Portugal is a semi-biographical awarded graphic novel by Cyril Pedrosa where the author explores his
Portuguese background. He presents us a character who has lost the love to create new books and draw. We join him on his trip to Portugal.
There, we can feel the warmth of the people and how quaint they seem to be at the same
time.
Because it smells and sounds like home, I can hear their voices, the accent, the crickets at night, the
excited screams coming from random windows of people rooting for their favorite team, people talking of life before... And Salazar, Salazar...
Among the cacophony of well known traditional expressions - which the author doesn't translate because
there is no completely accurate translation possible for the tone of voice, the humor or the melancholy in some of the expressions.
Oh, filho... Ta bom! Nao faz mal! Ta bem! Tas prai a falar "fraciou"...
Expressions that are so well known to be the soft rumble of Portuguese culture... from their favorite
sports to politics and several meals and pastry in between.
I love the line work, the colors and the visual transitions of the panels. You almost can feel the movement, the silence, the absence of hope, the finding of a new beginning...