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Carnet De Voyage
The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast and you miss all you are traveling for. Louis L'Amour
Readers of Cinegeek already know my enthusiasm for the work of Craig Thompson. If you haven’t read Good Bye Chunky Rice or Blankets, haven’t you read my rave reviews at Cinegeek? Craig Thompson is a powerhouse of talent in the world of graphic novels. He continues to impress in his latest book Carnet De Voyage.
The Story
Carnet De Voyage is, at its very essence, an illustrated travel diary. Thompson traveled through Europe and Morocco while promoting his book Blankets and doing research for his upcoming book Habibi. While at its core it is a diary of world travels, it is also a look into the life of a young artist as he grows within his craft and as a person. And even though he finds himself in remarkably beautiful surroundings and enjoying the taste of success, life can still be lonely.
Carnet De Voyage finds Thompson also at a crossroads in his personal life. His girlfriend recently left him and he learns while on this trip that she is seriously ill. His dedication to drawing and illustrating has created a painful case of rheumatoid arthritis in his left hand, a precarious situation for an artist. If this wasn’t enough, he encounters bouts of digestive problems and insomnia that all of us can sympathize with while traveling.
Thompson is still the same sensitive and pensive man that he revealed in Blankets and can be prone to bouts of self doubt, melancholy and low self esteem that readers of his previous work are familiar with. However, Thompson reveals in this book that he has a sense of humor about his “sensitive” artist persona. He occasionally inserts a little creature, drawn at the bottom of a panel, which pops up periodically throughout the book to say things like “ooh so sad” or “clichéd” or “you’re whiney and egocentric” and then goes on to suggest “why don’t you about me from now on, I’m cuter”. I found these to be a humorous display of self deprecating humor on the part of Thompson.
There is not a plot to this book. Rather, it is an illustrated journal of a free wheeling trip abroad. His book reveals the common pitfalls of travel; such as questionable accommodations, nauseating foods, and the ability to forget much needed items at the worst possible time. In fact, his drawings change from brush pens to felt tip pins during the book because of leaving his usual drawing materials behind.
Thompson shows us the beautiful and the ugly side of the various places he visits. He shows the beautiful landscapes of Morocco but also the con artist out to cheat the traveler abroad. He shows the striking cafes but also the old homeless man that sits outside the cafe begging for change because Morocco does not have Social Security. I found this type of honesty refreshing in a book about travel when so many that tackle this subject tend to “sugarcoat” everything they see.
The book’s mood changes as Thompson finds himself in Barcelona, Spain at a comics convention. He meets other cartoonists that grab a pen and add drawings to his journal. Thompson’s mood seems to change for the better as he befriends his fellow artists and enjoys the upbeat and creative atmosphere of Barcelona. It is also interesting to note that Thompson’s artistic style is influenced by different artists that he meets and is displayed in several drawings in this segment of the book
Thompson apologizes at the beginning of Carnet De Voyage because he feels the book is too self indulgent and refers to the book as a “little snack” to be consumed while he is working on his next big project. I did not feel that way about this book in any way. I found this book to be thoroughly enjoyable. It feels like you are taking the hand of a friend as you both discover a new place together.
9/10
The Artwork
The artwork style on display in Carnet De Voyage is quintessential Thompson: a splendid mix of vivacity and beautiful detail, utilizing deeply contrasted black and white color scheme. He captures the different vistas of each place he visits. The artistic style on display in Carnet De Voyage is more like Blankets and not Good-bye Chunky Rice. It is remarkable the atmosphere and mood Thompson is able to capture with just a stroke of his pen.
9/10
Overall 9/10
-Suzie Lackey |
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Carnet De Voyage Written and Illustrated by Craig Thompson Published by Top Shelf Productions
Review: The Book 10/10 The Artwork 10/10 Overall 10/10
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