East-West

by Pierre Christin, Philippe Aymond (Illustrator)

Prolific comic book author Pierre Christin, who penned the game-changing classic sci-fi series "Valerian and Laureline," switches to autobiography here to bring us the thoughtful, enlightening tale of two vastly different lands, the American West during the civil rights movement and the counter-culture phenomenon, and the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War, as seen through the eyes of an inquisitive French artist and journalist with a love for travel, intellectual query, gypsies, and jazz. Christin and his faithful road companion and "Valerian" co-creator Jean-Claude Mézières drive across landscapes ranging from Utah to Bulgaria in a series of cars each more dilapidated than the next, encountering people and adventures of all kinds in a story that is part travel journal, part geo-political documentary, and part artistic coming-of-age.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, History, Bande Dessinée, Comic Book, Biography, Nonfiction

140 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 6, 2018

About the author

Pierre Christin was a French comics creator and writer.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

An account of the author's travels through western America and Eastern Europe during the 60's and 70's. There is an interesting story here, it's unfortunately not fleshed out enough to grab your attention. The little anecdotes have little context which deadens any impact they might have. I was often just left confused on if there was a point or not. Christin is the author of Valerian even though that doesn't play much into the story.

Received a review copy from Europe Comics and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stunning personal journey through the living reality and first-hand evidence of political dogma by a comic and graphic book writer who forged his early life in politics and then explored those ideas in action both in the USA and across the former Eastern Bloc nations.
This is biographical account as much as a travel journal. The author's motivation appears to have been to see, listen and record in his desire for knowledge and understanding.
Much of his experiences have been reflected in his work already, but this is very much his own story and built on those memories, artifacts and photos he collected.
He reflects at the outset, that within a graphic nove,l the writer and illustrator work to a fictional template that grows with the characters and the unfolding story. How then would his real life encounters and experiences be captured by another person who was not present on these travels? Can a biography work in this format?
The result is quite incredible. It is perhaps a unique record of an open-minded traveller with a political understanding, to comment on a world seldomed seen through its people. At a time before social media and freedom of travel for the citizens from these countries covered in this work.
A success on many levels and a fine piece of historical journalism.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing observational travel journal, which begins with the US int he 1960s, and then goes back to France during World War II, when the author first met his collaborator and best friend, in a bomb shelter cellar, and then to Eastern Europe when it was still part of the Soviet Union, at a time when most Westerners could not get in.

Fascinating observations in each place he writes about.







The American memories are easily to understand, to Americans, but the French and Eastern European memories are a little trickier, if you don't know the history. I was not aware, though I have read about the French and their colonies, of what was going on, in his, and my life time, with Algeria, and the battles that killed youth, the same way America had its Vietnam war.

The Eastern European stories are amazing.

A good look at things that have passed. A good introduction into things that perhaps we should learn more about.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Sassenach · Rating 4 out of 5]

A travers de magnifiques dessins, on suit le parcours de Pierre Christin : sa découverte de l'Amérique des années 1960, sa vie en France à la fin des années 1960 et ses voyages dans les pays du bloc soviétique avant qu'il soit dissout. Le contraste est intéressant et on apprend des choses ... et il y a aussi un petit côté nostalgique pour une époque révolue, même si tout était loin d'être parfait. J'ai bien aimé le voyage, même si, de mon côté, je n'en suis pas forcément nostalgique ;)

[Kent Winward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takes you from Utah in the early to mid-1960s to Eastern Eurpoe in this memoir/travelogue/graphic novel. The book resonated a lot for me seeing a different perspective on my own life's trajectory.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

'East-West' by Pierre Christin with art by Philippe Aymond is a graphic novel biography of the French comic book writer and creator.

The title refers to two very different road trips and landscapes that the author and his friend and co-creator took. The first takes place in Utah during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. The second is through a Communist held Bulgaria during the Cold War.

The writing and art are good. I might have enjoyed it more if I'd known a bit more about the author. Overall, I felt pretty disconnected from the narrative.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

This graphic novel by the comic book author Pierre Christin, tells us about his travels in the West (USA) and the East (East Europe during the communist era)

It is a story of contrasts and learning, and it is also a story about how he became a comic book writer. It is an interesting book because it captures life in the communist block. The art work is good. I think this would be an interesting book for those who want to know more about the author.

Copy provided by Europe Comics via Netgalley in exchnage for annunbiased review.

[Marie Fleur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un récit très intéressant sur des pays, l'Histoire et le processus créatif d'un scénariste. Un bémol sur le dessin qui ne permet pas se reconnaître clairement le protagoniste principal à chaque période.

[Mark Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting autobiography the artwork was the best. An interesting look behind the "Iron Curtain." The Poles, Hungarians and the rest would have traded "Soulless consumerism" for "Workers paradise," in a NY minute

[M.i. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully detailed story capturing various key elements of the divide between eastern and Western Europe, told from the perspective of men who thought their idealism could make the world a better place.

[Luisa Göttler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine phantastische Mischung aus Künstlerbiographie, Milieustudie und Berichterstattung.

[Dee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This rambled and kind of put me to sleep, honestly.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice drawings

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autobiographical, Political, Cultural Travel Memoir

If the author's name, Pierre Christin, rings a bell, it's probably because you've heard of him as the author of the ground breaking French science-fiction graphic novel series "Valerian and Laureline". This book is a horse of an entirely different color, though, being a graphic presentation of his life, travels, artistic development, and growing political awareness.

We start in the American West during the sixties, then circle back to Christin's youth in France, and then his later travels through Eastern Europe, the Eastern Bloc countries, and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

The opening section in the U.S. was interesting enough but to my mind was not especially insightful. (Christin spent time as a professor of French literature at the University of Utah.) I did marvel, though, at Christin's ability to buy one lemon vehicle after another during his stay in America. Once we get back to Europe and Christin's description of growing up, (he was born in 1938), in France during and after World War II the biography takes on much more energy and style. And from there we head East for a look at places that were hard to enter then and even harder to appreciate or understand now. This is the heart of the book, at least as I saw it, and is fascinating.

The illustrator, (this is a graphic biography), has a marvelous touch and the European scenes are as evocative and arresting as any photos could be.

The result of this collaboration is a book with style and substance, good humor, and a tremendous sense of Christin's personality. I have to admit I almost quit while we were still in Utah, but I'm glad I had the sense to see that the best was yet to come. This was an excellent find.

(Please note that I had a chance to read a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Raven Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks Netgalley for this arc, in exchange for an honest review. Pierre Christin is just a good storyteller, so even though he prefaces this with the thoughts it’s not the most interesting life, it really kind of is. At least, it’s an interesting look at how he viewed his trek through Europe. I’ve seen biographies in graphic novel, so what he done technically isn’t new. What he does do, that most others don’t, is give you a reason to dig a little deeper, to want to know just a little bit more. He points you in the direction of some pretty incredible people to look too as well. I can’t wait to have a copy for our library!

[Elia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I probably would have enjoyed this more if I knew more about French history. It's basically the life story of the author of "Valerian and Laureline" during the time right after the first world war in France and his experiences in the western USA in the mid 60's, with a good chunk about how he accidentally broke into the comics industry against his will.

[Tom Loock · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Ich hatte mir versprochen niemals eine Autobiografie zu schreiben" lautet der erste Satz.
Wäre der Autor doch nur bei diesem Vorsatz geblieben ...

Die Zeichnungen sind ja ganz hübsch, aber der Text ist sowas von langweilig, das ist nur was für diejenigen, die seine gesammelten Einkaufszettel nicht zum dritten Mal lesen wollen.

[Lukasz · Rating 2 out of 5]

An ok read with excellent art.

My rating is unfair - this graphic novel does everything right. That said, the topic and the events bored me.

I'm sure people interested in history will love it.

ARC through NetGalley

[Theediscerning · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me, unfortunately - too egotistical and self-referential. If I had half a clue as to who the creator was I might have been slightly interested, but as it is, no.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.