demillesfahan's review against another edition
4.0
Good introduction to Riel's life during the Red River and Northwest Rebellions. Brown's style is simple yet endearing—something about the contrast between Riel's stern face and enormous hands—and strikingly emotive: the panels showing his incarceration at St. Jean de Dieu, though few, are thick with Riel's suffering.
While this is essentially historical fiction—Brown is very clear that he's playing loose with the record for the sake of narrative—it's enhanced by its endnotes (I'm not a big graphic novel reader, but that's not common for the genre, right?) and assiduous attention to small details, like the feds' scheme with the train.
While this is essentially historical fiction—Brown is very clear that he's playing loose with the record for the sake of narrative—it's enhanced by its endnotes (I'm not a big graphic novel reader, but that's not common for the genre, right?) and assiduous attention to small details, like the feds' scheme with the train.
robkoechl's review against another edition
4.0
A fascinating read. I had mostly known only of Riel in name, and a few details of his life, but not really knew much beyond that. I was pleasently surprised and intrigued by how dramatic the events were. It really opened up many details of the life of this well known Canadian and those Canadians around him. It portrayed well the tension that existed at that time between the French and the English, the Natives and those coming into the new country, the Catholics and the Protestants, and how Riel represented so many of those characteristics which were not what those in power in Ottawa were. Also fascinating was the way that war is portrayed as really anticlimactic and executed by those who really don't know what they are doing. A good read that makes me want to research more into Riel's life.
dashadashahi's review against another edition
5.0
Brown’s work, originally published in 1999 and reprinted several times, depicts Louis Riel, the polarizing and important nineteenth-century Red River settlement leader. With six panels on each of the 241 pages, Brown details Riel's rise as leader of the Red River Resistance after the sale of Rupert's Land to Canada in 1869, his subsequent exile to America, and his return followed by the failed rebellion in 1885 which ended in the Canadian government’s decision to hang him for treason. Brown’s work possesses several strengths that allow it to permeate the dense, historiographical literature and define its own space.
The first, albeit most obvious, strength of the book is the medium that it is written in. The artwork catches people’s attention thereby drawing in more readers, especially those who may not read traditional historical works. Moreover, Brown’s artwork brings to life the Red River Settlement and Canada in the 1870s and 1880s in a way that conventionally written works fail to convey. Although historians may explain distance in kilometres or describe how long travel between towns took on horseback, Brown is able to aptly demonstrate movement between settlements and how individuals travelled, whether by train, foot, or horse through his simple drawings. For example, McDonald’s decision to move the troops through Canada via the incomplete Canadian Pacific Railway resulted in troops walking long distances between tracks. The process of leaving the comfort of the train cars and trekking through the dense forest becomes a tangible reality through Brown’s drawings. As well, buildings, forts, and fashion all come to life in Brown’s pages. For example, characters trudging through deep snow in boots with their breath freezing in the winter air allow for a deeper appreciation of the harsh weather faced by individuals settling in the prairies. Although Brown did not use colour, the simplicity of his panels allows the reader to focus on key characters and settings, without the noise which exists in traditional photography from the period. Brown’s artwork places the reader within the time period, transforming descriptions of the Red River Settlement from primary and secondary sources into vivid drawings thereby drawing readers in and providing them with a unique perspective on history.
The artwork also provides another layer in which Brown conveys his story. This becomes more evident for the various panels that hold no words at all. For example, the panels depicting Riel woefully leaving Fort Garry to convey regret and sorrow without the quotes required in written text. While hiding in Minnesota, Brown illustrates Riel’s fear and distrust of people when the Canadian government put out an award for his arrest. In his notes Brown describes, “Riel happened to glance out his window and spotted two suspicious-looking characters…It was later discovered that the two men had been hired by Schultz to kill Riel as he came out of the hotel.” Although this description represents a fine portrayal of the event, the animation Brown provides without the text conveys Riel’s anxiety in a way that builds suspense and encourages the reader to not put down the book. Another benefactor of this technique was the various battles between the Canadian government and the Red River settlement. The battles come to life in Brown’s drawings, depicting weather conditions and geography in a way often lacking or not easily envisioned in written descriptions. Often in these panels, the only writing is to place sound effects, allowing the battle to stand on its own. In contrast to traditional literature, Brown’s graphic novel utilizes silences to build suspense and portray events through a new lens.
The first, albeit most obvious, strength of the book is the medium that it is written in. The artwork catches people’s attention thereby drawing in more readers, especially those who may not read traditional historical works. Moreover, Brown’s artwork brings to life the Red River Settlement and Canada in the 1870s and 1880s in a way that conventionally written works fail to convey. Although historians may explain distance in kilometres or describe how long travel between towns took on horseback, Brown is able to aptly demonstrate movement between settlements and how individuals travelled, whether by train, foot, or horse through his simple drawings. For example, McDonald’s decision to move the troops through Canada via the incomplete Canadian Pacific Railway resulted in troops walking long distances between tracks. The process of leaving the comfort of the train cars and trekking through the dense forest becomes a tangible reality through Brown’s drawings. As well, buildings, forts, and fashion all come to life in Brown’s pages. For example, characters trudging through deep snow in boots with their breath freezing in the winter air allow for a deeper appreciation of the harsh weather faced by individuals settling in the prairies. Although Brown did not use colour, the simplicity of his panels allows the reader to focus on key characters and settings, without the noise which exists in traditional photography from the period. Brown’s artwork places the reader within the time period, transforming descriptions of the Red River Settlement from primary and secondary sources into vivid drawings thereby drawing readers in and providing them with a unique perspective on history.
The artwork also provides another layer in which Brown conveys his story. This becomes more evident for the various panels that hold no words at all. For example, the panels depicting Riel woefully leaving Fort Garry to convey regret and sorrow without the quotes required in written text. While hiding in Minnesota, Brown illustrates Riel’s fear and distrust of people when the Canadian government put out an award for his arrest. In his notes Brown describes, “Riel happened to glance out his window and spotted two suspicious-looking characters…It was later discovered that the two men had been hired by Schultz to kill Riel as he came out of the hotel.” Although this description represents a fine portrayal of the event, the animation Brown provides without the text conveys Riel’s anxiety in a way that builds suspense and encourages the reader to not put down the book. Another benefactor of this technique was the various battles between the Canadian government and the Red River settlement. The battles come to life in Brown’s drawings, depicting weather conditions and geography in a way often lacking or not easily envisioned in written descriptions. Often in these panels, the only writing is to place sound effects, allowing the battle to stand on its own. In contrast to traditional literature, Brown’s graphic novel utilizes silences to build suspense and portray events through a new lens.
wickerparkgirl's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure I feel like I learned anything from this book except that there was a revolution. I didn't come away with any real sense of Riel's character. It was pretty interesting and well drawn but I felt like more than half the manuscript was missing.
tankooni's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
readwithbells's review against another edition
3.5
The problem I have with historiographic metafictions is that most of the time we don’t know that when we read the book.
A simplified, not altogether factual account of Riel’s life done with some really wonderful illustrations. A very nuanced piece and I like the approach Brown takes to developing Riel as an ambiguous person and not a conventional hero or fanatic or what have you. I just wish that from the beginning we knew what the author was trying to do instead of maybe or maybe not discovering it by reading the endnotes. I read this for a 3rd year uni course and was busy so I didn’t read the endnotes, thus I didn’t even get half the points the author was trying to make until we talked about it in class. Postmodernism is exhausting. This book is fine and a great way to introduce some Canadian history in an accessible and fun way.
A simplified, not altogether factual account of Riel’s life done with some really wonderful illustrations. A very nuanced piece and I like the approach Brown takes to developing Riel as an ambiguous person and not a conventional hero or fanatic or what have you. I just wish that from the beginning we knew what the author was trying to do instead of maybe or maybe not discovering it by reading the endnotes. I read this for a 3rd year uni course and was busy so I didn’t read the endnotes, thus I didn’t even get half the points the author was trying to make until we talked about it in class. Postmodernism is exhausting. This book is fine and a great way to introduce some Canadian history in an accessible and fun way.
chadstep's review against another edition
5.0
Re-reading this before giving it to a friend...it's still amazing. And Chester Brown was a young guy when he did this!
germancho's review against another edition
4.0
Concise, fast, streamlined tall tale about everyone's favorite crazy Canadian. Loved every minute of it.
ladyhd's review against another edition
5.0
I love nonfiction graphics but as an Atlantic Canadian we covered 0 mainland history in school growing up. This was a really informative and accessible way to learn a bit about Canadian history I had no idea about before. I may read some of the other biographies mentioned by the author after this.
ericarf's review against another edition
4.0
This graphic novel was on my TBR list for over a year, and I’m glad I finally read it!
I learned about Louis Riel in my high school Canadian History class, but I wanted to read about Riel through the lens of colonialism. Brown succeeded in telling Riel’s important story, the challenges of the Metis people, and the Canadian government’s expansion in the West.
Great storytelling and illustrations.
I read this book as part of the Book Riot 2017 Read Harder Challenge, for the category “read a book published by a micro press.”
I learned about Louis Riel in my high school Canadian History class, but I wanted to read about Riel through the lens of colonialism. Brown succeeded in telling Riel’s important story, the challenges of the Metis people, and the Canadian government’s expansion in the West.
Great storytelling and illustrations.
I read this book as part of the Book Riot 2017 Read Harder Challenge, for the category “read a book published by a micro press.”