Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City, originally published in French as Chroniques de Jérusalem, is a 2011 graphic novel written and illustrated by Guy Delisle. Jerusalem is a travelogue and memoir in which Delisle recounts his trip to Jerusalem, parts of Palestine and the West Bank, as well as within Israel, with his two young children and his long-term partner, Nadège, who went there to do administrative work for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Summary
The book recounts Delisle's year-long trip to Jerusalem with his long-term spouse, Nadège, and their two young children. They arrived in August 2008. Delisle lived in Beit Hanina during his stay in the region.[1]
Background
Before Jerusalem, Delisle had previously written three other graphic novel travelogues. They are, in order of publication: Shenzhen, about his trip to Shenzhen, an economic hub of Southern China; Pyongyang, about his stay in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea; and Burma Chronicles, about his stay in Rangoon, the then-capital of Burma.[2] He went to Shenzhen and Pyongyang for his work in animation, while he went to Burma to accompany his partner, Nadège, as she did her work for MSF.[citation needed] While in Jerusalem, Delisle again worked primarily as a stay-at-home dad, taking care of their two young children while Nadège was working.[2]
When it was released in English in April 2012, it was perhaps Delisle's most-anticipated book.[1]
Style and themes
Delisle uses simple line drawings that are "plain and clean and casual without being sloppy".[2] And although Jerusalem is Delisle's first book to feature color,[1] Delisle uses it only sparingly, to center attention on certain important objects, including maps, loud noises, or memories.[2]
In the book, Delisle frequently encounters aspects of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and depicts arguments from each side without openly divulging where his sympathies lie.[3]
Reception
Tim Peters of Slant Magazine summed up, "As a whole, the book is both enjoyable and instructive; it makes you chuckle and grin, and it makes you feel like a more informed, concerned citizen of the world."[2][4][5][6]
Awards
Fauve d'Or : Prix du meilleur album, Angoulême 2012
Prix Bédéis causa (Albéric-Bourgeois)
Meilleur Album Reportage, Solliès-Ville 2012
Prix littéraire des lycéens d'Ile-de-France 2013
Prix Segalen des Lycéens d'Asie 2013
Independent Publisher Book Awards Results - Graphic Novel 2013
