This book jumped out at me as I was searching my local library for books about Burma. The reason being, you don't find many books about Burma that are graphic novels! Needless to say, my curiosity was peaked, especially when I found out this was a new release.
Burma Chronicles is somewhat of a travelogue of the year author/artist Guy Delisle spent in the country while his wife was there doing work for Doctors Without Borders. We get a unique view of daily life in Burma from a seemingly avereage-joe Frenchman who is dropped in the middle of a world that shows itself to be both maddening and endearing. Through small vignettes, Delisle lets us in on the interesting interactions with locals around him, what he learns about the intense control the goverment has over information, as well as the plight of the few NGO's that are allowed in the country. The work is highly educational yet very hard to put down. Some of the interactions are downright hilarious. I love when an author can make you laugh yet you come away knowing you really have learned a great deal. If you've ever spent a considerable amount of time immersed in a foreign culture, you'll definitely appreciate and relate to some of Delisle's experiences.
Delisle's seemingly effortless yet polished comic setup greatly enhances the storytelling. I doubt many could pull that off. This is likely my favorite non-Christian read of 2008. Hilarious, informative, thought-provoking stuff. He also has books out in a similar fashion about times he spent in Shenzhen (China) and Pyongyang (North Korea), the latter of which I may have to check out someday.
You can view one of the short vignettes from the book HERE. This is when Guy discovers that politcal prisoner and nobel prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi's home is very close to where he is staying. This really gives a good sample of what the book is like.
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