Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography [Paperback]

Chester Brown (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 8, 2006

"It has the thoroughness of a history book yet reads with the personalized vision of a novel." -Time


Chester Brown reinvents the comic-book medium to create the critically acclaimed historical biography Louis Riel, winning the Harvey Awards for best writing and best graphic novel for his compelling, meticulous, and dispassionate retelling of the charismatic, and perhaps insane, nineteenth-century Métis leader. Brown coolly documents with dramatic subtlety the violent rebellion on the Canadian prairie led by Riel, who some regard a martyr who died in the name of freedom, while others consider him a treacherous murderer.

Editorial Reviews

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.

From Booklist

Brown, better known for such outre projects as his scatologically surreal Ed the Happy Clown (1989), now tells the story of a controversial nineteenth-century Canadian political figure in comics. A charismatic leader who championed the cause of the half-French, half-Native Canadian metis community in their rebellion against the English Canadian government, Riel was hounded into religious fanaticism and madness before being hanged for treason. For his nonsensationalistic treatment of this momentous life, Brown adopts an intentionally flat drawing style reminiscent of 1930s comics (Harold Gray's Little Orphan Annie was a key visual influence) and a straightforward storytelling approach based on six square panels per page. These prove perfectly suited to his heavily researched, extensively footnoted subject matter. Although a folk hero in Canada, Riel is largely unknown by Americans, many of whom will be fascinated to learn that their northern neighbor country also cheated and exploited native peoples. Comics artists have tackled history before (see Larry Gonick's Cartoon History series) but seldom as artfully and intelligently as Brown does here. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Drawn and Quarterly (August 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1894937899
• ISBN-13: 978-1894937894
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #378,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( R ) > Riel, Louis
  • #54 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Publishers > Drawn and Quarterly

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing artwork should be noted too. September 26, 2004

By Matthew Higgins

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Most of the previous reviews have touched upon how well this book has covered its subject matter and there is no disagreement here.

A few mentioned the artwork but not enough. Brown's work is astounding. In the introduction to Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography, Brown mentions the influence of Herge's Tintin and Harold Grey's Little Orphan Annie on his work and his wondrous black and white, six panel pages are truly an homage those great comics he cites.

For both story and artwork, five stars are too little for Brown's beautiful comic-strip biography. This book belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in either history or graphic novels/comic strips.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The story of a Canadian rebellion January 6, 2004

By SPM

Format:Hardcover

Chester Brown spent the better part of five years on this comic book biography. It was worth the effort. Louis Riel was a religious leader of an uprising in Canada in 1885. Brown describes the events leading to the uprising, he shows how it played out, and then he wraps up the story with Riel's final fate. Along the way he touches lightly on issues of religion, political conspiracy, and insanity. For those readers who want additional information --- or who want to double-check Brown's accuracy --- there is a bibliography and extensive footnotes.

What sets this book apart is the fact that it's a big comic book. Brown tells the story using silent pictures whenever possible. Characters are drawn in a flat but beautiful way. No one is depicted as a cartoon, but the tone never matches a straight history book, either. Brown goes further by using the footnotes in a surprising way: He tells you that he got things wrong. Then he says he isn't sure why. At first, these tiny confessions seem strange, but then you realize he's just being honest.

If you're looking for a great graphic novel, this is the book to buy. Chester Brown has taken the story of a historical figure very few Americans have heard of and presented it in a unique way. Although it was written for adults, Louis Riel is a perfect gift for a young reader --- it's a comic book, but a very sophisticated one.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Innovative and Beautiful January 18, 2006

By A. Ross HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Noted Canadian graphic artist Brown here mines his country's less distinguished history to tell the captivating story of Lous Reil, a late 19th-century Metis (mixed French and Indian) leader. The story begins in the 1860s, a time when only a small portion of present-day Canada was actually known by that name, the middle third of present-day Canada (Manitoba and Saskatchewan) was claimed as the property of the British Hudson Bay Company, and the Western third of present-day Canada was claimed by Britain. In the middle of the Hudson Bay Company land, about 50 miles north of the Minnesota border, a loose cluster of English and French parishes known as the Red River Settlement was home to several thousand settlers. When the Canadian government struck a deal with the Hudson Bay Company to purchase their land, it upset the Red River locals. These settlers, many of whom were of mixed French and Indian blood, and some of whom had been there for generations, were concerned (and rightly so) that they would loose their land under this arrangement. They embarked on a course of self-rule that put them in a state of rebellion against the Canadian government, and the educated, bilingual Louis Reil emerged as their leader.

Brown does an admirable job of retelling the fairly complex story of the settlers' 16 year struggle to stave off rule from Ottawa. There's a lot of to-and-fro, as Reil and other key figures move around a lot, including trips to Ottawa, Montreal, Washington, DC, and London. There are also some major time shifts that make the story a bit choppy, but there's no doubt that history comes alive in Brown's hands. Despite dropping out of sight for years at a time, Reil remains the figurehead of the "rebels" (mostly Metis, but also some disgruntled Irish Fenians), even as he descends into bouts of religious madness and is committed to a mental institution by his friends. The final portion of the book becomes tragic, as the Canadian government sends troops to crush the rebellion, and Reil resists all advice to wage a guerrilla war which might have made things quite difficult for the government. His reticence to use "Indian tactics" results in a total rout of the Metis, and he is captured and hung after a show trial. There's are strong themes of cultural and economic imperialism, capitalism, and racism that will interest those interested in the less heroic side of North American history. For example, one plot point shows how politicians schemed with the rail barons to send troops by rail as a way of raising public support for railroad funding.

The artwork is fantastic, contained in a formal grid of six square panels per page. It will strike many as old-fashioned in its sparse, 2-dimensional style (which Brown attributes to the influence of Little Orphan Annie). The panels are expertly balanced and calm, showing a mastery of tone and mood. And as with all works published by Drawn & Quarterly, it's beautifully produced, with top-notch printing on a rich cream stock and great two-tone printed cloth cover. One minor quibble I have is with the use of the word "biography" in the title. Given that Brown's excellent annotations to the story make it clear that he's changed a great number of details from the historical record, it seems somewhat misleading to subtitle it this way. It is a fictional account based on real history, but not entirely faithful to it, and so might be better termed "A Historical Fiction" or "A Fictional Biography". No one would ever write a prose biography and have footnotes indicating that they had changed details. Still, it's an extensively researched work, and a great place to start learning the story of a Canadian folk hero.