Love Volume 1: The Tiger by Federico Bertolucci

Final Rating: 4/5 Stars

Pages: 80

Edition: Adobe Digital

Time Read: 01.06.15 - 01.06.15

Summary: 

"A day in the life of the king of the jungle, this lavishly illustrated story follows a single majestic tiger through a wordless adventure of survival as it hunts prey and defends itself from other would-be killers defending their territory. This exciting tale is told without narration or dialogue, conveyed entirely through the beautiful illustrations of Federico Bertolucci. A beautiful, all-ages title that explores genuine natural behavior through the dramatic lens of Disney-esque storytelling. Like a nature documentary in illustration."

Review:

The Tiger is a graphic novel about the daily life of a tiger.  It has no words, and you as the reader must rely on the art to know what is going on. The illustrator makes it very easy to follow what is going on throughout the novel. There are a number of different animals who make an appearance, each with their own unique interaction with the tiger.

The tiger goes through various trials throughout its day, with triumphs and defeats abound.  My favorite would have to have been the monkeys; not only are they adorable, they’re mischievous and silly little creatures.  

The end came as a major shock to me, as I was certainly not expecting a human.  I think the book sent a very strong message about a humans part in the animal kingdom, and I’m very interested to see what other people thought about it as well.

One issue with this novel is that this is definitely not for all ages.  While I do appreciate the story for what it is, a child would definitely not understand everything that is going on.  There is violence, killing, and mating all in one short novel; not something my child would get to see.

Another issue I have is that some of the expressions the animals make are a bit too human.  I get that to tell the story sometimes different expressions are needed, but they almost looked comical, and in a novel that claims to be “a documentary” style, the exaggerations seem a bit out of place.

All in all, this is absolutely gorgeous. The artwork is truly what drew me in and the lack of words really forces you to concentrate on what is happening within each image.  The pages flow very well, with few spots that ever get confusing, even without words to convey what is going on. 

I highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in the animal kingdom or likes looking at pretty pictures. This is a novel that extends to a wide audience and will interest almost every person who reads it.

I received this as an ARC copy from NetGalley.