Où le regard ne porte pas…, vol. 1, by Georges Abolin and Olivier Pont 8.5

I was left completely disarmed by this book. It’s an engaging, realistic, emotional coming-of-age story somewhere along the lines of ‘Stand By Me’ meets ‘Jean de Florette’.

The art is gorgeous and brilliantly detailed (even if the rendering looks a tad incomplete, it is astonishingly accurate) and the panelling is extremely well-designed, making for a fluid and eye-catching read.

However, I didn’t understand the small vignettes that are interspersed here and there, almost as interludes. They’re about male-female relationships through various eras and in different cultural contexts. But what do they mean in the big picture?

And there’s a nod to blooming teenage sexuality, as well as a few references to under-age drug use, which may be troubling to North American audiences (it certainly took me aback!).

I have no idea how the second volume will be able to hold up next to this excellent book. I have to expect disappointment, quite honestly, because experience has proven to me that it’s hard for almost anyone to follow-up a great work with equal mastery.

We’ll soon see…