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Quai d'Orsay #1
Quai d'Orsay. Chroniques diplomatiques, tome 1
Le jeune Arthur Vlaminck est embauché en tant que chargé du langage par le ministre des Affaires étrangères Alexandre Taillard de Worms. En clair, il doit écrire les discours du ministre ! Mais encore faut-il se faire une place entre le directeur du cabinet et les conseillers qui gravitent dans un Quai d'Orsay où le stress, l'ambition et les coups fourrés ne sont pas rares...
Inspiré de l'expérience d'Abel Lanzac qui fut conseiller dans un ministère, cet album restitue une vision de la politique à la fois pleine d'acuité et d'humour. Un pur régal !
Inspiré de l'expérience d'Abel Lanzac qui fut conseiller dans un ministère, cet album restitue une vision de la politique à la fois pleine d'acuité et d'humour. Un pur régal !
96 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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667 people want to read
About the author
Christophe Blain
70 books115 followersChristophe Blain is a French comic book writer and artist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
January 24, 2015
Fantastic! I found this to be a hugely enjoyable glimpse into the inner workings of French diplomacy at the beginning of this century. At times, the account feels acerbic, at times surreal, sometimes the authors show their characters as visionaries, sometimes as buffoons, sometimes as finessing diplomats, sometimes as courageous thoughtleaders.
But what is it? What am I talking about here? I am, in fact, talking about a comic book. Indeed, a French comic book, a form of literature known as bandes dessinées or BD for short. Outside of France and Belgium, this genere is virtually unknown; when you mention the word "comic" to somebody in the UK, they will develop mental images of picture books for children who are just outgrowing the toddler stage of their lives. In the US, you would think of superhero comics, in Japan of manga. Germany has a vivid culture of "literary comic books", but they tend to be translated BD, rather than homegrown stuff.
In France and Belgium, BD is a recognised form of literature, and a subgenre of this field is political contemporary satire. Quai d'Orsay was written by Christophe Blain (illustrations) and Abel Lanzac (text). Lanzac is a pseudonym, chosen by French diplomat Antonin Baudry, who presents his experiences in the French foreign ministry during 2002-2004 in the satire.
And who is the object of this satire? It is Dominique de Villepin, French foreign minister in 2002-2004, coinciding with the time during which Antonin was a member of his staff.
I thought the book is such a treasure because it offers an accurate, albeit satirically distorted, insight into the inner workings of the French ministry of foreign affairs. How do I know it is accurate? Well I don't. But this man does: I found the drawings very telling, very strong and the dialogues some of the best descriptions I have read, heard or seen of life inside a ministry said de Villepin himself when asked about the book after its publication in 2010 (The Telegraph June 2010).
The first volume runs to almost 100 pages, surpassing the traditional BD length of 46 to 62 pages. The number of panels (pictures) on each page ranges from 8-12, which lends some dramatic structure to the story, and sometimes panels have no drawn borders, a device which draws the reader into the proceedings. But this is not an arty comic where we have panels "cinematographically" blending into each other. Indeed, as it is political satire, this is not so much a story with a plot at all.
The character of the foreign minister, Alexandre Taillard de Vorms, is presented as larger than life, brimming with energy, towering over his entourage, and flicking between visionary aplomb and intellectualising buffoonery. Christophe Blain captures these facets with the effortless poignancy of the gifted cartoonist: Alexandre truly does loom large over his team of diplomats, the compromises of political lobbying gather in the form of large clouds of empty vapour above the heads of the protagonists, hand gestures erupt into the face of the reader, dust and papers are blown into a vortex when Alexandre rushes past.
But as in any truly excellent BD, illustrations and text combine, and blend into an experience that made me laugh out loud at times. For example when Alexandre enlists the help of his friends to spice up a speech to the UN he is about to give. First he asks his friend, the great French poet, then his friend, the gifted philosopher, and finally his friend, the acclaimed human rights lawyer. The poet wishes to incorporate a simile into the speech, suggesting that "peace is like the appeal of the pilgrim to the shepherdess". The philosopher feels inclined to enrich the speech with references to accountability, as he has just published a book dealing with the history of conscience. And, already on the plane to Geneva, a chat with his third friend prompts Alexandre to urge for the expression of depth, complexity, and emotional relevance. These demands, not surprisingly, drive his speechwriter to the brink of despair, but leave the reader in convulsions of mirth.
So, I basically loved it. I used to work myself as a speechwriter in parliament once, albeit only for a very short time after graduating. My personal experiences may therefore have something to do with my enjoyment of this book. Also, as a non-native speaker, I am detached from the intellectualising culture of French civil service that is alien to the more pragmatic Brits and also to the more bureaucratic Germans.
As I said, a brilliantly enjoyable insight into the inner workings of French diplomacy. A gem. Do read it.
But what is it? What am I talking about here? I am, in fact, talking about a comic book. Indeed, a French comic book, a form of literature known as bandes dessinées or BD for short. Outside of France and Belgium, this genere is virtually unknown; when you mention the word "comic" to somebody in the UK, they will develop mental images of picture books for children who are just outgrowing the toddler stage of their lives. In the US, you would think of superhero comics, in Japan of manga. Germany has a vivid culture of "literary comic books", but they tend to be translated BD, rather than homegrown stuff.
In France and Belgium, BD is a recognised form of literature, and a subgenre of this field is political contemporary satire. Quai d'Orsay was written by Christophe Blain (illustrations) and Abel Lanzac (text). Lanzac is a pseudonym, chosen by French diplomat Antonin Baudry, who presents his experiences in the French foreign ministry during 2002-2004 in the satire.
And who is the object of this satire? It is Dominique de Villepin, French foreign minister in 2002-2004, coinciding with the time during which Antonin was a member of his staff.
I thought the book is such a treasure because it offers an accurate, albeit satirically distorted, insight into the inner workings of the French ministry of foreign affairs. How do I know it is accurate? Well I don't. But this man does: I found the drawings very telling, very strong and the dialogues some of the best descriptions I have read, heard or seen of life inside a ministry said de Villepin himself when asked about the book after its publication in 2010 (The Telegraph June 2010).
The first volume runs to almost 100 pages, surpassing the traditional BD length of 46 to 62 pages. The number of panels (pictures) on each page ranges from 8-12, which lends some dramatic structure to the story, and sometimes panels have no drawn borders, a device which draws the reader into the proceedings. But this is not an arty comic where we have panels "cinematographically" blending into each other. Indeed, as it is political satire, this is not so much a story with a plot at all.
The character of the foreign minister, Alexandre Taillard de Vorms, is presented as larger than life, brimming with energy, towering over his entourage, and flicking between visionary aplomb and intellectualising buffoonery. Christophe Blain captures these facets with the effortless poignancy of the gifted cartoonist: Alexandre truly does loom large over his team of diplomats, the compromises of political lobbying gather in the form of large clouds of empty vapour above the heads of the protagonists, hand gestures erupt into the face of the reader, dust and papers are blown into a vortex when Alexandre rushes past.
But as in any truly excellent BD, illustrations and text combine, and blend into an experience that made me laugh out loud at times. For example when Alexandre enlists the help of his friends to spice up a speech to the UN he is about to give. First he asks his friend, the great French poet, then his friend, the gifted philosopher, and finally his friend, the acclaimed human rights lawyer. The poet wishes to incorporate a simile into the speech, suggesting that "peace is like the appeal of the pilgrim to the shepherdess". The philosopher feels inclined to enrich the speech with references to accountability, as he has just published a book dealing with the history of conscience. And, already on the plane to Geneva, a chat with his third friend prompts Alexandre to urge for the expression of depth, complexity, and emotional relevance. These demands, not surprisingly, drive his speechwriter to the brink of despair, but leave the reader in convulsions of mirth.
So, I basically loved it. I used to work myself as a speechwriter in parliament once, albeit only for a very short time after graduating. My personal experiences may therefore have something to do with my enjoyment of this book. Also, as a non-native speaker, I am detached from the intellectualising culture of French civil service that is alien to the more pragmatic Brits and also to the more bureaucratic Germans.
As I said, a brilliantly enjoyable insight into the inner workings of French diplomacy. A gem. Do read it.
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January 1, 2015Ça m'a donné envie de lire Héraclite...
April 15, 2025
Très drôle! Un peu perturbée par le mélange fiction/réalité au début, mais super prenant ensuite, hâte de lire la suite
October 23, 2015
Ce n'est pas si fréquent, voici une BD qui nous parle de politique. Nous sommes donc plongés dans les méandres et les intrigues des cabinets ministériels. Le ministre en question a l'esprit chevaleresque et est épris de littérature et de bons mots. Je donne un dernier indice physique, il est grand et porte des cheveux blancs mi-longs rejetés en arrière. Ca y est vous avez trouvé, il s'agit de Dominique de Villepin. Quay dOrsay donne une vision imagée de cet homme dont l'un des hauts faits est le désormais célèbre discours à l'ONU. C'est vraiment cet esprit qui est souligné (au Stabilo ceux qui lirons la BD comprendront): la culture en politique, le courage, le droit a être différent, noble et à s'opposer à la pensée unique par une approche singulière pour servir la paix. Mais c'est aussi les rivalités entre les divers conseillers, les coups bas, le pouvoir du chef qui, d'un geste d'humeur, d'un coup de tête, sans justification peut balayer le travail de plusieurs jours qui sont ici magistralement rendus. Le ministre pense et agit plus vite que les autres, jette quelques idées, esquisse quelques phrases inspirées par son livre fétiche Fragments d'Héraclite. De quoi a être complètement perdu lorsque l'on est un jeune homme sans expérience et que l'on se voit confier la charge de rédiger les discours d'un tel personnage.
Cet homme est doté d'un charisme hors du commun qui est superbement souligné par le dessin de Christophe Blain. La prestance et la gestuelle du ministre sont parfaitement rendus, le personnage est imposant - parfois deux fois plus grand que les autres - ses gestes sont soulignés et amplifiés. Le tout est frappant. Le dessin ne se contente pas de servir l'histoire, de la raconter, il met en avant des traits de caractère, une personnalité qui seraient difficiles à restituer par des mots. C'est donc que le courant est passé entre le dessinateur de Isaac le pirate et Abel Lanzac ancien conseiller du ministre. Ai-je besoin d'en rajouter pour vous faire comprendre que c'est une BD à ne pas rater. Elle est à la fois originale, drôle - voir le ministre en X-OR ou Dark Vador vaut le détour - , divertissante et instructive, que demander de plus ? http://www.aubonroman.com/2010/06/qua...
Cet homme est doté d'un charisme hors du commun qui est superbement souligné par le dessin de Christophe Blain. La prestance et la gestuelle du ministre sont parfaitement rendus, le personnage est imposant - parfois deux fois plus grand que les autres - ses gestes sont soulignés et amplifiés. Le tout est frappant. Le dessin ne se contente pas de servir l'histoire, de la raconter, il met en avant des traits de caractère, une personnalité qui seraient difficiles à restituer par des mots. C'est donc que le courant est passé entre le dessinateur de Isaac le pirate et Abel Lanzac ancien conseiller du ministre. Ai-je besoin d'en rajouter pour vous faire comprendre que c'est une BD à ne pas rater. Elle est à la fois originale, drôle - voir le ministre en X-OR ou Dark Vador vaut le détour - , divertissante et instructive, que demander de plus ? http://www.aubonroman.com/2010/06/qua...
April 3, 2020
Amazing book, on how a ministry of foreign affairs works from the inside, at a critical moment (war in Iraq) in France
May 22, 2025
Géniale plongée au cœur du quai d'Orsay. Plein d'humour, le dessin est incroyable et les répliques formidables Un incontournable (de même que le tome 2)
September 29, 2017
Arthur Vlaminck a colloquio dal ministro degli esteri, Alexandre Taillard De Worms. Il colloquio dura pochissimo, tanto da non lasciare il tempo nemmeno per una sua cosciente accettazione di quello che gli capiterà: sarà, in qualità di ghost writer per i discorsi del ministro, trascinato in un vortice di iper lavoro folle, sballottato per le altrettanto poco lucide rive delle meditazioni cangianti di un uomo volubile e di un mondo troppo poco leggibile. Insieme a lui uno staff suddiviso fra la fatica dell'incarico e l'accettazione fatalistica di tutto quello che avviene loro. Il fumetto è una brillante e caustica parodia di un mondo fortemente calato nel contemporaneo, ma al contempo fortemente chiuso nella sua vacuità. Molto molto divertente, disegni macchiettistici con sagome iperdinamiche e schizzate, nasoni in primo piano e donne insospettabilmente affascinanti (pur rispettando la regola di una parsimonia dinamica nel tratto). Al di là di tutto, un fumetto davvero originale di cui attenderò con curiosità il seguito.
March 20, 2019
Une bande dessinée très rigolote présentant le travail d'un conseiller sous Dominique de Villepin (basé sur une vraie expérience). Un double intérêt donc : l'humour et le fait que ce qui est raconté a des racines dans la réalité.
De Villepin est présenté comme quelqu'un de visionnaire, passionné, et en même temps très difficile à suivre, ce qui rend la vie difficile à un conseiller en charge du langage, qui doit par exemple rédiger les discours. Les changements à apporter aux discours sont nombreux, brutaux, pas forcément rationnels, suivant souvent l'humeur du ministre des affaires étrangères de l'époque. En même temps, celui-ci a quelque chose d'attachant, de vrai, même si son égo semble n'avoir pas de limites.
Une bande dessinée agréable à lire donc, qui se dévore rapidement (un peu trop !).
De Villepin est présenté comme quelqu'un de visionnaire, passionné, et en même temps très difficile à suivre, ce qui rend la vie difficile à un conseiller en charge du langage, qui doit par exemple rédiger les discours. Les changements à apporter aux discours sont nombreux, brutaux, pas forcément rationnels, suivant souvent l'humeur du ministre des affaires étrangères de l'époque. En même temps, celui-ci a quelque chose d'attachant, de vrai, même si son égo semble n'avoir pas de limites.
Une bande dessinée agréable à lire donc, qui se dévore rapidement (un peu trop !).
August 24, 2017
Simplement superbe, cette BD d'un nouveau scribe débarquant dans le bureau d'un ministre des Affaires étrangères qui ressemble comme deux gouttes d'eau à Dominique de Villepin.
A lire.
Vivement le 2e tome!
A lire.
Vivement le 2e tome!
August 30, 2023
M. le Ministre est vraiment drole...
March 8, 2022
Vraiment très très très très très drôle.
December 14, 2024
Une déception. J’ai beaucoup aimé le film de Bertrand Tavernier mais peu de plaisir en lisant cette BD. Curieux car je trouve les adaptations des livres pour le cinéma décevant le plupart du temps. Ici c’est le contraire. Est-ce une question d’ordre? Préfére t-on la première expérience ?
March 6, 2015
Quai d’Orsay. Chroniques diplomatiques este o serie de două volume de benzi desenate apărute în 2010 și 2011. Acestea se inspiră din experiența profesională a lui Antonin Baudry în cadrul Ministerului francez de Afaceri Externe între 2002 si 2004, perioadă în care a fost consilier pe teme de cultură și de economie politică în cabinetul ministrului de atunci – Dominique de Villepin.
Cele două volume ne permit să descoperim modul de funcționare al cercului restrâns din jurul ministrului. Cabinetul acestuia pare a fi o casă de nebuni: oameni care lucrează zi și noapte, lovituri sub centură aplicate cu zâmbetul pe buze de către consilieri unii altora, un ministru cu un ego supradimensionat și cu idei excentrice etc.
Dacă trebuie totuși să aleg ceea ce m-a impresionat cel mai tare, aș spune că e portretul ministrului "Alexandre Taillard de Worms": un individ carismatic cu o capacitate extraordinară de persuasiune, dar care este adeseori incoerent, brutal și orbit de propriile lui planuri mărețe.
Cele două volume ne permit să descoperim modul de funcționare al cercului restrâns din jurul ministrului. Cabinetul acestuia pare a fi o casă de nebuni: oameni care lucrează zi și noapte, lovituri sub centură aplicate cu zâmbetul pe buze de către consilieri unii altora, un ministru cu un ego supradimensionat și cu idei excentrice etc.
Dacă trebuie totuși să aleg ceea ce m-a impresionat cel mai tare, aș spune că e portretul ministrului "Alexandre Taillard de Worms": un individ carismatic cu o capacitate extraordinară de persuasiune, dar care este adeseori incoerent, brutal și orbit de propriile lui planuri mărețe.
May 14, 2020
Relecture jouissive d'une grande bd, un solide classique d'une redoutable efficacité narrative, tant dans les mouvements et l'intelligence des dessins de Christophe Blain, que dans l'acuité politique du propos d'Abel Lanzac (pseudo du diplomate français Antonin Baudry). Vivement le tome 2 (pas certain de l'avoir lu celui-là) et de revoir le film de Bertrand Tavernier.
April 27, 2016
Excel·lent sàtira política sobre l'absurditat de la burocràcia. Gairebé tot el volum es centra en un discurs que ha de fer el ministre d'Exteriors francès i que li encarrega a un funcionari jove amb molta il·lusió. La il·lusió es perd pel camí, colgada per tones de contraordres absurdes, rectificacions sense sentit, incidents diplomàtics, punyalades a l'esquena entre treballadors del ministeri, etc.
La clàssica figura del qui talla el bacallà a l'ombra –aquí en Claude– queda perfectíssimament definida.
I el ministre Taillard treu de polleguera amb cada intervenció i cada puta cita d'Heràclit (sempre ben estabilitzat), com pertoca.
Segueixo el meu idili amb Blain. I que duri.
La clàssica figura del qui talla el bacallà a l'ombra –aquí en Claude– queda perfectíssimament definida.
I el ministre Taillard treu de polleguera amb cada intervenció i cada puta cita d'Heràclit (sempre ben estabilitzat), com pertoca.
Segueixo el meu idili amb Blain. I que duri.
June 16, 2018
Hilarious take against the idealism of political series like "The West Wing" (which I adore, don't get me wrong). But here the leader (the foreign affairs minister, i.e. secretary of state) is supposedly brilliant, but we don't get to see that quite yet. Instead, he keeps changing his mind, never listens and is eternally on the run.
One small minus point: the drawing style reminded me at first of Claire Bretécher, which takes getting used to. But after a few chapters, fantasy takes off and the images get just as brilliant as the story.
I need to get part 2 (of 2 – I'm feeling deprived already) right away!
One small minus point: the drawing style reminded me at first of Claire Bretécher, which takes getting used to. But after a few chapters, fantasy takes off and the images get just as brilliant as the story.
I need to get part 2 (of 2 – I'm feeling deprived already) right away!
January 7, 2018
Un uomo entra nello staff del ministro degli esteri francese come ghost writer dei suoi discorsi. Come rendere appassionante una storia del genere, fatta di burocrati, riunioni, telefonate, viaggi diplomatici e del tutto priva di una trama vera e propria? Accentuando le reazioni dei personaggi agli eventi che si succedono, caratterizzandoli molto, rendendo sexy una segretaria con pochi accenni nel disegno, facendo del ministro una sorta di turbine umano che scombussola i piani di tutti. Blain ci riesce molto bene, anche se alla fine del primo volume la sensazione è più quella che l'autore abbia fatto una scommessa con se stesso, perché pare non avere molto da dire.
April 4, 2015
Sarjakuva-albumi Ranskan ulkopolitiikan ytimestä. Tyylilaji on "Kyllä herra ministeri" tai "Häntä heiluttaa koiraa" tai "Päävärit". Huumoria on, useimmiten melko sarkastista, mutta väliin mahtuu vakaviakin hetkiä. Minua häiritsee Blainin isonenäiset piirroshahmot. Saahan maneereita jonkin verran olla, mutta nuo klyyvarit menevät kyllä jo rajan yli. Muuten pidin tästä aika paljonkin.
September 27, 2014
On plonge, à travers une 'plume', directement dans l'univers du ministère des affaires étrangères, et un ministre survolté, déjanté, brillant, excessif. On s'y croit, amusant, qui nous ouvre les yeux sur les approximations d'un grand ministère et de la dépendance de la politique étrangères d'un pays à "l'humain"...Envie de lire la suite très vite!
July 8, 2017
Simply hilarious! It's witty, engaging, fast-paced and very down-to-earth. In my view, Quai d'Orsay is as applicable to the general corporate environment as to the political circles. At least, I felt I knew most of the characters, even though diplomacy and international affairs are not really my piece of cake. And's it's not about France only: many nations will find some similarities, I guess.
October 19, 2010
C'est une très bonne surprise que cette BD! j'ai énormément ri en la lisant et on ne voit pas le temps passé; les dessins illustrent parfaitement le texte et les émotions des personnages; pas besoin d'être intéressé par la politique française pour l'apprécié; je la recommande sans hésité!
July 23, 2010
Excellent, très drôle
December 11, 2011
Vraiment drôle! Un trait acéré dont on imagine qu'il est à peine force... À savourer!!!
March 2, 2012
16,15
January 13, 2014
Je m'attendais à tellement plus après avoir pris connaissance des notes données ici. Je vais quand même donner une chance au deuxième tome, mais je n'espère pas de miracles.
February 19, 2014
Looking for the second ... C'est dingue, quand on se dit que c'est Villepin. Alex, cela ne te fait penser à quelqu'un de plus proche ?
August 25, 2014
Incredibly fun and instructive to read
October 1, 2014
Heerlijk ! Zoals elk Blain boek zeer zwierig getekend en een kijkje in de wereld van Franse diplomatie. Een boek waar taal en beeld elkaar maar weer eens echt versterken.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews