Day Three: Harvey

One more Canadian pick. This ones pretty great.
It's not a film...but rather a great little graphic novel.
Picked this little book up at the AGO, Art Gallery of Ontario. I saw it and the illustrations themselves, are a solid reason to pay $20. I'm cheap but, Nadeau's illustrations are amazing. I'm a sucker for books. Especially those, that you just want to gaze at for hours. This book is definitely one of those treasures with style. 

The story is translated into English, so either the translation was a bit strange or the writing is a bit awkward. I read somewhere, reading it in French is essential. Damn hating French classes for eight years. The plot-line is a simple one. It's about Harvey, his brother Cantin and his Mother who are all dealing with the sudden death of their Father. When Harvey sees his Father in the coffin, he imagines himself also disappearing. The theme of the book is that, fading away. Although, I hate to be rude. A lot of the time, the writing is poor and it just doesn't make sense....
However, the reason I post about this book is because of the fabulous illustrations. I'm still amazed every time I open the book. Nadeau is a genius. Stylish, minimalist and earthy. She mixes charcoal and water colours to give a depth I've never seen in "graphic novels". She's innovative, making the reading process just that much more interesting with little tricks. For example, the mother's scene, the most touching out of the entire book. 
Nadeau skillfully depicts a scene in which the Mother, is being held in the arms of the Priest with a crowd around her and her husband leaving in the ambulance behind her. The next page removes the background, the following page removes the crowd of people, the next the Priest until finally, the wife is alone on the white page. Stuff like this is genius.   If you're not into the literature aspect of it, which isn't exactly amazing, then really look at the artwork. I think Nadeau is a artistic genius. Her style is way too cool to go unnoticed. Highly Recommended, even if the whole writing aspect is below par.