Portugal

Starred review from January 1, 2018
A note for all blocked artists: when in doubt, uncover your roots in a foreign country. That’s the magic formula followed by Simon Muchat, the cartoonist beset by midlife ennui in this tour de force from Pedrosa (Equinoxes). A bestseller in his native France, Pedrosa’s semiautobiographical graphic novel unpacks a layered story of memory and identity, following Simon’s creative reawakening through the discovery of his family’s past. Things start accidentally for Simon: in a career slump, he attends a comics convention in Portugal. The country of his parents’ origins, only vaguely remembered from childhood visits, reignites his curiosity and drive. Back home, he discovers shards of family history at a raucous wedding party, enticing him to return to Portugal and extract more lore from distant cousins. The emotionally affecting journey hinges on the unique local characters, who immediately call Simon one of their own. Pedrosa’s loose, expansive writing style is perfectly complemented by his lush, lightly lined drawings, in which people and their stories overlap each other with discursive enthusiasm. Everybody has a lot to say in this graphic novel whose gorgeous art is as full as its story.

February 1, 2018

Cartoonist Simon Muchat is drifting through his 30s, stuck in a rut. His work has stalled, owing to a lack of inspiration; his relationship with longtime girlfriend Claire is falling apart; and he's wasting his time working as an art teacher to make ends meet. Worst of all, Simon doesn't seem to mind that he's going nowhere. An invitation to attend a comic book convention in Lisbon, Portugal, where he lived briefly as a child, stirs something in Simon, encouraging him to visit his somewhat estranged extended family. A summary of the plot here doesn't quite do the book justice, as it isn't what happens to Simon that makes this semiautobiographical tale from award winner Pedrosa (Equinoxes) special. It's the way Pedrosa allows Simon's story to build slowly, creating scenes in which characters speak and interact with a naturalism rare in any genre, resulting in absolutely brilliant, lively illustration that threatens to leap off the page. VERDICT Expectations for this volume, already a best seller in France, will be high. Luckily, this masterpiece is actually even better than the hype.--TB

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2018

French cartoonist Simon is depressed. He's muddling his way through writer's block by teaching art to children. Faced with the prospect of buying a house with his girlfriend, he can't commit, and they break up. When wine and family secrets flow at a cousin's wedding, Simon's relatives relate tales of his grandfather Abel's arrival in France from Portugal. He came with his brother, but only Abel stayed. Why did Simon's great-uncle return? Why did Abel remain? To answer these questions, Simon travels to Portugal to connect with distant relatives. As he pieces together the story of his family, he reignites his artistic passion and starts to create, ostensibly, this very book. Pedrosa's dynamic illustrations deftly convey Simon's emotional state. A drab stillness underscores his stagnant depression. When he arrives in Portugal, the artwork becomes effervescent, swinging and glowing with the music of the city. The drawings are architectural and sketchy, like a glimpse into a cartoonist's sketchbook. In dynamic, busy city scenes, characters and backgrounds overlap. Readers won't be surprised to discover that, as the back matter notes, Pedrosa began his career in animation. Much of the Portuguese text remains untranslated, and readers will empathize with Simon's bewilderment. Younger teens may grow impatient with the slow pace, but the dreamy drawings and hopeful narrative of family and creativity will resonate with many. VERDICT For Europhile teen readers with an artistic streak.-Anna Murphy, Berkeley Carroll School, Brooklyn

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.