The Song Of Roland - Softcover

Michel Rabagliati was born in 1961 in Montreal, where he grew up in the Rosemont neighbourhood. Having developed an interest in typography, he studied graphic design and in 1988 moved into freelance illustration. Since 1998, his graphic novels have revolutionized the comic-book art form in Quebec. With his six books, Michel Rabagliati has become an essential figure in the comics scene of Quebec. In April 2005, he was awarded the Grand Prix de la ville de Québec, care of the Festival de BD de Québec, and was selected as a Personality of the Week by the daily newspaper La Presse. In 2007, Rabagliati's body of work to date earned a Special Mention from the Prix des libraires du Québec.

*Starred Review* Roland Beaulieu, the father-in-law of Rabagliati’s alter ego, Paul, is dying. His illness has been gradual, and his decline isn’t a surprise, but that doesn’t make it any easier for anyone in the family. Roland has worn many hats in his long and rich life—orphan, reckless youth, self-made man, husband, father, patriarch—but none fully captures the impact he has had on the lives around him. As an observer closer to the emotional sidelines, Paul chronicles the family’s ordeal as Roland slips from sick to gravely ill to his final decline in a hospice outside of Montreal. Rabagliati captures the sadness of Roland’s death, but more than that, he captures the weight of Roland’s life, making the tragedy even more poignant. Despite the heaviness of the subject, there are sublime moments of light and triumph and even laughter. Rabagliati’s series of comic books about Paul are well-known in Canada and Europe. He captures characters well, even with few lines, and adeptly renders their expressions and personality. His backdrops—Quebec City, Montreal, the Quebec countryside—are wonderfully drawn with enough recognizable landmarks to match up postcards and photos. Through Paul’s vision we are invited into this family’s moment of sadness, not to mourn but to celebrate a man’s full life with respect and love. --Tina Coleman