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Louis Riel Kindle & comiXology

by Chester Brown (Author, Artist) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 38 ratings
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Chester Brown reinvents the comic book medium to create the critically acclaimed historical biography Louis Riel, winning the Harvey Awards for best writing and best graphic novel for his compelling, meticulous, and dispassionate retelling of the charismatic, and perhaps insane, nineteenth-century Metis leader. Brown cooly documents with dramatic subtlety the violent rebellion on the Canadian prairie led by Riel, who some regard a martyr who died in the name freedom, while others consider him a treacherous murderer.
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  1. Part of Series
    Louis Riel
  2. Print length
    279 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    Not Enabled
  5. Publisher
    Drawn and Quarterly
  6. Publication date
    July 15, 2006
  7. File size
    474862 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Not Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Not Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“[Louis Riel] has the thoroughness of a history book yet reads with the personalized vision of a novel.” ―Time

“A gripping story . . . Louis Riel is comix history in the making, and with it, history never looked so good.” ―The Globe and Mail

“Brown has invented a biographical form unique to his medium.” ―The Village Voice

About the Author

Chester Brown is the cartoonist behind the acclaimed Yummy Fur comic book series, and the author of several graphic novels and memoirs, including Paying for It, Louis Riel, and Ed the Happy Clown. His work has been published around the world. He lives in Toronto, Canada, where he ran for Parliament in the general election as a member of the Libertarian Party of Canada.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0182R3M3O
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Drawn and Quarterly (July 15, 2006)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 15, 2006
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 474862 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 279 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 38 ratings

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Chester Brown

Chester Brown

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
38 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Ryan Albrecht
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting!
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2017
Verified Purchase
Quick, entertaining read. This would be great as a primer to get people more interested in learning about Riel. I believe that this would work great in the classroom.
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GL Davis
4.0 out of 5 stars Here's the Louis Riel story, told simply and straightforwardly
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2017
From my trips to Canada (I'm an American), I had heard of Louis Riel, knew that he was a Metis (one of the 3 recognized indigenous groups in Canada), and knew he remained an controversial figure because of his involvement in a 19th-century rebellion. But why he was controversial and what the rebellion was all about, I hadn't a clue.

This "graphic novel" (though its non-fiction) does a good job in filling in the blanks. It is simple and straightforward. What nuance there is needs to be interpreted through the graphic choices the Chester Brown makes in his artwork--which too is pretty simple and straightforward. The dialogue is a combination between statements in the historical record and breezy informality (e.g., a military man being given his orders by a superior officer and his response being, "Okay," not "Yes, sir.")

Riel was obviously a very complicated man. He sought justice for his people, but he is depicted as not being a firebrand, Indeed, he's willing to back off from confrontation more than once. He seems uncertain many times. He is a devout Catholic who after a vision is willing to call the Pope a phony. But what's the hardest to glean from this graphic-novel presentation is the charisma he evidently had in order to gain so many followers.

An afterword by a Ph.D. candidate who knows his comics is helpful. In essence, he says the medium is the message. Riel being such a complex and controversial figure, this analyst concludes that the narrative is purposely ambiguous to allow readers to make up their own minds. So while "Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography" was helpful to me in giving me the outlines of Riel's story, I wonder if I had more foundational knowledge about Riel going in--as I assume most Canadians do--it would have helped me to draw my conclusions.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Raina
5.0 out of 5 stars Honest and true depiction of a Canadian hero.
Reviewed in Canada on May 8, 2021
Verified Purchase
Unlike our history textbooks and curriculum, the book does not sugarcoat or gloss over any part of Louis Riel and history of Canada. It shows the life of Louis Riel and the Metis in the 1800s, the fight for their rights and freedoms and the sufferings and consequences that came after. A well-researched and beautifully crafted book. A must-read for all generations.
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Peter Wilson
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read Canadian history book
Reviewed in Canada on March 9, 2020
Verified Purchase
Brilliant unique history book.
Explains a portion of Canadian history in a way that is understandable to pretty much everyone.
Several copies should be in every Canadian school library.
The author is a genius.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Catchy presentation adding to Louis Riel's legacy
Reviewed in Canada on February 25, 2018
Verified Purchase
Many parts of Riel's life are not included, and many events may be played up beyond their importance, but overall it presents an interesting account of Riel's life, his times, his successes and failures. Good for school-age readers who might otherwise be turned off the reading of what is undeniably an absorbing story of the man.
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BICK
5.0 out of 5 stars NO ONE HEARD WHAT LOUIS TRIED TELL THEM!!
Reviewed in Canada on February 19, 2017
Verified Purchase
this should be required reading by all Canadians!!
the truth written here has none of the political spin it suffered
over the last century!I am afraid john a macdonald used too much
whiskey DAILY to divine the truth in matters he never truly understood himself!!
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
Reviewed in Canada on October 29, 2017
Verified Purchase
A profound telling of a dark passage in Canada's history. Beautifully drawn.It packs an exceptional punch. One of the best graphic novels I've ever read.
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