Monday, January 4, 2010

Graphic Novel Monday: Kaspar, by Diane Obomsawin


Kaspar, by Diane Obomsawin. Published 2008 by Drawn & Quarterly. Graphica.

Kaspar tells the story of one Kaspar Hauser, a German man who showed up out of the blue and claimed to have been raised in a cellar with nothing but a toy horse for a companion. Diane Obomsawin bases her telling on Hauser's own memoir, and recounts his story up through his strange death by stabbing in 1833 at the approximate age of 21.

Obomsawin's style of both art and prose is bare and simple; the same black and white line drawing style is used throughout the book, characterized by simple panels and iconic, stylized figures. Kaspar is taken in by different people who try to variously educate and exploit him as the truth behind his claims remains a mystery. The book eschews any sense of the controversy that surrounded Hauser's life and claims in favor of a plain retelling of the story from his point of view. The simple artwork is a fitting accompaniment to the unadorned storytelling.

I enjoyed reading Kaspar; it's such a strange little story and a very unusual window in the world of early 19th century European culture. It contains some sexual references that probably render it unsuitable for children but I think teens would enjoy it. If I say too much more, my review will be longer than the book itself, so if you're interested in short, off-the-beaten-path graphic novels, go check out Kaspar.

Rating: BACKLIST

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive this book for review from the publisher.

4 comments:

bermudaonion said...

Kaspar's story fascinates me, so I'm disappointed to see that the graphic novel isn't better. Thanks for your review.

Marie Cloutier said...

Kathy- the book was just fine. I'm going to readjust my rating because I think I may have misstated something.

caite said...

It sounds like an interesting little book, especially because there is some basis of fact for the strange story.
based on the cover, I like the drawing style.

Of course, since I don't really read graphic novels... ;-)

Zibilee said...

I can see from the cover that the illustrations in this book are pretty simple, but that intrigues me even more. It sounds as though this would be a quick little read and the story sounds oddly interesting to me. I would definitely like to read this graphic novel and will try to keep you posted as to what I think of it!