Writer and Artist: Guy Delisle
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| via Drawn & Quarterly |
Guy Delisle is a Quebecois graphic novelist best known for his travel narratives. I have featured his work for the Cephalopod Coffeehouse twice before: here and here. In late 1997, he was sent to Shenzhen, China to serve as liaison between a Belgian animation company and their layout artists in China. His tales lack the exoticism of Burma Chronicles. The city, essentially a mainland satellite of Hong Kong, seems to offer very little charm. Few he meet are English/Chinese bilingual. No one speaks his native French. His experience consists of work and his valiant attempts at building a routine life. Sounds pretty dull, right?
And yet, there's much to glean from Delisle's adventure. The Chinese he meets and works with lead the same sort of humdrum lives and unlike him, they're stuck. They are curious about the outside world but have little access to it. His tales of struggling to communicate and derive what joy he can from life are highly amusing. We share in his relief when his three-month stint is over. I don't think this is the book that would have drawn me into his work but I'm glad to have read it.
Good review. I can't imagine anything more terrifying than speaking French in China. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteThank you, sir. He definitely comes across as very lonely.
DeleteWhen I went to England and Paris, I gained a new appreciation for America...and that was a glamorous trip compared to what you describe about his trip. I do think going away makes us appreciate our great country much more, though.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. But it's good to appreciate other countries, too. There is more than one way to live happily, after all, and I'm willing to concede that some societies have us beat on a few things.
DeleteI've actually grown quite fond of Canada over the past few years. We're not too far from the border here and manage to visit Montreal and the surrounding area several times a year. It's a great city - very high quality of life ratings.
Almost gives me a LOST IN TRANSLATION sense. I can't even fathom traveling somewhere for work where I had no ability to communicate whatsoever. From friends who have lived in both China and Japan under such circumstances, I hear they have had great fun being wined and dined so people could practice their conversational English, however.
ReplyDeleteJapan was definitely lonely at times for me but some of that's normal in the culture shock cycle. I never felt as isolated from the outside world as Delisle clearly did in Shenzhen. However, Japan 100 years ago would have been another matter entirely. But then again, so would Vermont...
DeleteJust that picture alone makes me claustrophobic ---
ReplyDeleteClaustrophobia was a major part of my experience of living in Asia. Of course, I can say the same for my experience living in New York. That's why I live in Vermont.
DeleteDitto. I spent a year in London - which was wonderful - but couldn't help feeling like I was living on top of ... everyone. I live in Utah, and love the wide open spaces of the west...
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