After months of inquiring in almost every branch of Powerbooks and Fully Booked, I finally obtained a copy of "Good-bye Chunky Rice" through special order. It is the first graphical novel book by Craig Thompson, most known through his latest graphical work entitled "Blankets". The plot of "Good-bye Chunky Rice" is described in the fold of its front cover as:
Mister Chunky Rice be living in the same rooming house likewise myself, only that boy be restless. Looking for something. And he puts hisself on my brother Chuck's ship and boats out to sea to find it. Only he be departin' from his bestest of all friends, his deer mouse, I mean, mouse deer chum Dandel.
Now why in a whirl would someone leave beyond a buddy? Just what be that turtle lad searchings for? I said you best read the book to find out. Merle said, "Doot doot."
No, those are not typographical errors. That's just how one of the characters in the book speaks. And yes, it's about a turtle and a mouse dear… looks more like a children's comic? Don't be fooled, it's loaded with sentimentality that will appeal to any adult who has experienced separation from a dear and loving friend.
After settling down from the excitement of finally having the pleasure of reading this book with my own eyes (my Thompson collection is at last complete!), little did I know I was in for an emotional ride, how much the story (which I suspect is based on Craig's own life experiences, only unlike in his work in "Blankets", these bits are camouflaged behind the endearing cute characters) reflects my own recent experiences. Great timing...
In the story, Chunky Rice decides to leave home to look for something. But every time he is asked what he is looking for, he replies with this:"I don't know…" He seems undecided but he is sure that he needs to look for it, whatever it is. And in order for him to do this, he has to leave everything he has grown familiar with, his belongings and even his best(est) friend, Dandel. Both of them suffer from this, how everything that seemed familiar, suddenly grow with meaning because of their sentimental value… but at the same time becomes meaningless because of each other's absence.
There are other characters who also reflect different levels of separation, acceptance and loneliness. There's Solomon, who suffers from an unforgettable childhood trauma involving his brother and pet dog, and then finds peace while taking care of an injured bird, Merle. Expectedly, the bird regains the strength of her wings, and flies away. There's this Siamese twin conjoined at the torso sharing vital organs leaving the option of separation impossible. Then there's Chuck, the captain of the ship, who tries to cope up with past issues with his brother and braves a storm. Their lives intertwine. Every frame resonates with symbolism and emotion (be careful, some scenes are bound to pull heartstrings… I found myself crying in more than one). Craig Thompson's art is delightful, and if you like his style, you are in for an eye-treat.
It's a thought provoking book…critiques even describe it as "an alternative-comics answer to Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince." You may end up asking yourself the very question the book poses. Why would you leave the things that you are most familiar with? I need to grow, move on, heal, hope once more… Sometimes, letting go helps you accept that things just cannot be, that you can't have everything… As Leo Buscaglia would say, "Why hold on the very thing which keeps you from hope and love?"…Letting go may even be the only way you can say that you love someone…
I won't reveal the ending of the book (if it really does end, I also won't tell). "Doot doot!" (the sound) for me represents things that are best unsaid. Though it's a sound commonly associated with censoring words that are not meant to be heard, we must realize that this attempt at concealment also reveals itself… we eventually understand what's behind "doot doot", its real meaning. I would rather use the words "Mizpah" a Hebrew word meant to represent the emotional bond between people who are separated (either physically or by death): "The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another…"
Here's my tribute to Craig Thompson's work… I just couldn't help it…
Legilimens 2 coming up soon…
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