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Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography
 
 

Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography [Paperback]

Chester Brown
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
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The life story of Louis Riel has been told in almost every form imaginable, from traditional historical fiction (Rudy Wiebe's The Scorched Wood People) to punk rock (Thee Headcoats' "Louie Riel"). Chester Brown's Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography introduces the Métis rebel to yet another medium: the graphic novel. Brown covers the Riel tale from the arrival of Canadian surveyors in the territory that would become Manitoba to Riel's martyr's death on a Regina gallows. Brown tells a highly subjective version of the story but provides maps, plenty of footnotes, and an extensive bibliography, making accessing the historical record very easy.

Riel is Canada's most famous folk hero, and only a country like Canada could turn someone like him into a national icon. He was a religious zealot, a probable lunatic, a tormented, charismatic despot with a good but hopeless cause. His memory is usually defiled by complacency; Canadian nationalists like to bandy his name about, but the social ills that drove him to rebellion continue to fester. It is to Brown's credit that he resists the temptation to present Riel as an unimpeachable hero, or to pretend that Riel's legacy has become part of the Canadian state.

The drawings in Louis Riel are impeccable. Brown notes in his introduction that his work is commonly compared to that of Tintin creator Hergé, and he cites Little Orphan Annie as a primary influence for this book. Both are abundantly evident here, combined with a feeling that Brown is illustrating a minimalist political play, staged under Brecht's dramatic principles. Landscape and period detail take a back seat to character and caricature: Riel is stout and taciturn; Gabriel Dumont, his deputy, is stouter yet and oozes righteous violence; Sir John A. MacDonald is given the small head of a moron and a huge gin-guzzler's schnozz. Brown's weakness is his use of language; his dialogue pushes the plot along and gets the story told, but there is no snap or sparkle to it. Readers with no special affinity for the artwork will probably find the book flat, but those who are immediately drawn to his illustrations will find Louis Riel a visually stunning and pleasingly accessible take on the old Riel tale. --Jack Illingworth --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Brown's exploration of the life of a [...] 19th-century Canadian revolutionary Riel is a strong contender for the best graphic novel ever. Over five years in the making, Brown's work is completely realized here, from the strikingly designed two-color cover to the cream-colored paper and pristinely clear drawings. The story begins in 1869, with the sale of the independent Red River Settlement area of what's now Canada to the Canadian government. The area is inhabited by the French-speaking Metis, of mixed Indian and white ancestry, who are looked down upon by the Canadians. Riel is bilingual and becomes a de facto leader for the Red River Settlement, demanding the right for them to govern themselves within Canada. Not surprisingly, this request is denied, and the conflict is set in motion that ultimately consumes Riel's life. Brown doesn't deviate from a six-panel grid for the entire book, telling his story in a cartoon realism style reminiscent of Little Orphan Annie. And while the book concerns imperialism, empire, nationalism and the chaos that results, Brown maintains a still, almost silent atmosphere. He brilliantly renders a lengthy courtroom sequence by setting figures against a black background, heightening the tension of the events by employing minimal effects. Even the battle scenes are subdued. All of this will hook readers' minds and eyes, but never tell them what to think or feel. Instead, Brown calmly lets his story unfold, making the reading process deeply affecting. This is an ingenious comic and a major achievement.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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First Sentence
In 1670 the king of England granted Rupert's Land to a fur-trading enterprise called the Hudson's Bay Company. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
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3.7 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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4.0 out of 5 stars An Immediacy of History, Dec 25 2010
By 
Matthew Kirshenblatt - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
I read this graphic novel some time ago and there were two or three things that really stuck out for me.

The first thing that attracted me to this Comic-Strip Biography was its style of illustration: that deceptively simplistic and elemental style of basic shapes that make up all of Chester Brown's characters in this book. It is an excellent example of "the cartoon" as Scott McCloud explains it: a simplified image that you can relate to on an intuitive level. When I first saw this style that Chester Brown utilizes, it reminded me of wood-cut panels that you would find from the late 19th century and before it. It definitely has a presence to it.

Another element that really attracted me to this story is the details of politics, philosophy and spirituality that it sometimes delved into with regards to the historical events and individual actions occurring in the narrative. I know that from Grade school all the way to Secondary school, I heard the story of Louis Riel and basic facts about the Canadian government and its handling of him at that time. To be honest, I had never really paid it much mind. But this book fleshed out the characters and made them seem alive: as though they exist even now and are doing everything they think is right ... or expedient.

Where this book may fail as factual history -- and Chester Brown even admits in his Introduction and his Footnotes that he glossed over and changed certain historical details for the narrative's sake -- to me it succeeds in capturing the spirit of that time and what was happening. It is all in the little details: from the way that the dialogue carries through its characters' ideologies and the plot through six easy to follow panel page arrangements to even the <> brackets signifying the characters speaking in a language other than English but still allowing us to follow it and also the very casual way that government and civilian officials bandied around words like 'Half-Breed' with regards to the Metis.

All of this makes you realize that all of this actually happened here in Canada. It makes the reader realize how different Canada was in the beginning as opposed to where it is now, even with its current challenges. As well, Chester Brown makes you think. He makes you consider what he did in adapting Riel's and Canada's early history with his perspective onto paneled pages of images and text. He admits that he took liberties with historical details, but it is no different than how history has been adapted into films, literature and even other 'official' historical texts themselves. Just where can one draw the line?

As for other comments with regards to the plot being dialogue and caption-driven and boring, this entire story is less about physical violence and action than it is about the ideologies and motivations behind it all. If anything, it humanizes historical figures and makes this subject matter all the more fascinating. Certainly, I wish this text existed and was in use when we were being taught Canadian history in high school: which was otherwise a very boring and tedious affair. I do agree with other reviewers, however, when I say that this is a text that should be supplemental to other historical material when taught. I do, however, think that this is a text that can be read by all ages with various concerns and questions already inherent in it.

In the end, I believe that Chester Brown's Louis Riel is a fascinating work that straddles a few places and makes you realize just how immediate that past with its people really is.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Witty and Informative, Aug 6 2008
By 
Coach C (Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography (Paperback)
Both revered and despised, Louis Riel brings back all the emotions of ethnic nationalism in Canada. For one of the most complex and intriguing historical figures in Canadian history, Chester Brown does an admirable job in not only recounting the story of Louis Riel but also the major events of that period.

To be clear, Brown's version of events is biased by his own admission and certainly some elements were invented to fit the comic-strip. An example of this is the conversation between Lord Granville and Sir John A. MacDonald about sending troops to apprehend Riel. Brown admits that such a conversation never actually took place but certainly MacDonald did have to obtain permission from mother Britain.

Another interesting event to me was the meeting between Riel and then US President Ulysses S. Grant in 1875 to discuss plans to invade Manitoba. There were certainly some sympathies from some Americans such as in Minnesota who were pro-annexation but as Brown correctly points out Grant was in no position at the time to risk war, especially since the country was still amidst the reconstruction following the costly civil war.

Perhaps most controversial is Brown's characterization of MacDonald. The father of confederation, Brown portrays MacDonald as a ruthless conniving egomaniac hell-bent on expanding the railway (with kickbacks), ethnic cleansing of the Metis, and making an example out of Riel. Based on the sources that we have now, I would have to agree with Brown. MacDonald was a brilliant politician, he out-witted all his opponents including the British, the Americans and the natives. MacDonald was a master manipulator of which there has been no match since.

I've read a few comic-strip novels and I think that in certain situations they work extremely well. In this case, I would have to agree, the illustrations along with Brown's wit and choice of dialogue make this both an accurate historical representation and enjoyable reading.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars I expected more..., Sep 6 2008
By 
C. Rybuck "Cory" (Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography (Paperback)
...from the story, not the format. This would likely be a good book for a junior reader interested in Riel but for those of you looking for something even a little more substantive, this is not it. There is simply no depth to the story or the characters. There are lengthy gaps in the chronology but whether these are critical or not one cannot tell unless one has previous knowledge about Riel and his story. The illustrations are reminiscent of Orphan Annie and are the strength of the book. After about an hour I was finished, having not added much to the limited knowledge I already had and feeling slightly disappointed.
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