David B.
Epileptic (2005)
Author: David B.
Genre: Graphic Novel (Memoir)
Plot Summary:
French author David B. (Pierre-François in the story) recalls his difficult childhood in the 60’s and 70’s with his epileptic older brother Jean-Christophe. As his brother begins to have more gran mal seizures, Pierre-François retreats into a fantasy world of great military battles and conversations with an odd assortment of imaginary friends. His parents desperately try any potential cure, from surgery to a macrobiotic to magnetism to shiatsu and more, and Pierre-François finds his entire life--as well as his younger sister, Florence--dominated by his brother’s illness. As time goes on Pierre-François becomes increasingly withdrawn from his family and society--partly as a result of moving from one commune or group of esotericists to another. As he comes of age and goes to school, he encounters teachers who encourage his art and graphic novels. In time, he finds love and begins to crack the shell of his, admittedly, less than ordinary upbringing. Via flashbacks, we see that Pierre-François has adjusted but that his brother still struggles with his disease and his apathetic inclinations and that his mother still searches for odd cures (a guilt-driven quest). SPOILER: The tale ends with Pierre-François making peace with his brother's illness; however, this ending is abrupt and feels somewhat tacked on.
Geographical Setting: France
Time Period: Late 1960’s-1970’s, World War I and II in flashbacks and stories
Appeal Characteristics:
The first appeal characteristic is the graphic novel format, and the simple yet distinctive dark ink line style often emphasizes details of the backgrounds and settings rather then on the people and their faces. The fact that this is a memoir of actual events the author’s childhood is another appealing factor. The strong subject matter, serious illness and its affect on the whole family, is another appeal element. The surreal moments with his dead grandfather are also appealing. The book is compelling but far from fast-paced (especially given the quickness with which many breeze through graphic novels). The, at times, brutal honesty and openness of the author make for a truly memorable reading experience. I also found myself intrigued by the various esoteric philosophies explored within the narrative. This is definitely a character-driven tale, and the reader has ample opportunity to really get inside of the narrator's head. Secondary characters--especially Pierre-François' family members--are less clearly defined, but still three-dimensional.
Read-alikes: Perfect Example by John Porcellino is another poignant graphic novel memoir about the author’s family. Likewise, Our Cancer Year is a graphic novel memoir of comic-book great Harvey Pekar’s battle with cancer, and how it affected his wife and family. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel is also a graphic novel memoir focusing on one family member (her father), and utilizing similar surreal moments. Readers who identified with Pierre-François’ journey to find his own beliefs and identity in his unusual upbringing might enjoy Blankets, a memoir where the author Craig Thompson struggles to establish himself while being raised in a very conservative Christian tradition. For those who found B’s art to be the main draw, try Persepolis where artist Marjane Satrapi also uses dark black ink drawings that focuses on background while the characters have a similar feel of awkward realism. The use of black reminded me of Charles Burns' Black Hole, a tale of teens affected by a strange disease that serves more as a metaphor for teen struggles with identity as they come of age. For those intrigued by the esoteric subject matter, one book mentioned by name in Epileptic and referenced repeatedly within its pages is The Morning of the Magicians by Louis Pauwels and Jacques Bergier.
Red Flags: Fairly graphic depictions of epileptic seizures, death of a family member (and the body is seen by the child protagonist and the reader), the grandfather remains a ghost, variety of medical practices described and shown.
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