Bourbon Island 1730

by Appollo

Book Overview

It is 1730 when Raphael Pommeroy arrives in the West Indies with his ornithology professor. They're supposed to be in search of the almost-extinct dodo . . . but Raphael is quickly entranced with the piratical inhabitants of the island, becoming obsessed with their vision of a world where all people are free and equal, regardless of their skin color. Drama unfolds on Bourbon Island as all the inhabitants race to find the treasure secretly cached on...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1596432586
• ISBN13: 9781596432581
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: First Second
• Length: 278 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A serious use of the comic form

Great book - better graphic novel - would be great to read for a high school history class. Characters are well written, the story and plot are a little thin but the historical connections are deep and would make for an interesting start to reading comics in the classroom.

All the Characters are Animals, but the Story is all too Human

French writers and illustrator Lewis Trondheim and Appollo have created a fictional, yet historically accurate graphic novel about life in the Indian Ocean islands. Sure, all the characters are animals, but the story is all too human. Centering around an ornithologist and his assistant trying to find the almost-extinct dodo, you are quickly introduced to the former slaves hiding in the jungle, the current and former pirates (the latter used an amnesty offered by the French government), and the other inhabitants of Bourbon Island. When rumor of treasure hidden on the island starts, the various factions all race to find it, showing their true natures in the process. The description of slavery at the time is disquieting, moving this story from an adventure story, to a drama about life in 1730. The rough black and white drawings provide a lot of the atmosphere for the story, beyond what words alone could do.

Something unexpected

Ah, the allure of a pirate tale. Who can resist it? Surely not the readers of Bourbon Island 1730, which comes to us courtesy of two French comics creators. Appollo (actually, Olivier Appollodorus) and Lewis Trondheim (also a pseudonym; this time for Laurent Chabosy) collaborated on this story of the sea. They know what they're doing here, and they're determined to have fun with it, raking in action and suspense of the swashbuckling variety unapologetically. Using animals to star in the story doesn't hurt either. It may seem surprising, but Bourbon Island 1730 never devolves into cute-animal-story territory. That's a wonderful thing. Bourbon Island 1730 takes place at the time when piracy is giving way to ongoing colonialism. The marauding ways of the sea are no longer in vogue, at least not for most. But that's not the case for Raphael Pommery, an assistant to ornithologist Dr. Despentes. Both have come to a small island off the coast of Madagascar to document the fauna there, but Pommery is caught up in a daydream about pirate life. It's a pirate's life for him, if he has anything to say about it. Sure enough, he does. Soon, the book is swimming in tales of outrageous acts and hidden treasure, and Pommery, like the reader, is dazzled. Appollo and Trondheim make it easy to fall in love with this story. They take it seriously enough to imbue it with so much fun that it's hard to resist. Still, Bourbon Island 1730 transcends any particular genre boundaries. It features some mild language (a "hell" here or there, and the "S" word) that keeps it from strictly fitting into the confines of kids' literature, but it's suitable for older children. The elaborate nature of the artwork--never cartoony--is probably enough to ensure the book appeals to older readers anyway. It doesn't look like typical animal books do. Like every good pirate story, Bourbon Island 1730 owes much to Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. The popular pirate motifs abound here, as does the overarching theme of human morality. Amid a changing world, the characters here try to determine their place based not so much on what's right and what's wrong but on how the world at large is changing permanently. The teamup of Appollo and Trondheim has created some buzz, with a lot of readers anxious to see what these two turn out. Those people are in for a treat, because Bourbon Island 1730 is something unexpected, and as respectful as it is to the genre it celebrates, it still manages to tread into new territory. For most American readers, though, Bourbon Island 1730 will probably be some kind of unknown surprise, a new take on an old saw. Both groups will be able to have some fun here. -- John Hogan

16 Pirates and A Bit of Treasure

Jerry Bruckheimer who? What about Olivier Appollodorus and Lewis Trondheim? Bourbon Island is a superior literary/illustrated tale of pirates long pardoned pondering the release of their old mate, Buzzard by a major show of force. Ornithologists in pursuit of the last Dodo, join the adventure as a treasure(of course) lay in hiding at St Hyacnith. The cast of Dr Despenthes, Raphael, Buzard,Roboert De La Huche, Virginia, Laverdure, Evangleine, Rapier,Ravolson,Captain Dhermitte, and the elusive dodo jump off the pages into your imagination. Apollo and Trondheim have created a delightful waltz through pirate life (sort of). On the colony, as former pirates have taken up settling the island growing coffee, word of hanging Buzzard unifies them. Entertaining and lively exchanges between pirates, ex pirates, and slaves make this a must read. I love the art of Lewis Trondheim. It reminds me of Sergio Aragones on speed! I looked, but I did not see Groo anywhere! www.firstsecond.com Tim Lasiuta

A new take on an old saw

Ah, the allure of a pirate tale. Who can resist it? Surely not the readers of BOURBON ISLAND 1730, which comes to us courtesy of two French comics creators. Appollo (actually, Olivier Appollodorus) and Lewis Trondheim (also a pseudonym; this time for Laurent Chabosy) collaborated on this story of the sea. They know what they're doing here, and they're determined to have fun with it, raking in action and suspense of the swashbuckling variety unapologetically. Using animals to star in the story doesn't hurt either. It may seem surprising, but it never devolves into cute-animal-story territory. That's a wonderful thing. BOURBON ISLAND 1730 takes place at the time when piracy is giving way to ongoing colonialism. The marauding ways of the sea are no longer in vogue, at least not for most. But that's not the case for Raphael Pommery, an assistant to ornithologist Dr. Despentes. Both have come to a small island off the coast of Madagascar to document the fauna there, but Pommery is caught up in a daydream about pirate life. It's a pirate's life for him, if he has anything to say about it. Sure enough, he does. Soon, the book is swimming in tales of outrageous acts and hidden treasure, and Pommery, like the reader, is dazzled. Appollo and Trondheim make it easy to fall in love with this story. They take it seriously enough to imbue it with so much fun that it's hard to resist. Still, BOURBON ISLAND 1730 transcends any particular genre boundaries. It features some mild language (a "hell" here or there, and the "S" word) that keeps it from strictly fitting into the confines of kids' literature, but it's suitable for older children. The elaborate nature of the artwork --- never cartoony --- is probably enough to ensure the book appeals to older readers anyway. It doesn't look like typical animal books do. Like every good pirate story, it owes much to Robert Louis Stevenson's TREASURE ISLAND. The popular pirate motifs abound here, as does the overarching theme of human morality. Amid a changing world, the characters here try to determine their place based not so much on what's right and what's wrong but on how the world at large is changing permanently. The teamup of Appollo and Trondheim has created some buzz, with a lot of readers anxious to see what these two turn out. Those people are in for a treat, because BOURBON ISLAND 1730 is something unexpected, and as respectful as it is to the genre it celebrates, it still manages to tread into new territory. For most American readers, though, it will probably be some kind of unknown surprise, a new take on an old saw. Both groups will be able to have some fun here. --- Reviewed by John Hogan