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The Stars of History: Charlie Chaplin
In creating The Little Tramp, Charlie Chaplin became a legend. Who remembers now that he was English, that he came up from nothing, that he made his fortune in the United States, that he had to flee the country under pressure from McCarthyism, or that he created the very first production house run by artists? Full of humor, the “Stars of History” collection offers a fresh new look at the legends of cinema.
88 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
October 16, 2020
The Stars of History: Charlie Chaplin is a great graphic novel following the famous actor.
I think this is a great way to introduce some famous people to those who haven't heard of them before. Charlie Chaplin's life is truly interesting to follow. The man grew up in poverty and became one of the most famous actors of all time. He's a legend, and this book shows some truly hilarious scenes in its illustrations to show you how amazing he is.
I wish there was more of his life. His life is very tumultuous and he wasn't always the nicest person. I felt like this story went into the good more than the bad. I also feel like not everything in the book was exampled in the best possible way. I wasn't sure who some of the people were, which made reading it a little annoying. But then some of this book explained too much what was going on when you literally have pictures showing you... It was odd.
I do think it's great to use graphic novels to share non-fiction tales though. Biographies being graphic novels is one of my new favourites!
Two out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
I think this is a great way to introduce some famous people to those who haven't heard of them before. Charlie Chaplin's life is truly interesting to follow. The man grew up in poverty and became one of the most famous actors of all time. He's a legend, and this book shows some truly hilarious scenes in its illustrations to show you how amazing he is.
I wish there was more of his life. His life is very tumultuous and he wasn't always the nicest person. I felt like this story went into the good more than the bad. I also feel like not everything in the book was exampled in the best possible way. I wasn't sure who some of the people were, which made reading it a little annoying. But then some of this book explained too much what was going on when you literally have pictures showing you... It was odd.
I do think it's great to use graphic novels to share non-fiction tales though. Biographies being graphic novels is one of my new favourites!
Two out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
September 9, 2020
Who doesn't like Charlie Chaplin? The man was a comic genius, born in London in 1889 and spent much of his early life living in poverty. An English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who became a world icon in the era of the silent movies. A career that spanned over 75 years and recognised with a knighthood. This PDF is a comic, full of humour offering a look at the legend of the silent screen. Started life living in poverty but in later life made his fortune in America.
This type of media is not really my bag but was entertaining all the same but left me wanting to read a more comprehensive look at the life of the legend Charlie Chaplin.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Europe Comics for supplying a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This type of media is not really my bag but was entertaining all the same but left me wanting to read a more comprehensive look at the life of the legend Charlie Chaplin.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Europe Comics for supplying a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 15, 2020
This is a very informative biography of Charlie Chaplain in graphic novel form. I had no idea how hard his life was before stardom. Of course, I also only had a small idea of how problematic he was as a person when it came to his relationships. Yet, he did a lot of good work. He was a paradox and now I want to learn more.
This unbiased review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
This unbiased review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
June 20, 2021
He really liked minors, huh?
⭐⭐½
⭐⭐½
September 21, 2020
I already knew the story of Charlie Chaplin and his life; I was blessed to have a teacher in High School that loved all things movies and music and radio and in one his classes, we had a three week block of nothing but Chaplin. We watched his movies, talked about his life and then we each wrote a paper on him [this was just one of many "stars" we studied. I loved this class]. It was a very enlightening time as we also learned about "McCarthyism" and just how pervasive that was and how absolutely damaging it was to so many people.
This graphic novel was a wonderful refresher course for me and for anyone who wishes to learn about the great man, this is a stellar introduction to him and his life and films. The artwork by Bruno Bazile is top notch, as is the translation by Dan Christensen. I was thoroughly captivated throughout the whole read and would absolutely pass this on to any new [or old] film buff. I can only hope that this trio works together again as they really accomplished something wonderful here.
Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This graphic novel was a wonderful refresher course for me and for anyone who wishes to learn about the great man, this is a stellar introduction to him and his life and films. The artwork by Bruno Bazile is top notch, as is the translation by Dan Christensen. I was thoroughly captivated throughout the whole read and would absolutely pass this on to any new [or old] film buff. I can only hope that this trio works together again as they really accomplished something wonderful here.
Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 23, 2020
I’ve watched the motion picture Chaplin many times. This graphic novelization of Charlie Chaplin’s life provided details that were neither in the movie nor known by me. Maybe they both played with his historical life. While this is in graphic form, many of the details of Chaplin’s life would not be appropriate for young school-aged children. Older high-school students MAY be able to appreciate his accomplishments, without focusing on the more “sordid” aspects of his life. I won this copy in NetGalley and review every item I win or buy.
October 5, 2020
Swysen Bernard uses the graphic novel format to provide a relatable biography of Charlie Chaplin, the British movie star and director who used his character of The Little Tramp in so may ways. Bernard does not shy away from looking at the warts of the actor's legacy along with his triumphs and legacy. A nice concise biography.
September 25, 2020
I received an ARC through NetGalley from Europe Comics. This graphic novel memoir illustrates the life of Charlie Chaplin from childhood through death. The art was well done, but the text was heavy.. Charlie lived a long and ambitious life that I've always found quite interesting. This memoir was like reading the CliffNotes for his life and it left a lot of questions unanswered. We did get to see a loveable child evolve into a bit of a pretentious artist, but I would have preferred in this format if the author chose to focus on a specific time period with more respect for the format. Overall, it was ok for those wanting to learn about Charlie and be boosted to read more about him. Fine for a young adult audience, as they kindly glossed over his indiscretions in love.
September 17, 2020
From the cover to the final cell, this “The Stars of History” issue exudes the comic pathos of Charlie Chaplin’s life and work. Bruno Bazile’s artwork draws the eye from scene to scene with fluidity and passion. Swysen’s text, while perhaps a bit dense in spots, gives a legitimate biography in comic book form. I was only a couple pages in when I relaxed and settled into the nostalgia of losing myself in a good comic book. There were a handful of moments in which the magic faltered; however, considering the tall order of not only conveying the long and eventful life of Chaplin in text and image, but also achieving the desired effect in translation (the work of Dan Christensen), it’s safe to say that this collaboration is a real success.
Thank you to Europe Comics and NetGalley for an Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Europe Comics and NetGalley for an Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2020
An interesting and easy to read biography
Key words: Charlie Chaplin, The tramp, biography, graphic novel
This biographic graphic novel explains the life of Charlie Chaplin and how he came to be this famous person we all know. I found it really interesting and, even though I knew the character, I learnt many things about the man behind. The drawings were quite nice but, as Charlie grows and ages through the pages, I was sometimes lost as to who is who. Moreover, there were some characters that did not get any descriptions, so it was a bit difficult to understand what role they were playing in the story. Therefore, that’s why I am not sure the drawing worked well with the narrative. Apart from the sometimes-unclear drawing, the narrative was really nice and easy to read. It gave me the desire to see more of his movies. This comic is part of a series of biographic graphic novel about famous people so maybe I’ll try to read the other ones too as it was quite a nice read. Overall, if you want to learn about Charlie Chaplin in a quick manner, this comic is for you.
Thank you Netgalley for the eArc in exchange of my honest opinion
3.5/5
Key words: Charlie Chaplin, The tramp, biography, graphic novel
This biographic graphic novel explains the life of Charlie Chaplin and how he came to be this famous person we all know. I found it really interesting and, even though I knew the character, I learnt many things about the man behind. The drawings were quite nice but, as Charlie grows and ages through the pages, I was sometimes lost as to who is who. Moreover, there were some characters that did not get any descriptions, so it was a bit difficult to understand what role they were playing in the story. Therefore, that’s why I am not sure the drawing worked well with the narrative. Apart from the sometimes-unclear drawing, the narrative was really nice and easy to read. It gave me the desire to see more of his movies. This comic is part of a series of biographic graphic novel about famous people so maybe I’ll try to read the other ones too as it was quite a nice read. Overall, if you want to learn about Charlie Chaplin in a quick manner, this comic is for you.
Thank you Netgalley for the eArc in exchange of my honest opinion
3.5/5
September 21, 2020
I love the films starring The Tramp, but looking at Charlie Chaplin's life story I can't help but cringe. Somehow his pedophile behaviours were overshadowed by his genius, and he was hailed as a great person. Also he was a tyrant filmmaker, and he undermined other artists' creativity.
As for the graphic novel itself, all I can say is that the illustrations were great.
As for the graphic novel itself, all I can say is that the illustrations were great.
November 13, 2020
Charlie Chaplin, begnadeter Komiker, Schauspieler, Regisseur und Produzent. Doch so komisch seine Filme auch waren, sein Leben war es nicht.
Er wuchs in ärmlichen Verhältnissen auf, zusammen mit seiner Mutter und seinem Halbbruder Sydney. Sein Eltern waren getrennt, sein Vater nie richtig für ihn da. Nach dem frühen Tod des Vaters und der Erkrankung der Mutter, musste Charlie und sein Bruder viel zu früh erwachsen werden und für den Unterhalt sorgen.
Charlie hatte schon immer das Talent für die Bühne und schaffte es auch bald, seine erste Rolle zu ergattern. Noch war sein Durchbruch nicht da, doch im Laufe der Zeit wurde er bekannter und sicherte sich so seine erste Hauptrolle. Der Anfang einer großen Karriere.
Theatermäßig lief alles gut bei ihm. Seine charakteristische Rolle als Tramp in zu großen Hosen, zu großen Schuhen und einer zu engen Jacke mit Wanderstock formten sein Image. Eine Rolle, die heute nicht mehr wegzudenken ist.
Der Stummfilm war sein Leben.
Doch privat lief es nicht so gut für ihn. Zwei Ehen, die nicht aus Liebe, sondern wegen Schwangerschaften geschlossen wurden. Zwar glaubte er, dass mit der Zeit Liebe wächst, doch war Chaplin auch nicht gerade leicht zu händeln.
Er hatte eine aufbrausende, fast cholerisch wirkende Art und resignierte auch schnell. Sein Verhalten eckte oft an und so kam es auch, dass er bald in seiner Wahlheimat Amerika nicht mehr geduldet wurde. Seine Art, in seinen Filmen Kritik an Land und Leute auszulassen, kam nicht gut an.
Erst spät fand er seine große Liebe, die allerdings mit 17 noch zu jung zum Heiraten war. Doch fand er in der dritten Ehe endlich die Erfüllung, die er gesucht hatte und hatte letztendlich eine ganze Schar von Kindern (allein in der letzten Ehe 8 Stück).
Trotz allem hat er es geschafft, mit über 80 Filmen im Gedächtnis der Menschen zu bleiben. Als er 1977 starb, hinterließ er eine große Lücke nicht nur in seiner Familie.
Ich muss sagen, dass ich mit dieser Graphic Novel eine kleine Premiere meinerseits in den Händen hielt. Eine BIopic in Comic-Form hatte ich vorher noch nicht gelesen. Ich war daher etwas skeptisch, aber wurde gleich nach den ersten Seiten eines Besseren belehrt. Die Zeichnungen sind einprägend und die Geschichte über das Leben Charlie Chaplins sowieso.
Ich wusste ehrlich gesagt nicht viel über Chaplin, hatte mir eigentlich einen ganz anderen Menschen vorgestellt, wenn ich so an seine Filme zurückdenke.
Dass dieser komische kleine Mann, der in den Filmen so sympathisch und eben lustig rüberkam, in seinem eigenen Leben so wenig zu lachen hatte, war erschütternd. Ständig hatte er mit Widrigkeiten zu kämpfen, seien sie ihm in den Weg gelegt oder von ihm selbst geschaffen worden.
Erst die letzten Jahre an der Seite seiner Ehefrau Oona konnte er etwas entspannen, wobei ich glaube, dass es gar nicht seine Art war, etwas ruhig anzugehen.
Die Leinwand-Legende Charlie Chaplin wird von allen Seiten betrachtet und ich denke auch ungeschönt dargestellt. Sein Leben, der Komödie gewidmet, wurde aber von Tragödien bestimmt.
Meggies Fussnote:
Eine beeindruckende Persönlichkeit mit Ecken und Kanten.
Er wuchs in ärmlichen Verhältnissen auf, zusammen mit seiner Mutter und seinem Halbbruder Sydney. Sein Eltern waren getrennt, sein Vater nie richtig für ihn da. Nach dem frühen Tod des Vaters und der Erkrankung der Mutter, musste Charlie und sein Bruder viel zu früh erwachsen werden und für den Unterhalt sorgen.
Charlie hatte schon immer das Talent für die Bühne und schaffte es auch bald, seine erste Rolle zu ergattern. Noch war sein Durchbruch nicht da, doch im Laufe der Zeit wurde er bekannter und sicherte sich so seine erste Hauptrolle. Der Anfang einer großen Karriere.
Theatermäßig lief alles gut bei ihm. Seine charakteristische Rolle als Tramp in zu großen Hosen, zu großen Schuhen und einer zu engen Jacke mit Wanderstock formten sein Image. Eine Rolle, die heute nicht mehr wegzudenken ist.
Der Stummfilm war sein Leben.
Doch privat lief es nicht so gut für ihn. Zwei Ehen, die nicht aus Liebe, sondern wegen Schwangerschaften geschlossen wurden. Zwar glaubte er, dass mit der Zeit Liebe wächst, doch war Chaplin auch nicht gerade leicht zu händeln.
Er hatte eine aufbrausende, fast cholerisch wirkende Art und resignierte auch schnell. Sein Verhalten eckte oft an und so kam es auch, dass er bald in seiner Wahlheimat Amerika nicht mehr geduldet wurde. Seine Art, in seinen Filmen Kritik an Land und Leute auszulassen, kam nicht gut an.
Erst spät fand er seine große Liebe, die allerdings mit 17 noch zu jung zum Heiraten war. Doch fand er in der dritten Ehe endlich die Erfüllung, die er gesucht hatte und hatte letztendlich eine ganze Schar von Kindern (allein in der letzten Ehe 8 Stück).
Trotz allem hat er es geschafft, mit über 80 Filmen im Gedächtnis der Menschen zu bleiben. Als er 1977 starb, hinterließ er eine große Lücke nicht nur in seiner Familie.
Ich muss sagen, dass ich mit dieser Graphic Novel eine kleine Premiere meinerseits in den Händen hielt. Eine BIopic in Comic-Form hatte ich vorher noch nicht gelesen. Ich war daher etwas skeptisch, aber wurde gleich nach den ersten Seiten eines Besseren belehrt. Die Zeichnungen sind einprägend und die Geschichte über das Leben Charlie Chaplins sowieso.
Ich wusste ehrlich gesagt nicht viel über Chaplin, hatte mir eigentlich einen ganz anderen Menschen vorgestellt, wenn ich so an seine Filme zurückdenke.
Dass dieser komische kleine Mann, der in den Filmen so sympathisch und eben lustig rüberkam, in seinem eigenen Leben so wenig zu lachen hatte, war erschütternd. Ständig hatte er mit Widrigkeiten zu kämpfen, seien sie ihm in den Weg gelegt oder von ihm selbst geschaffen worden.
Erst die letzten Jahre an der Seite seiner Ehefrau Oona konnte er etwas entspannen, wobei ich glaube, dass es gar nicht seine Art war, etwas ruhig anzugehen.
Die Leinwand-Legende Charlie Chaplin wird von allen Seiten betrachtet und ich denke auch ungeschönt dargestellt. Sein Leben, der Komödie gewidmet, wurde aber von Tragödien bestimmt.
Meggies Fussnote:
Eine beeindruckende Persönlichkeit mit Ecken und Kanten.
October 17, 2020
Biographical comics can only be a good as the life they are telling, and there is at least one advantage in doing Chaplin that it is a long life full of incident. The problem is that the incident is often quite disparate, and has little narrative cohesion. The book here is split pretty clearly into three thirds, childhood (misery and discovering talent), The early Tramp years (interesting but Chaplin slowly becoming increasingly dislikable), and the rest of his life - lots of philandering, marrying young girls and his political problems in the USA. The book takes as read that he was a genius so therefore has to try and tiptoe around "Bad Charlie", Paulette Goddard in particular is given short shrift, But hey, this is a French project translated into English - there is a sniff of "Thank Heavens For Little Girls" across the work.
In plain terms it succeeds in telling the broad strokes of Chaplin's life, and as a visual medium manages to get across some of the appeal of the Tramp. The likenesses are sketchy though, there is a certain European art style (small noses - serious) where most of the faces are pretty similar within their age range - luckily once the Tramp moustache goes on Charlie is easy to identify. But it needs a lot of expository work to note Gloria Swanson, Douglas Fairbanks or Mary Pickford - all of whom look a lot more generic than their famous faces would demand. There is also no real attempt to capture much of the dynamism of the characters, there are panels where they talk about Kid Auto Races, but never show it properly, and there are very few signature Chaplin visuals captured here (the only obvious one is the shoe eating from the Gold Rush). Showing the giant cogs to illustrate the cost of the the production of Modern Times is fine, but why wouldn't you also show the shot they were built for., The expository dialogue is pretty non-stop too - the opening panel is someone reading out loud "Today, April 16th 1889, the wife of Mr Charles Chaplin gave birth to a handsome baby boy!" - and continues very much in that vein. It ends up a bit like a less funny Horrible Histories, name dropping and fact dropping through the piece.
Its an interesting project, but despite decent art and hitting all of the notes, it cannot really explain why Chaplin became such a huge star (this is not a problem restricted to this book, it is a broader issue as we move away from his moment of global celebrity). This 80 page graphic biography will be useful as a primer to his life, and I doubt there is anything factually wrong here. But I am not quite sure who it is for, and if you will learn more reading this than a scan of the Chaplin Wikipedia page.
[NetGalley ARC]
In plain terms it succeeds in telling the broad strokes of Chaplin's life, and as a visual medium manages to get across some of the appeal of the Tramp. The likenesses are sketchy though, there is a certain European art style (small noses - serious) where most of the faces are pretty similar within their age range - luckily once the Tramp moustache goes on Charlie is easy to identify. But it needs a lot of expository work to note Gloria Swanson, Douglas Fairbanks or Mary Pickford - all of whom look a lot more generic than their famous faces would demand. There is also no real attempt to capture much of the dynamism of the characters, there are panels where they talk about Kid Auto Races, but never show it properly, and there are very few signature Chaplin visuals captured here (the only obvious one is the shoe eating from the Gold Rush). Showing the giant cogs to illustrate the cost of the the production of Modern Times is fine, but why wouldn't you also show the shot they were built for., The expository dialogue is pretty non-stop too - the opening panel is someone reading out loud "Today, April 16th 1889, the wife of Mr Charles Chaplin gave birth to a handsome baby boy!" - and continues very much in that vein. It ends up a bit like a less funny Horrible Histories, name dropping and fact dropping through the piece.
Its an interesting project, but despite decent art and hitting all of the notes, it cannot really explain why Chaplin became such a huge star (this is not a problem restricted to this book, it is a broader issue as we move away from his moment of global celebrity). This 80 page graphic biography will be useful as a primer to his life, and I doubt there is anything factually wrong here. But I am not quite sure who it is for, and if you will learn more reading this than a scan of the Chaplin Wikipedia page.
[NetGalley ARC]
September 18, 2020
| Read on Reader Fox |
"The music shouldn't compete with the image, but instead must be a counterpoint of grace and charm."
I'm beginning to realize that biographical graphic novels can be a really hard sell when it comes down to it. As much as I adore Chaplin and as excited as I was to read this, The Stars of History: Charlie Chaplin wasn't great. Author Bernard Swysen and illustrator Bruno Bazile really did their best, of course. But, at the end of the day, this book had a lot of issues, some more difficult to solve than others.
A Biography as a Graphic Novel
Part of the problem with this book ties directly into the fact that it's a graphic novel in the first place. With each new book that I read in this format, I find myself realizing that it's incredibly difficult to tell someone's life story in this way. There are a lot of things you have to account for and adapt and if you don't do it the right way, it all kind of falls apart.
Charlie Chaplin, unfortunately, suffers in a similar way that the one I read about Albert Einstein did.
Too Much in One Novel
Something I've noticed with biographical graphic novels is the ones that try to tell an entire life story usually fail. In my experience, if this is the type of story you're looking to tell you really need to split it up into several books and focus more-so on the really important aspects of their life. In a similar vein to Einstein, this Chaplin has the misfortune of following Chaplin from birth to death.
And there's just far too much in a lifetime, especially one as full as Chaplin's to fit into a single volume. As a result, we get a lot of time spent with Charlie as he is growing up--which is great, mind--but it all ends up tapering off as he is an adult. The author had to rush through many moments of his life in order to fit in all the events that he wanted. And the book suffers for this. it would have been infinitely better if this had been split into multiple volumes and followed a similar pattern to that of Irena.
Namely, Swysen should have chosen big and important events from various stages in Chaplin's life and focused singular volumes around those moments.
Show, Don't Tell
I never thought I'd have to say this about a graphic novel, but damn did this book have an exposition problem. It's deeply ironic to me that this happened because the whole purpose of a graphic novel is to have the visuals there for you. You don't need to tell the reader things because you have one of the best tools for showing them possible. And yet, for some insane reason, Swysen thought was necessary to have this overlaying commentary telling the readers everything that was happening.
This honestly just kind of blew my mind and I'm still a little baffled by it. There were far too many instances of this and it just got so ridiculous after a while.
That said, the show part of this graphic novel was pretty fantastic. I loved Bazile's artwork. Not only was it excellent, but the continuity over time and the subtle differences that you saw in Chaplin as he aged was exceptional. I had a lot of fun with the visuals and getting to know the characters this way. In fact, this was probably the best part of it all.
So, There You Have It
And that's really what it comes down to. Biographical graphic novels are incredibly difficult and should probably be split into parts. This one, in particular, really needed to cut back on all those moments of exposition in which shoving information into the readers' faces somehow seemed necessary. There are a lot of different ways that Swysen could have given us that information without being very tell-y about it.
In the end, I wanted to love this, but I can't help feeling disappointed.
I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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"The music shouldn't compete with the image, but instead must be a counterpoint of grace and charm."
I'm beginning to realize that biographical graphic novels can be a really hard sell when it comes down to it. As much as I adore Chaplin and as excited as I was to read this, The Stars of History: Charlie Chaplin wasn't great. Author Bernard Swysen and illustrator Bruno Bazile really did their best, of course. But, at the end of the day, this book had a lot of issues, some more difficult to solve than others.
A Biography as a Graphic Novel
Part of the problem with this book ties directly into the fact that it's a graphic novel in the first place. With each new book that I read in this format, I find myself realizing that it's incredibly difficult to tell someone's life story in this way. There are a lot of things you have to account for and adapt and if you don't do it the right way, it all kind of falls apart.
Charlie Chaplin, unfortunately, suffers in a similar way that the one I read about Albert Einstein did.
Too Much in One Novel
Something I've noticed with biographical graphic novels is the ones that try to tell an entire life story usually fail. In my experience, if this is the type of story you're looking to tell you really need to split it up into several books and focus more-so on the really important aspects of their life. In a similar vein to Einstein, this Chaplin has the misfortune of following Chaplin from birth to death.
And there's just far too much in a lifetime, especially one as full as Chaplin's to fit into a single volume. As a result, we get a lot of time spent with Charlie as he is growing up--which is great, mind--but it all ends up tapering off as he is an adult. The author had to rush through many moments of his life in order to fit in all the events that he wanted. And the book suffers for this. it would have been infinitely better if this had been split into multiple volumes and followed a similar pattern to that of Irena.
Namely, Swysen should have chosen big and important events from various stages in Chaplin's life and focused singular volumes around those moments.
Show, Don't Tell
I never thought I'd have to say this about a graphic novel, but damn did this book have an exposition problem. It's deeply ironic to me that this happened because the whole purpose of a graphic novel is to have the visuals there for you. You don't need to tell the reader things because you have one of the best tools for showing them possible. And yet, for some insane reason, Swysen thought was necessary to have this overlaying commentary telling the readers everything that was happening.
This honestly just kind of blew my mind and I'm still a little baffled by it. There were far too many instances of this and it just got so ridiculous after a while.
That said, the show part of this graphic novel was pretty fantastic. I loved Bazile's artwork. Not only was it excellent, but the continuity over time and the subtle differences that you saw in Chaplin as he aged was exceptional. I had a lot of fun with the visuals and getting to know the characters this way. In fact, this was probably the best part of it all.
So, There You Have It
And that's really what it comes down to. Biographical graphic novels are incredibly difficult and should probably be split into parts. This one, in particular, really needed to cut back on all those moments of exposition in which shoving information into the readers' faces somehow seemed necessary. There are a lot of different ways that Swysen could have given us that information without being very tell-y about it.
In the end, I wanted to love this, but I can't help feeling disappointed.
I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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October 10, 2020*dnf 50%
I'm really sorry to say that, but I didn't finish this graphic novel. I loved the art with all my heart. I really did! And getting to know the story of such a great figure as Charlie Chaplin in this kind of light form is an amazing idea.
It's just about that I didn't have any motivation to o further with it when I put it down. It's really sad, but I don't like to force myself to finish a book, so I won't do it.
If you want to know Charlie Chaplin's story or look at stunning artwork - this is for you!
Definitely not for everyone (here I am), but worth a try.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #TheStarsofHistoryCharlieChaplin #NetGalley
I'm really sorry to say that, but I didn't finish this graphic novel. I loved the art with all my heart. I really did! And getting to know the story of such a great figure as Charlie Chaplin in this kind of light form is an amazing idea.
It's just about that I didn't have any motivation to o further with it when I put it down. It's really sad, but I don't like to force myself to finish a book, so I won't do it.
If you want to know Charlie Chaplin's story or look at stunning artwork - this is for you!
Definitely not for everyone (here I am), but worth a try.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #TheStarsofHistoryCharlieChaplin #NetGalley
October 12, 2020
4 our of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.
I learned a lot about Charlie Chaplin that I never knew while reading this graphic novel. It was clear that Charlie started out with a hard life, but he was able to pull himself up and become the star he is now known to be. I also had no idea about how he was treated through the trials of McCarthyism.
I really enjoyed learning more, and perhaps I will look into the autobiography that is mentioned!
Thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for a copy of this book!
I learned a lot about Charlie Chaplin that I never knew while reading this graphic novel. It was clear that Charlie started out with a hard life, but he was able to pull himself up and become the star he is now known to be. I also had no idea about how he was treated through the trials of McCarthyism.
I really enjoyed learning more, and perhaps I will look into the autobiography that is mentioned!
Thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for a copy of this book!
October 4, 2020
I received an ARC digital version of this book from the publishers. This was a very detailed depiction of Charlie Chaplin’s life in the form of a graphic novel/ comic. It was an interesting and easy read. I finished it in one sitting, not wanting to stop reading.
The comic illustrations suited showing his life in a biographical style. However, I found the character illustrations hard sometimes to tell who was who when the time period jumped forwards and the characters aged. This made it a little confusing at times. The time periods could have been made clearer.
I didn’t know much about him before reading. I wasn’t aware of how problematic he was, or about his personal relationships and underage wives.
I liked that the book didn’t shy away from these problematic elements of Chaplin’s life and showed his flaws as well as his career triumphs.
This book has made me interested to learn more about Chaplin, as I only was aware of his silent films.
The comic illustrations suited showing his life in a biographical style. However, I found the character illustrations hard sometimes to tell who was who when the time period jumped forwards and the characters aged. This made it a little confusing at times. The time periods could have been made clearer.
I didn’t know much about him before reading. I wasn’t aware of how problematic he was, or about his personal relationships and underage wives.
I liked that the book didn’t shy away from these problematic elements of Chaplin’s life and showed his flaws as well as his career triumphs.
This book has made me interested to learn more about Chaplin, as I only was aware of his silent films.
October 8, 2020
"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
I love the use of graphic novels to draw in younger readers and engage them in topics that they might not normally pursue. This was well done.
I love the use of graphic novels to draw in younger readers and engage them in topics that they might not normally pursue. This was well done.
October 5, 2020
This a very accurate account of Chaplin's life in comic form. It starts from birth and tells a very inspiring rags-to-riches story of success.
I wished the art had been more vibrant and the colours more cheerful. The characters looked great but the overall look of the comic was just okay.
It's a nice comic and a very informative read.
I wished the art had been more vibrant and the colours more cheerful. The characters looked great but the overall look of the comic was just okay.
It's a nice comic and a very informative read.
September 19, 2020
I received an e-copy of this graphic novel memoir from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
As the last page says, "Charlie Chaplin is no more, but the tramp will live on forever, crossing generations like he crossed continents, with over eighty films to his credit". Charlie Chaplin is a legend even in 2020. Throughout my life, I have seen his films and many people my age would also only have to hear his name to know he created silent films. While I didn't realise the character was called the tramp, his easy to bring to mind.
Seeing Chaplin's story from birth to death was interesting. He didn't have it easy, at all! His father was a drunk who didn't care, his mother was penniless trying everything she could to bring money in to house and feed her sons, Sydney and Charles, and eventually was hospitalised as she began to 'lose her mind'. Charlie's career seemed to properly start when he joined Fred Karno's troupe. Karno's troupe took him to America and Chaplin began to direct his own films. From there the tramp that we all know and love really grew. Charlie was a hardworking man who challenged society through his films, which caused a lot of backlash. Regardless, he continued and grew even more successful. Charlie Chaplin is legendary and this graphic novel was great.
For fans of Charlie Chaplin who want to know more about his life and how the tramp came to be, this graphic novel is perfect. I really enjoyed this and I'm so glad I've had the opportunity to read it.
As the last page says, "Charlie Chaplin is no more, but the tramp will live on forever, crossing generations like he crossed continents, with over eighty films to his credit". Charlie Chaplin is a legend even in 2020. Throughout my life, I have seen his films and many people my age would also only have to hear his name to know he created silent films. While I didn't realise the character was called the tramp, his easy to bring to mind.
Seeing Chaplin's story from birth to death was interesting. He didn't have it easy, at all! His father was a drunk who didn't care, his mother was penniless trying everything she could to bring money in to house and feed her sons, Sydney and Charles, and eventually was hospitalised as she began to 'lose her mind'. Charlie's career seemed to properly start when he joined Fred Karno's troupe. Karno's troupe took him to America and Chaplin began to direct his own films. From there the tramp that we all know and love really grew. Charlie was a hardworking man who challenged society through his films, which caused a lot of backlash. Regardless, he continued and grew even more successful. Charlie Chaplin is legendary and this graphic novel was great.
For fans of Charlie Chaplin who want to know more about his life and how the tramp came to be, this graphic novel is perfect. I really enjoyed this and I'm so glad I've had the opportunity to read it.
September 30, 2020
Thank you to netgalley and Publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.
Before reading this graphic novel I didn't know too much about Charlie Chaplin, and didn't realize how much he struggled as a child, and how fast he grew up.
The artwork for this was amazing I really enjoyed it. The only issue I really had with this was how fast they skipped though his movies compared to how much they put into his childhood.
Before reading this graphic novel I didn't know too much about Charlie Chaplin, and didn't realize how much he struggled as a child, and how fast he grew up.
The artwork for this was amazing I really enjoyed it. The only issue I really had with this was how fast they skipped though his movies compared to how much they put into his childhood.
September 14, 2020
‘The Stars of History: Charlie Chaplin’ follows Chaplin’s life from his music-hall beginnings in South London, through to movie stardom in America, McCarthy witch-hunts, to his death in 1977.
At first the pace of this seemed too fast, but you quickly get used to it as you realise that Chaplin’s life really was filled with that many twists and turns. I would have preferred if this had selected a few moments from Chaplin’s life to dwell on in greater depth, as moving as it does at such break-neck speed doesn’t allow the reader to feel the full emotional impact of such moments.
The book doesn’t shy away from problematic aspects of Chaplin - his workaholism, his demands as a director, and (most troublingly) relationships with underage women. Yet because of the pacing of the book, this is one of the many aspects of it that could be dealt with in greater depth if only the authors
I’m not too keen on the art style, although I must say that I enjoyed the subtle changes in Chaplin’s face over the years. The changes were barely noticeable, and done incredibly smoothly.
As a silent film fan myself, I thought I enjoyed seeing the inclusion of other filmmakers and stars of the period, including Stan Laurel, Gloria Swanson, and Edna Purviance.
I’d recommend this for those looking for an introduction to Chaplin, as it outlines most of the major achievements that hardcore Chaplin fans will probably already know.
At first the pace of this seemed too fast, but you quickly get used to it as you realise that Chaplin’s life really was filled with that many twists and turns. I would have preferred if this had selected a few moments from Chaplin’s life to dwell on in greater depth, as moving as it does at such break-neck speed doesn’t allow the reader to feel the full emotional impact of such moments.
The book doesn’t shy away from problematic aspects of Chaplin - his workaholism, his demands as a director, and (most troublingly) relationships with underage women. Yet because of the pacing of the book, this is one of the many aspects of it that could be dealt with in greater depth if only the authors
I’m not too keen on the art style, although I must say that I enjoyed the subtle changes in Chaplin’s face over the years. The changes were barely noticeable, and done incredibly smoothly.
As a silent film fan myself, I thought I enjoyed seeing the inclusion of other filmmakers and stars of the period, including Stan Laurel, Gloria Swanson, and Edna Purviance.
I’d recommend this for those looking for an introduction to Chaplin, as it outlines most of the major achievements that hardcore Chaplin fans will probably already know.
September 15, 2020
A non-fiction bio-graphical, with a lot more of the young Charlie Chaplin's life than I expected, but major flaws. These early scenes, and the almost ligne claire style, made me think this was for a younger audience, but when we get deeper into music hall history and how Chaplin (and his brother Sydney) built up their careers it probably is for an adult. Whatever age you are, the script is quite horrid to read at times, with copious pages bursting with exposition, of the worst "listen son while your mother tells you what you undoubtedly know – it's just the author doesn't know a better way of getting the information about you across" kind. I think the most sinful example of many is when Charlie tells his mother's corpse which month she's just died in – I nearly did myself.
Less false at least is the biographical detail here – I didn't know anything about the workhouse, seamstress-for-a-mother, broken home, poverty and everything else Chaplin experienced as a youth. I didn't know any of the minutiae about who produced which film and where and who for, either, and it's debatable whether we need such completist, forensic detail in a populist book like this. But still, it is what it is, and it was certainly readable (apart from oddly unseparated speech bubbles), and definitely educational. That style, though – two and a half stars maximum.
Less false at least is the biographical detail here – I didn't know anything about the workhouse, seamstress-for-a-mother, broken home, poverty and everything else Chaplin experienced as a youth. I didn't know any of the minutiae about who produced which film and where and who for, either, and it's debatable whether we need such completist, forensic detail in a populist book like this. But still, it is what it is, and it was certainly readable (apart from oddly unseparated speech bubbles), and definitely educational. That style, though – two and a half stars maximum.
September 18, 2020
There are certainly problems with this biography. For one, it spends the largest part of the narrative on Chaplin's childhood, and once he really gets into the film making years it jumps and jumps forward in time at breakneck speed, so that the second half if more like little vignettes than a continuous narrative.
Also, the dialogue in the second half is incredibly clunky, with the author having the characters say the names of famous folks out loud as the only way to identify them ("Get out of here Truman Capote" etc.). Most egregiously of all, it completely glosses over the fact that Chaplin was an absolutely awful person. Yes, you get a small glimpse of his more negative characteristics when he acts like a tyrant on sets, but deliberately rushes past the fact that Chaplin was a pedophile who got two VERY young girls pregnant, and was often accused of being abusive to the women in his life. As an intro to Chaplin the book is fine, but it barely scratches the surface of who he really was.
Also, the dialogue in the second half is incredibly clunky, with the author having the characters say the names of famous folks out loud as the only way to identify them ("Get out of here Truman Capote" etc.). Most egregiously of all, it completely glosses over the fact that Chaplin was an absolutely awful person. Yes, you get a small glimpse of his more negative characteristics when he acts like a tyrant on sets, but deliberately rushes past the fact that Chaplin was a pedophile who got two VERY young girls pregnant, and was often accused of being abusive to the women in his life. As an intro to Chaplin the book is fine, but it barely scratches the surface of who he really was.
September 19, 2020
The superstar Charlie Chaplin is favourite of each soul who loves comedy. And many of us do know about his struggle from his birth to being a superstar of the silent-film era. I too have read his biography earlier but I still chose to read this book as this was the first to have it in a comic form.
The Stars of History: Charlie Chaplin.
This is a graphic novel which illustrates the biography of the Legend, Charlie Chaplin. This book is a part of a series of biographies of some famous people being published by Europe Comics.
The book is a nice bound of the dialogues and illustrations. Each artwork perfectly fits the plot of the script. The language is kept simple and easy to understand. But yes as each character doesn't have a unique description it gets confusing at times. Other than that the book is nice. And I will try some other from this series.
Thank you Netgalley and Europe Comics for the Review Copy.
The Stars of History: Charlie Chaplin.
This is a graphic novel which illustrates the biography of the Legend, Charlie Chaplin. This book is a part of a series of biographies of some famous people being published by Europe Comics.
The book is a nice bound of the dialogues and illustrations. Each artwork perfectly fits the plot of the script. The language is kept simple and easy to understand. But yes as each character doesn't have a unique description it gets confusing at times. Other than that the book is nice. And I will try some other from this series.
Thank you Netgalley and Europe Comics for the Review Copy.
September 18, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this graphic novel, I only knew of the basics about Chaplins life and didn't realise how much he struggled growing up. This novel was informative and kept at a good length. I've never read a nonfiction book in such a format nor have I seen one, but I am glad to say this was my first one. I also loved the Illustrations in this graphic novel, the pictures were a great companion to the story. The only thing I disliked about this was the formatting of the speech bubbles, some of them were too close together at times making it hard to read. Overall I'd recommend this graphic novel for anyone interested in learning about Chaplins life and what he had to do in order to become who he was.
I enjoyed this graphic novel, I only knew of the basics about Chaplins life and didn't realise how much he struggled growing up. This novel was informative and kept at a good length. I've never read a nonfiction book in such a format nor have I seen one, but I am glad to say this was my first one. I also loved the Illustrations in this graphic novel, the pictures were a great companion to the story. The only thing I disliked about this was the formatting of the speech bubbles, some of them were too close together at times making it hard to read. Overall I'd recommend this graphic novel for anyone interested in learning about Chaplins life and what he had to do in order to become who he was.
September 20, 2020
Of course I knew who Charlie Chaplin was - via his films and iconic imagery - particularly that of 'the tramp'. But I had no clue about his own personal story.
I found this book completely heartwarming, and heartbreaking. It's amazing that a graphic novel can make you feel so much! That's when you know it's special! (I've read so many books that don't grab me as emotionally as this graphic novel did!!)
Whether you're a fan of Chaplin or not, I think any film lover would enjoy this - and learn a lot too!
I can see this graphic novel staying with me for a long time!
I found this book completely heartwarming, and heartbreaking. It's amazing that a graphic novel can make you feel so much! That's when you know it's special! (I've read so many books that don't grab me as emotionally as this graphic novel did!!)
Whether you're a fan of Chaplin or not, I think any film lover would enjoy this - and learn a lot too!
I can see this graphic novel staying with me for a long time!
September 20, 2020
I have long been a fan of Chaplin so loved that this was published. The panel layout, colouring and story flow is really good. the graphics are superb.
The story takes us from the slums of London to Chaplins rise to fame in Hollywood, through his exile from the USA and his triumphant return.
This is a great graphic novel for fans of Chaplin and those that are unaware of his story. Hope there are more in the series
The story takes us from the slums of London to Chaplins rise to fame in Hollywood, through his exile from the USA and his triumphant return.
This is a great graphic novel for fans of Chaplin and those that are unaware of his story. Hope there are more in the series
September 12, 2020
I received this graphic novel in exchange of an honest review from Netgalley.
"Charlie Chaplin is no more, but the Tramp will live on forever, crossing generations like he crossed continents, with over Eighty films to his credits."
Wow, coming from nothing then becoming something so legendary. He made himself by himself. Who doesn't know Charlie Chaplin?
I love his movies and they still made me laugh with my family. I wrote once a play based on his character The Tramp, it was for school and I made the teacher laugh then I got the best mark with my group. See, Charlie is still working.
I loved this book very much and it was pretty good, we have a nice biography of Chaplin in pictures. His life wasn't easy from start, he worked so had to achieve what he wanted and what was done to him at the end with all those accusations, it was really unkind. But whatever they did, he is a lengend and will remain a legend.
"Charlie Chaplin is no more, but the Tramp will live on forever, crossing generations like he crossed continents, with over Eighty films to his credits."
Wow, coming from nothing then becoming something so legendary. He made himself by himself. Who doesn't know Charlie Chaplin?
I love his movies and they still made me laugh with my family. I wrote once a play based on his character The Tramp, it was for school and I made the teacher laugh then I got the best mark with my group. See, Charlie is still working.
I loved this book very much and it was pretty good, we have a nice biography of Chaplin in pictures. His life wasn't easy from start, he worked so had to achieve what he wanted and what was done to him at the end with all those accusations, it was really unkind. But whatever they did, he is a lengend and will remain a legend.
September 14, 2020
While I knew bits of the history of Charlie Chaplin, such as that he helped found United Artists, and how he was locked out of the United States when he was older, I did not know all the details. I did however watch his most famous movies as part of a film festival, so it was quite cool to see what lead up to some of his greatest films, such as the Great Dictator and Modern Times.
However, with my knowledge, and my passing memory of all the affairs he had, it was still hard to get through all the references that were not given more than a passing footnote, or nothing at all.
However, as often happens, sometimes a graphic novel is a step to the next book to read about the person, as it just whetted your interest.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
However, with my knowledge, and my passing memory of all the affairs he had, it was still hard to get through all the references that were not given more than a passing footnote, or nothing at all.
However, as often happens, sometimes a graphic novel is a step to the next book to read about the person, as it just whetted your interest.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
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