Welcome to Litsy!

Another detail from this lovely book.

My brother gave me this gorgeous graphic novel for Christmas.

It tells the account of the painter Audubon, and how he got his birds.

Depressing panel from this quick little biography of John James Audubon. He definitely wanted to capture the natural world before it changed! I thought this line of his was particularly poignant since it is likely how many thought of change in those times.

Gorgeous art in earthy tones is a highlight of this #graphicnovel biography of a complicated 19th c artist/naturalist who was obsessed with birds. I recommend this with some reservations: the fictionalized elements romanticize too much; & important aspects of Audubon‘s life are relegated to a one-page summary at the back. #translation

On one hand, I applaud the extensive use of Audubon‘s own words in this biography. On the other hand, I think the creators of this graphic novel could have done more to editorialize, as in the case of displaced and starving Indigenous people. (Panel above shows drowned bison after the rest of the herd was slaughtered for sport by settlers.)

“...so much so, that I‘ve even started to miss my former life, difficult as it was.â€�

An episode in Audubon‘s biography is adapted from his writing ‘The Runaway,‘ in which Audubon arranges for a family of escaped slaves to go back to enslavement. Audubon himself was born of a Haitian woman, and later adopted by his biological father and raised in France. The only mention in this book that Audubon also owned slaves is in an appendix note.

Audubon: “Look! Ivory-billed woodpeckers! They‘ve become such a rarity! I must paint them quickly before their plumage loses its lustre.â€�

Audubon killed hundreds of birds daily. It‘s hard to reconcile this (even though I know it was standard practice for 19th century naturalists) with the conservationist stance of the organization that was founded in his name, the Audubon Society.

Jérémie Royer‘s art is my favourite thing about this #graphicnovel biography of John James Audubon.

This book is so lovely! A beautifully illustrated graphic biography of John James Audubon. I didn't harbor any romantic delusions about Audubon going into it, and while the author approaches some aspects of his history (and time) that are detestable with a light brush the sheer number of animals he killed for his work and for sport is well represented.

Two of my favorite things. This book is beautiful and couldn't have made a better present. I can't wait to read it!

Gorgeous graphic novel account of the naturalist's life.

This has probably been one of my favourite graphic novels that I've read so far. I didn't really know anything about Audubon before reading this book and he's definitely a figure I'd like to read more about. For those who don't know, he was an ornithologist so there's lots of pretty birds in the book!
He also met Darwin (see above)! I looove Darwin. This book really makes me want to see a graphic novel version of the voyage of the Beagle 🤤

Picked up this beauty today. I'm saving it for when I'm camping next week but it's going to be so hard!
#graphicnovel #history #birds #ornithology

John James Audubon was a complicated, talented man of his times, & this graphic novel both explores his contradictory nature & pays tribute to the beauty of his work.

This is worth at least having a look at because of just how beautiful it is. Translated from the French. According to this book at least the French aren't as familiar with the name Audubon as Americans are. It's interesting to learn about the man and how he worked. Animal death and whitewashing.

The authors acknowledge that they whitewashed some aspects of the story. I appreciated the disclaimer. Other than that, I loved this gorgeously illustrated biography.

The irony that he was killing them to immortalize them.