Another gripping Sally Jones adventure - a gorgeously illustrated prequel to The Murderer’s Ape
This is the story of a gorilla like no other. A story of a fantastic voyage across the world, of a mysterious jewel thief and a sad sailor with a heart of gold. A story of friendship and adventure on the high seas. This is the story of Sally Jones.
My thanks to Pushkin Press/Steerforth Press for a review copy of the book vie Edelweiss.
Sally Jones is a gorilla (at times dressed in overalls) who serves with her friend the chief engineer aboard a ship, and moves comfortably among humans. In Wegelius’s The Murderer’s Ape, Sally must begin a harrowing quest when the Chief is falsely accused of murder. The Legend of Sally Jones, the book I’m reviewing here, is a prequel/companion volume to this book and tells of Sally’s adventures before this book—from the very beginning in fact. (I haven’t read The Murderer’s Ape, but that was no impediment to reading and appreciating this book.)
Sally Jones is born in an African rainforest, on a moonless and starless night to a prophesy that many misfortunes lie ahead for her. While happy in her infant years, she is kidnapped by Belgian officers out on an illegal hunt, sold and smuggled into Istanbul (in the guise of a baby) and eventually ends up in the hands of someone who seems friendly enough but trains her to be a jewel thief. This marks only the start of the adventures of Sally Jones which take her on travels across the globe—from Turkey to Singapore—through a succession of jobs; many hard times and some happy times; friendship and heartbreak, as we see how Sally Jones eventually meets and befriends the Chief!
Sally Jones’s story is no doubt one of adventure, but it is also rather emotional, heart-wrenching and full of pain, where one feels for her (and anger at the others) at every moment. Most of the humans she encounters, whether the kidnappers right at the start, the jewel thief, in the zoo, circus and then also others later, simply wish to use her for their own purposes (profit) caring little for her, and as a result she suffers, many times physically, but far more so emotionally. Among those she meets, human or animal, are few friends who truly care; even amidst animals, she doesn’t really find the love and acceptance she is looking for. Along the way, though, Sally does pick up numerous useful skills—not only thievery but driving and reading as well!
While this is described as a graphic novel, the kindle format my review copy was in was text interspersed with colour illustrations, rather than the typical graphic novel format. I’m not sure how this turns out in the print copy. The illustrations themselves, using exaggerated, sometimes grotesque figures (perhaps reflecting the ugliness inside many of the humans we encounter), have rich detail that adds much to the story. But what really stands out in them in how they capture Sally’s state of mind and suffering perfectly; her expressions convey exactly what she is going through in each frame, and the reader can feel it with her.
This is in that sense a wonderfully told story, able to not only tell the story but get the reader to feel it as well (both the pain and the joy); my only ‘criticism’ would be that as a middle grade/children’s book, perhaps I felt it may be a little to sad or heavy for its readers despite the fact that it does end on a positive note.
Nonetheless a book well worth reading, and one that certainly made me want to read The Murderer’s Ape as soon as I can. There appears to be a third volume in the series as well, which I think is also available in translation.
That seems to be the message of the highly dramatic life of the gorilla Sally Jones. The impressive, vaguely scary illustrations add to a children's book that deservedly won prizes. A story can definitely be both an adventure and a pedagogical reflection on human cruelty and the need for love to survive!
And in the end, the family you choose trumps the origin you hail from!
La leggenda di Sally Jones è la rocambolesca vita di una scimmia antropomorfa che dovrà vedersela con le crudeltà e indifferenza umane, in viaggio intorno al mondo alla ricerca di un senso nella vita, ma anche sui valori dell'amicizia. Corredato da illustrazioni molto particolari e ricche di atmosfera, quest'avventura scivola via in un mix di coinvolgimento e di riflessione sociale, dove la ricerca di se stessi molte volte travagliata, è densa di delusioni e amarezza, ma anche di riscatto sociale... Consigliato!
The graphics in this book were just beautiful. It was such a joy to review it! The story itself was also good. However, it was also very...I dunno, dark and heavy for a book aimed at children, in my opinion. 🤷🏻♀️ I would still recommend it, but for an older children. I'll definitely be picking up The Murderer's Ape to carry on reading about Sally and her adventures!
Oh this book really breaks my heart and made me angry and sad at how human treated animals. I never thought that a book about gorilla can be this touching. I love the whole concept of this book. It’s such a great story about life, about perseverance, about hope and about friendship. The relationship between Sally and the Chief really inspiring and hope to read about them on the sequel ♡ Thank you Pushkin Press for this copy. I truly adore this story and highly recommend for everyone from all age to pick it up.
Leggere La leggenda di Sally Jones è stato come immergersi in un vortice di colpi di scena che trascina il lettore in un’epopea formidabile, dal ritmo incalzante, che si legge tutta d’un fiato. Avvincente e romantico, intrigante e commovente, un romanzo di grande respiro per i piccoli lettori, narrato in due lingue: una, nazionale, quella delle parole, l’altra, internazionale, quella delle immagini. https://ilmondodichri.com/la-leggenda/
Vilken härligt mustig och myllande berättelse! Sally Jones är gorillan som råkar ut för i stort sett bara hemskheter. Hon är en väldigt intelligent apa som utnyttjas av i stort sett alla människor hon möter (på cirkus, som supertjuv etc), tills hon möter Chiefen. Instant like när han dyker upp! Läs den här för era barn, de kommer sitta som ljus! Läs den själva! Och: varning för tårar!
Primo volume delle (dis)avventure di Sally Jones, la scimmia antropomorfa più intelligente (e sfigata) della letteratura svedese. * La serie prosegue con La scimmia dell'assassino, di prossima pubblicazione per Iperborea, e un nuovo volume uscito in svedese questa primavera, le cui traduzioni arriveranno quindi, probabilmente, nel corso del 2021. E arriveranno senz'altro: facile predire che La scimmia dell'assassino sarà in Italia il caso letterario del Natale 2020 e che una sorte simile grazierà i volumi successivi.
Nell'attesa tanto vale allora cominciare dall'inizio, cioè da questo volume. Che non è peraltro, come si potrebbe credere, un prequel dei più corposi romanzi che seguono, ma il vero primo capitolo, per concezione e realizzazione. Oltre che, a mio parere, il migliore della serie, la gemma nascosta in bella vista, una chicca per bambini di ogni età.
Narrativamente ci sono già tutti gli elementi che caratterizzano la saga: luoghi esotici, personaggi pittoreschi e maltrattamenti di scimmie antropomorfe. Dovunque approdi nelle sue rocambolesche avventure, Sally Jones può sempre contare sul fatto che qualcuno tenterà di ingannarla, sfruttarla e, in mancanza di meglio, venderla. Alcune parti sono più penose di David Copperfield (credo... non ho mai avuto lo stomaco di leggere David Copperfield). È senz'altro possibile anche dare una lettura postcoloniale della vicenda: un corpo africano che senza cerimonie viene strappato dal suo ambiente per profitto e dovunque è considerato alieno, sub-umano. Ad un livello di lettura più immediato, La leggenda di Sally Jones inaugura quel senso dell'avventuroso che è uno dei marchi di fabbrica della saga, nonché uno dei suoi punti di forza: un'autentica celebrazione a briglia sciolta del romanzo ottocentesco a puntate, che sbatte i personaggi ai quattro angoli del globo.
Ma il vero punto di forza di questo volume è nel formato: cento tavole a colori, a pagina intera, nello stile deliziosamente antiquato che Jakob Wegelius, non certo un novizio, mostra di padroneggiare con finezza. Le illustrazioni da sole varrebbero il prezzo del biglietto. Ognuna è un regalo, e questo libro ne è stracolmo; in pratica non contiene altro.
Siete avvertiti: quando scoppierà il caso letterario, arrivateci preparati.
Non lo definirei una graphic novel, e nemmeno un fumetto. E’ un breve racconto illustrato da immagini suggestive, che ci trascinano con passione nelle rocambolesche disavventure di Sally Jones, una scimmia antropomorfa, buona e intelligente, spesso vittima della crudeltà e dell’egoismo degli uomini: la ritroveremo protagonista, lei e altri personaggi qui presenti, nell’opera successiva di Jakob Wegelius, “La Scimmia dell’assassino”, un vero e proprio romanzo. La brevità del racconto non è sinonimo di banalità, perché, in queste disavventure, spesso incredibili eppure plausibili, Wegelius tocca temi importanti, quali l’amicizia e il rispetto delle diversità, e lo fa con una delicatezza incredibile, richiamata appunto dalle particolari immagini. Mi sento tuttavia di consigliarne la lettura solo se anche il romanzo, che effettivamente ne è il seguito, verrà letto.
A companion text (and prequel) to the rather marvelous, award-winning The Murderer's Ape , The Legend of Sally Jones is presented in a fusion text (close to a graphic novel) format and tells the story of Sally's childhood up until the beginning of the main novel. Set 'about a hundred years ago', it follows Sally's story as she finds herself kidnapped from her family by Belgian officers and from then on, is passed from pillar to post throughout her travels across the world. Here she finds herself in the hands of jewel thieves, circus masters, Dutch naturalists and Chinese traders. Through Wegelius' lavish illustrations and Peter Graves' masterly translation, nothing is lost here in Sally's epic story and readers both new and old alike will become lost in both word and picture. An origin story that is as exciting as it is swathed in pathos, it is clear that Wegelius has a nose for unusual, creative, rich narratives and that Graves' has the translator's touch in bringing it to life.
Miten tarina jostain gorillasta voi liikuttaa näin, on kyllä arvoitus. Legenda Sally Jonesista on aivan uskomaton, taidokkaine kuvineen ja se tarina...! Sally Jones kokee seikkailun jos toisenkin, eikä elämä päästä helpolla. Jakob Wegelius on tehnyt täysosuman ja kaiken lisäksi vieläpä kuvittanut koko tarinan itse! Olen aivan myyty!
This beautiful graphic novel about hardship and found family is definitely not for the faint of heart. The origin story of Sally Jones is filled with heartbreak and cruelty as she is sent from place to place and used by so many people. There are some moments where we see Sally Jones use the skills she is learning to try forging her own path, but she struggles through the majority of the story and it can feel pretty heavy overall. Though written like a picture book would be, I would recommend this book for Middle Grade students or older due to its more mature themes.
From the time she was born, lowland gorilla Sally Jones knew she was destined for a life of hardship. Separated from her mother at a young age by poachers, Sally Jones was sent far from her home in the forests of Congo to Istanbul. That is where Sally Jones’s story truly begins. Sent from place to place as the humans around her saw fit, Sally Jones experiences life as a master thief, a zoo attraction, a magician’s assistant, a ship engineer and so much more. For every triumph, there is even greater hardship and Sally Jones longs for the day she will finally find somewhere she truly belongs.
This story is a prequel to The Murderer’s Ape but is a wonderful experience for both new and returning readers. However, unlike its predecessor, this book is a graphic novel and tells the story of Sally Jones’s early life from the third person perspective. Throughout her journey, Sally Jones experiences all types of animal cruelty and my heart breaks for her at every turn. Wegelius definitely does not pull any punches and I appreciate the direct honesty with which this story is told. Along with Sally Jones’s journey was also some fascinating information about various trade routes. There are some beautifully rendered maps that show the paths Sally Jones takes and provide some great learning opportunities.
Admittedly, this book left me a little conflicted. Even though I loved the illustrations, the storytelling style felt too young for the actual tale being told. I also think that the story could have been a little tighter as a whole in order to better draw out the intended themes. At times, it just feels like it bounces from one misery to another and loses some of its impact as a result. However, as previously stated, this is a brave book with some very challenging and moving moments and is well worth the read.
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A bit nasty, a tad fierce, and more than a little cruel, this tale conquers the heart, lets true friendship shine, and proves that it's good not to give up...even if the second chance becomes a third or a fourth or more.
Sally Jones was kidnapped from her family when she was still very young. After that, she's transported around the world, trading hands of various 'owners' and fates. Some are cruel, some are kind, and some are not what they appear. Chains and bars are more common than a nice gesture, but even when her heart is broken time and again, she refuses to give up.
This is not a cute, cuddly story but allows horrible situations to pile on, one after the other. There are special moments of kindness and light, and these are what keeps everything from growing too dark. Hope is always there and friendship is true gold when found. This isn't a novel for younger, sensitive readers, but also doesn't hold anything, which the upper middle grade audience can't handle. Sally Jones goes through a lot...even questionable things...but there are over-reaching messages of friendship and hope, which strike all the more potent thanks to those darker scenes.
The illustrations are very well done and let the atmosphere hit the way it should. The text balances with these to let the scenes come to life. Some hold a scarier note just like the tale itself, and playful isn't really something to be found, but the good emotions come across as well as the bad. It's enjoyable to flip through these on their own and soak up each scene and character.
The text carries the tale more than is usual for many graphic novels, but this one, in general, has a flair of its own. It's concise and sticks with the adventures and events, allowing the illustrations to take over the scene descriptions and such. It works well and makes for a grabbing, quick read. I did read this in one sitting and was caught up in the tale from beginning to end. I received a DRC and found this one grabbing.
Läst för kurs i svenska barn- och ungdomslitteratur. Jag ser absolut hur denna bok kan användas i syfte av lärande kring slaveri, människohandel, djurs rättigheter osv. men tvekar ifall jag skulle använda den i syfte att introducera rasism och mångkultur i klassrummet. Det finns otroligt mycket gömda betydelser och problematik som nästan känns överväldigande att börja ta upp i en klass utan att bli tvungen att berätta om allt som jag som vuxen tolkar och förstår.
En rolig och tung berättelse med illustrationer som skulle kunna fungera som ett intro till ämnet.
En tjuvläsning av Sams påskpresent. Fin berättelse i serieboksformat. Väldigt mysig läsning. Vackra bilder och spännande handling. Tyckte ibland att historien gick lite väl snabbt framåt, men då hann ju å andra sidan mycket hända.
Meraviglioso il personaggio di Sally Jones, una gorilla piena di risorse. L’avevo conosciuta nello splendido romanzo “La scimmia dell’assassino”, ed è stato bello scoprirne le origini in questo albo illustrato, che ha il sapore esotico delle grandi storie d’avventura