Three willful women: one old wicked, one young and selfish, and the third in the prime of her life. A man murdered three ways: stabbed, bludgeoned, and drowned in a stream. The mystery brings brash young Inspector Laurenç to the postcard-perfect Norman village of Giverny, home to Impressionist Claude Monet's gardens and studio. Like any small town, Giverny has its secrets. But have they to do with greed? Lust? Missing paintings? Jealous husbands? Laurenç soon finds himself head over heels for a pretty schoolteacher—and in over his head. Dider Cassegrain brings Michel Bussi's bestselling novel to life in lush, delicate watercolors worthy of the famous canvases that lend the book its name: Monet's immortal Water Lilies...
“En un pueblo vivían tres mujeres. La primera era mala... La segunda mentirosa... La tercera, egoísta.”
“La primera tenía más de ochenta y cinco años y era viuda. Casi. La segunda tenía treinta y seis y nunca había engañado a su marido. De momento. La tercera estaba a punto de cumplir once y todos los niños de la escuela querían salir con ella.”
“Os ha quedado claro: las tres eran diferentes, sin embargo, tenían algo en común, un secreto, digamos: las tres soñaban con irse de allí.”
“En realidad, la tercera, la más joven, buscaba un padre fuera de allí. La segunda buscaba el amor. La primera, la mayor, sabía cosas de las otras dos...”
“Una vez, sin embargo, durante trece días, durante trece días solamente, las puertas del parque se abrieron.”
“Pero las reglas eran crueles: solo una podía escapar. Las otras dos debían morir. Era así.”
Las tres mujeres viven en Giverny, la localidad en la que Monet pintó su numerosa serie de nenúfares. El negro es el único color que no utilizaba Monet, como buen impresionista, en sus pinturas. Aunque este cómic destila negro por todos lados. Negro de asesinatos, secretos y mentiras. Didier Cassegrain y Fred Duval adaptan la novela de Michel Bussi. Novela que no he leído, y por lo tanto, no puedo comparar. Pero el cómic funciona de maravilla, con un final que sorprende, muy bien hilado, y que deja satisfecho. Muy recomendado.
An art collector is found stabbed, drowned in a river with his head bashed in by a rock. Was the man murdered by a jealous husband or jilted lover, or for a lost Monet painting? The story takes place in the village of Giverny, home of Claude Monet and his famous gardens. The mystery itself was interesting, with lots of interludes into Monet's life. I did not see the end coming at all which was a delight. Mysteries rarely surprise me. I'm going to have to read the Michel Bussi novel this was adapted from now.
The book is brilliantly illustrated. It's absolutely gorgeous. Didier Cassegrain paints with a style and color palette reminiscent of Monet's famous water lilies while still maintaining his own flair. I often found myself lost in the art itself.
Received a review copy from Europe Comics and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
4.5★ Black Water Lilies is a crime/mystery graphic novel set in Giverny (the hometown of French impressionist painter Claude Monet).
The story follows the murder and three women, one eleven, the other thirty-six, and the third over eighty years old. Throughout the graphic novel, there is also a theme of Monet’s life, work, and his paintings Water Lilies.
The art is excellent. The colors are like in Monet’s Water Lilies paintings. Highly recommended.
Thanks to Magnetic Press for the ARC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.
Eine gut erzählte und interessant gezeichnete Kriminalgeschichte mit kunsthistorischen Elementen. Die Handlung ist angesiedelt in Giverny und damit natürlich im Dunstkreis des Impressionismus. Also eine Geschichte, die besonders gut funktioniert, wenn sie nicht nur über Text vermittelt wird.
Dass ich nicht die höchste Bewertung vergeben kann, liegt sicher an meiner mangelnden Kenntnis des Genres. Die Überzeichnung der Charaktere gehört sicher genauso zur Graphic Novel wie der leichte Sexismus. Das stelle ich mehr fest als dass ich es ernsthaft kritisiere, aber es fühlt sich dann leider so an, dass ich nicht der Leser (geschweige denn Leserin) bin, an den die Autoren/Zeichner bei ihrer Arbeit dachten.
Es gilt, einen Mord in Giverny aufzuklären, dem Dorf, das Monet mit seinen Seerosen=Bildern weltberühmt gemacht hat. Oder sind es gar mehrere Morde? Die Kriminalgeschichte wird raffiniert erzählt und die Zeichnungen sind wunderschön, die Landschaften im Stile Monets gehalten. Auf der Verlagsseite kann man sich eine Eindruck von der Artwork verschaffen: https://www.splitter-verlag.de/schwar...
Ein wunderbares Leseerlebnis, und bestimmt nicht nur für Comic=Aficionados!
Tres mujeres diferentes tanto física como emocionalmente, pero que comparten un hilo del destino que solo descubriremos hacia el desenlace, detalle que me ha gustado, ya que no me lo esperaba y me gusta ser sorprendida de vez en cuando.
La historia mantiene la intriga a través de sus páginas y si bien se dan pequeñas pistas, quizás puedan pasar desapercibidas. En general la graficación y la forma en que se manejó las escenas ha logrado que el interés no decaiga en ningún momento, me ha gustado mucho.
Este cómic está basado en la novela del mismo título de Michel Bussi.
Este cómic trata sobre la vida de 3 mujeres que viven en Giverny, la localidad en la cual Monet pintó sus Nenúfares y sobre la investigación policiaca de un hombre que aparece asesinado en el río.
Me ha gustado mucho la trama de este cómic y las ilustraciones también están muy bien, me ha dejado con ganas de leer la novela de Bussi.
„Czarne nenufary” to komiksowa adaptacja kryminalnej powieści Michela Bussiego. Akcja rozgrywa się Giverny, w którym część życia spędził Claude Monet i cała strona graficzna komiksu bardzo fajnie nawiązuje do twórczości Moneta. Jestem bystrzachą, ale domyśliłam się rozwiązania dopiero dwie strony przed tym, jak zostało wyjaśnione. Przez całą sobotę chodziłam niespokojna i chciałam się gdzieś z tym komiksem schować przed dzieckiem, żeby dowiedzieć się kto zabił. Dobra rozrywka i miłe doznania estetyczne. Polecam!
(3.5) An atmospheric mystery about several murders in the village made famous by Monet and his waterlilies. I never saw the ending coming; it connects the three main characters nicely and made me want to go back and work out what I had missed. It must have been a challenge for the illustrator (as well as the author of the original novel this is based on) to not give too much away.
Based on the novel of Michel Bussi of the same title, Black Water Lilies is a compelling crime thriller comics featuring three fascinating women. The setting is in the picturesque Giverny, home of the famous gardens of Claude Monet.
I loved how the mystery is somewhat centered on a rumored lost painting of Monet, and how the narrative gave the reader some insight to the artist’s works and history. The art style of the graphic novel more than gave justice to the renowned painter’s as well. I usually encounter dark tones when it comes to reading crime graphic novels, but this one is so colorful and almost whimsical, without sacrificing the suspense and violence (where needed).
This also gave me one of the best plot twists I’ve ever read in a crime novel, one I know I wouldn’t forget even years from now. I would have given this a perfect 5⭐️ rating, but I did feel a bit unsatisfied with one element of the whole story. I couldn’t say which one, specifically, in fear of spoilers. But it has to do with a certain character’s motivations for his/her actions that did not seem clear or well explained to me. I would still say that I am only that more excited to read the original novel to see if I will get more answers from there.
All in all, an awesome work of art and crime mystery that I would recommend to all fans of the genre. Big thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing a copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.
Reading this one I've told myself a lot that this would have done a better novel then a comic. Then I went to review it and realize it's actually an adaptation from a novel... Lucky me, a novel I know want to read! But for this adaptation... well obviously a story that was interesting, but too slow in a comic book format for me. The characters are a bit clichés but nonetheless interesting and I think that an actual novel would bring depth to the them. An overall okay comic, but i think the original work might contain something more, something better, we'll see when I'm done with it!
I’m finding writing this review without spoilers to be very difficult. I will try to keep them as vague as I can.
The plot of Black Water Lilies is a murder that occurs in the town of Givenry. While the victim is a man, the focus of the story is on three women – crone, mother, and maiden. The crone is the “witch” of the village, the mother is a teacher (the stereotype of a sexy teacher is used) , and the maiden is a young girl of almost elven who aspires to be an art student.
To be honest, it is at this point that I almost put down the book. That young girl of almost eleven is described as a woman. The graphic novel starts with the phrase “Three woman lived in Givenry”. The almost eleven year old is at various point in the opening panels drawn as an adult, in adult stylized, slightly sexualized poses. We are told that all boys wanted her to be their girlfriend.
Look, I get France is different and we Americans are supposedly prudish, but there are French women pushing back on the sexualization of young girls -read Consent by Vanessa Springora. And to be fair, the revel of graphic novel – which is clever but doesn’t quite work – makes the comment a little less icky. It also excuses some of the very sexist comments and behavior by the detectives which is very off putting.
Spoiler below
The use of the young girl is also execrated because there is little interaction between any women at all in the book - wouldn’t there be female friends? There is a woman associated with the police but she disappears shortly afterwards and is only there for the men to talk about each other.
But the reveal was clever, and the mystery is interesting. The artwork is wonderful. This graphic novel is based on a best selling French novel.
Enorm onder de indruk van deze beeldroman, gebaseerd op de meermaals bekroonde roman 'Nymphéas Noirs 'van Michel Bussi. Hoewel het verhaal redelijk complex is blijft alles nog goed te volgen. Het spannende moordmysterie blijft van de eerste tot de laatste pagina boeien. Het slot is prachtig... Het tekenwerk tovert de lezer meteen naar Giverny, het Normandische dorpje, waar de tijd lijkt stil te staan. Hoe Cassegrain, deze keer werkend met acrylverf, de geboorteplaats van het impressionisme in beeld brengt wekt veel bewondering op.
Increíble historia. Ya según empiezas el comic con ese color y esos dibujos te invita a ponerte musica alegre y disfrutar de cada pagina. Pero es que según avanzas y van metiendo mas personajes sigues el thriller debatiéndote en quien es el culpable del asesinato. El final no te dejara indiferente. Comic del año podria ser
Je n’ai pas lu le roman du coup je me suis un peu perdue dans cette lecture. La fin m’a tout expliqué ou presque ? Bref, un peu de temps de réflexion est nécessaire !
It's a commendable effort to even try to illustrate a thriller, let alone such a complicated and twisted one as Black Water Lilies. The graphics are beautiful, the panels have been drawn and painted with much effort. But, a lot is left out (understandable). And thereby the entire thrill, which was the essence of the actual novel, is missing.
Stunning artwork, and a clever murder mystery with a twist. The depiction of girls/women wasn't the best, although with few exceptions the boys/men weren't too great either. After a time of wondering where this story was going, the ending surprised me quite a bit.
Content note: Readers may want to be aware going in that
(4,6 of 5 for well-executed comics adaptation - the crime comics from the village of Giverny - the place famous for Monet and his impressionism.) I enjoyed this graphic novel. The story is great, the setting is interesting and the art is very beautiful. Didier Cassegrain did his best and his art helps to feel the place. To transfer the reader somewhere else, both in place and the time. The art balances between simple and precise and I believe he found the right balance. At least for me. I enjoyed how he draws all humans - men, women, kids and elder. It felt very natural with artistic elegance. To Fred Duval, I must make a deep bow. The story is elegant, slow-paced (which fits the life in the village of Giverny), but still thrilling and catching. I enjoyed his storytelling very much, but how he operates with scenes, how he combines different places and parts of the story to slowly spiral all that to the ending is awesome. I enjoyed it very, very much, the mood, the art, the pace and how the story was laid out. I'm impressed, this is fantastic comics. And one thing here in spoiler zone, which is not advised to read if you intend to read it:
My thanks to Europe Comics for a temporary digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Black Water Lilies’ with script by Fred Duval and Michel Bussi and art by Didier Cassegrain in exchange for an honest review. It was translated from the French by Edward Gauvin.
This graphic novel is based on the 2011 bestselling French novel by Michel Bussi.
“Three willful women: one old wicked, one young and selfish, and the third in the prime of her life. A man murdered three ways: stabbed, bludgeoned, and drowned in a stream. The mystery brings brash young Inspector Laurenç to the postcard-perfect Norman village of Giverny, home to Impressionist Claude Monet’s gardens and studio. Like any small town, Giverny has its secrets.”
This proved an interesting mystery one of those best approached avoiding spoilers. The title comes from a rumoured lost Monet titled ‘Black Water Lilies’.
Michel Bussi writes at the end: “My ‘Black Water Lilies’ were said to be unadaptable ... but Fred Duval’s subtle script and Didier Cassegrain’s delicate artwork prove quite the opposite. This graphic novel is a dream come true,”
While I am not familiar with the original I am very fond of mysteries linked to art and was certainly intrigued by the story. The artwork was stunning, very much capturing a sense of the timelessness of Monet’s work. The combination of sparse words and the art creates a dreamlike quality to the tale.
I have since ordered a copy of the novel and look forward to reading it, even knowing the outcome.
To be honest, I gave this story a 4/5 the first time because of peer pressure. Now I can finally admit that I kind of hate it. It's meandering and deceitful. Reading it while knowing the twist shows you that.
However, this graphic novel is beautiful. The artwork is amazing and the story has way less fat. I still hate the story - but this was a good adaptation.
8'5/10. Me ha gustado mucho este thriller intimista en una ubicación tan bucólica. Me encanta que me sorprendan dejando los cabos atados y estando al caso de todos los detalles, y en este caso los autores lo han conseguido. Muy recomendable.
Nie dość, że sama fabuła jest świetna, a czytelnik do końca nie jest pewny jak się te puzzle ułożą, to towarzyszy jej fantastyczna oprawa graficzna z przecudną kolorystyką. "Czarne nenufary" to komiksowa interpretacja słynnej powieści kryminalnej Bussiego, ale i bez jej znajomości dzieło Duvala jest czymś zamkniętym i kompletnym. Działa na mnie jego intertekstualność, kontekst wielkiej sztuki w tle, która jednak nie zamazuje głównego wątku i zagadki, jaką powoli rozwiązujemy. Podoba mi się cała ta dekoracja z bardzo hermetycznym miasteczkiem, na pozór najpiękniejszym miejscem na ziemi, a w istocie duszną przestrzenią, skrywającą swe mroczne tajemnice. "Wszyscy jesteśmy częścią tego obrazu" mówi w pewnym momencie jedna z bohaterek i ten kontekst meta też jest tu bardzo ciekawy, bo tak naprawdę czyta się to jakby się patrzyło na obraz - historie dziejące się w różnych okresach czasu widziane równocześnie i na jednej płaszczyźnie. Koniecznie
I haven't read Bussi's novel that Duval and Cassegrain are adapting here, but I can understand why it has pretty good ratings, as it sure seems like an evocative and enchanting mystery with some good twists and turns.
And, of course, when the story gets reimagined by such an artist like Cassegrain is, the graphic novel final product is close to a masterpiece. Most gorgeous art that I have seen in a while, those pencils are sublime.
Questa graphic novel è un sogno che diventa realtà. Michel Bussi
Felice per lui e buon per noi lettori che, grazie a queste tavole stupende, possiamo dare un volto ai personaggi, nonché rivivere ed apprezzare la bellezza dei luoghi, le atmosfere ovattate e accattivanti, oltre che la genialità di questo romanzo. Ottimo 👏
Me ha encantado el final, la historia es algo farragosa pero merece la pena. Mantiene la intriga y está bien hilado. El estilo del dibujo me ha encantado, los tonos y trazos con esa inspiración impresionista hacen un guiño perfecto a Monet y sus nenúfares.