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Jane, the Fox & Me
Hélène has been inexplicably ostracized by the girls who were once her friends. Her school life is full of whispers and lies — Hélène weighs 216; she smells like BO. Her loving mother is too tired to be any help. Fortunately, Hélène has one consolation, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Hélène identifies strongly with Jane’s tribulations, and when she is lost in the pages of this wonderful book, she is able to ignore her tormentors. But when Hélène is humiliated on a class trip in front of her entire grade, she needs more than a fictional character to allow her to see herself as a person deserving of laughter and friendship.
Leaving the outcasts’ tent one night, Hélène encounters a fox, a beautiful creature with whom she shares a moment of connection. But when Suzanne Lipsky frightens the fox away, insisting that it must be rabid, Hélène’s despair becomes even more pronounced: now she believes that only a diseased and dangerous creature would ever voluntarily approach her. But then a new girl joins the outcasts’ circle, Géraldine, who does not even appear to notice that she is in danger of becoming an outcast herself. And before long Hélène realizes that the less time she spends worrying about what the other girls say is wrong with her, the more able she is to believe that there is nothing wrong at all.
This emotionally honest and visually stunning graphic novel reveals the casual brutality of which children are capable, but also assures readers that redemption can be found through connecting with another, whether the other is a friend, a fictional character or even, amazingly, a fox.
Leaving the outcasts’ tent one night, Hélène encounters a fox, a beautiful creature with whom she shares a moment of connection. But when Suzanne Lipsky frightens the fox away, insisting that it must be rabid, Hélène’s despair becomes even more pronounced: now she believes that only a diseased and dangerous creature would ever voluntarily approach her. But then a new girl joins the outcasts’ circle, Géraldine, who does not even appear to notice that she is in danger of becoming an outcast herself. And before long Hélène realizes that the less time she spends worrying about what the other girls say is wrong with her, the more able she is to believe that there is nothing wrong at all.
This emotionally honest and visually stunning graphic novel reveals the casual brutality of which children are capable, but also assures readers that redemption can be found through connecting with another, whether the other is a friend, a fictional character or even, amazingly, a fox.
104 pages, Paperback
First published October 23, 2012
43 people are currently reading
9933 people want to read
About the author
Fanny Britt
40 books349 followersFanny Britt is a Quebec playwright, author and translator. She has written a dozen plays (among them Honey Pie, Hôtel Pacifique and Bienveillance) and translated more than fifteen. She has also written and translated several other works of literature. Jane, the Fox and Me is her first graphic novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,384 reviews
November 21, 2013
Not enough fox. A more honest title: Me reading Jane and briefly meeting a fox.
Past that, not a bad book.
Past that, not a bad book.
September 19, 2019
Wow, this hit 12-year-old Chelsea right in the feels. My heart.
TW: bullying, fatphobia
TW: bullying, fatphobia
March 19, 2021
معرفینامه
عنوان اصلی کتاب «جین، روباه و من» است و نمیدانم چرا چنین نامی برای این کتابِ مصورِ دوست داشتنی انتخاب شده اما از نامِ کتاب که بگذریم نمیتوانیم از زیباییهای بصریِ این کتاب بگذریم که کار خانم «ایزابل آرسنائولت» تصویرگرِ کاناداییست.
داستانِ کتاب در موردِ دختری چاق و نسبتا فقیر است که به واسطهی اضافه وزنش دوستی ندارد و در مدرسه موردِ تمسخرِ همکلاسیهایش قرار میگیرد و اوقاتِ بیکاری و تنهاییِ خود را با خواندنِ رمانِ «جین ایر» سپری میکند تا اینکه مدرسه برای آنها اردویی ترتیب میدهد و... .
نظرنامه
ضمنِ تشکر از دوستِ عزیزی که کتاب را معرفی نمود، از نظرِ من از آن دسته از کتابهای دوست داشتنیست که میتوان در میانِ کتابهای خود بخوانیم. تصاویرِ کتاب آنقدر ماهرانه، خلاقانه و زیبا طراحی و تنظیم شدهاند که خود را در میانِ مناظر تصور میکنیم.
نقلقول نامه
"جین ایر شاید دختری یتیم، معمولی، بیچاره، تنها و رها شده بود اما اصلا و ابدا یک سوسیسِ گندهی چاق نبود و نیست و نخواهد بود."
کارنامه
ضمن اینکه ۵ستاره برای این کتاب منظور میکنم، خواندنِ کتاب را در میانِ کتابهایتان پیشنهاد میکنم.
ضمنا نسخهی پیدیاف کتاب را برایتان ساختم و از لینک زیر میتوانید آنرا در تلگرام دانلود نمایید:
https://t.me/reviewsbysoheil/160
عنوان اصلی کتاب «جین، روباه و من» است و نمیدانم چرا چنین نامی برای این کتابِ مصورِ دوست داشتنی انتخاب شده اما از نامِ کتاب که بگذریم نمیتوانیم از زیباییهای بصریِ این کتاب بگذریم که کار خانم «ایزابل آرسنائولت» تصویرگرِ کاناداییست.
داستانِ کتاب در موردِ دختری چاق و نسبتا فقیر است که به واسطهی اضافه وزنش دوستی ندارد و در مدرسه موردِ تمسخرِ همکلاسیهایش قرار میگیرد و اوقاتِ بیکاری و تنهاییِ خود را با خواندنِ رمانِ «جین ایر» سپری میکند تا اینکه مدرسه برای آنها اردویی ترتیب میدهد و... .
نظرنامه
ضمنِ تشکر از دوستِ عزیزی که کتاب را معرفی نمود، از نظرِ من از آن دسته از کتابهای دوست داشتنیست که میتوان در میانِ کتابهای خود بخوانیم. تصاویرِ کتاب آنقدر ماهرانه، خلاقانه و زیبا طراحی و تنظیم شدهاند که خود را در میانِ مناظر تصور میکنیم.
نقلقول نامه
"جین ایر شاید دختری یتیم، معمولی، بیچاره، تنها و رها شده بود اما اصلا و ابدا یک سوسیسِ گندهی چاق نبود و نیست و نخواهد بود."
کارنامه
ضمن اینکه ۵ستاره برای این کتاب منظور میکنم، خواندنِ کتاب را در میانِ کتابهایتان پیشنهاد میکنم.
ضمنا نسخهی پیدیاف کتاب را برایتان ساختم و از لینک زیر میتوانید آنرا در تلگرام دانلود نمایید:
https://t.me/reviewsbysoheil/160
January 15, 2023
با اینکه حافظه ی خوبی تو حفظ کردن تاریخ های مهم زندگیم ندارم اما به خوبی به یاد دارم که دو سال پیش حوالی ۲ صبح ۱۵ آذر ، به مانیتور زل زده بودم . در حالیکه اشک های سمجم دیدم رو تار میکردن و سعی میکردم برای اینکه کل خونه خبردار نشه ، هق هقم رو با بالش خفه کنم . هیچ چیزی به اندازه اون سکانس لعنتی ، چشم هایی که دچار خشکسالی شده بودن رو لبریز نکرده بود . اون هم منی که از نظر عاطفی به یه ربات تشبیه می شدم !
به قدری اون صبح گریه کردم که یه آن به خودم اومدم و دیدم به ساعت کشیده . همون موقع بود که مطمئن شدم شقایق قبل و بعدی شکل میگیره .
روزها گذشت و بارها اون سکانس رو شخم زدم . با ادیت های مختلف ، نظرات و تحلیل های شقایق کش ، آهنگ هایی که انگار برای خود سریال ساخته شده بودن و نقاشی هایی که قلبم رو مچاله میکردن .
وجه اشتراک همشون شاید این بود "اعتراف عاشقانه ای که تاریخ به خودش ندیده بود." اما به مرور پی بردم فقط این نبود .
میدونی .. خیلی وقتا هست که شناخت درستی از خودت نداری . فکر میکنی با واژه هایی که بهت نسبت میدن تعریف میشی ، حتی اگرم برچسب هایی که بهت میزنن در حقت بی انصافی کنه . متوجه نیستی که فراتر از اون حرف هایی . فکر میکنی کافی نیستی ، وجودت برای کسی معنا نداره و حتی بود و نبودت فرقی نمیکنه . دنیات شاید به اندازه دنیای هلن این کتاب ، خاکستری باشه . رنگ ها از زندگیت پر کشیدن و به واسطه ی چیزهایی که بهشون پناه میبری کمی رنگ به زندگيت میپاشی . مثل هلن که با خوندن جین ایر رنگ ها رو به زندگیش بر میگردوند . یا اون روباهی که احساساتش از آدم های اطراف هلن بیشتر بود . و حتی بهترین دوستش .
خب چرا اون سکانس چیزی فراتر از دوستت دارم بود ؟ چون موقع اعتراف و ابراز احساساتش از این نگفت که چقدر وقت گذروندن باهات رو دوست دارم . یا اینکه کنار تو خوشحال ترین آدم دنیام و دوست دارم بقیه زندگیم رو با تو بگذرونم .
به جاش از چیزی گفت که معشوقش تشنه ی شنیدنش بود :
"I know how you see yourself Dean. You see yourself the same way our enemies see you. You're destructive, and you're angry and you're broken. You're.. You're daddy's blunt instrument.
You think that.. hate and anger, that's what drives you. That's what you are.
It's not. And everyone who knows you, sees it .
Everything you have ever done, the good and the bad, you have done for love. You raised your little brother for love. You fought for this whole world for love. That is who you are. "
این کتاب مصور ماجرای هلن رو روایت میکنه . دختری که فکر میکنه محدود به انگ هایی هست که بهش میزنن و با برچسب هایی که حقیقت ندارن ، خودش رو توصیف میکنه . دنیاش به واسطه نگرش غلط و بی رحمانه ی اطرافیان تیره و تار هست و چیزی که میتونه در سیاه ترین روزها ، کمی زندگیش رو قابل تحمل کنه ؛ خوندن کتاب جین ایر هست . پناه بردن به دنیایی که برخلاف دنیای خودش ، رنگی هست . و خب باید بگم برای کسایی که مثل من جین ایر رو خوندن و دوست داشتن ، اشارات هلن دلچسب تر میشه .
هلن شباهت عجیبی به من داشت . شاید درست ترش این هست که بگم با تمام شخصیت هایی که خودشون رو ناکافی میدونن ، همذاتپنداری میکنم و برای همین هم احساساتم فوران میکنه . مثل همون صبحی که صدای شخصیت با فین فین کردنم گره خورد . همون لحظاتی که گریه م بند نمیومد و دوست داشتم من هم کسی رو داشته باشم که انقدر بهم حس زنده بودن بده . و حتی دقایقی که به دردل های هلن گوش ميدادم و زیر لب میگفتم میفهمم از چی میگی دختر .
هممون یه جایی تو زندگی بهمون گفتن به اندازه کافی خوب نیستیم ، از پسش برنمیایم و شکست میخوریم . بهمون خندیدن ، کارمون رو کوچیک شمردن تا خودشون رو بزرگ جلوه بدن . یه جورایی طردمون کردن و باعث شدن این حس بهمون دست بده که مشکل از خودمون هست .
اما میخوام بهت بگم بالاخره یه روزی میرسه که پی میبری حقیقت نداره . اون موقع شاید مثل من انقدر بباری که تا قبلش به ذهنت خطور نمیکرد رباتی که بقیه خطابش میکردن میتونه اینطور احساساتی باشه :)
به قدری اون صبح گریه کردم که یه آن به خودم اومدم و دیدم به ساعت کشیده . همون موقع بود که مطمئن شدم شقایق قبل و بعدی شکل میگیره .
روزها گذشت و بارها اون سکانس رو شخم زدم . با ادیت های مختلف ، نظرات و تحلیل های شقایق کش ، آهنگ هایی که انگار برای خود سریال ساخته شده بودن و نقاشی هایی که قلبم رو مچاله میکردن .
وجه اشتراک همشون شاید این بود "اعتراف عاشقانه ای که تاریخ به خودش ندیده بود." اما به مرور پی بردم فقط این نبود .
میدونی .. خیلی وقتا هست که شناخت درستی از خودت نداری . فکر میکنی با واژه هایی که بهت نسبت میدن تعریف میشی ، حتی اگرم برچسب هایی که بهت میزنن در حقت بی انصافی کنه . متوجه نیستی که فراتر از اون حرف هایی . فکر میکنی کافی نیستی ، وجودت برای کسی معنا نداره و حتی بود و نبودت فرقی نمیکنه . دنیات شاید به اندازه دنیای هلن این کتاب ، خاکستری باشه . رنگ ها از زندگیت پر کشیدن و به واسطه ی چیزهایی که بهشون پناه میبری کمی رنگ به زندگيت میپاشی . مثل هلن که با خوندن جین ایر رنگ ها رو به زندگیش بر میگردوند . یا اون روباهی که احساساتش از آدم های اطراف هلن بیشتر بود . و حتی بهترین دوستش .
خب چرا اون سکانس چیزی فراتر از دوستت دارم بود ؟ چون موقع اعتراف و ابراز احساساتش از این نگفت که چقدر وقت گذروندن باهات رو دوست دارم . یا اینکه کنار تو خوشحال ترین آدم دنیام و دوست دارم بقیه زندگیم رو با تو بگذرونم .
به جاش از چیزی گفت که معشوقش تشنه ی شنیدنش بود :
"I know how you see yourself Dean. You see yourself the same way our enemies see you. You're destructive, and you're angry and you're broken. You're.. You're daddy's blunt instrument.
You think that.. hate and anger, that's what drives you. That's what you are.
It's not. And everyone who knows you, sees it .
Everything you have ever done, the good and the bad, you have done for love. You raised your little brother for love. You fought for this whole world for love. That is who you are. "
این کتاب مصور ماجرای هلن رو روایت میکنه . دختری که فکر میکنه محدود به انگ هایی هست که بهش میزنن و با برچسب هایی که حقیقت ندارن ، خودش رو توصیف میکنه . دنیاش به واسطه نگرش غلط و بی رحمانه ی اطرافیان تیره و تار هست و چیزی که میتونه در سیاه ترین روزها ، کمی زندگیش رو قابل تحمل کنه ؛ خوندن کتاب جین ایر هست . پناه بردن به دنیایی که برخلاف دنیای خودش ، رنگی هست . و خب باید بگم برای کسایی که مثل من جین ایر رو خوندن و دوست داشتن ، اشارات هلن دلچسب تر میشه .
هلن شباهت عجیبی به من داشت . شاید درست ترش این هست که بگم با تمام شخصیت هایی که خودشون رو ناکافی میدونن ، همذاتپنداری میکنم و برای همین هم احساساتم فوران میکنه . مثل همون صبحی که صدای شخصیت با فین فین کردنم گره خورد . همون لحظاتی که گریه م بند نمیومد و دوست داشتم من هم کسی رو داشته باشم که انقدر بهم حس زنده بودن بده . و حتی دقایقی که به دردل های هلن گوش ميدادم و زیر لب میگفتم میفهمم از چی میگی دختر .
هممون یه جایی تو زندگی بهمون گفتن به اندازه کافی خوب نیستیم ، از پسش برنمیایم و شکست میخوریم . بهمون خندیدن ، کارمون رو کوچیک شمردن تا خودشون رو بزرگ جلوه بدن . یه جورایی طردمون کردن و باعث شدن این حس بهمون دست بده که مشکل از خودمون هست .
اما میخوام بهت بگم بالاخره یه روزی میرسه که پی میبری حقیقت نداره . اون موقع شاید مثل من انقدر بباری که تا قبلش به ذهنت خطور نمیکرد رباتی که بقیه خطابش میکردن میتونه اینطور احساساتی باشه :)
April 3, 2019
These illustrations are amazing, I love them, this artist is so skillful at capturing body language and expressions. Some lovely images of trees and hands made to look so effortless! Brilliant.
Helene is bullied at school and receives abusive comments about her weight, she seeks comfort and escapism in reading, in particular Jane Eyre.
I found the storyline lacking, I gathered this was set perhaps 30 years ago due to the music mentioned, my daughter suspected it wasn't current due to the lack of phones, but as this is mainly a book about being bullied I wondered how helpful it would be to a child in that situation. For example abusive comments about a child's weight written on a school wall and left there would not be tolerated in the way it was portrayed in this era, even struggling schools have some sort of help for children who are experiencing bullying. I also felt that as Helen didn't look over weight at all, a child reading this who was actually over weight might feel be made to feel even worse. There didn't seem to be any positve resolutions to Helens problems other than
I found the characters of Helen and her mother interesting and would like to have learned more about them and their lives. My daughter loved the illustrations and loved the fox but felt slightly mislead by the title as the fox only appears on two pages!
I have to give this 4 stars because the illustrations are exceptional.
3/4/2019 A reread today. Although I'm still not sure about the message of the story the illustrations are amazing and so enjoyable to revisit.
Helene is bullied at school and receives abusive comments about her weight, she seeks comfort and escapism in reading, in particular Jane Eyre.
I found the storyline lacking, I gathered this was set perhaps 30 years ago due to the music mentioned, my daughter suspected it wasn't current due to the lack of phones, but as this is mainly a book about being bullied I wondered how helpful it would be to a child in that situation. For example abusive comments about a child's weight written on a school wall and left there would not be tolerated in the way it was portrayed in this era, even struggling schools have some sort of help for children who are experiencing bullying. I also felt that as Helen didn't look over weight at all, a child reading this who was actually over weight might feel be made to feel even worse. There didn't seem to be any positve resolutions to Helens problems other than
I found the characters of Helen and her mother interesting and would like to have learned more about them and their lives. My daughter loved the illustrations and loved the fox but felt slightly mislead by the title as the fox only appears on two pages!
I have to give this 4 stars because the illustrations are exceptional.
3/4/2019 A reread today. Although I'm still not sure about the message of the story the illustrations are amazing and so enjoyable to revisit.
February 15, 2014
No one likes to use the "B" word, and when it is used, what comes to mind are characters like the teenage "bully" in Junior's sixth grade class in the film Problem Child 2. You remember...the one who likes picking his nose and employing the art of spitball archery. The irony is that often times, bullies are not unkempt misfits, or the posh, popular kids of the Mean Girls trio. Most of the time they're ordinary, "nice" people who were at some point close friends of yours.
Helene is a young girl in Montreal, who inexplicably finds herself ostracized by a group of girls that were at one time her friends. Publicly taunted about her weight at almost every turn, she takes refuge in reading Jane Eyre. If you've ever been in this situation, then you'll understand that enduring the 30 minutes before school begins without friends to talk to, or trying to figure out where to hide during the lunch period because you're afraid to eat alone in the cafeteria, are real fears for children who are being shunned.
All of these things are captured so beautifully in both the illustrations and writing of this novel. Mostly cast in gray hues, the bleakness of Helene's situation, from her point of view, really pulls at your heart strings. No matter how bad things get though, there is always hope and a light at the end of the tunnel. This is expertly employed by Arsenault, the illustrator, in the burst of colors that surprise you when you turn certain pages, usually the ones dealing with Jane Eyre.
This may be a children's book, but while I was reading it, I had an "a-ha" moment. I realized that this was happening to me at my place of employment; the culprits--"nice" people that I had been friends with at one time. I realized that I'd been handling it as best I could, but obviously it was bothering me, especially the comments that were overtly directed at me, and said within my hearing range.
Like Helene, sometimes we don't speak up out of a sense of guilt or misplaced loyalty because these people were at one time our "friends." The irony is that we can only hope that our children will come to us directly when they're experiencing these things, and especially that they'll confront these bullies...but that is easier said than done, as I've realized myself. Anyway, I just feel like this was such a beautifully profound book! It was like a personal letter directed at me. If you ever find a copy, savor it! You can only read it for the first time once.
Helene is a young girl in Montreal, who inexplicably finds herself ostracized by a group of girls that were at one time her friends. Publicly taunted about her weight at almost every turn, she takes refuge in reading Jane Eyre. If you've ever been in this situation, then you'll understand that enduring the 30 minutes before school begins without friends to talk to, or trying to figure out where to hide during the lunch period because you're afraid to eat alone in the cafeteria, are real fears for children who are being shunned.
All of these things are captured so beautifully in both the illustrations and writing of this novel. Mostly cast in gray hues, the bleakness of Helene's situation, from her point of view, really pulls at your heart strings. No matter how bad things get though, there is always hope and a light at the end of the tunnel. This is expertly employed by Arsenault, the illustrator, in the burst of colors that surprise you when you turn certain pages, usually the ones dealing with Jane Eyre.
This may be a children's book, but while I was reading it, I had an "a-ha" moment. I realized that this was happening to me at my place of employment; the culprits--"nice" people that I had been friends with at one time. I realized that I'd been handling it as best I could, but obviously it was bothering me, especially the comments that were overtly directed at me, and said within my hearing range.
Like Helene, sometimes we don't speak up out of a sense of guilt or misplaced loyalty because these people were at one time our "friends." The irony is that we can only hope that our children will come to us directly when they're experiencing these things, and especially that they'll confront these bullies...but that is easier said than done, as I've realized myself. Anyway, I just feel like this was such a beautifully profound book! It was like a personal letter directed at me. If you ever find a copy, savor it! You can only read it for the first time once.
January 3, 2014
If you like the book "Jane Eyre," you will probably like this beautiful graphic novel.
"Jane, the Fox and Me" is the story of Helene, a young girl who is shy and lonely and is being bullied by a group of mean girls at school. They make fun of her weight and taunt her about not having any friends. Helene's one source of comfort is reading the book "Jane Eyre," which she carries with her every day. She burrows into it on the bus as a way of blocking out the awful things the other kids say.
Things come to a crisis when Helene has to go on an outdoor field trip with her class, and even though she tries to avoid the bullies, they still make fun of her. Luckily, a kind girl befriends Helene and she suddenly has someone to talk to.
The drawings are gorgeous. The stark scenes with the mean girls are in black, white and gray, but whenever Helene is reading her precious book or is being imaginative, beautiful colors emerge. I especially loved the reddish-orange color of a fox Helene sees in the woods, and the rich blues and greens of the watercolors after Helene has found her friend.
Technically this book is for young adults -- it was honored as as one of the 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books by The New York Times Book Review -- but I think adults would also appreciate this bittersweet story. Highly recommended.
"Jane, the Fox and Me" is the story of Helene, a young girl who is shy and lonely and is being bullied by a group of mean girls at school. They make fun of her weight and taunt her about not having any friends. Helene's one source of comfort is reading the book "Jane Eyre," which she carries with her every day. She burrows into it on the bus as a way of blocking out the awful things the other kids say.
Things come to a crisis when Helene has to go on an outdoor field trip with her class, and even though she tries to avoid the bullies, they still make fun of her. Luckily, a kind girl befriends Helene and she suddenly has someone to talk to.
The drawings are gorgeous. The stark scenes with the mean girls are in black, white and gray, but whenever Helene is reading her precious book or is being imaginative, beautiful colors emerge. I especially loved the reddish-orange color of a fox Helene sees in the woods, and the rich blues and greens of the watercolors after Helene has found her friend.
Technically this book is for young adults -- it was honored as as one of the 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books by The New York Times Book Review -- but I think adults would also appreciate this bittersweet story. Highly recommended.
February 6, 2022
یه کتاب کوتاه حال خوب کن با تصویرهای بی نظیر.
October 21, 2020
CW: Bullying
Well that hurt.
I think it's safe to say that we have all been the person who is on the outside at some point in our lives, so it's hard not to connect with the feelings portrayed so incredibly well in this powerful graphic novel. If you have children in your life that you love then you will understand the pain of rejection on a deeper level because of the time they came home and no one wanted to be in a group with them, or the time everyone got a party invite except them, or the time everyone said they couldn't play hopscotch with the group. You know that pain don't you? Well this book captures it perfectly.
If you have children in your life that you love then you will also understand the feeling of bubbling joy when they came home with their first friendship bracelet, when they scored a goal and the whole team gave them high fives, and the time when the class clapped and cheered after their amazing performance. Well that warmth and joy is captured wonderfully in this book too.
I loved it.
Well that hurt.
I think it's safe to say that we have all been the person who is on the outside at some point in our lives, so it's hard not to connect with the feelings portrayed so incredibly well in this powerful graphic novel. If you have children in your life that you love then you will understand the pain of rejection on a deeper level because of the time they came home and no one wanted to be in a group with them, or the time everyone got a party invite except them, or the time everyone said they couldn't play hopscotch with the group. You know that pain don't you? Well this book captures it perfectly.
If you have children in your life that you love then you will also understand the feeling of bubbling joy when they came home with their first friendship bracelet, when they scored a goal and the whole team gave them high fives, and the time when the class clapped and cheered after their amazing performance. Well that warmth and joy is captured wonderfully in this book too.
I loved it.
January 7, 2023
Fanny Britt and Isabelle Arsenault’s first collaborative project centred on teenage Hélène who’s relentlessly bullied at school because her appearance and interests don’t conform to conventional stereotypes. So she buries herself in books finding a fictional ally in Jane Eyre, then her life is transformed by a chance encounter with a fox and an unexpected friendship. This is a fairly simple story about bullying, internalised misogyny, and finding a place in the world. The representation of fatphobia feels a little awkward and dated but perhaps is intended to have more to do with puberty and the bodily changes that can accompany it. The narrative itself can also seem a little disjointed, one example is the puzzling role the fox plays in Hélène’s slow journey to self-awareness and self-acceptance. But it’s Arsenault’s artwork that makes this special, her illustrations are memorable and striking. I relished Arsenault’s use of colour, her shifting style to fit Helene’s mood or revisit Jane Eyre’s story – the links to Jane Eyre were what drew me to this one. A series of intricate, atmospheric, black and white pencil drawings convey Hélène’s loneliness and isolation, while the strategic use of watercolours highlights the ways in which she comes to life through her reading and her later relationships. Translated by Christelle Morelli and Susan Ouriou.
July 11, 2014
I have been having a hard time deciding what to think about this book. Part of it is that various Goodreads friends whose views and reviewsI respect very much seem to differ on it. It's complex, and I could be talked "up" from my current view/rating, but for now I'll say: This is a "bully" book by an accomplished Quebec playwright Fanny Britt (12 plays!), illustrated by also accomplished Quebec artist Isabelle Arsenault, about a girl, Helene, who largely suffers in outcasted silence by groups of mean girls, told she is fat, for instance, which she seems to believe though by what we see, she is typically kid thin… though she seems to believe it.. maybe if she was the least bit chunky it would make more sense (but maybe that's the point, that we begging to internalize the bile people throw at us?)? She goes to a camp, and there she employs her usual escape, reading, and Jane Eyre is the book of the moment. Jane is famously gloomy and the moor is gloomy and so is the tone of the art of this book in some places, fittingly, since it is by and large a somber, saddish story of isolation. The art is also lovely, beautifully done, pencil, with subtle tonal changes, some pages in (also) lovely color to offset the darker tone… The story of Jane Eyre is not literally connected, just in subtle ways Helene makes connections with her as outcast, isolated…There's a fox that comes in, and this could be more part of the story than it now is, I thought; I guess it now operates as a kind of turning point where she finally meets a sort ofmanic friend who suddenly and improbably changes her life. The fox makes the title instead of the girl, so the fox is meant to be symbolic.. I felt there were some missed connections in all of this between Jane, the fox, the girl, it all feels a little too subtle and implied for me, though maybe it's really meant to be as evocative and poetic as the watercoloring? I think that was the intention. Read it and see what you think. I'll read other (rave) reviews from people (women, mostly?) who seem to really personally connect with it on so many levels.
August 25, 2019
I enjoy the parts of Jane Eyre that are used in this story. It works well with what the character is going through in the story. She feels fat, she is not but she is teased that she is, and she feels plain and unnoticed. Kids at school make fun of her.
She has to go to summer camp. It is pretty lonely and tough, but she does end up meeting someone there toward the end that becomes a friend and having a friend can change the world for a person.
The drawings are in black and white. I’m not really a fan of black and white in todays age of color, but they are ok. I wanted to like this more than I did. I was a little disappointed, but the parts that had Jane Eyre being told were really good and they were also in color. The fox was also in color.
I have been watching video’s on writing and story construction today and I don’t really think about that in my reviews. I think I will begin to try and understand what’s happening in the story so it helps me learn this things.
The story was interesting, but it also wasn’t my favorite.
She has to go to summer camp. It is pretty lonely and tough, but she does end up meeting someone there toward the end that becomes a friend and having a friend can change the world for a person.
The drawings are in black and white. I’m not really a fan of black and white in todays age of color, but they are ok. I wanted to like this more than I did. I was a little disappointed, but the parts that had Jane Eyre being told were really good and they were also in color. The fox was also in color.
I have been watching video’s on writing and story construction today and I don’t really think about that in my reviews. I think I will begin to try and understand what’s happening in the story so it helps me learn this things.
The story was interesting, but it also wasn’t my favorite.
November 14, 2020
I love foxes and I love Jane Eyre and I love French and I love graphic novels with lovely illustrations, so this was basically a dream.
I should dig up a copy of this so I can reread it. I think both my mental health and my reading challenge would be into that.
this is part of a project I occasionally remember I'm doing in which I review books I read a long time ago. 100% review rate here I come!!!
I should dig up a copy of this so I can reread it. I think both my mental health and my reading challenge would be into that.
this is part of a project I occasionally remember I'm doing in which I review books I read a long time ago. 100% review rate here I come!!!
April 4, 2019
QUE. LIVRO. LINDO!
February 27, 2019
This book reminds me of one particularly horrible year of school. A year filled with constant bullying, inexplicable ostracism from formerly good friends, and loneliness. And a year spent reading and rereading Jane Eyre. And rereading Jane Eyre.
So, this book hit pretty hard, with its stunning illustrations. I could feel the girl’s loneliness and sadness so well through the text and images.
So, this book hit pretty hard, with its stunning illustrations. I could feel the girl’s loneliness and sadness so well through the text and images.
October 31, 2015
Isn’t it strange how few children’s graphic novels are published in a given year? This is one of those phenomena that defy the basic tenants of capitalism. The need, as anyone who has ever fielded reference questions from 10-year-olds will attest, is vast. Yet the product sputters out of publishing houses so sparsely and randomly that you can’t help but be baffled. The only justification I can come up with is that graphic novels are bloody expensive to produce. That would certainly account for how many settle for single colors or black and white. Then there’s the fact that they take forever to create. Even if a kid adores the first book in a series, if the art is really well done it could easily take an artist seven years to produce a sequel. Seven years is a long time if you’re ten. Taking all of this into account, I am understandably wary when a new GN hits bookstore and library shelves and I feel my pulse pick up. Am I excited about this book because it is good or because it’s a rarity? With Jane, the Fox & Me by Fanny Britt the answer is clear. I am excited about this book because this book is exciting. In the awe-inspiring sense, of course.
So many kids in school wish they weren’t considered invisible. For Helene, the opposite is true. Everywhere she goes she runs into cruel comments about her weight or that she smells or equally childish accusations. Most of these are from the girls she used to hang out with, before they decided to suddenly make her into a pariah. Her only escape is a copy of Jane Eyre which she dives into at every available moment. When her class wins a special “treat” of going to a nature camp for four nights nothing could be more unwelcome. At the camp Helene finds herself in the outcast cabin, and even the sight of a wild fox can’t break her out of her depression. It isn’t until she meets Geraldine and finds herself in the thick of a new, true friendship that things start to subtly take a turn for the better.
Originally published in Quebec as Jane, le Renard & Moi, reading the book is a clear trip into another culture. For the United States-born child reader, some of the elements in the story may strike them as unusual. The fact that the student Lucia Munix “can’t speak French yet because she just moved to Montreal” will be a tip-off, or else the names of the characters (Geraldine, Gerard, Marthe, Genevieve, etc.). My suspicion, however, is that the bulk of U.S. readers aren’t even going to notice. At its heart, this is a universal story. You relate to the bullying, the ability to identify with a fictional character (even as we identify with Helene), and the school setting. I certainly identified with those moments when Helene will pretend to tie her shoe or do something similarly minor to look busy. They’re small moments, but remarkably real.
With its original French roots I have to give translators Christelle Morelli and Susan Ouriou full credit for a remarkable job. Not enough people in this world understand how crucial the writing is in any given graphic novel. It’s what separates the wheat from the chaff. And because this is a quiet school story, so much of the book depends on Helene’s singular voice and observations. There’s a section near the beginning of the book when Helene recounts a day when she woke up to find that her mother had sewed a crinoline dress for her in the night. Looking at it she can’t help but list everything her mother does for the family, from the laundry to meals to the sewing. She imagines her mother so exhausted at the end of the day, yet still working on this dress, that she says, “to herself out loud so just maybe someone will hear her, even though by now everyone’s in bed, ‘I’m so tired I could die’.” Thinking of all this she continues to stare in the mirror. Her obsession with crinolines had, at this point, long since passed ever since her fellow-crinoline lovers turned into her adversaries at school. “So I stare at the beautiful brand-new crinoline dress that’s mine alone with no whiff of mothballs.” A pause. “Even so, it droops a little.” Kills me, that line.
The relationships in the book gel well, particularly the comfortable moments between Helene and her mom. There’s a point at which they’ve just survived a shopping excursion with a perky saleswoman from hell and now they’re having an ice cream and a coffee. A companionable moment happens as they sit on a bench. It feels desperately real. As for her relationships with her schoolmates I was almost always on board. There is, by the story’s end, a subtle change between Helene and her tormentor Genevieve that strikes a hopeful if false note. I do have a bit of a hard time believing that Helene would so readily forgive Genevieve by the story’s end. Particularly since it’s clear that this change in their relationship has happened out of the blue and for no particular reason. We go from a hellish daily experience to an out-of-the-blue peace. I would have liked a little more reason for that.
I have mentioned that full-color graphic novels are an expensive affair, but by the same token there’s an understanding in the industry that children will read black and white comics only rarely. How to find the balance between these two seemingly opposite notions? A judicious use of color. In this book Helene disappears into Jane Eyre to escape the taunts of her schoolmates, and as she does so Jane’s story suffuses the pages with color. At first it’s just red of varying hues, but soon after it gives Helene a little green Eden of her own making. That Eden’s color comes and goes throughout the story. The only colored moments remain in Helene’s head until the moment she sees a fox in the woods. After that, she makes a friend and then when she returns to school, there’s a change. Small, but evident. Red shoes. A blue wall. Green and blue jungle leaves in the midst of suburban greenery. It’s not a full-color world yet, but things are getting a little bit better.
At the risk of dipping a bit too deeply into the book, can we talk fonts? I’m not a font person. I don’t know my Helvetica from my Geneva and I’ve only the vaguest sense as to why Comic Sans is as universally disliked as it is. However, when it comes to comics I suddenly become a font connoisseur. I watch for the subtle variations between the blocky all-caps font of Helene’s narration, the very different font of the Jane Eyre sections, and the cursive of dialogue. In particular, I love how names will sometimes appear in the handwriting of that person. It’s a great way to highlight the importance of a name at a given moment.
A friend of mine once told me the story of something that happened to her when she was in the second grade. All at once one day all her friends decided that she was poison. For seemingly no reason they wrote her a letter explicitly stating that she was no longer their friend and they hated her. I remembered this story as I read the tale of Helene and the very similar shut out she experienced at the hands of her former friends. Sometimes there is no logical explanation for child cruelty. We’re lucky if we have a Jane Eyre to turn to, even as we try to find new friends and confidants. For some children out there, Jane, the Fox & Me is going to be their own Jane Eyre. Helene will shoulder their blows and offer hope for coming out strong at the end. Could a book of this sort hope for anything better? A rare piece.
For ages 9-12.
So many kids in school wish they weren’t considered invisible. For Helene, the opposite is true. Everywhere she goes she runs into cruel comments about her weight or that she smells or equally childish accusations. Most of these are from the girls she used to hang out with, before they decided to suddenly make her into a pariah. Her only escape is a copy of Jane Eyre which she dives into at every available moment. When her class wins a special “treat” of going to a nature camp for four nights nothing could be more unwelcome. At the camp Helene finds herself in the outcast cabin, and even the sight of a wild fox can’t break her out of her depression. It isn’t until she meets Geraldine and finds herself in the thick of a new, true friendship that things start to subtly take a turn for the better.
Originally published in Quebec as Jane, le Renard & Moi, reading the book is a clear trip into another culture. For the United States-born child reader, some of the elements in the story may strike them as unusual. The fact that the student Lucia Munix “can’t speak French yet because she just moved to Montreal” will be a tip-off, or else the names of the characters (Geraldine, Gerard, Marthe, Genevieve, etc.). My suspicion, however, is that the bulk of U.S. readers aren’t even going to notice. At its heart, this is a universal story. You relate to the bullying, the ability to identify with a fictional character (even as we identify with Helene), and the school setting. I certainly identified with those moments when Helene will pretend to tie her shoe or do something similarly minor to look busy. They’re small moments, but remarkably real.
With its original French roots I have to give translators Christelle Morelli and Susan Ouriou full credit for a remarkable job. Not enough people in this world understand how crucial the writing is in any given graphic novel. It’s what separates the wheat from the chaff. And because this is a quiet school story, so much of the book depends on Helene’s singular voice and observations. There’s a section near the beginning of the book when Helene recounts a day when she woke up to find that her mother had sewed a crinoline dress for her in the night. Looking at it she can’t help but list everything her mother does for the family, from the laundry to meals to the sewing. She imagines her mother so exhausted at the end of the day, yet still working on this dress, that she says, “to herself out loud so just maybe someone will hear her, even though by now everyone’s in bed, ‘I’m so tired I could die’.” Thinking of all this she continues to stare in the mirror. Her obsession with crinolines had, at this point, long since passed ever since her fellow-crinoline lovers turned into her adversaries at school. “So I stare at the beautiful brand-new crinoline dress that’s mine alone with no whiff of mothballs.” A pause. “Even so, it droops a little.” Kills me, that line.
The relationships in the book gel well, particularly the comfortable moments between Helene and her mom. There’s a point at which they’ve just survived a shopping excursion with a perky saleswoman from hell and now they’re having an ice cream and a coffee. A companionable moment happens as they sit on a bench. It feels desperately real. As for her relationships with her schoolmates I was almost always on board. There is, by the story’s end, a subtle change between Helene and her tormentor Genevieve that strikes a hopeful if false note. I do have a bit of a hard time believing that Helene would so readily forgive Genevieve by the story’s end. Particularly since it’s clear that this change in their relationship has happened out of the blue and for no particular reason. We go from a hellish daily experience to an out-of-the-blue peace. I would have liked a little more reason for that.
I have mentioned that full-color graphic novels are an expensive affair, but by the same token there’s an understanding in the industry that children will read black and white comics only rarely. How to find the balance between these two seemingly opposite notions? A judicious use of color. In this book Helene disappears into Jane Eyre to escape the taunts of her schoolmates, and as she does so Jane’s story suffuses the pages with color. At first it’s just red of varying hues, but soon after it gives Helene a little green Eden of her own making. That Eden’s color comes and goes throughout the story. The only colored moments remain in Helene’s head until the moment she sees a fox in the woods. After that, she makes a friend and then when she returns to school, there’s a change. Small, but evident. Red shoes. A blue wall. Green and blue jungle leaves in the midst of suburban greenery. It’s not a full-color world yet, but things are getting a little bit better.
At the risk of dipping a bit too deeply into the book, can we talk fonts? I’m not a font person. I don’t know my Helvetica from my Geneva and I’ve only the vaguest sense as to why Comic Sans is as universally disliked as it is. However, when it comes to comics I suddenly become a font connoisseur. I watch for the subtle variations between the blocky all-caps font of Helene’s narration, the very different font of the Jane Eyre sections, and the cursive of dialogue. In particular, I love how names will sometimes appear in the handwriting of that person. It’s a great way to highlight the importance of a name at a given moment.
A friend of mine once told me the story of something that happened to her when she was in the second grade. All at once one day all her friends decided that she was poison. For seemingly no reason they wrote her a letter explicitly stating that she was no longer their friend and they hated her. I remembered this story as I read the tale of Helene and the very similar shut out she experienced at the hands of her former friends. Sometimes there is no logical explanation for child cruelty. We’re lucky if we have a Jane Eyre to turn to, even as we try to find new friends and confidants. For some children out there, Jane, the Fox & Me is going to be their own Jane Eyre. Helene will shoulder their blows and offer hope for coming out strong at the end. Could a book of this sort hope for anything better? A rare piece.
For ages 9-12.
January 14, 2023
برام جالب بود که رنگهایی که برای زندگیِ شخصیت اصلی در نظر گرفته شده بود متناسب با روحیهاش تیره بود اما موقع خوندنِ "جین ایر" تصاویر رنگارنگ میشد(:
August 12, 2013
I consider this to be the best graphic novel I have ever read, even though "Jane, the Fox, & Me" is targeted towards girls in middle school, My inner critic insists that this declaration speaks to my mental/emotional makeup, but I disagree. I feel that it speaks to the quality of the book. So shut up, me, and listen to why this book is great.
The story centers around Hélène, a young girl who is being ostracized by girls who used to be her friends. She escapes the teasing by diving into the world of Jane Eyre. Fanny Britt draws parallels between Hélène and Jane that help elucidate her protagonist's inner world. Eventually Hélène makes a human connection and regains her sense of hope.
As a playwright/author, Britt imbues her work with beautiful words, a quality possessed by very few graphic novels these days. Isabelle Arsenault matches the lovely words with her lovely illustrations. She also does some clever work with colour.
I love the way Hélène's dreary world is done in shades of gray, but when she is engrossed in Jane Eyre, her inner world is in full colour. The fox she connects with on her class camping trip is the first colourful thing to creep into her external world, before her bunkmate scares it away.
But Hélène soon makes a new friend, and as she comes out of her depression, we see dashes of colour replacing the grey. The book ends on an optimistic note, with a picture of Hélène walking out of the grey industrial world, towards a lush, green forest. Anyway, enough about the colour.
The relationship between Hélène and her mother is just heartbreaking. The shopping scene, the weigh-in, and most of all, the Crenoline Dress. Oh my god, that part will hit you right in the gut. I don't want to spoil anything though.
There is also a plethora of subtle details that enhance the overall book. For example, when Hélène refers to her snobby ex-friends, their names appear as each girls' signature, rather than the standard typeset. Each signature conveys something of the girl's personality to you, mostly that they're bitchy. Also, Hélène's little brothers are inexplicably depicted as ninjas, and somehow it works. They don't say a word in the story, but the ninja outfit says it all about them.
Another amusing background detail is the camp counselor dancing and singing "Hot, Hot, Hot" like the upbeat jackass all camp counselors are. Meanwhile, Hélène lays before him crouched in shame. That panel says so much, much more than I can explain, at any rate. It is a great demonstration of why graphic novels are their own distinct art form, and not just novels with nice pictures.
And so, inner critic, who scorns pubescent literature and graphic novels alike, I hope you now see that "Jane the Fox, and Me" is a beautiful, funny, and tragic book, that ends on a redemptive note. While I would recommend it to just about anyone, this book would be all the more powerful to any bookish girl over the age of 10.
The story centers around Hélène, a young girl who is being ostracized by girls who used to be her friends. She escapes the teasing by diving into the world of Jane Eyre. Fanny Britt draws parallels between Hélène and Jane that help elucidate her protagonist's inner world. Eventually Hélène makes a human connection and regains her sense of hope.
As a playwright/author, Britt imbues her work with beautiful words, a quality possessed by very few graphic novels these days. Isabelle Arsenault matches the lovely words with her lovely illustrations. She also does some clever work with colour.
I love the way Hélène's dreary world is done in shades of gray, but when she is engrossed in Jane Eyre, her inner world is in full colour. The fox she connects with on her class camping trip is the first colourful thing to creep into her external world, before her bunkmate scares it away.
But Hélène soon makes a new friend, and as she comes out of her depression, we see dashes of colour replacing the grey. The book ends on an optimistic note, with a picture of Hélène walking out of the grey industrial world, towards a lush, green forest. Anyway, enough about the colour.
The relationship between Hélène and her mother is just heartbreaking. The shopping scene, the weigh-in, and most of all, the Crenoline Dress. Oh my god, that part will hit you right in the gut. I don't want to spoil anything though.
There is also a plethora of subtle details that enhance the overall book. For example, when Hélène refers to her snobby ex-friends, their names appear as each girls' signature, rather than the standard typeset. Each signature conveys something of the girl's personality to you, mostly that they're bitchy. Also, Hélène's little brothers are inexplicably depicted as ninjas, and somehow it works. They don't say a word in the story, but the ninja outfit says it all about them.
Another amusing background detail is the camp counselor dancing and singing "Hot, Hot, Hot" like the upbeat jackass all camp counselors are. Meanwhile, Hélène lays before him crouched in shame. That panel says so much, much more than I can explain, at any rate. It is a great demonstration of why graphic novels are their own distinct art form, and not just novels with nice pictures.
And so, inner critic, who scorns pubescent literature and graphic novels alike, I hope you now see that "Jane the Fox, and Me" is a beautiful, funny, and tragic book, that ends on a redemptive note. While I would recommend it to just about anyone, this book would be all the more powerful to any bookish girl over the age of 10.
July 6, 2015
This book is a puzzling one to review. The art is gorgeous, rich and airy at the same time. And the mood of the book offers a unique, fairy-tale feel. It addresses delicately, complicated subjects that are often addressed in heavy-handed ways. Not just bullying, isolation and self-preservation, but self-perception and how it can be affected and distorted by our social worlds. The importance of connection, in all of its nearly magical manifestations. There are nice moments of textual and emotional engagement with Jane Eyre that make some sense of the title. But, as another reviewer said, "the story's a bit thin." And, to quote some of the more accomplished musicians of our time, "what the fox say?" For I haven't a clue.
March 21, 2017
Waiting for the bus on Sherbrooke today is like waiting to die.... Or what I imagine it would be like to die.
A Montreal teenager that feels like an outcast takes solace in Jane Eyre. The illustrations are in black and white and the writing is lyrically beautiful. This book was originally written in French and has been translated for an English reading audience.
A Montreal teenager that feels like an outcast takes solace in Jane Eyre. The illustrations are in black and white and the writing is lyrically beautiful. This book was originally written in French and has been translated for an English reading audience.
February 13, 2017
This was so beautiful, and being a Jane Eyre lover, I really wanted to read this! I could relate so much to the main character, but I felt like the story never really went anywhere and ended rather abruptly. It was beautifully illustrated though!
Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge Notes:
50. A book translated to English (this was originally written in French!)
July 12, 2021
ça y est, puisque qu’emprunté à la bibliothèque, je veux maintenant cet album. parce qu’il est beau, parce qu’il traite d’intimidation et parce qu’il reflète toute la méchanceté dont peuvent faire preuve les jeunes.
comme j’aime les albums de La Pastèque — ils font du grand!
comme j’aime les albums de La Pastèque — ils font du grand!
March 11, 2019
4.5 well deserved stars. So much I can relate to in this story about a young girl who is bullied and ostracized at school. In typical cruel fashion the girls spread graffiti around claiming Hélène is grossly overweight and stinky when she is neither of these things, though because girls are conditioned to be obsessed with weight issues, Hélène is certain she is “as fat as a sausage” when she is in fact slim and normal. She finds solace in reading Jane Eyre and immerses herself in the book to ignore the cruel taunts. A fitting novel and heroine with which to identify with as a lonely young woman who feels wronged and misunderstood. But a school camping trip forces her to spend more time with her classmates than she can bear and hiding in her book won’t be enough to shield her from cruelty, and sure enough the mean girls taunt and bully her some more in front of everyone, to make matters worse. One day Hélène makes an almost magical connection with a fox, and thought the moment is fleeting, shortly after a new friend comes into her life and brings her the companionship she’s been starved for.
As is always the case with Isabelle Arsenault, the artwork is gorgeous and poetic. Most of the scenes are depicted in pencil drawings in tones of grey, but when scenes from Jane Eyre are depicted they are in full colour, as are some nature scenes, symbolizing joy and hope. A beautiful book in every way.
As a native Montrealer it was fun to see recognizable spots in the city both illustrated and mentioned as part of the story, such as the Hudson’s Bay department store downtown, where Hélène goes on a horrid swimsuit shopping expedition with her mother. There is the familiar architecture of some of the residential areas that bring to mind specific streets and buildings which makes for fun guesswork too.
A couple of comments from male reviewers tell me this story speaks of concerns and experiences which are familiar to girls though foreign to most males, who are perhaps less likely to appreciate some of the more subtle parts of the story.
As is always the case with Isabelle Arsenault, the artwork is gorgeous and poetic. Most of the scenes are depicted in pencil drawings in tones of grey, but when scenes from Jane Eyre are depicted they are in full colour, as are some nature scenes, symbolizing joy and hope. A beautiful book in every way.
As a native Montrealer it was fun to see recognizable spots in the city both illustrated and mentioned as part of the story, such as the Hudson’s Bay department store downtown, where Hélène goes on a horrid swimsuit shopping expedition with her mother. There is the familiar architecture of some of the residential areas that bring to mind specific streets and buildings which makes for fun guesswork too.
A couple of comments from male reviewers tell me this story speaks of concerns and experiences which are familiar to girls though foreign to most males, who are perhaps less likely to appreciate some of the more subtle parts of the story.
June 2, 2015
A YA graphic novel about bullying and loneliness. So deeply felt and accurate, I wanted to weep for Helene as she looked into the illustration of the pit of despair. She does have windows out of her world, a caring family, literature - in this instance Jane Eyre- and a glimpse of wild nature in the person of a fox. Helene acquires a friend at the end and experiences the wonderful feeling of acceptance, but this seems almost like a false ending to me. I would have preferred that she came to accept her own lovely self. Isabelle Arsenault's illustrations are wonderful.
January 23, 2022
Wunderschön illustrierte Graphic Novel
March 18, 2021
خیلی حس و حال خوبی داشت و امان از تصویرسازی جذابش 🤩🤩🤩🤩
December 6, 2013
Fanny Britt’s text (translated by Christelle Morelli and Susan Ouriou) is intense and internal and feels like a long-form poem. There were no obvious translation quirks, in fact the prose is quite rhythmic and has lovely poetic moments. Isabelle Arsenault is the perfect illustrator for this kind of prose, having worked with the lovely and lyrical Kyo Maclear on various projects in the past, such as my beloved Virginia Wolf.
The muted colour-scheme does much to set a melancholic tone. Even the Jane Eyre sections, though punched up with brighter shades of red and blue, are quite somber. I also love the quirky French-ness of the book, which to be is summed up in a forest green bathing suit with sailboats. How French is that?
I love that Jane Eyre makes Helene happy. It is a rare bird that finds joy in this bleak tale, and yet adolescent girls time and time again find themselves siding with Jane. Perhaps it has something to do with the smart, miserable girl finding love. This book has no love angle but instead ends in new-found friendship. Geraldine is a bit of a manic pixie dream friend, arriving in a cabin full of misfits and transforming them with her joy and kindness, but it does speak to how transformative a friendship can be at this age.
The muted colour-scheme does much to set a melancholic tone. Even the Jane Eyre sections, though punched up with brighter shades of red and blue, are quite somber. I also love the quirky French-ness of the book, which to be is summed up in a forest green bathing suit with sailboats. How French is that?
I love that Jane Eyre makes Helene happy. It is a rare bird that finds joy in this bleak tale, and yet adolescent girls time and time again find themselves siding with Jane. Perhaps it has something to do with the smart, miserable girl finding love. This book has no love angle but instead ends in new-found friendship. Geraldine is a bit of a manic pixie dream friend, arriving in a cabin full of misfits and transforming them with her joy and kindness, but it does speak to how transformative a friendship can be at this age.
January 11, 2014
If I must hide
where is the space
with colour,
soft edged ferns,
cushions,
to hide in?
School's thin
words, weighty,
scribbled sharp
on walls and pages,
hurt that part of me
still child.
I have Jane
but she is paper too.
At camp
my tent is pitched
among ferns,
a red fox
sharp
nosed, eyes
stars under cedars.
Who knew how much
change fox would bring?
Green, green, and then
red. Hidden
places surround me
everywhere I go.
where is the space
with colour,
soft edged ferns,
cushions,
to hide in?
School's thin
words, weighty,
scribbled sharp
on walls and pages,
hurt that part of me
still child.
I have Jane
but she is paper too.
At camp
my tent is pitched
among ferns,
a red fox
sharp
nosed, eyes
stars under cedars.
Who knew how much
change fox would bring?
Green, green, and then
red. Hidden
places surround me
everywhere I go.
December 1, 2017
This was adorable and heartfelt.
May 1, 2021
Jane, the Fox and Me... a graphic novel for middle schoolers was a bit slow to start for me... mainly because it is a translated book
Poor little Hélène has been ostracized by the girls who were once her friends. The girls are the "mean girls" at school and no adults seem to notice or intervene. Hélène believes from the girls that she is fat and smells, instead of finding an adult or standing up to the girls, she slides into almost complete isolation, except for her book of Jane Eyre, which she treasures and admires as Jane deals with tribulations in her life.
With no out, Hélène has to attend a sleep-away camp with her class and she finds herself in the "outcasts" tent. But Hélène finds a fox and shares a moment of connection. But the next to the last night she meets Géraldine, who is been thrown out of the popular tent and does not care... she and Hélène become friends and life is better.
Bullying, and name-calling.
3.5 Stars
Happy Reading!
Poor little Hélène has been ostracized by the girls who were once her friends. The girls are the "mean girls" at school and no adults seem to notice or intervene. Hélène believes from the girls that she is fat and smells, instead of finding an adult or standing up to the girls, she slides into almost complete isolation, except for her book of Jane Eyre, which she treasures and admires as Jane deals with tribulations in her life.
With no out, Hélène has to attend a sleep-away camp with her class and she finds herself in the "outcasts" tent. But Hélène finds a fox and shares a moment of connection. But the next to the last night she meets Géraldine, who is been thrown out of the popular tent and does not care... she and Hélène become friends and life is better.
Bullying, and name-calling.
3.5 Stars
Happy Reading!
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