"Jerusalem", chronicles of the most absurd conflict

Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City
(Chroniques de Jérusalem, French original title)- Guy Delisle

"Jérusalem, un canadien errant dans la ville sainte", reads the banner of Guy Delisle's blog created during his stay in Jerusalem. A whole year joining his wife (and with their two little kids), a MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) worker, allowing the author to show a very personal and peculiar view of the conflict and how it affects the daily reality of the region.

As someone who has followed and enjoyed the previous works of Delisle, this structure is unsurprising, something that at first lessens the impact of "Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City". There's a "been there, seen that, did that" feeling. The mixture of quotidianity (he's a househusband with not many things to do aside from drawing and exploring the city/area), trivial situations and an initially naïveté is a bit frustating, considering how politicized and known is the Palestine-Israel conflict. Sure, Delisle doesn't pretend to be another Joe Sacco, but his lack of knowledge in the area is shocking, particularly considering the work of her wife.

But this unpromising start soon develops into something else. Delisle is building, slowly, with patience (a quality that seems much needed to live there), an unexpected adventure comic-book. It is not journalism, or the radiography of a conflict, but a ludicrous take, from an observer with talent to capture the detail on the (terryfing) number of absurd situations every person (well, I guess not really everyone) has to suffer living in Jerusalem.

Every country in this planet is based in fallacies. Nations, being concepts, have to been built upon, and that construction is, historically consolidated by violence (mainly wars, triumphs, conquers and defeats) and fuelled by the articulation of a speech designed to unify the community: a common enemy to fight against, a religion, a system of beliefs, a flag, a mission to be accomplished together, etc. There's no better example than Israel. And that's what Delisle, in a ligthweight, apolitical way, even with a subtle sense of humour, unveils.

The situation of the Occupied Territories, the settlements, the division of the city, the shameful absurdity of the Wall, the arbitrarities in which the Israeli authorities inccur everyday with the Palestine population, the deplorable restrictions of their freedoms and liberties, the ridiculous behaviour of the different communities, in particular the most religious ones ... everything is captured by Delisle pencil, having time (its his longest work to date) also to talk about drawing and how he creates to. By the time you reach the final pages of the book, you realize a complete portrait of the country's reality has been made. From the eyes of a tourist, build upon anechdotes and without allowing himself to provide a political opinion. But the complete, clear picture is there.

"Jersusalem Chronicles" probably lacks the impact of "Pyongyang", "Shenzen", or the "Burma Chronicles", mainly because these three locations are way more unknown that Jerusalem. But this is a refreshing and very recommendable take on the most contradictory place on Earth, and the most absurd conflict. Don't miss it.

SCORE: 7,25/10

"The Quitter", Harvey Pekar's unexpected victory

The Quitter- Harvey Pekar, with Dean Haspiel

I don't believe Harvey Pekar needs to be introduced, at least to anyone with a little interest on comic books/graphic novels. After launching the series “American Splendor” in 1976, in collaboration with cartoonist Robert Crumb (among others) he became an underground celebrity. If you want to know more about it, I vividly recommend you to watch "American Splendor", the excellent 2005 movie with Paul Giamatti as Pekar.

Pekar became a reference in the comic books world with his biographic, realistic, everyday life stories. "The Quitter" follows that path. It's a personal trip to his childhood, adolescence, manhood, with glimpses of his later years, told by the older Pekar, narrator and interjecting presence.

Autobiographies could be very boring if they can't connect with the reader. But that is not the case with "The Quitter". First, because Harvey Pekar, if anything, should be remembered as a particularly good storyteller, making this memoir intriguing and attractive to read. Second, because of the excellent (especially with facial expressions, revealing so much) work of illustrator Dean Haspiel, who's remarkable and varied talent mixes wisely with the narration. And third, because the book might be an autobiography on the surface, but it is done through a very specific prism: failure and the fear it provokes.

As told by himself, Pekar's life can be resumed as a succession of activities and possibilities that turn wrong, the majority of them with our unlikely "hero" quitting when shortcomings have or might appear. Sports, the Navy, many part-time jobs, college... Everything turns into a failure, everything slips away. With that structure, it could have worked as an humorous (grim humour of course) novel, but the suffering, the anxiety confronting or advancing each situation is so real, that "The Quitter" quickly reveals itself as a dramatic and mundane tale of human condition. Pekar is a very contradictory character: full of ambition and ego, but frightened to death to do what it takes to achieve his goal because of the chance of failing. Aren't we all a bit like him (at least sometimes)?

Of course, we know the end of the story (jazz, meeting Robert Crumb, working together), and how his lack of persistence eventually gave Pekar finding the are where he could excel: the graphic novels world. But even then, when in the hands of another author that would become a succeeding example of finally finding what one has been looking for (sort of an "American dream" tale), Pekar manages to  bring doubt, uncertainty and fear for the future. Would the success last? For how long? What if...?

Don't have many complaints to point out to "The Quitter". Its an absorbing, vivid and direct portray of someone so recognisable as a person that immediately connects with you. If any, I would have liked a much longer story, developing much further his latest years. Or a more detailed account of the "pivotal persons" of his life, which are almost non-existent. But I guess that's another example of Harvey Pekar's unexpected victory. He managed to do what he wanted with his art, the same as he did with his life.

SCORE: 7,25/10