''Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City'', originally published in French as ''Chroniques de Jérusalem'', is a 2011

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

written and illustrated by

Guy Delisle Guy Delisle (born January 19, 1966) is a Canadian cartoonist and animator, best known for his graphic novels about his travels, such as ''Shenzhen'' (2000), '' Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea'' (2003), ''Burma Chronicles'' (2007), and ''Jerusa ...

. ''Jerusalem'' is a travelogue and memoir in which Delisle recounts his trip to

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, parts of

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

and the

West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

, as well as within

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

, with his two young children and his long-term partner, Nadège, who went there to do administrative work for

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF; pronounced ), also known as Doctors Without Borders, is a humanitarian medical non-governmental organisation (NGO) or charity of French origin known for its projects in conflict zones and in countries affected by endemic diseases. M ...

(MSF).

Summary

The book recounts Delisle's year-long trip to

with his long-term spouse, Nadège, and their two young children. They arrived in August 2008. Delisle lived in

Beit Hanina Beit Hanina ( ar, بيت حنينا , he, בית חנינא) is an Arab Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem. It is on the road to Ramallah, eight kilometers north of central Jerusalem, at an elevation of 780 meters above sea level. Bei ...

during his stay in the region. Guy Desile's book airs a certain neat plainness with his drawings.

Background

Before ''Jerusalem'', Delisle had previously written three other graphic novel travelogues. They are, in order of publication: ''

Shenzhen Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major sub-provincial city and one of the special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern province ...

'', about his trip to

, an economic hub of Southern China; ''

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...

'', about his stay in

, the capital of

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

; and ''

Burma Chronicles :''See Burmese chronicles for the royal chronicles of Burma (Myanmar).'' ''Burma Chronicles'' (french: Chroniques Birmanes) is a 2007 Canadian graphic novel written and illustrated by Guy Delisle. ''Burma Chronicles'' is a travelogue about Delis ...

'', about his stay in

Rangoon Yangon ( my, ရန်ကုန်; ; ), formerly spelled as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar (also known as Burma). Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government ...

, the then-capital of

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

. 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. While in Jerusalem, Delisle again worked primarily as a

stay-at-home dad A stay-at-home dad (alternatively, full-time father, stay-at-home father, house dad, househusband, or house-spouse) is a father who is the main caregiver of the children and is generally the homemaker of the household. The female equivalent is ...

, taking care of their two young children while Nadège was working. When it was released in English in April 2012, it was perhaps Delisle's most-anticipated book.

Style and themes

Delisle uses simple line drawings that are "plain and clean and casual without being sloppy". And although ''Jerusalem'' is Delisle's first book to feature color, Delisle uses it only sparingly, to center attention on certain important objects, including maps, loud noises, or memories. In the book, Delisle frequently encounters aspects of the

Israeli–Palestinian conflict The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is one of the world's most enduring conflicts, beginning in the mid-20th century. Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, alongside other ef ...

and depicts arguments from each side without openly divulging where his sympathies lie.

Reception

Tim Peters of ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

'' 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."

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

References