Publisher: NBM
Release Date: September 1, 2017
Price: $27.99
Creator: Mathilde Ramadier (writer); Anaïs Depommier (artist)
Format: 166 pgs., Full-Color, Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-6811-2101-7
Age Rating: 18+
ICv2 Rating: 2.5 Stars out of 5
This graphic biography of the French philosopher and writer Jean-Paul Sartre is intriguing but difficult—much like the man himself.
Sartre was one of the great figures of the 20th century, and his writings as well as his lifelong open relationship with fellow writer Simone de Beauvoir offer plenty of material. Unfortunately, the authors of Sartre have not so much told a story as presented a series of vignettes from Sartre's life, stringing them together in chronological order without context or transitions. Some of these brief moments are telling, bringing out a particular facet of Sartre's personality or thought. Too often, though, either the meaning isn't clear or the characters are talking about topics that are probably unfamiliar to the average American reader—the philosopher Edmund Husserl, say, or the politics of the Algerian conflict. The authors compound this by often breaking off scenes abruptly, seemingly in the middle of the action. Various people pop in and out of the story, sometimes disappearing for years and then reappearing without any explanation, or even a reminder as to who they are. (There is a list of characters in the back, which is helpful, especially because most of the men look alike.)
Sartre was originally published in France, and unfortunately, the translation appears to be clumsy in places. A few passages make no sense at all, and the book is plagued by punctuation errors and confusing sentence structure.
The artwork is accomplished and expressive, with a rambling line that encloses flat areas of color. The palette is muted, heavy on olive greens, dark blues, browns, and faded salmon pink, and Depommier does a good job of drawing the reader into the scene.
The obvious audience for this book is lovers of BDs and French culture. Sartre is a true feast for the right reader, but it will be a tough read for those who are encountering Sartre and de Beauvoir for the first time.
--Brigid Alverson
