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Chiaramente
The Burma Chronichles
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

For years, I felt like I was observing the world of graphic novels behind a glass wall. I wanted to like it, I tried to like it, but no matter how shiny the cover, or tempting the drawings, to me the stories never seemed powerful enough to shatter their own two-dimensionality. Then I realized that I don't necessarily have problems with the medium, it's the story that has to be right.

Persepolis is the first story that has made me realize the value of graphic novels as a medium through which to narrate personal journeys and present insights into different cultures. It takes a lot of skill to communicate feelings and thoughts in a wordless manner: through the choice of colour, facial expressions, and through the combination of a myriad other elements which are almost imperceptible and yet so effective in conveying what the author is trying to share with us. I confess I haven't read Persepolis (I watched the movie), but in following the story I realized how clever this medium can be. It can communicate things in a way a book never could, and its visual and audio restrictions make its impact almost more "noble" than a movie's.

And because Persepolis opened my eyes to the richness that exists in the world of graphic novels, I read The Burma Chronichles with even more interest. Suddenly, I found myself devouring the 208-page story in less two days, completely absorbed by stories of everyday life, of the bonds that emerge when one is away from home, on the life of those in the field, and on the comical situations that occur when one is not used to things like the weather, culinary standards and local traditions.

The book was written and drawn by Guy Deslile, a Canadian cartoonist who lives in France. His wife works for Medicines Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), and because of her job, he has lived in North Korea and Burma for significant periods of time. I loved this book because of the author's sense of humor and his undiscussed ability to reflect on cultures and customs using very few words. There's this vignette about how humidity can make the ink smudge that I will never forget. That, for me, was an epiphany. And also proof that intercultural dialogue knows no barriers.

Check out his stuff!
http://www.drawnandquarterly.com/shopCatalogLong.php?st=art&art=a41e32dcb62910

July 21, 2008 | 10:15 AM Comments  0 comments

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