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Review
`an eclectic, quirky love story... genuinely moving scenes...stunning imagery'
--downthetubes.net
`intriguing...a poignant look at the loneliness of wanderlust'
--Big Issue
"Beautifully drawn and constructed."
--thetransmitter.co.uk
A `graphic novel, a travelogue, fable and recipe book rolled into one ...his affectionate, enigmatic tale is decidedly appetising' --The Guardian
'an assured debut which captures the intensity of displacement, transient connections and the bitter-sweet hope of belonging somewhere, to someone' --TLS
"...The Art of Pho is an assured debut which captures the...and the bitter-sweet hope of belonging somewhere..." --TLS
--downthetubes.net
`intriguing...a poignant look at the loneliness of wanderlust'
--Big Issue
"Beautifully drawn and constructed."
--thetransmitter.co.uk
A `graphic novel, a travelogue, fable and recipe book rolled into one ...his affectionate, enigmatic tale is decidedly appetising' --The Guardian
'an assured debut which captures the intensity of displacement, transient connections and the bitter-sweet hope of belonging somewhere, to someone' --TLS
"...The Art of Pho is an assured debut which captures the...and the bitter-sweet hope of belonging somewhere..." --TLS
Book Description
Inspired by the food of Vietnam, The Art of Pho is a remarkable debut by the winner of the 2008 Cape/Observer graphic novel competition
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
"The Art of Pho" is the debut comic book by newcomer Julian Hanshaw, who caught the attention of UK comics publisher Jonathan Cape by winning the 2008 Cape/Observer Comica Graphic Short Story Prize. The book is an interesting debut but fails to engage the reader and ultimately feels a bit shallow. That said, it's got good points and I'm sure others will like it more than I did.
It's about a strange pig-ish like midget called Little Blue who is abandoned by a mysterious stranger in a red car in the middle of Ho Chi Minh City and left to fend for himself. He becomes a Pho chef, a street vendor who sells soup and noodles, and his talent for cooking gets the attention of the public. He falls in love with an English backpacker and begins to question who his parents were, his journey taking him throughout Vietnam collecting recipes of local cuisine all sumptuously illustrated throughout the book.
The magical realism is interspersed with surreal dreamscapes and strange looking humans (think Ivan Brunetti's drawings) and the various foods mentioned all made me hungry to try them. Mostly though I felt that the characters weren't really developed and the story to search for his identity was a bit tacked on especially as most of it is explored in a is it real or isn't it? kind of fashion and is never resolved.
I liked Hanshaw's drawing style which felt a bit Nickolodeon at times but was diverse enough to feel more sophisticated. Ultimately though the real passion that comes through is for the food and that's not enough to make an interesting comic book to read. I can't be too tough on the guy as it's his first book and I definitely feel that his talent will see his future projects more successful in merging strange tales with storytelling verve.
It's about a strange pig-ish like midget called Little Blue who is abandoned by a mysterious stranger in a red car in the middle of Ho Chi Minh City and left to fend for himself. He becomes a Pho chef, a street vendor who sells soup and noodles, and his talent for cooking gets the attention of the public. He falls in love with an English backpacker and begins to question who his parents were, his journey taking him throughout Vietnam collecting recipes of local cuisine all sumptuously illustrated throughout the book.
The magical realism is interspersed with surreal dreamscapes and strange looking humans (think Ivan Brunetti's drawings) and the various foods mentioned all made me hungry to try them. Mostly though I felt that the characters weren't really developed and the story to search for his identity was a bit tacked on especially as most of it is explored in a is it real or isn't it? kind of fashion and is never resolved.
I liked Hanshaw's drawing style which felt a bit Nickolodeon at times but was diverse enough to feel more sophisticated. Ultimately though the real passion that comes through is for the food and that's not enough to make an interesting comic book to read. I can't be too tough on the guy as it's his first book and I definitely feel that his talent will see his future projects more successful in merging strange tales with storytelling verve.
Format:Hardcover
From the varying types of paper used to the astonishing attention to detail (even the ISBN number is created by the author's hand) this is a brilliant, visually absorbing and fulfilling read. I loved the muted colours from which the occasional sudden blast of deep red bursts out every now and again, oh and I'll be trying the recipes for sure...
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