Deogratias, A Tale of Rwanda
by J.P. Stassen
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Book Summary Information
Author: J.P. StassenEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-05-02
ISBN: 1596431032
Number of pages: 96
Publisher: First Second
Book Reviews of Deogratias, A Tale of Rwanda
Book Review: A STORY THAT WILL HAUNT THE READER
Summary: 5 Stars
Over the years when I've had to defend the medium of comics to my less illuminated friends and co-workers I've been able to point to many examples of works that rise above the mire of the usual. Things like "The Watchmen", "Bone", "Love and Rockets" and others. I will now add "Deogratias" to this distinguished group. The book is the product of Belgium writer/artist J.P. Stassen. The book is told against the backdrop of the brutal ethnic cleansing that took place in Rwanda in the early 90's as the majority Hutu savagely butchered some 800,000 of the minority Tutsi ethnic group as the world looked on and did nothing.
Stassen first provides a brief, but very necessary history lesson about the events that led up the genocide and what has happened after. Stassen now resides in Rwanda with his family. The book if required reading if only for Stassen's opening monologue and history lesson. The story itself moves back and forth in time with the lead title character Deogratias. These shifts in time come with no warning or captions and at first are a little dizzying but you'll soon have it figured out. Deogratias in present time is a pathetic creature, wearing ratty clothing, and addicted to Urwagwa or banana beer. He also seems to be quite mad as other villagers ask him if he is "still a dog?" This will become significant later in the story. We first seem him interacting with a French tourist who was in the military back during the genocide. This character is meant as a representative of the French government who if they didn't actually back the horrors that took place, they turned their back as they went on.
As we move back in time we learn about the past of Deogratias, a Hutu, and others of his village. We see him in school as even the teachers spew hate against the Tutsi. Deogratias is in love with A Tutsi girl named Benina but her mother wants Benina to have nothing to do with him. The radio broadcasts are filled with hateful tirades against the Tutsi who they refer to as cockroaches. Deogratias is expected to take up arms with his Hutu brothers but all he can do is think of saving Benina and her family. Ultimately he will pay for this with his very sanity.
Deogratias is a powerful, tragic, horrifying story. Made all that much more terrible because of the real-life events and even worse by the world's complete lack of action to stop the violence. Was it because this was black on black racism? Was it because there were no strategic locations or oil fields as stake? Whatever the case, This is a story that will haunt the reader for a long time.
Reviewed by Tim Janson
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