Deogratias, A Tale of Rwanda

J.P. Stassen

ISBN 10: 1596431032 / ISBN 13: 9781596431034

Published by First Second (edition First Edition), 2006

About this Item

The item might be beaten up but readable. May contain markings or highlighting, as well as stains, bent corners, or any other major defect, but the text is not obscured in any way.

Seller Inventory # 1596431032-7-1

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Deogratias, A Tale of Rwanda
• Publisher: First Second (edition First Edition)
• Publication Date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1596431032
• ISBN 13: 9781596431034
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Fair

About this title

Synopsis

The 2000 winner of the Goscinny Prize for outstanding graphic novel script, this is the harrowing tale of the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda, as seen through the eyes of a boy named Deogratias. He is an ordinary teenager, in love with a girl named Bénigne, but Deogratias is a Hutu and Bénigne is a Tutsi who dies in the genocide, and Deogratias himself plays a part in her death. As the story circles around but never depicts the terror and brutality of an entire country descending into violence, we watch Deogratias in his pursuit of Bénigne, and we see his grief and descent into madness following her death, as he comes to believe he is a dog.

Told with great artistry and intelligence, this book offers a window into a dark chapter of recent human history and exposes the West's role in the tragedy. Stassen's interweaving of the aftermath of the genocide and the events leading up to it heightens the impact of the horror, giving powerful expression to the unspeakable, indescribable experience of ordinary Hutus caught up in the violence. Difficult, beautiful, honest, and heartbreaking, this is a major work by a masterful artist.

About the Author

J.P. Stassen was born and raised in Belgium. His books have been published in multiple languages, and his remarkable artistry has won him many awards. Some of his works are imbued with the places he lived, such as the Goscinny winner Deogratias, and Tangiers in The Old Frenchman's Bar. After living in various places including Latin America, Mozambique, and Rwanda, he settled in Paris, where he lives today.