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Fax From Sarajevo by Joe Kubert
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Fax From Sarajevo (edition 1998)

by Joe Kubert, Joe Kubert

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
2017133,991 (3.98)5
The astonishing true story of a family in Sarajevo, Bosnia, trapped in a city under siege as war and genocide rage around them, with only a fax machine to communicate. On the receiving end of these faxes from his trapped friend, Kubert brilliantly illustrates their struggle toward freedom against the worst kind of odds. It's the tale of a very real war, told from the perspective of innocent victims, but it s also full of strength, survival, and love.… (more)
Member:TheMadTurtle
Title:Fax From Sarajevo
Authors:Joe Kubert
Other authors:Joe Kubert
Info:Dark Horse (1998), Edition: 1, Paperback, 224 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:*****
Tags:Graphic Novel, Autographed

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Fax from Sarajevo by Joe Kubert (Author)

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Showing 1-5 of 7 (next | show all)
Impactful story of trying to get out of war-torn Sarajevo back in the 90s. ( )
  kslade | Dec 8, 2022 |
This memoir deals with how a comics writer dealt with living in Sarajevo, Bosnia, during the war in—and invasion of—former Yugoslavia.

His family is, like the rest of the population of Sarajevo, under constant attacks which are perpetrated by Serbs. Say what you want about the war and invasion, but the Serbs are The Evil.

I've no qualms with somebody recanting their story. I mean, this story is theirs both in what I surmise is their truths and their memory. The main problem I have with this book is that the author has written a story that is so filled with minimalistic constant that it is extremely hard to digest.

An example: a father gets ready to go buy bread for his family. He kisses his wife. He kisses his kids. He says goodbye to a micro utopia. He leaves his family's home for his city square. The city square is bombed to shreds by Serb and the man dies. The family is displayed in tatters, crying, with an outro text saying 'war is Hell'.

Next story: an old man gets ready to leave his home to get food from a UN truck. He envisages freedom, daydreams a Serb-free existence where they are not, for Serbs are Evil. The man walks out and sees the UN truck. Serb-infested arms explode into combat, repelling the UN troops while killing the poor old man. An outro text says 'Beware of Evil Serbs!'.

OK, the examples are made by me, not to invoke pity—I'm of Serbian heritage—but to emphasise that the book should have been edited a lot harder to make it breathe. The entire book is filled with utterly horrible stories but the style is ultimately what ruins this book. I fully accept the contents of the book and absolutely agree that Serbs committed atrocities during the civil war. The style of this book drips of pity-invoking scenes that, early on, invites antipathy; it's a shame, for this story could have been wondrously told.

The illustrations are old-school US-style: sharp imagery of the old biff-boom-bang style abound. No nuance, all contrast.

I wish this book had been tightly edited to highlight tension and make it nuanced; even though war can be one-sided, this book is, simply put, far too simple to engage me and think it's a human experience that's not absolutely lopsided.

PS. The atrocities committed by NATO, the USA, the UN, Croatia, and even Bosnia, aren't in this book. ( )
  pivic | Mar 21, 2020 |
It is still very rare, even in an era of instant communication, to get updates and reports from someone living in a war zone; someone trying to survive as an ordinary person. Not a soldier, not a war correspondent, but an average person caught up in events as horrifying as can be imagined. A snail's eye view of the Bosnian conflict, trying to endure and escape hostile combatants and uncaring bureaucracies. ( )
  BruceCoulson | Apr 3, 2014 |
a touching, distressing chronicle of the Bosnian war--but I really didn't care for the artist's style. ( )
  thatotter | Feb 4, 2014 |
Reading this graphic novel from 1996, about the 1992-93 Siege of Sarajevo, brought back a lot of memories. The Bosnian conflict was terrible, but it's over now and we've seen worse since: Rwanda, War on Terror, Iraq War. The outrage inherit in the novel feels distant, and the black and white politics slightly suspicious; the graphic art is GI Joe and the dialogue equally simple. The best part though are the faxes, which are real, the actual written words of someone who was experiencing the events day to day, communicating via fax what was happening. The artwork is a supplement to help bring it alive. This use of multimedia is effective and the true story a reminder of how terrible it was. ( )
  Stbalbach | Feb 25, 2011 |
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Epigraph
"Sarajevo's climate is very continental, with a short, hot summer, when nights are still cold due to the constant breeze coming from the surrounding mountains. Winters are rich with snow, from November until April. Snow has been recorded in June - a fact which can be found in old Sarajevo chronicles. War so far hasn't changed the climate. The moon is still shining, the sun rises, rains fall, and it snows, too." - From Sarajevo Survival Guide
Dedication
this book is dedicated to Karim Zaimovic
First words
Dear Jo & Muriel, Although the situation in Bosnia is not clear and calm at all, I decided to go back home and will leave on Sunday morning, by car, together with Butzo, my assistant, who came here two weeks ago to help me finish the last things and pack up for the trip.
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The astonishing true story of a family in Sarajevo, Bosnia, trapped in a city under siege as war and genocide rage around them, with only a fax machine to communicate. On the receiving end of these faxes from his trapped friend, Kubert brilliantly illustrates their struggle toward freedom against the worst kind of odds. It's the tale of a very real war, told from the perspective of innocent victims, but it s also full of strength, survival, and love.

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