Good-Bye, Chunky Rice

This short graphic novel is surprisingly sweet, poignant, and sad... all at the same time. There are themes of child abuse, love, loneliness, friendship, all tied together by a restless turtle who needs to leave his small town and the love of his life.

Where this book shines is its sparse story - while it is emotionally complete, the reader fills in the back story, interpreting it through their own experiences. It takes a very skilled author/illustrator to do this.

There are difficult scenes - for example, getting rid of unwanted puppies, or being left behind by older siblings. It is very heartbreaking at some points - but it is also joyful. Just as the story is at its lowest, hope is added, emphasizing that life is life, and there is show more always a bright spot.

If you read "Blankets" by the same author, this story has a number of themes that reappear in the later graphic novel. It feels like Craig Thompson was using this book as a template for the later volume, but in a fantasy world setting, rather than the semi-autobiographical story that was written later.

Highly recommended. show less

I read Blankets before I read any of Craig Thompson's other works and was blown away by his story telling and his art style. So I was eager to read "Good-Bye, Chunky Rice," which is Thompson's first graphic novel. And...it's clear that this is his first published work. I know, I know it's an award winner but at times the story doesn't flow as smoothly as it could between bouncing back and forth between the boat, the shore, and the past. But...if you ignore this uneven flow for a moment, if you look at what Craig is trying to convey--that sense of loss, of friendship, of hope, of trying to find that place that you fit in --then he excels at capturing these poignant feelings like no one else. Does the uneven flow still affect the story? A show more little bit, but the feelings that Craig accurately captures, both written word and drawn, are so much more amazing and make the book a joy. It's not one that everyone will like and it may take a couple of reads, but it's well worth it. show less

Good-bye, Chunky Rice is a well bound softcover black and white comic novel. Mister Chunky Rice, a turtle, is restless so he decides to leave his dearest friend, a mouse, Dandel and board a boat in search of adventure.

The book is rich with emotion dealing with issues of loss, friendship and loneliness. There are lighthearted moments and quirky characters, such as Captain Chunk and Livonia and Ruth the Siamese Twins "who are linked for life like the frigging chain gang".

The story and artwork are beautifully woven and masterfully done. There are moments of quietness and reflection, depicted in the stillness of the water, the sunset, the empty sky and the wonderful seascapes. What makes this book great is Craig Thompson's ability to show more capture little truths and human nature so eloquently. show less

It sure has emotion, and the artwork is top-notch. However, the story was lacking, and also a bit too dour for me to fully engage with. Some characters are treated unfairly, and some are plain mean. Chunky himself is underdeveloped, and this is supposed to be his journey. The dialogue towards the beginning was a bit confusing, trying to match up words with characters. There's little catharsis, but the themes Thompson aims for are admirable, even if they are superficially explored.

Good-bye Chunky Rice is a different kind of masterpiece in the comic world. It tells the sweet story of a turtle, Chunky Rice, leaving behind is best friend mouse, Dandel, to sail away and find where he belongs. From the very first pages, you get a sense of feeling closeness and hurt, which grows over time. The drawings are cute and childish, but hold heartbreaking weight as Craig Thompson explores ideas of friendship and loss. The frame shifts between thoughts and experiences of side characters as well, developing subplots that are as equally filled with longing and remembrance. Separated either by their distance of land and sea or by their ability to share themselves, the characters relate to each other differently but all have the show more same underlying pangs that come with remembering intimacy. Each subplot is shown in small pieces with just a few pictures and words, but revisited under different contexts to layer on emotional connection. A simple story, but filled with tenderness. show less

Summary: Chunky Rice is a turtle who has decided that he needs to pull up stakes and move - even though that means leaving his best friend behind. The captain of the ship he's on throws out most of his stuff and makes him work for passage, even though he bought a ticket, and there's other passengers, a pair of Siamese twins, aren't making life any easier.

Review: This was a sweet, sad, hopeful, charming little story. It's all about friendships and loss and separation, and it made me miss my distant friends something fierce. (The story that affected me the most, though, was that of Chunky Rice's neighbor and his bird, Merle. doot doot!) There's a lot of bizarre elements to the story, and a lot of pieces that don't really bear up under any show more level of scrutiny, but it doesn't matter so much, since the emotion shines through. The artwork is definitely striking, and Thompson does some interesting things with the panelling, but the style is not my favorite - I don't know how to describe it, other than saying it reminded me a little of Ren & Stimpy in the bizarre and slightly-off-ness of the figures and parts of their world. But nevertheless, a good read, and a break from the usual. 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: Yeesh, I don't know. Best for people who like stories about friendship and are not super-dependent on literal representations of the world? show less

This book just broke my heart. And I mean that in the best possible way. It's a touching tale about friendship, regrets, and letting go. I loved the illustration style, whimsical and fun, the perfect counterpoint to the plot. There's no lesson to be gleaned, or easy happy endings, just life soldiering on with maybe a little solace to be found by the sea. It's a beautiful and perfect book that might just leave you thoughtful if perhaps a bit sad.