Customer Reviews

Fax from Sarajevo

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

While reading this graphic novel, I continually found myself wishing it existed in a pure, written format, like a traditional novel. I have nothing against grahic novels, I collected comics for a number of years when I was younger and even today will occassionally pick up a comic or graphic novel I've heard of. But this one somehow manages to fall short of its obviously heart-felt attempt to be a great piece of story telling.

I became interested in "Fax" while speaking with a friend who spent a year in Kosovo and witnessed many of the same atrocities shown in "Fax." So I finally picked up a copy and read it.

My difficulty is not with the story so much as the art. Joe Kubert does have a knack for showing war, but his artwork is very inconsistent, particularly in his drawings of people. Throughout the book I had difficulty distinguishing some of the characters from one another. Kubert has a scratchy art style that just did not necessarily lend itself well to this story.

And because of the artistic inconsistencies, it made it difficult to follow the story in places. I'm considering re-reading it and perhaps the second time through, with a bit more familiarity with all that is going on, I'll be able to better appreciate it.

Its' clear Kubert poured himself into this book, the problem is his artistic style may not have the best one for relating this story.

Still, I do recommend it. It tells a frightening tale of a war that we in America still seem largely ignorant of, and it also functions as a cautionary tale against the atrocities precipitated by hate and violence.

The first line of the fly-leaf says it all. "In 1945, we told the world, NEVER AGAIN. In 1992, we forgot our promise." This illustrated, hard-cover book by Joe Kubert, transports the reader to the battle grounds of Sarajevo during its most perilous times. It serves as a reminder to those of us who remember 1945, yet is important to the youth of the world as a warning. Graphic yet not gory, it is a true story of survival. Mr. Kubert's ability to portray such a historical event in comic book form is ingenious. It's a book you won't be able to put down, but you'll have to, if only to regain your composure. "FAX FROM SARAJEVO" has less pages than "War and Peace," but is a book of epic proportion

I have read this book 3 times and each time it leaves me emotionally drained with tears in my eyes. Super,super book

I read this one recently and was shocked by the content. Kubert makes this war in Bosnia into a one sided balck and white affair. The Serbs are evil killing machines bent on getting back Bosnia for the Serbs. Kubert even goes as far as blaming the destruction of the Mostar Bridge on the Serbs. They weren't even involved in that conflict!

This book reminded me of the comics from the 50's and 60's with the depiction of evil Japs and Krauts. Stay away from this one.

If you want a great comic about this horrible conflict check out Joe Sacco's work. He tells the story from soemone who has actually visited Bosnia.

"Fax from Sarajevo," by Joe Kubert, uses the comic book format to tell a story of war. "Fax" takes place in the former Yugoslavia from 1992-1993. The main character, Ervin Rustemagic, is in the comic strip industry. But he and his family soon face the reality of war and "ethnic cleansing." As the story unfolds, we see the struggle of Ervin's family to survive the violence and destruction, and their quest to flee to a safe haven.

There are many haunting and disturbing images in this book: a pack of abandoned dogs whose suffering has turned them into dangerous predators; the despairing faces of the victims of a "rape camp"; children playing on the ruin of a car; and more.

In a note near the end of the book, the author writes, "This story is true. The characters are real." Kubert notes that most of the names are factual, and he merely took some storytelling liberties. The book includes actual photographs of the real Ervin, his family, and their surroundings.

"Fax" is comparable to "Maus," Art Spegelman's powerful comic book tale of the Shoah. With "Fax from Sarajevo," Joe Kubert demonstrates the continuing relevance and versatility of the comic book as a literary form.