Epileptic

Epileptic

The graphic novel medium is mostly known for bringing us superheroes such as Spiderman and Superman. Once you dive deeper into the graphic novel medium, you’ll see that graphic novels offer more than just men in tights saving the world or a damsel in distress.

Epileptic is an autobiographical graphic novel about David B., and his brother who becomes diagnosed with epilepsy at 11 years old. Epileptic is set in 1960’s and 1970’s France and recounts the story of how David B’s family dealt with his brother’s epilepsy.  It’s a sad, dark story as the family takes the brother to quack doctor after quack doctor, as the brother’s situation becomes direr.  Through the Epileptic you also gain insight into how the author viewed his brother. His feeling aren’t always so empathetic; as the book unravels the author clearly shows growing resentment and disdain towards his brother.   You follow the main character and his brother through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Each stage more paining then the other.

The illustration in the epileptic is a sophisticated black and white, and it’s rather unusual how the portraits of him and his brother change from deft cartoons to crude figures.

Even if you’re not interested in graphic novels or comic books, this is one helluva piece of literature.