Le Bruit du givre

by Lorenzo Mattotti, Jorge Zentner

Le récit d'un homme face à ses peurs : Samuel Darko entreprend un long voyage pour retrouver Alice qui souhaitait un enfant. Au cours de son périple, il apprend à se connaître et à comprendre ce dont il a réellement peur.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics, Art, Fiction, Bande Dessinée, Fantasy

117 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Lorenzo Mattotti is an Italian comics and graphic artist living in Paris. A frequent contributor of covers for The New Yorker, he's recognized as one of the most outstanding international exponents of comics art. Mattotti won an Eisner Award for his graphic novel Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. He collaborated with Lou Reed in re-imaging Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven.

Reviews

[Nelson Zagalo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Não sei quem me recomendou a leitura desta novela gráfica, mas se inicialmente me desliguei da premissa, a meio do livro percebi que tinha cometido um erro de análise, porque o texto tinha dado origem a uma viagem visual de grande intensidade psicológica. Começamos pelo medo de um homem de aceitar prosseguir com o namoro após o pedido de aceitar ter um filho, esse medo que inicialmente parece insuficiente para ditar o fim da relação é apresentado num crescendo densificado pela componente da arte visual. O texto acaba por seguir, rodopiando no seu auge, lançando amarras para uma redenção que se torna impossível, mas apresentando um olhar final pelo retrovisor da própria vida do homem, que funciona como um murro no estômago, dando conta daquilo de que somos feitos nesta vida. Não existe uma defesa de perspetivas, a história é aberta e deixada à interpretação de cada um, por isso o murro no final será sentido diferentemente pelos leitores.

O livro vale muito pela arte gráfica, particular e marca de Mattotti, mas é acima de tudo da fusão entre aquilo que a história quer dizer e a plástica visual nos faz sentir que emerge o maior impacto deste trabalho. Existe todo um cuidado com metáforas conseguidas por simbolismos visuais que nos fazem parar para refletir no que estamos a ler, e nos porquês das ações e nos efeitos dessas.

[imagem]
Mattotti explicando como constrói o fluxo narrativo-visual [extraído do vídeo abaixo]

Fiz uma pesquisa na net e encontrei um pequeno documentário do canal Arte sobre o autor que deixo aqui abaixo. Gostei particularmente da sua discussão sobre o modo como trabalha o fluxo o narrativo, colando todas as pranchas na parede, para poder ganhar uma noção mais completa desse fluxo.

[vídeo]
"Lorenzo Mattotti, le triomphe de la couleur" (2004) de Ludovic Cantais


Publicado no VI:
https://virtual-illusion.blogspot.com...

[Dov Zeller · Rating 2 out of 5]

GR reviewer Rekha says: "The illustrations are great--bold, spooky, surreal. The overarching story was not for me--it's about an overly navel-gazey dude trying to unearth his fears about becoming a father."

Yeah, this book is like the navel-gazing version of a trip to the moon. I found it frustrating and can't even say I found the art particularly complling. I appreciate the fabular references and tone and dislocationing, but it didn't add up to the lattice-work of a story.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

«Durante dos semanas tuve en el pecho una sensación extraña. Como si estuviera despidiéndome de mi ciudad... para siempre. Me sorprendió describir, un día, que mis ojos empezaban a mirar con nostalgia.»

Probablemente acabe bajando su puntuación a 2, pero, de momento —y si no vuelvo a recordarlo—, lo dejaré en un 3. Las ilustraciones son un potente acompañamiento de la historia, aunque no siempre consiguen estar a su altura. A su favor, se lee rápido, lo cual resulta siempre un punto positivo en estos casos.

«Lo diré con palabras sencillas: Yo era un muerto… que miraba. / (…) Yo era un muerto que sentía: Yo era el peor de los muertos.»

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lorenzo Mattotti é sempre sinônimo de um quadrinho sensacional. Conheci o trabalho do artista italiano através da edição de Estigmas, publicada no início deste século pela Editora Conrad, que me deixou bastante empolgado com as possibilidades criativas que Mattotti lançou mão. Agora, com a Editora Figura trazendo O Rumor da Geada, também pude usufruir de um incrível trabalho do artista aliado ao ótimo texto de Jorge Zentner. Enquanto o texto de Zentner é denso, confessional, descritivo, as imagens que Mattotti usa são sugestivas, surreais, abertas. É o casamento dessas duas tendências de contar uma história que se abre um terceiro significado que só é possível através da justaposição entre texto e imagem. Acredito que no caso de O Rumor da Geada a história contada seja apenas uma consequência disso tudo e que o importante mesmo que esse álbum nos proporciona é a experiência. Uma ótima experiência de viagem pelo texto e pelas imagens que, sim, pode nos tocar através do conteúdo da história porque esses sentidos acabam sendo propulsionados por todo o caminho da leitura.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Crackle of the Frost is a stunning depiction of the fear and separation that keeps us stuck vs. the openness and compassion for moving forward. That said, it's very likely a love it or hate it book. I found it gorgeously poetic, but I can see how others may want to throw it across the room. Even if the protagonist hits the wrong navel-gazing chord for you, the art is truly incredible, particularly when it comes to "the noise" of fear. This book raises the bar for what a graphic novel can be.

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non importa la semplicità della trama ,quasi banalotta, l'impatto visivo riempie lo sguardo disseta e sfama... è appagante.
Linee e colori decisi, forti, densi... , figure asimmetriche, perfette nella loro imperfezione.
Mattotti è capace di illustrarti il rumore della brina o il volto della paura come anche quello della solitudine divorante.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gorgeous, lush paintings in every frame from Lorenzo Mattotti. Just great to look at. Psychotherapist Jorge Zenter's story of a man who doesn't want a child with a woman and later finds she is pregnant, and goes to find her... I had a hard time getting into or finding particularly engaging.

[Enn_oui · Rating 3 out of 5]

In realtà 4 stellette ai disegni, potentissimi e molto più evocativi di senso rispetto al testo.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the art, not too impressed by the story.

[Sebastián Escudero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Con algunos clichés y sin ser el mejor cómic de Mattotti, un sencillo alarde, otro ejemplo más, de su talento cromático y narrativo, con evasiones muy originales y un formato también atípico en cómic con dos viñetas por página.

Una historia de desengaño amoroso que va sobre el amor, propio y ajeno, con un epílogo también bonito, pero algo monótono.

[Cocaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel was originally published in a German newspaper as a series. Being of the art form it is from allows both that method of reading as much as does this 116 page novella. Writer Jorge Zenther takes on the mantle of a Kafka or Murakami using a journey, as the story is in part, to illustrate a multitude of phobias - mainly fear - in all its debilitating subtleties. Zenther is also a practising psychotherapist so no surprises there. The story is strong but simple. It allows a framework from which both writer and artist can work from. Lorenzo Mattotti is a name known amongst lovers of comic books but also Rock fans for he worked with Lou Reed when the pair produced Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven.' He is also on the Fantagraphics roster, the comic publishers famed for producing 'Love and Rockets.' Here his art is exquisite. It always works in conjunction with the plot adding texture to the bare bones of the tale. It also stands alone, in many cases anyhow, as being individual works of art, the sort that could conceivably be seen in a gallery. There is a looser feel to the process though than say on Alan Moore's rigid plots or even those of Gilberto Hernandez. Of course the later writes and illustrates his own work which enable art and story to merge seamlessly. Here there feels like an exchange of the central idea that would be, were it music, counterpoint. The subject matter is, I think, that of fear and how to deal with that irrationality. The images flash and pin with metaphorical dexterity but all a sharp tool and not a blunt instrument. It is a good book and well worth reading..

[Ursa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new addition to my favorite-of-all-time shelf.

"The Crackle of the Frost" is a successful marriage of illustration and writing. They match and compliment each other nicely to tell a coming-of-age story of Samuel- a desolated young man struggling to let go of the ghost of his past relationship. Contemplative, somber, dream-like and almost eerie in tone, reading it felt like walking in someone else's piped dream. The book is also a visual feast with vivid and surreal paintings.

I spotted it on a top shelf of my school library and almost waved it off. It is on the top shelf. I am busy. I don't even like comic books. It's on the top shelf. But the cover stubbornly drew me in, as if asking for the benefit of the doubt. Eventually I caved in and reached for it. And I'm glad I did.

[Emilia P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mattotti! You are such an amazing artist! It is not quite comic book style! It is more like museum-worthy painted "art"! But it in a comic book! It's all too much! It's overwhelming! It's beautiful! And the story here doesn't suck either. It's a story of love and madness, somehow realistic and fantastical at once. I believe the book jacket said that Zentner was a psychologist and drew from that to write his tale, and if so, it shows. It is an accurate depiction of the madness of love, commitment, and yearning for freedom and adventure, of mortality, ultimately, that is familiar to even the sanest among us. Real good stuff, people. Mattotti (and Zentner as writer!) forever.

[Rebecca Schwarz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see from the reviews that people either really dug this book, or really didn't. I liked it because it was unlike any graphic novel I've read. The artwork is distinctive and expressive of both the events and the mood of the piece. Yes, it is also a navel-gazing type story and some people are just not going to get past that. It certainly not unusual to find this type of introspection in graphic novels - it's almost its own genre. I'm not usually into this type of story but, in The Crackle of the Frost, I felt the author brought a little insight into the issues that the main character was struggling with, enough to make it worth my time.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great art, looks like colored pencil, 2 panels per page. A very fast read in which a guy terrified by commitment learns to conquer his fear with vast amounts of Jungian psycho-self-analysis. The march through fears into strength is maybe poetic, maybe pretentious, maybe archetypal, maybe tedious: your mileage may vary depending on what you bring to the thing. Beautiful artwork, in any case, and even if you cannot accept the depths that are offered you you can certainly bask in the brightly colored surfaces for a few dozen minutes.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to make of this, but it's a stunning piece of art. Mattotti's visuals are especially lovely - whether surreal or straightforward, the paintings seem as much individual artworks as pages of a graphic novel. The plot is...oblique, in places, but that's only served to keep it stuck in my head, and the emotional weight of the book wasn't lessened by the fact that I struggled in a few places to figure out what the hell was happening.

[Sara Q · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange little book about a man reading a book as he travels to have one more conversation with his ex-girlfriend. The images are more like individual oil paintings than the usual graphic novel inked style. Very short and, unfortunately, rather forgettable.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The language is poetic. The images are stirring. The story is one of a journey of self-knowledge, but not cliched. Just beautiful!!

[André · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review : De verhalen en tekeningen van de Italiaan Lorenzo Mattotti zijn doorspekt van symboliek. Angst is de grootste drijfveer in dit opvallende boek. Bij Samuel slaat de angst toe wanneer zijn vriendin Alice laat weten dat ze een kind van hem wil. Hij blijft Oostindisch doof voor haar verzoek en zijn vriendin verlaat hem. Het is een traumatische scheiding die in deze graphic novel visueel wordt vertaald door vliegende, zwarte beesten. Met veel symboliek in de kleurrijke tekeningen en poëzie in de teksten is Het Geluid van Rijp een spel van associaties. Het verhaal steunt ook op de zintuigen, zo wordt hoofdpersonage Samuel Darko tijdelijk blind door een bosbrand en moet hij de wereld opnieuw leren waarnemen. Tijdens dat herstelproces komt zijn ex Alice opnieuw op de proppen en het komt tot een verzoening, in de eerste plaats omdat Samuel vrede met zichzelf heeft leren nemen.



De titel van dit album, Het Geluid van Rijp, wordt verduidelijkt naar het einde toe. "Rijp" heeft in de betekenis van dit verhaal twee betekenissen. Allereerst staat het woord voor de witte aanslag van ijskristallen op gras en boomtakken. Rijm, als je wilt. De tweede betekenis heeft uiteraard betrekking op de mens en zijn uitingen en staat synoniem voor 'niet groen meer', 'wijs', bezadigd', 'ervaren' en 'rijp van geest'. Schrijver Zentner wist met dit verhaal rozeblaadjes te leggen op Mattotti's tong, die meteen één van zijn paradepaardjes -namelijk de zoektocht van de mens naar zijn eigen ziel- subliem verwoord en geïllustreerd zag worden. Van de wederomstuit leverde de zachtmoedige Italiaan meteen één van zijn meest poëtische en symbolische tekeningen ooit af. Zijn overweldigend kleurenpalet schreeuwt om emotie, zonder ook maar één moment te vervallen in goedkoop sentiment, vergezochte symboliek of meligheid.



Het Geluid van Rijp is omwille van zijn poëtische aanpak niet direct een boek voor de liefhebber van klassieke strips. Het is een boek waarvan tekst én illustraties om een grondige lezing met een artistieke ingesteldheid vragen.

[Nazım · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mükemmel, etkileyici, hayran bırakan cinsten.

Aşırı tırt sinema dergilerinin en az kendileri kadar tırt olan filmler için kullandıkları bu pazarlama cümlelerini acaba günün birinde bir "şey için kullanabilecek miyim diye düşünürdüm. Kısmet bu güneymiş.
The Crackle Of The Frost, bugüne kadar okuduğum çizgi romanlar arasında ilk 5 içinde çok rahat kendine yer bulacak kadar beni etkiledi. Ama bu beğeninin çok objektif olmadığını, bu çizgi romanın genel okuyucu kitlesine asla uymadığını ve niş bir okuyucuya hitap ettiğini söylemem gerekiyor. bu elbette "efendim bu yüksek sanattır ve yalnızca yüksek sanat zekine sahip kişiler anlayabilir." tarzı dekandan bir övgü değil. Her ne kadar bir olay örgüsü olsa da kitap, normal çizgi romanlardan çok farklı bir anlatım üslubuna sahip. Paulo Monteiro'nun Sonsuz Aşk ve Diğer Hikayeler kitabı ile anlatım tekniği ve panel mantığı açısından çok benziyor.
Baş kahramanımız Samuel Darko, bize kitabı kendi ağzından anlatıyor. Sevgilisi Alice, evvel zamanda bir gün Berdan Mardini misali Samuel'e "senden çocuğum olsun istiyorum, gözleri senin gibi baksın" diyerek ondan bir bebek istediğini söylüyor. Samuel korkak, tırsak, özgüvensiz. Ahmet Kaya oluyor, alıyor sazı eline "korkarım güzelim korkarım" diyor ve Alice'i ellerinden kaçırıyor. Bir zaman daha geçtikten sonra Alice, tam da Samuel hayatını rölantiye oturtmuş ilerlerken ona bir mektup yazmaya karara veriyor. Mektubun içeriği muallak. Ama Samuel aşık. Samuel dertli. "Gel demedi ama kal da demedi, o zaman yollara düşeyim de bulayım yarimi" diyor. İşte kitap tamamen bu yolun hikayesi. Fazla derin, fazla melankolik, fazla duygusal.

Mattotti'nin çizimleri de fazlasıyla ilginç. Diyaloglar ya da metinlerde değil de çizimlerde metaforları kullanıyor. Sanki gerçek ya da gerçek olabilecek bir hikayenin anlatımı değil de bir rüyayı izliyor hissine kapılıyoruz. Hisler, görüntüler, durumlar asla net değil. Flu bir şiirsellik. (laflara bak laflara)

Kitaplığımın en güzel parçalarından biri olacak. Başyapıt!

[Teodora Gheorghe · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5⭐ A graphic novel unlike any I've ever seen/read... Surreal, dense, philosophical, claustrophobic, poetic, and hard to rate or label. With a unique art style that is both somewhat minimalist (wax crayons?) and vibrant (color-wise), "The Crackle of the Frost" tells a simple story in a winding, elaborate, and obscure manner, meandering between meditative states and transformative, almost mystical encounters with the subconscious fears that lurk in the recesses of the mind.

Alice has baby fever, and her boyfriend is terrified - her abrupt confession acts both as a trigger and a catalyst for the protagonist, prompting a long journey of self-discovery. The man's overwhelming fears are so well rendered visually... I would definitely love to see a short animated movie inspired by this book.

I did not appreciate the animal violence depicted at some point, nor the overly sexualized imagery when the context did not "ask" for it. It was a bit too much for me from the perspective of some of the graphic content.

Overall, this graphic novel is a little gem, a "poetically-raw" depiction of a state of mind rather than a plot-driven story, definitely not for everyone.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The version of The Silence of Malka that I read included some information about the creators that described them collaborating on works that seemed like they might be similarly interesting to me. Unfortunately searching my library catalog for more of their works only turned up this work that Jorge Zentner collaborated on, and nothing else by Ruben Pellejero.

This story doesn't have the light fantasy aspect I enjoyed in Malka, and is more literary fiction in its style. Probably not something I would have read or enjoyed if it were not a graphic novel, but it was interesting to read.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lorenzo Mattotti is one heck of a graphic artist, and his stunningly beautiful panels animate The Crackle of the Frost without ever bowing to conventions of comics illustration. Jorge Zentner's story is interesting enough, but somewhat straightforward as a journey of personal crisis and eventual catharsis. What brings the tale alive is the lush color renderings from Mattotti, each of which transforms one of the protagonist's small insights into an epiphany fueled by dreams and mythology. This is the sort of graphic novel that can only emerge from the mature European world of bandes dessinées, and it's a treat to have such great work translated into English and made available to a North American audience.

[Isak Borg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il tratto di Mattotti è sempre avvolgente, cromaticamente denso ed intenso, anche quando appare privo di grazia ed armonia. La graphic novel ruota attorno al viaggio del protagonista, Samuel Darko, verso terre lontane. Si tratta, soprattutto, di un percorso interiore contro ancestrali paure. Paure da combattere non brandendo armi ma abbattendo argini e colmando fossati. Come la leggenda del guerriero Liu è capace di insegnare.

[Bernardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ciento veinte páginas sin desperdicio. Adquirí esta especie de novela gráfica porque me encontré con las ilustraciones de Mattotti en algún post y el precio estaba muy asequible, ahora que he podido leerlo me encuentro con una narrativa reflexiva, pausada y que hace un juego indescriptiblemente bello con las ilustraciones. Si hay algún pero podría ser en la pobreza del diseño editorial, que a duras penas acompaña lo que hacen Mattotti y Zentner, fuera de ahí el libro es un diez redondo.

[Scarlett O'H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ik koop grafische romans grotendeels voor de tekenstijl en ook een beetje voor het thema. Dit was het eerste werk van Mattotti dat ik in mijn handen nam en het was gewoon onmogelijk om het niet te kopen: zijn gebruik van kleuren is zo fascinerend dat ik uren enkel naar de plaatjes zou kunnen kijken. Het verhaal vond ik ook mooi.

[chungalitos]

El texto es insufrible, tiene algún que otro acierto: una idea sugerente, una expresión feliz... pero ufff... está hecho de lugares comunes, sobreexplicaciones, y todo en un tono melodramático y pretendidamente lírico. Un peaje para disfrutar de lo que realmente importa, que es el dibujo de Mattoti.

[The Book Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this one. Review to come.

[MissFede · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Didn't particularly like the story and the art was okay but not my cup of tea.

[Alex Fyffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5