Hostage

Starred review from May 1, 2017
Delisle (Jerusalem) departs from his usual subjects and artistic style in this quietly powerful graphic “as told to” hostage story. Christophe André, a volunteer with Médecins San Frontières in Chechnya, was kidnapped on July 2, 1997, and held for 111 days. Handcuffed and isolated for almost all his captivity, he can only speculate on his fate and the possible progress of imagined negotiations. A change in his food, such as that brought by some stolen garlic, is a high point, as are the few occasions on which his captors share a drink or bring him out of his room to watch television. Despite the lack of action, Christophe is an admirable figure, facing boredom, fear, and a complete lack of information about his status for months while managing to keep his head and, eventually, rescue himself. Delisle perfectly captures his subject’s inner monologue of pep talks and mental diversions, creating an indelible portrait of an ordinary person facing a frightening ordeal.

June 1, 2017

In 1997, Christophe Andre was working in Chechnya for Doctors Without Borders when armed men kidnapped him. Based on Andre's firsthand account, prize-winning cartoonist Delisle's (Jerusalem: Chronicle from the Holy City) work depicts the entire ordeal, as Andre is held in solitary confinement with almost no contact with the outside world for three months. This may be the most suspenseful book you'll ever read in which very little happens--Andre spends most of his days ruminating on his kidnappers' motivations, thinking about his family, and trying to find a comfortable position to sit with one arm chained to a wall. And yet the story is a true page-turner, as Delisle brings the reader so fully into Andre's world that a simple change in his routine becomes either harrowing or hopeful, and the mundane details of his daily existence, saving a piece of bread from his morning meal for a snack, enjoying some music drifting through the wall into his cell, become heroic acts of defiance. VERDICT Delisle's previous books have gained him a loyal following among fans of highbrow cartooning, but this may be the masterpiece that elevates his name to the ranks of legends such as Art Spiegelman and Lynda Barry.--TB

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2017
In a departure from his acclaimed graphic travel memoirs, French cartoonist Delisle relates the harrowing experience of Christophe Andre, a Doctors Without Borders administrator working in the Caucasus in 1997, who was kidnapped in the middle of the night. For three months, he was kept handcuffed to a radiator in solitary confinement, unable to communicate with his Russian-speaking captors. Except at mealtimes, Andre is alone with his thoughts, left to wonder if his employers and family have even been contacted by his abductors. For this straightforward account of Andre's ordeal, Delisle moderates his usual cartoony style, befitting the grim situation. Although the confined setting limits the graphic possibilities, Delisle maintains visual interest by varying angles and panel sizes. At any rate, most of the narrative is conveyed through captions filled with Andre's increasingly despairing interior monologues. While Delisle's fans may miss the quirky observations and idiosyncratic touches of his darkly comic travelogues, the drama of his riveting depiction of Andre's struggle to stave off hopelessness holds equal appeal.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)