Gone Case: A Graphic Novel, Book 1

Gone Case: A Graphic Novel #1

by Dave Chua, Koh Hong Teng (Artist)

The graphic novel adaptation of the award-winning novel by Dave Chua, illustrated by artist Koh Hong Teng.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels

132 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2010

About the author

Malaysian-born author and freelance writer Dave Chua, who contributes to various publications including The Straits Times, first came to literary prominence in 1995, when he was a joint winner of the SPH-NAC Golden Point Award for English short story. The following year, his first novel Gone Case received the Singapore Literature Prize Commendation Award. A resident of Singapore for most of his life, Dave has long worked the media industry, organising film festivals such as the annual Animation Nation (since 2005) and participating in various TV and corporate production projects. He also teaches ad-hoc and is actively involved with the Singapore Film Society as Vice Chairman.

Reviews

[Parka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gone Case is a graphic novel written by Dave Chua and illustrated by Koh Hong Teng. The story is actually from Dave Chua's earlier novel, which won the Singapore Literature Prize Commendation Award in 1996. Now it has been adapted into a graphic novel.

The story is based in Singapore, looks at the life of 12-year-old Yong growing up in a Housing Development Board (HDB) estate - just like most other Singaporeans. He has to juggle between preparing for exams, taking care of his younger brother and do some household chores. Meanwhile, things are not well at home either. His mum and dad aren't really getting along well, somewhere along his grandmother passes away, and he still has to go to school.

The story and the art manage to capture the many facets of what life is like growing up in Singapore. If you're a Singaporean, many of the little details will strike close to heart. It's nostalgic looking at Yong having a haircut at an old-style neighborhood barber shop, attending to his grandmother's funeral or even hanging out at the HDB playground.

Kudos to the unflinching realistic storytelling. Nice book.

The book is sold locally in Singapore. If you're overseas, you can look for the book with the ISBN number 9789810873905. More information on the book is available at gonecasecomic.wordpress.com.

[Douglas · Rating 2 out of 5]

A arte é comum e a história, ao menos até aqui, entra pouco nas singularidades da vida em Singapura. Uma pena.

[spae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gone Case is a great graphic novel. It lumbers through the story of twelve year old Yong, a boy who's forced to take on new responsibilities that he doesn't quite understand yet. Reading through it, I felt a little bit lost and disconnected from what was going on, which I'm willing to put down to Chua and Koh's skill at placing me in Yong's shoes.

The story feels a bit disjointed, a bit slow. I loved the characterisation, and I thought some of Yong's dream sequences were great at revealing the more youthful side of his character. Even with all his responsibilities and troubles Yong never quite felt like a twelve year old to me otherwise. The story feels real and magnificent, and the issues touched on are both dramatic and relevant, without dripping into either the melodrama or the bland comedy so otherwise prevalent in other Singaporean literature.

[Sean Goh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A poignant tale of a 12 year old boy who never quite feels as young as he's supposed to be, perhaps because of the tribulations he goes through. Nothing really much happens, which probably means that its actually a rather faithful portrayal of what real life is, since life isn't a highlight reel the likes of which one readily finds on Instagram/Facebook.

[Ming · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very poignant coming-of-age tale, with beautifully detailed art that powerfully conveys each pause, nuance and symbol. My only grievance is that the faces of some characters aren't too well-differentiated, so some confusion arose.

[Ming · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Chinese translation of the graphic novel. It's translated well, and reading it in Chinese lends it a slightly different flavour. It works just as well as the original version, and perhaps will reach out to another segment of the public.

[Nisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a quick 20-30 minutes read to take my mind off studying for RAT 36 tomorrow. I read the novel (even though I remember basically nothing), but I feel that this is kind of told differently. Interesting artwork, with clean lines and realistic renditions of many Singapore landmarks.

[Makoto Kawaguchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

[SSC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent portrayal of modern life in Singapore with clear and moving illustrations of life in a HDB estate. I wish this was in colour.

[Ad Astra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice quick read that let me peek into the life of Singaporeans beyond all the touristy glamour. I picked it up in a cat cafe in Chinatown and it added a little something to my time there.

[mm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Singapore reality graphic-style