Géants aux pieds d’argile

by Alain Chevarier, Mark McGuire

Situé dans le quartier de la Petite-Italie à Montréal, ce récit aux enjeux familiaux contemporains est une méditation tragi-comique sur la masculinité et les problèmes qui en découlent à travers une histoire impactant trois générations. L’accumulation de traumatismes hérités du passé rend volatile la vie familiale pour Pat et Mathieu. Quand c’est le moment d’être présent pour s’occuper de leurs familles, Pat et Mathieu ont de la difficulté à trouver l’équilibre. Leurs conjointes gagnent plus d’argent qu’eux et voyagent constamment. Ces quarantenaires doivent donc assumer un rôle qui traditionnellement était réservé à la femme, c’est-à-dire s’occuper de la maison et des enfants.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Bande Dessinée, Graphic Novels Comics, War, Mental Health, Family

264 pages, Hardcover

First published October 25, 2022

Reviews

[ari ୨♡୧ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite my best efforts, I found it challenging to immerse myself in this story. While the overall message is great, the journey through it didn't resonate with me, both in terms of storytelling and art style.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for the opportunity to read this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review!

[Bibliomaniaque · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une lecture qui m'a happée. J'ai été agréablement surprise! Les émotions transmises, la détresse des personnages, leur vécu qui, parfois, résonnait en moi. J'ai beaucoup aimé!

[Jennifer Clunan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intime,
Bouleversant et
Remplie de compassion.

[Paz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for the advanced e-copy.

3.75 stars

This is a story about fatherhood, generational trauma and the journey of self-exploration.
It's about Pat, a father of two, currently on a sabbatical leave for a year. His wife is often travelling for work, so Pat is trying to balance being a stay at home dad while researching. At the beginning of the novel Pat receives a box from his estranged father, a Vietnam veteran, with a bunch of slides from his time in the army. This starts an almost obsession for Pat.
His father is an alcoholic who never gave Pat the time of day. He is aggressive, and resentful, and a mystery to Pat. Especially because Pat is starting to see the same anger in himself. Sometimes he loses his patience and yells at his kids. Sometimes he starts to resent his wife's career and success. So Pat is afraid, because he thinks his anger might be inherited from his father. From his time at war. He wants answers for the dark times, so he starts to pursue his dad's past to get the answers for the present and a solution for the future. However, life is not that simple.

I really liked this graphic novel. You never know if something will escalate, if Pat's anger will really take a hold of him.
Pat has a friend, Mathieu, who is Pat's confidant and support when things at home get hard. They both bond over fatherhood, and Mathieu offers a new perspective which often feels refreshing.
They are the self insert of both authors, and their scenes are a highlight in this book.

This book has interesting conversations about trauma, and what one inherits from our parents, and grandparents. But it doesn't deliver many answers. Mostly, because that's not really how real life works.

There are some things I wish Clay Footed Giants would have explored more. Like Pat's relationship with his wife. There are more than a few scenes between them arguing because of Pat neglecting his family, even messing with her work, yet there's never a big scene of reconciliation or of Pat even apologising. I also wish we could have gotten more of Pat's mother. I think she offered a very important perspective in Pat's journey for answers. And though there is a pretty good scene with them, I wish she had more to say overall.

[Kiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense but it hooked and drew me right in. Realistic portrayal of dealing with familial trauma, parenting, and relationships.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up.
Clay Footed Giants is about two dads who assume a more prominent parenting role in their child’s life’s due to their wife’s working. Both men have past trauma that they are trying to work through, and are struggling taking care of their kids.

I have a few thoughts on this book. I did not like the many different stereotypes being thrown into the book. I also did not like the main character pat, as I found his complaining about taking care of his kids and then going on to neglect them, insufferable. I also thought the story had drastic jumps in setting that could become a little confusing. Overall this book was pretty good and I really liked the illustrations.

Thank you netgalley and MadCave Studios for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely well-meaning but -- and I hate to use this word because of the way it's morphed so far from its more neutral original meaning -- problematic.

Pat is a 40-something American academic living in Montreal. His wife Ester has an important job, so he does his fair share of housework while they raise their two children. He's recently started dreaming again about being a basketball star as he was in college, even as his good friend Mathieu tries to get him to join Mathieu's own far less competitive sports league.

Because the nature of her job requires travel, Ester has to go away for a few days for work. As he's minding the kids solo, Pat loses his temper at his youngest, Sam, for going through a box of slides Pat's dad recently sent him. In order to make up for turning into a grizzly bear, Pat shows the slides to his kids, and finds himself drawn into their portrayal of his father as a decorated young soldier home from Vietnam. His dad has never wanted to talk about that time in his life, preferring to drink instead of engage in meaningful conversation. His mother isn't much better, weighed down as she is by a burden of shame around her failed marriage to his dad and the circumstances surrounding it.

But when Sam gets into a fight at kindergarten one day, Pat begins to wonder whether the anger he and his father both carry around in them is perhaps hereditary via epigenetics. Soon, his interest in finding out what really happened to his dad in Vietnam turns into an obsession that threatens to destroy the very family he claims to be trying to protect. Will Pat be able to reconcile his past with his present in order to save his and his children's futures?

So this all sounds terrific: I am always for people really coming to terms with their traumas and the cruelties inflicted on them by their pasts and upbringings in order to work on themselves and how they treat other people in turn. But oh my God, Pat was so infuriating for so much of the book. While he comes by his flaws honestly -- his parents are disasters who can barely take care of themselves, much less raise kind, confident kids -- it still makes for exasperating reading when he's such a weirdo to his own wife and kids. It's awesome that he does his share of the housework, but he takes an almost passive-aggressive pride in being inefficient at most of it, as if that then justifies his frustration at having to do the work at all. Like, you either need to get good or stop being so uptight about stuff like asking for help (but also his youngest is in kindergarten, so how many years has he had to practice?!)

Mathieu, by contrast, is far more well-adjusted when his performer wife has to take off for days, if not weeks, to pursue her career. I just feel that, in the grand old year of 2024, it's odd to see men want to be applauded for things women have done for centuries. Why should I pretend to appreciate their discovery that traditionally female roles have sucked since time immemorial? Can't we just appreciate that it's better for the person more suited to the role to take it on, even if it means the mortification of the ego for the common good? And can't we then work together to make all roles more fulfilling and respected? Patriarchy has long undervalued traditionally female pursuits, and while it's nice to see men finally understand that these jobs are hard and often thankless, the best way to deal with this is to try to elevate everyone in your situation, not whine about how you're the one in that position now.

My best girl texted me just yesterday that "[we] need to stop worrying about hurting [the feelings of] the fragile white men in our lives" and this book reinforced that in a way that I'm not sure the creators intended. Yes, I'm sympathetic to your experiences, but no, I don't think they make you special. I'm guessing Clay Footed Giants is just not meant For Me but would land better perhaps with men chafing against not taking dominant roles approved by the patriarchy (looking at you, Cannon.) This book does suggest that the enforcement of those roles only leads to broken, unhappy people and relationships, which: true. And I very much appreciated the inclusion of Bobbi's prescient warnings about taking epigenetics too, too seriously as a determinative factor.

Some of the blame for the awkwardness of this narrative lies in a number of weird chapter transitions, and possibly translation choices. Readers are forced to guess the where and who of the particulars far too often, which makes for a confusing read. That aside, the pencil art is quite good, and the inclusion of the photographs inspired. I just feel like the story isn't complete yet, not until Pat (i.e. Mark McGuire, one of the co-authors) has a few more years of reflection under his belt. As a graphic novel inspired by their own lives, this book is laudable but feels a little undercooked. I'd definitely be interested in hearing how the creators feel after more time has elapsed and they've been able to grapple with the fallout from the events chronicled here better.

Clay Footed Giants by Alain Chevarier & Mark McGuire was published October 8 2024 by Mad Cave Studios and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!

This review originally appeared at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.

[Jason Paré · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une oeuvre abordant la question de masculinité de manière juste et nuancée. Très intéressante lecture. Pour lire ma critique complète : https://journalmetro.com/culture/2972...

[Aurélie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Histoire très intime sur la continuité intergénérationnelle des traumas qui m’a particulièrement touchée. Les émotions sont justes et la détresse des personnages est heurtante!

L’histoire est à la fois porteuse d’espoir, ce qui fait un grand bien!

[Kimberlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to begin with saying that there might have been pages missing from my e-arc and I can normally look past that, but I was unable to determine if those missing pages were meant to be missing or if it was just a mistake. A couple of them happened at what I would say were pivotal moments in the book.

How far back does trauma go and is it built into your dna or a product of the human condition. Clay Footed Giants follows two dads as they take care of their family, take on traditionally female roles, and try to understand how their past has molded their present. While the story follows two friends Pat and Matthieu, most of the book is dedicated to Pat's struggles with parenthood. He's a researcher on sabbatical, but finds out that taking care of his kids is more difficult than he imagined, especially when his wife starts going on more and more business trips. He also struggles with a deep rage inside him that he fears might bubble over and hurt his children just like his dad's drunken anger harmed Pat and his brother Rand as children. Pat thinks maybe finding out why his father is the way he is might be the key to unlocking everything. Meanwhile Matthieu is dealing with the realization that his dreams might be forever on the back burner, sacrificed let his wife's career succeed and to be a stay at home dad.

Clay Footed Giants asks that important questions: What is generational trauma? How does it change our perceptions on gender roles, parenthood, sobriety, and just living? How hard is it to break the chain? How do we navigate the anger within ourselves when you don't know it's starting place? I think is probably an important introspective look on all of those things.

[Abbie Chesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story examines the effects of generational trauma, toxic masculinity, parenting, gender roles, and mental health as we follow Pat on his self reflection journey. Clay Footed Giants is perfect for those looking to reconnect and heal their past with some of the most important and destructive people, parents.

Clay Footed Giants, a shortish, 2024 graphic novel by Alain Chevarier and Mark McGuire that follows Pat, a father raising his two children with his wife. Pat comes from a troubled, and traumatic family background and he worries he will turn out like his alcoholic war vet father. After his father sends him a box of old photographs, Pat tries to piece together the pieces of his fathers life to help him understand himself better. I appreciated, as I would hope others, seeing such a story come to life and it was well suited for the graphic novel medium. Seeing a parent, let alone a father deal with the trauma of their past was deeply cathartic for me personally but also was eye opening into the experiences of fathers and parents.

The story isn’t afraid to go to the dark places, and it doesn’t try to soften the main character Pat to be more palatable to us. Pat is a pretty awful husband and father when we first meet him, and the story and plot doesn’t try to hide it. One of my favorite things about this graphic novel is the visuals. The drawings are in all pencils that rely on high contrasts to convey meaning. This leads to lots of visceral effects since you can often feel the characters moods and emotions coming off the page. A recurring visual used is of Pat, his father, and his son Sam shaded all the way in to show how they are “filled” with anger and other traits of toxic masculinity.

[des · Rating 2 out of 5]

A graphic novel discussing the clasic debate of nature vs nurture, but on the topics of trauma and fatherhood. Of course, trauma is inherited. In the children of Holocaust survivors and their offspring their brains resembled the brain chemistry and makeup of a person who underwent trauma, despite not being directly exposed to it.

Trauma alters your brain, behaviors, DNA etc. So of course, offspring of slaves, Holocaust survivors, domestic violence survivors etc are more susceptible. One could argue nature vs nature, in which it's more of a matter of nature, but in Pat's case it could be nature too. If trauma remains unaddressed, it can be harmful, but even if it is addressed, there's nothing you can do to prevent on an onset of mental illness if the gene is present.

Also in Pat's case, this seems to be the issue hence, when put in an environment (nature) with a stressful situation (raising his kids most of the time while Ester was gone). Therefore, the trauma responses from his dad, (and if he does have an illness), is almost given permission to become present according to the diathesis stress model. In this case, the behaviors from his dad (which I'm sure is a trauma response) are the same behaviors Pat is sometimes tempted to follow through on.

This book made me think a lot. A bit too pretentious at some times, but mainly underwhelming. Thank God he didn't turn this into a film. I also had trouble getting into the book until about 55% in. I also struggled to pay attention a lot because the art, which I felt could of been more engaging. It was so smoky and lacking detail a lot of the time. I had trouble figuring out what was going on in some panels.

[Matt Graupman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel it's important that I preface my review by saying that I (a) was a stay-at-home dad for many years, caring for my young sons while my wife worked hard to provide for us, and (b) I struggled for years with my mental health, which manifested as rage, irritability, depression, and self-loathing. With all that said, I LOVED "Clay Footed Giants" for its unflinching exploration of a lot of the issues I've dealt with in the past. I know the driving force of this graphic novel is Pat's desire to understand his father's past better and reckon with generational trauma, but it was the other stuff that really resonated with me: the selfishness of letting household obligations slide, the difficulty of maintaining adult friendships, the oppressive weight of feeling unfulfilled, etc. Is Pat an unsufferable prick? Yeah, absolutely, at times. Did I see myself in him? More than I'd care to admit. "Clay Footed Giants" is just SO raw and vulnerable and it really took me back to some dark places; I can definitely understand how that might be really difficult for some readers. I have nothing but admiration, though, for the creators' - Mark McGuire (co-writer) and Alain Chevarier (co-writer/artist) - willingness to let their readers get uncomfortable and wallow in some really important issues (it helps, of course, that Chevarier's diaristic drawings are absolutely gorgeous). I got this book from the library but it's definitely one I'm going to buy to have a copy in my collection.

Last thing: therapy is so, SO important and I encourage everyone - men, women, everyone - to seek help when they need it. Mental health is health.

[MaguiWorld · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Clay Footed Giants" es una novela gráfica que aborda el trauma familiar y su impacto en la crianza. Aunque la trama sigue a dos padres, Pat y Matthieu, la historia se centra en las luchas internas de Pat, quien, mientras cuida a sus hijos, enfrenta la ira heredada de su propio padre. La obra explora el debate entre naturaleza y crianza, sugiriendo que el trauma puede heredarse. El estilo de arte y la narrativa hicieron que me resultara un poco difícil de conectar, sin embargo la historia ofrece una representación realista y poderosa de la paternidad y las relaciones familiares.

Siento que no fue una novela gráfica para mi, pero que a su vez nos muestra otras realidades y esta bueno leerlas y charlarlas. No todas las lecturas van a ser comodas o nos permiten seguir en nuestra zona de confort. Personalmente no llegué a conectar con la historia pero tambien considero que podría ser una lectura interesante para muchas personas.

Gracias Mad Cave Studios por el ejemplar en digital que leí a través de NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you netgalley and MadCave Studios for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

This graphic novel is so intense, insightful and thematically strong that I almost found myself taking notes, trying to figure it all out. The structure is a bit chaotic and hard to follow, but I guess it’s in line with the complexity of the story itself, mixing trauma, history, family issues, masculinity and fatherhood. Did I like all the conclusions it drew? No, but since it’s autobiographical, I take the experience as it is.

It may be the right pick for you if you liked Maus by Art Spiegelman, for its recollection of the horrors of the war from a generational points of view. However, it lacks Spiegelman's ability to be clear and concise despite the layers and complexity of the events. It makes sense: as I mentioned earlier, the focus in Clay Footed Giants is trauma while Maus deals mostly with memory.

[Justin Reedmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting character study on inherited familial trauma, and modern fatherhood. The book has some lofty goals, but doesn't seem quite willing to push the bar far enough to reach them, content rather to wade in the shallow end of analyzing the lives, families, and traumas of the one main character in particular, while feeling like it thinks it's saying more than it is. The thought is there, but the result, isn't quite.

The art is a soft and stylistic use of heavy pencils in a loose cartoonist style that works well to juxtapose the heaviness the material tries to contain.

ARC provided by NetGalley & Mad Cave Studios

[Ali Suchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clay-Footed Giants was one of the best graphic novels I have read in a long time. "A tragicomic meditation on masculinity, violence, and parenthood." (taken from the Goodreads description). During my undergrad years, I read a lot about toxic masculinity and feminism. Without going to deep into the subject, I think this is one of the best books I have ever read that addresses the dad-life struggle of dealing with trauma, toxic masculinity, and breaking the cycle. I highly recommend this book. The only downside to it is that some of the translations read a bit weird, but I was easily able to look past it.

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving story about a man who is determined to discover the truth about his father’s role in the Vietnam war. Pat struggles with parenting and the pressures on his family. He believes the root to the darkness in his life is caused by the violence in his father’s life as a soldier in Vietnam but he faces frustration when trying to discover the truth from his own parents. Together with his best friend the two men confront the intergenerational trauma in their lives, seeking healing and a hopeful future for their own children.

This is a story about recovery and healing, illustrated in some excellent artwork.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book from Mad Cave Studios through the PW’s Grab a Galley promotion. I was immersed in this tragicomic from beginning to end. It is a style of literature I find truly compelling. I enjoyed the storyline of generational trauma, war, and PTSD. However, I found the main character Pat to be egocentric, and I disliked how he didn’t like watching his kids while his wife was on business and he continually neglected his kids to let his wife pick up the pieces. I get this happens in the real world, but this story has no remorse to these actions. Thank you Mad Cave for the immersive read.

[Ande Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clay Footed Giants is an interesting graphic novel that delves into inherited trauma, and its effects on the descendants of war veterans. I felt like it explored this topic really well, & I loved how much it made me think about trauma and how influencing that can be throughout generations.

Personally, I was less in love with the illustration style than many graphic novels, but that is just a personal preference. Thanks to NetGalley, Alain Chevarier, and Mad Cave Studios for the chance to read and review.

[Ampersand Inc. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not expect that one of the lead sub-sub- graphic novel genres of 2024 would be authors writing about their own journey of understanding of their father’s journey of understanding with inherited trauma for the Vietnam war, a micro-genre populated by this title and THE HEART THAT FED. I think that THE HEART THAT FED is the better of the two, due to the quality of the art and the way in which they approach the nuance of trauma, but in art and in narrative CLAY FOOTED GIANTS has a simple approach that is very emotionally impactful.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*

This graphic novel centers on intergenerational trauma, grief, and the protagonist's hyperfocus on getting answers when sometimes there aren't any (or aren't any satisfying ones, anyway). I really enjoyed the art, but at times found the story a little heavy-handed and repetitive. Still, I'd definitely be interested in McGuire's others works.

[Teresa Larson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m all for a good story about brave people taking on their Stuff (especially men trying to live life against the grain of the patriarchy), but ya still gotta take some accountability for the ways your behavior impacts others. Pat never got around to apologizing to his wife, Esther, for the ways his (unintentional) weaponized incompetence and dishonesty impacted her life and that infuriates me too much to see anything else. Giving it an extra star because I didn’t hate the artwork.

[Teresa Fales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clay Footed Giants is an exploration of what it means to be a man in the modern age as well as the generational effects of trauma. It is not a light read, but definitely worthwhile. The graphic novel format helps to balance the heavy subject and gives the reader room to process and consider the story. (I received a digital copy through Publisher's Weekly's Grab a Galley giveaway.)

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit, I read the Foreword and almost put it down. But I'm glad I didn't - this book isn't just "what makes a man?" It's a struggle of how to be a proper member of a family when everything seems to be falling apart, including the past you thought you knew.
We 'stand on the shoulders of giants', after all.
Thank you for the ARC!

[Sophy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about a couple of men who are helping their spouses with the kids and feeling the pressures of raising their kids while having a working spouse. They're also finding out if their parent's trauma was passed down to them, and struggle with this info and their own issues.

[mars (cringe failwife) · Rating 4 out of 5]

really really really loved the art. there’s one page that is just a full color real life picture that was super striking. i learned a lot, too, about parenthood and vietnam veterans and intergenerational trauma. very cool

[Laura J Carroll · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeeeahh no I did not warm to the central figures in this story. Like a made for TV movie about men’s issues. This made it difficult to appreciate other aspects of the book. The drawings aren’t bad. Perhaps I’m just not the ideal reader.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting graphic novel covering some of the problems of the impact of post traumatic stress after returning from war on soldiers and their families. Along with the corresponding repercussions of family violence. Translated from Canadian French.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this from the library New Books section. I enjoyed it, was a little dramatic at times but overall connected with the dad/husband dynamics.