Trumpets of Death
A boy is turned into a deer in Simon Bournel-Bosson’s surreal graphic novel Trumpets of Death.
Amid his parents’ marital troubles, Antoine is sent to stay with his paternal grandparents. His grandfather Gilbert is an imposing, dismissive presence, while his grandmother is sweet and indulgent. When she leaves to run errands, Antoine is sent to join Gilbert, who’s looking for mushrooms in the woods. Antoine drifts off alone and discovers a glowing white mushroom; he picks it and is transformed into a white stag. Antoine communes with nature for a time, but later, a confrontation with Gilbert alone leads to a surprising, elegant twist.
The story reads like a dream, with touches of fantasy like an impossible trail of mushrooms, or the central transformation from boy to deer. But it’s also grounded in emotional truths and the intergenerational tension between Antoine and Gilbert. Information is delivered through conversations and internal thoughts, but there are also long sequences of silent pages. One example comes when Gilbert’s dog Bullitt pursues Antoine in the woods, a scene in which action and subtlety are communicated through memorable images that transcend written language. The art uses a palette of psychedelic colors to convey or contrast emotions, best seen in a memorable page featuring Gilbert striding past while meek Antoine sits with his handheld video game.
Trumpets of Death is a beautiful graphic novel about a boy whose transformation into a stag leads to personal growth and maturity.
Reviewed by
Peter Dabbene
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
