The Tale of One Bad Rat

by Bryan Talbot

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: The Tale of One Bad Rat (1-4)

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483	21	51,278	(3.97)	44
Helen Potter lived a happy life until she got lost in a nightmare of sexual abuse. Now she's on a journey, a journey which takes her through urban and rural England along the same path that another Potter, Beatrix Potter, once took. Across the decades, two lives touch, and Helen discovers that the strength of two is far greater than one. Bryan Talbot constructs a very special story in The Tale of One Bad Rat which immediately endears the reader. The victim of child sexual abuse, Helen Potter becomes the armored knight before her own personal demons in this story of heroism and courage.… (more)

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This is a very dark graphic novel about healing from abuse and the power art and literature can have through that process. (

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auldhouse | Oct 28, 2023 |

Good, but a little too didactic for me. (

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morbusiff | Sep 20, 2018 |

I figured this for one of those graphic novels that starts off depressing and gets even more so, but this book actually had an uplifting ending. The art surprised me. I don't like how Bryan Talbot draws people, but his illustrations of the English Lakeside District were beautiful. His story, of a runaway girl dealing with her past of sexual abuse, was meaningful and poignant.

aratiel | Sep 5, 2018 |

Great little story, I liked the art style and the connection to Beatrix Potter, but it did feel a little rushed. The ending especially felt a bit forced and unrealistic; the dialogue in Helen's confrontation with her father felt like it had just been copy-pasted from a psychologist's book on child abuse. Not that I'm an expert, but it seemed to me to be a pretty unrealistic depiction of the way an actual victim of child abuse would talk or act. (

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plumtingz | Dec 14, 2017 |

Helen Potter is a homeless runaway teen in England. She's escaped her sexually abusive father and takes refuge with her Beatrix Potter books and sketches. Memory flashbacks haunt her daily. She's taken in by fellow street kids but takes off when one their cats kills her beloved pet rat. She ends up in the countryside of the English Lake District where she's taken in by a kindly couple who run a restaurant. Helen would be content to stay there forever but realizes she must first confront her father.

Salsabrarian | Feb 2, 2016 |

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This graphic novel is one of the classics, a book that speaks to everyone and demonstrates the maturity of the medium. Its beauty encourages the spirit, providing hope for growth while overcoming a terrible past.

added by lampbane | editComics Worth Reading, Johanna Draper Carlson (Jul 19, 2006)

▾Other authors

» Add other authors

Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Bryan Talbot	—	primary author	all editions	calculated
Adair, Lynn	Editor	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Gogolin, Brian	Designer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Hansom, Dick	Editor	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Stradley, Randy	Editor	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Villa, Mickie	Designer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

▾Series and work relationships

Belongs to Series

The Tale of One Bad Rat (1-4)

Contains

The Tale of One Bad Rat: Book 1 by Bryan Talbot

The Tale of One Bad Rat: Book 2 by Bryan Talbot

The Tale of One Bad Rat: Book 3 by Bryan Talbot

The Tale of One Bad Rat: Book 4 by Bryan Talbot

▾Awards and Honors

Awards

Eisner Award (Nominee – Best Graphic Album - Reprint – 1996)

Otherwise Award (Long list – 1997)

Prix Bédélys (Bédélys Trémolo – 1999)

Squiddy Award (Reprint Collection – 1995)

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Canonical title

The Tale of One Bad Rat

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

People/Characters

Important places

Hill Top Farm, Sawrey, Cumbria, England, UK

Lake District, Cumbria, England, UK

London, England, UK

Important events

Related movies

Epigraph

Dedication

for Mary

First words

Once upon a time, there was a very bad rat...

Quotations

Last words

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Original language

Canonical DDC/MDS

Canonical LCC

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▾Book descriptions

Helen Potter lived a happy life until she got lost in a nightmare of sexual abuse. Now she's on a journey, a journey which takes her through urban and rural England along the same path that another Potter, Beatrix Potter, once took. Across the decades, two lives touch, and Helen discovers that the strength of two is far greater than one. Bryan Talbot constructs a very special story in The Tale of One Bad Rat which immediately endears the reader. The victim of child sexual abuse, Helen Potter becomes the armored knight before her own personal demons in this story of heroism and courage.

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Book description

A dark, blunt look at a homeless girl, Helen; the abuse that got her there, and the experiences and people that help improve her life.

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