated values, The Strange is a heart cry for a better us.
The narrative emphasizes the “otherness” of the newcomers, the risks, the loneliness, the desperation, the fear they have of every person and every shadow. It also stresses the political capital that can be raised and leveraged by demonizing the poor and politically desperate. If you have a soul it will make you cry; if you don’t, you will dismiss it as an unnecessary cautionary tale—if you break the law, what do you expect?
Ruillier is talented beyond words, literally, as the drawings and layout, combine to tell a tale of humanity under attack, manipulated by those who sell fear to those who can’t afford much of anything else, dividing the world into us and them, citizens and “others” with a fluid definition of the latter so it can be applied retroactively as well. As a citizen in a nation of “others,” where folks are trying to erase that historical fact and doing it without reference to our stated values, The Strange is a heart cry for a better us.
September 21, 2024
Jerome Ruillier, urodzony na Madagaskarze i mieszkający we Francji, zebrał dokumentację na temat nielegalnych imigrantów, by stworzyć reprezentatywną i symboliczną historię dotyczącą losów tychże. Pierwsze skojarzenie to oczywiście „Przybysz” - Shauna Tana. Problematyka podobna i faktycznie na półce te dwie pozycje powinny istnieć obok siebie. Jednak, o ile dobrze pamiętam, metaforyka w dziele Australijczyka kładła główny nacisk na wyobcowanie, a „The Strange” skupia się bardziej na nieprzyjaznym systemie, w którym nie próbuje się zrozumieć sytuacji przyjezdnych i populistycznymi hasłami uzasadnia jak najszybsze pozbycie się ich. Nieprzypadkowo całość kończy fragment przemówienia Marine Le Pen, którego celem jest budowanie strachu i wrogości wobec obcych.
Ruillier buduje całość na relacjach poszczególnych postaci, które z bohaterem miały do czynienia. Od kruka, który widzi charakterystyczną postać wysiadającą z samolotu, przez kolejnych pośredników, biorących udział w nielegalnym procederze szmuglowania ludzi, po przedstawicieli organizacji, które takim osobom starają się pomagać. Zbiór relacji daje obraz bezdusznego państwa, dla którego imigrant nie stanowi żadnej wartości. Na szczęście są aktywiści, organizacje i prywatne osoby, które czują się zobowiązane, by pomagać, jednak to wyszarpywanie poszczególnych jednostek z trybów bezdusznej machiny stanowi zaledwie kroplę w morzu potrzeb.
Graficznie jest ciekawie. autor stosuje surową kreskę i antropomorficzne postacie, co budzi skojarzenia z „Mausem”, ale ja pomyślałem również o karykaturalnych bohaterach wczesnych komiksów Lewisa Trondheima. Całość pokolorowano świecówkami w ten sposób, że każdy z rozmówców jest reprezentowany przez unikalną barwę.
To taka pozycja, którą trudno oceniać z dystansem i chłodem. Rzecz działająca na emocje, choć paradoksalnie postacie zbyt emocjonalne nie są, a główny bohater sprawia wrażenie wręcz otępiałego. Odkładam na półkę ze wstydem i wrażeniem, że dziś „The Strange” jest jeszcze bardziej aktualnym komiksem, niż w momencie wydania.
Ruillier buduje całość na relacjach poszczególnych postaci, które z bohaterem miały do czynienia. Od kruka, który widzi charakterystyczną postać wysiadającą z samolotu, przez kolejnych pośredników, biorących udział w nielegalnym procederze szmuglowania ludzi, po przedstawicieli organizacji, które takim osobom starają się pomagać. Zbiór relacji daje obraz bezdusznego państwa, dla którego imigrant nie stanowi żadnej wartości. Na szczęście są aktywiści, organizacje i prywatne osoby, które czują się zobowiązane, by pomagać, jednak to wyszarpywanie poszczególnych jednostek z trybów bezdusznej machiny stanowi zaledwie kroplę w morzu potrzeb.
Graficznie jest ciekawie. autor stosuje surową kreskę i antropomorficzne postacie, co budzi skojarzenia z „Mausem”, ale ja pomyślałem również o karykaturalnych bohaterach wczesnych komiksów Lewisa Trondheima. Całość pokolorowano świecówkami w ten sposób, że każdy z rozmówców jest reprezentowany przez unikalną barwę.
To taka pozycja, którą trudno oceniać z dystansem i chłodem. Rzecz działająca na emocje, choć paradoksalnie postacie zbyt emocjonalne nie są, a główny bohater sprawia wrażenie wręcz otępiałego. Odkładam na półkę ze wstydem i wrażeniem, że dziś „The Strange” jest jeszcze bardziej aktualnym komiksem, niż w momencie wydania.
March 31, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 3.75 stars
The book describes the journey of an undocumented immigrant, through characters as different animals and an unnamed world that ultimately serves as a pretty universal tale for many trying to cross a border and make a new life for themselves. It's certainly very effective as told through comics and different panels of pictures - it's very symbolic, using a medium (like illustration/comics) usually reserved for children's stories to tell such a complex narrative and such a mature story. I think its simplicity made it so effective. The quotes scattered throughout the book brought a sense of currency and modernity and the Le Pen quote to finish it off really hit the theme home.
The ending was really heartbreaking, there's no other way about it. The ending was definitely a punch to the gut and this book was overall really well written.
The book describes the journey of an undocumented immigrant, through characters as different animals and an unnamed world that ultimately serves as a pretty universal tale for many trying to cross a border and make a new life for themselves. It's certainly very effective as told through comics and different panels of pictures - it's very symbolic, using a medium (like illustration/comics) usually reserved for children's stories to tell such a complex narrative and such a mature story. I think its simplicity made it so effective. The quotes scattered throughout the book brought a sense of currency and modernity and the Le Pen quote to finish it off really hit the theme home.
The ending was really heartbreaking, there's no other way about it. The ending was definitely a punch to the gut and this book was overall really well written.
January 18, 2019
4.5/5 stars. This graphic novel follows an undocumented immigrant through a few years of experience trying to bring his family to a new nation. It is almost entirely told through the lens of how others view him. Some have compassion for him, but most have no empathy, and that includes his fellow immigrants. This book is very nuanced. For instance, one perspective in the book is that of the police, who, when are told to be immigration police, who really hate what they have to do and feel that their time and manpower could be much better used elsewhere. This would be a really great book to teach in a middle or high school classroom with an emphasis on social justice and a supportive administrations if parents complained.
June 13, 2020
The only graphic novel of his translated into English, The Strange is a story of an immigrant going to many pains to get to a country that he thinks will have an easier life and better income for him and his family only to find out that things aren't so rose coloured. The thing I love about this book is the angle that Ruillier took in painting this. He doesn't mention nationalities, language or counties. All the people in the story are anthropomorphic and any foreign language is squiggles that he made up. This could be any city or any country and being free of the specifics frees your mind up to the humanity he is trying to talk about.
The story is broken up in quick point of view mini chapters from everyone's point of view from a crow, a landlord, the police, a boss who picks up illegal workers for cheap labour and even a goldfish. I'm an immigrant, but I'm white and speak the native language so I've had it extremely easy. I've met many though who have not had it so. This is an excellent, timely and quick read that I picked up at my public library and I'm glad I did.
The story is broken up in quick point of view mini chapters from everyone's point of view from a crow, a landlord, the police, a boss who picks up illegal workers for cheap labour and even a goldfish. I'm an immigrant, but I'm white and speak the native language so I've had it extremely easy. I've met many though who have not had it so. This is an excellent, timely and quick read that I picked up at my public library and I'm glad I did.
October 9, 2018
The story of one undocumented immigrants journey, told by the people who employ him, feed him, and report him. A graphic novel
January 31, 2019
Resounding 5 stars
March 29, 2023
Not a big graphic novel fan, but the story was super heartbreaking. The ending just really punched you in the gut.
December 10, 2025
Interesting. All the different points of view for the single story built from many real stories of individuals dealing with undocumented immigration.
The drawings were simple bit full of impact and honesty.
Along similar lines of "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi.
Highly recommend.
People are not illegal.
The drawings were simple bit full of impact and honesty.
Along similar lines of "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi.
Highly recommend.
People are not illegal.
November 24, 2018
Pretty good, but the metaphor's obviousness isn't fully used to the advantage of characterization or plotting. Instead it feels like a sermon, which I basically agree with but doesn't challenge much about the popular understanding of undocumented people.
June 13, 2019
Portrait of a man, drowning.
Much like his real-life counterparts, the undocumented immigrant at the center of Ruillier's haunting graphic novel never gets to speak for himself: instead, we learn about him secondhand, as the people who interacted with him tell what they know. We're even given a literal birds-eye view of the whole affair, symbolic of the distance that the reader -- and most people -- have from the undocumented. Unlike the stories most American readers are familiar with, however, this one is clearly set in France, so a basic familiarity with contemporary French politics will give readers an advantage processing the cultural differences.
In what is possibly a hat-tip to Maus, the characters are drawn as various animals. "The strange" and his wife are drawn as dogs, which is both disturbing and appropriate, considering how the far-right French view "illegals." All of the English text appears in footnotes under the main panels, a translation of "the strange's" symbol-laden language, which is clearly not Western. The drawings are, as other reviews have pointed out, childlike, as if to represent the simple hope that one can start again in a new land.
Sadly, there are obstacles at every turn. It's expensive as hell to sneak into a country by plane, what with papers, passports, and plane fare. Living arrangements are subpar AND expensive, and the neighbors can -- and often do -- rat you out (the squealer in question is literally drawn as a mouse, a pun decidedly intended). "The strange" goes out to work every day, hoping to make enough money to bring his family over, but even when he makes it past the gazillion obstacles and achieves his goal, the struggle is not yet over. "The strange" is a man to whom things happen, not a man who makes things happen: at the mercy of a culture that will gladly use his labor, but doesn't respect his personhood, and definitely doesn't want him staying there (France has as bad a track record as the U.S. when it comes to hiring undocumented immigrants to save on labor costs).
There are some people who believe harassing the undocumented is wrong, and try to help "the strange," but their efforts have mixed results, and -- based on the ending -- are somewhat ineffectual. Or are they? Perhaps the goal is not to have a happy ending, but to not give up fighting for justice. There will always be another "strange' in need of aid, and you don't have to win them all: you just have to do your best. That's a more hopeful interpretation of Ruillier's work than he himself seems to believe, but the afterword from Amnesty International is a good tonic to the realistic ending. A solid pick for readers interested in current events, but will be best received in large public library collections.
Much like his real-life counterparts, the undocumented immigrant at the center of Ruillier's haunting graphic novel never gets to speak for himself: instead, we learn about him secondhand, as the people who interacted with him tell what they know. We're even given a literal birds-eye view of the whole affair, symbolic of the distance that the reader -- and most people -- have from the undocumented. Unlike the stories most American readers are familiar with, however, this one is clearly set in France, so a basic familiarity with contemporary French politics will give readers an advantage processing the cultural differences.
In what is possibly a hat-tip to Maus, the characters are drawn as various animals. "The strange" and his wife are drawn as dogs, which is both disturbing and appropriate, considering how the far-right French view "illegals." All of the English text appears in footnotes under the main panels, a translation of "the strange's" symbol-laden language, which is clearly not Western. The drawings are, as other reviews have pointed out, childlike, as if to represent the simple hope that one can start again in a new land.
Sadly, there are obstacles at every turn. It's expensive as hell to sneak into a country by plane, what with papers, passports, and plane fare. Living arrangements are subpar AND expensive, and the neighbors can -- and often do -- rat you out (the squealer in question is literally drawn as a mouse, a pun decidedly intended). "The strange" goes out to work every day, hoping to make enough money to bring his family over, but even when he makes it past the gazillion obstacles and achieves his goal, the struggle is not yet over. "The strange" is a man to whom things happen, not a man who makes things happen: at the mercy of a culture that will gladly use his labor, but doesn't respect his personhood, and definitely doesn't want him staying there (France has as bad a track record as the U.S. when it comes to hiring undocumented immigrants to save on labor costs).
There are some people who believe harassing the undocumented is wrong, and try to help "the strange," but their efforts have mixed results, and -- based on the ending -- are somewhat ineffectual. Or are they? Perhaps the goal is not to have a happy ending, but to not give up fighting for justice. There will always be another "strange' in need of aid, and you don't have to win them all: you just have to do your best. That's a more hopeful interpretation of Ruillier's work than he himself seems to believe, but the afterword from Amnesty International is a good tonic to the realistic ending. A solid pick for readers interested in current events, but will be best received in large public library collections.
November 14, 2018
The Strange follows one undocumented immigrant as he tries to navigate the world he's come to, all from the perspectives of the people around him be they strangers, neighbors, helpers, police, or those that report him (except for the opening section when he talks about his decision to leave and the closing section). The story format and language barrier (his language is shown as symbols and only translated in the sections he narrates) create a huge gulf of distance between the protagonist and everyone else, it has a very lonely/isolating feeling to it. The art is scratchy and simplistic in a very pleasing way with a rotating single color contrast to denote new narrators. While this exact story is fictional, in the end notes Ruillier talks about gathering stories of undocumented immigrants, their families, police, and others close to the issue and mixing their stories to create The Strange. It is a powerful and heartrending story that still manages to give the reader a potential avenue to instigate change in their community. Amnesty International has a small aside at the end of this book which I loved, but I wish they would have added a further information/ ways to help chunk at the end with contact information (not that you cant google amnesty international, but still, actionable requests at the end of a book like this seem reasonable). Harsh but well worth your time over all.
May 22, 2020
The Strange is perhaps the best book I’ve ever gotten in the discount bin at one of my local bookstores. So good, in fact, that it did not deserve to be there.
The Strange follows an illegal immigrant into an unnamed country as he tries to make a living and bring his family over to this new country for another chance at life. However, the story is told through his perspective only at the beginning in his own country. Afterwards, the perspective changes every few pages to see this immigrant’s life from every angle but his own. This means that the perspective shifts between different people like his cab driver, to a neighbor in his apartment, to a protester who sees him, and even to a crow that follows him. The illegal immigrant is defined by others and not by himself. It is heartbreaking.
The author said they were inspired by their friend’s interviews with the Roma in Europe, and it is distinctly apparent. The character is beaten, mistreated, arrested, and discriminated against because he looks different, acts different, and speaks different. Despite being inspired by the Roma, it’s a universal illegal immigrant experience that made me think of migrant families along the United States of America border with Mexico. This book screams for compassion, but often the immigrant is not treated so by society, and the book hurts so much because of this truth.
The Strange follows an illegal immigrant into an unnamed country as he tries to make a living and bring his family over to this new country for another chance at life. However, the story is told through his perspective only at the beginning in his own country. Afterwards, the perspective changes every few pages to see this immigrant’s life from every angle but his own. This means that the perspective shifts between different people like his cab driver, to a neighbor in his apartment, to a protester who sees him, and even to a crow that follows him. The illegal immigrant is defined by others and not by himself. It is heartbreaking.
The author said they were inspired by their friend’s interviews with the Roma in Europe, and it is distinctly apparent. The character is beaten, mistreated, arrested, and discriminated against because he looks different, acts different, and speaks different. Despite being inspired by the Roma, it’s a universal illegal immigrant experience that made me think of migrant families along the United States of America border with Mexico. This book screams for compassion, but often the immigrant is not treated so by society, and the book hurts so much because of this truth.
February 15, 2020
2.5 stars.
A few things were really cool, for example the idea of narrating the story not just from the eyes of one single character but through the POV of different characters, all people who come in contact with "the strange", an illegal immigrant who spend every penny he has to go to another part of the world in search of a better life for him and his family and ends up having more troubles than happiness.
I would have given a higher rating, but I am honestly not sure what is the message of the graphic novel. Through it all I thought it was positive towards The Strange and negative to all the people who treat him with suspicion or open hostility. But just on the last page the story is ended with a quote by Marine Lepen that doesn't sound at all a nice one... was it simply a confirmation of all the rubbish immigrants have to suffer or was that the message of all the story? That made me a bit confused and I honestly don't know if I liked the story or not. Drawings and story telling were good, I am still wondering what exactly was the message though...
A few things were really cool, for example the idea of narrating the story not just from the eyes of one single character but through the POV of different characters, all people who come in contact with "the strange", an illegal immigrant who spend every penny he has to go to another part of the world in search of a better life for him and his family and ends up having more troubles than happiness.
I would have given a higher rating, but I am honestly not sure what is the message of the graphic novel. Through it all I thought it was positive towards The Strange and negative to all the people who treat him with suspicion or open hostility. But just on the last page the story is ended with a quote by Marine Lepen that doesn't sound at all a nice one... was it simply a confirmation of all the rubbish immigrants have to suffer or was that the message of all the story? That made me a bit confused and I honestly don't know if I liked the story or not. Drawings and story telling were good, I am still wondering what exactly was the message though...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2020
It's fine but like, it doesn't really say anything we don't already know(?) about the subject matter. Maybe I am missing the mark and it is more intelligent than I am able to understand. It took me nearly a month to read (mostly because I grew bored with it and it also wasn't what I expected, at all). What kept me going was the artwork. I appreciate that it's animals and the line-work is crude and not neat. Other than that, yeah... I didn't need to have read this. Bummer tho. This is an example of a text that is far more interesting when you read the synopsis/back of the book + paid/magazine/newspaper reviews (as opposed to real people reviews). If anything, I guess it raises awareness? In the sense that we shouldn't forget that this is still an ongoing issue and people need help in this area.
October 18, 2018
This is the best - and the worst - book on immigration I've ever read. But that's because it's also the - only - book on immigration I've ever read.
I was at the library looking for books on their list of the best graphic novels of all time and this book was not on the list. It was however on the shelf where a book I was hunting for would have been if they had it, and it caught my eye.
I'm glad it did because the gn format here conveys the anxiety, paranoia, frustration, and how insane bureaucratic agents and agencies can be.
Having the story told from the views of a dozen or so characters was a fun idea that works out great here.
Super-quick read with a storyline that has a lot of inertia and stays with you for a while.
I was at the library looking for books on their list of the best graphic novels of all time and this book was not on the list. It was however on the shelf where a book I was hunting for would have been if they had it, and it caught my eye.
I'm glad it did because the gn format here conveys the anxiety, paranoia, frustration, and how insane bureaucratic agents and agencies can be.
Having the story told from the views of a dozen or so characters was a fun idea that works out great here.
Super-quick read with a storyline that has a lot of inertia and stays with you for a while.
November 14, 2019
This graphic novel shows the story of an undocumented immigrant who has spent most, if not all, of his funds to get into a country illegally. The man does not speak English so can't explain or understand what is happening in his new country. Hand in hand with that, the reader doesn't learn much either. It's an experiment in isolation told from several 'outside' perspectives such as a crow as well as people who encounter him. The panels are crudely drawn to disguise/conceal (where ever they were going with this) both the man and those who interact or don't interact with him. It's a worthy story told in an experimental way. For me as a reader, I really couldn't connect either and I think that empathy is what develops connections to make the strange...well, not so strange.
June 14, 2019
A poignant graphic novel recounting a man’s journey of being displaced. This book follows an undocumented immigrant and tells his story through the eyes of those who see his journey. It is beautifully written and heart wrenching. Told in a simple manner, the message it speaks is loud and powerful. I don’t typically read graphic novels but this genre fit this story perfectly and I appreciated the way it told the story. There were quotes at the beginning of each section and while my initial response is “who would actually think this?”, it is a hard realization that this is a common mindset in our culture. An important and touching read.
January 28, 2020
Telling the story from the points of view of those the strange comes in contact with seems only somewhat successful. It can encourage readers to look at their own views towards undocumented immigrants, but I don’t believe it would do as much as telling the story from his point of view or using a mechanism to put the reader in his situation (like The Arrival). It’s a quick and easy read, and the drawings are simple but effective. I just hoped for a little more from this.
October 7, 2020
Story of a refugee / immigrant using animals to soften the tone, with quick perspectives from multiple persons as the story went on. Honestly, I felt the disjointedness detracted from the story, cutting off the emotional thread. I forgot about the stranger's family until the end of the story, because we never reinhabit the stranger. He is so isolated that he doesn't talk about himself, or if he does it is never important enough to the listener. However, it should be important to the reader!
Because we don't learn enough about the stranger, I don't think it works, sadly, despite the good intentions. There's too much from the savior narrative and not enough focus on the main struggle.
Because we don't learn enough about the stranger, I don't think it works, sadly, despite the good intentions. There's too much from the savior narrative and not enough focus on the main struggle.
July 1, 2019
This graphic novel depicts the life and struggles of an immigrant. It is written in simple language that upper elementary and middle school students can understand. There is a particular interchange with another immigrant, the cleaning lady, that has been here much longer than the main character. Instead of being sympathetic to his situation she is judgmental. These little nuances are weaved throughout the story. I would recommend this book to anyone that doesn’t understand the extreme political, economical and psychological difficulties newly arrived immigrants face.
June 15, 2020
This was really good. I liked that it was told from multiple perspectives and that all the characters were basically recreated to not resemble anyone specific, thereby making it relatable to anyone in the world.
I found the illustrations while simple were very effective at getting the message across and I like the made-up language of the main character who the story revolved around.
The message was effective, thought provoking and in many ways relatable.
It is a graphic novel I would absolutely recommend, even if it is not classified at a graphic novel at our library.
I found the illustrations while simple were very effective at getting the message across and I like the made-up language of the main character who the story revolved around.
The message was effective, thought provoking and in many ways relatable.
It is a graphic novel I would absolutely recommend, even if it is not classified at a graphic novel at our library.
September 14, 2020
The Strange tells the story of one undocumented immigrant's journey--from the perspective of the people around him. The ones who help him, hire him, feed him, fear him--and report him. In some ways, this one reminded me of "The Arrival" by Shaun Tan, but darker. The author worked from actual accounts of undocumented immigrants to weave the fabric of this story together--and it paints a bleak and heart-breaking picture. The book has an afterward by Amnesty International which calls out the realism of the book--and the fact that the kindnesses of good people can make a huge impact.
December 26, 2022
I read this graphic novel in one sitting.
I didn’t like how they referred to refugees as “The Strange” because they aren’t strange they are hoping for a better life for their families in a different country.
I understand why countries such as Australia deport illegal refugees because they haven’t done it the legal way but I also understand that it’s almost impossible in some countries for people to immigrate legally from their countries.
It’s a tough subject. I think it could have been written with different language to make it flow better.
I didn’t like how they referred to refugees as “The Strange” because they aren’t strange they are hoping for a better life for their families in a different country.
I understand why countries such as Australia deport illegal refugees because they haven’t done it the legal way but I also understand that it’s almost impossible in some countries for people to immigrate legally from their countries.
It’s a tough subject. I think it could have been written with different language to make it flow better.
June 28, 2018
A powerful, deftly crafted portrait of an unnamed, undocumented immigrant who faces the numerous difficulties of forging a new life in a Western country where he doesn’t speak the language, and struggles to adapt while dealing with the often brutal and unforgiving attitudes of the employers, neighbors, and strangers he encounters in this new land. A great book to pair with Shaun Tan's The Arrival.
October 11, 2018
France has had a very complicated relationship with immigration for decades. Ruillier does an excellent job exploring it in The Strange through multiple perspectives and gritty art. I genuinely hope more of his work is translated and published in America. We need it.
(Also, can we talk about how BA Ruillier is for including so many Sarkozy quotes? And that last quote from Le Pen? Fist bump for sticking it to the big guys!)
(But seriously, Sarkozy is a jerk.)
(Also, can we talk about how BA Ruillier is for including so many Sarkozy quotes? And that last quote from Le Pen? Fist bump for sticking it to the big guys!)
(But seriously, Sarkozy is a jerk.)
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