Written and Illustrated by
Marcello Quintanilha
Published by Fantagraphics
I had, to my internal ignorance, never heard of creator Marcello Quintanilha up until now. His writing and his artwork in this book is absolutely superb. I have to say, that I really wasn’t sure to expect when I opened this book, but man, this is really great stuff.
This book’s setting is Guanabara Bay in Brazil in the 1950’s and the artwork definitely captures that setting and time period perfectly. The atmosphere is set up really well to explore the various themes in the book.
The book introduces us to Helcio at the beginning of the story. Helcio is a headstrong kind of guy who doesn’t mind arguing about things that he finds important. He is also a really skilled pro soccer prospect.
One day he spots a boat that is doing some good old fashioned dynamite fishing. He goes and convinces his friend Noel (also nicknames Turtle mostly for his physical deformity but also his personality) to go out row to the boat. He figures that the two of them can get some fish from there and sell them. That’s about when things get out of hand for the two of them and when things start to go to hell quicker than they would like.
First of all, they get more fish than their boat can possibly carry. So that puts them in a really bad position overall. That is when Helcio does something that is truly reckless and goes diving for a still living mullet that would make a good stew. He doesn’t think about his safety and that lands him in a whole set of circumstances.
He didn’t figure out a way back and is quickly losing air. He won’t be able to breathe soon. He may even die because of his rash actions.
I really enjoyed reading this book but then I put it down for a few moments and tried to figure out why Marcello Quintanilha created this book. I found out with my limited research that it is based on his father Hélcio Quintanilha and his experiences! I found that very interesting and it made the book even more interesting and compelling than it already was. I went back and reread what I had already read and enjoyed it with that newfound knowledge very much. It really adds something, and gives it a personal touch.
Helcio comes up from the depths and goes and joins Turtle again. They then steal as much of the fish as they possibly could and make a run for it. Over the course of their run, they make it through some really crazy places. One of the places is a visit on their escape is an island full of nudists. That scene has quite a few laugh out moments as the kids experience being around a large number of nude people. Believe it or not, scenes like this add a lot of depth to their characters in how they respond and how they grow, both as individuals and friends.
It does become a bit episodic as the book went on but I didn’t mind. There is a big storm that the pair of friends have to survive. The storm plays a significant role in the book and really advances the story. It is also masterfully illustrated. Near the end, there is a big soccer game that happens that is also pretty significant and plays a big part in the narrative.
All of these things add up and make the story truly a unique and satisfying experience for the reader. There are so many personal moments that are so relatable that the reader can’t help but identify with this.
By the end of the book, we have a complete story about the two main characters. It is familiar, funny, and at times, heart wrenching. Marcello Quintanilha is truly gifted at graphic storytelling and gives us everything that a good graphic novel should have, right down to the minor character details. The story and art so perfectly complement each other here.
Everything about this book is wonderful, even down to the lettering. I might go back and revisit this in the future as the story really lends itself to that. I know that when I do I will find new things in the book, and that I will love it even more the I do right now.
RATING: A
