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David B.
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The Armed Garden And Other Stories Hardcover – September 27, 2011

by David B. (Author, Artist), Kim Thompson (Editor)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 4 ratings
See all formats and editions
  • David B. gives full rein to his fascination with history, magic, and gods, not to mention grand battles, in this literate, witty, and absorbing collection of short comics ― all based on historical fact, or at least historical legend. In The Armed Garden and Other Stories, a lowly Persian fabric dyer becomes a prophet and great leader ― and within a year his followers have defeated seven armies sent to stop him! Adam and Eve visit a humble Prague blacksmith, and his (and his followers’) search for Paradise soon leads to bloodshed. In “The Drum Who Fell in Love,” a sequel of sorts, the blacksmith’s opposition, John Zizka, has been skinned by his people and his skin stripped onto a drum, and the drum, speaking in his voice, leads his people into battle, anew. But the touch of a beautiful girl softens Zizka’s spirit, and the unlikely couple journey together...
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  1. Print length
    112 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Fantagraphics Books
  4. Publication date
    September 27, 2011
  5. Reading age
    16 years and up
  6. Dimensions
    8 x 1 x 10 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    160699462X
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1606994627
  9. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The stories are held together by the artist’s sense of humor and tone, not to mention the striking, not-quite-black-and-white, two-toned art. …[F]antastical events [are] juxtaposed with a to the point, almost ho-hum narration, suggesting the idea that these legends are common occurrences. If only that were so."
― Adam W. Kepler, The New York Times

"The Armed Garden and Other Stories is the witty, finely executed work of an artist uniquely capable of capturing both the fervid ecstasy of belief and the dull, heartsick ache left behind once it cools."
― Glen Weldon, NPR.org

"This slim volume is finely edited, and its narrative tone resides on the border between fairy stories and unbowdlerized folk tales.... The drawings, printed in two crisp colors,would be worth the price of the book if it were stripped of words. . . The Armed Garden will delight you."
― Hillary Brown, Paste

"Religious fundamentalism... has worn a thousand faces in a millennia-­long carnevale procession of war and weirdness, and David B. paints portraits of three of its masks with bloody brilliance. Focusing on long-­forgotten heresies and treating the most outlandishl egends about them as fact, B.’s high­-contrast linework sets them all alight with their own incandescent madness."
― Sean T. Collins, Robot 6

"David B. is clearly one of the best storytellers in the medium of comics."
― Joe Sacco

"David B. works a real kind of deeply human magic on the page."
― Jason Lutes

About the Author

David B. was born in 1959 in France. His Epileptic has received multiple nominations and one award at the Angouleme International Comics Festival, and is considered a masterpiece among Franco-Belgian comics. He is a founding member of L’Association, a group of French cartoonists who broke ground in their approach comics format, subject matter, and style: they were one of Persepolis's first publishers.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fantagraphics Books; First Edition (September 27, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 112 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 160699462X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1606994627
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 16 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.29 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8 x 1 x 10 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 4 ratings

About the author

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David B.

David B.
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David B. is one of France’s finest cartoonists and a co-founder of the legendary L’Association collective. He is the author of many books of comics

including The Armed Garden, Noctural Conspiracies, and Epileptic which was awarded Angoulême International Comics Festival Prize for Scenario

and the Ignatz Award for Outstanding Artist. Incidents in the Night Book One was nominated for the L.A. Times Book Prize and the Eisner Awards.

He lives and works in Paris, France.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
4 global ratings

Top review from the United States

A Book Is A Wonderous Thing
4.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book, stories rich in both sensual myth and true history events!
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2013
Verified Purchase
An enchanting, sensual and fearful fairytale of a book ... two of its stories based on true religious wars of the 15th Century! (Events are the "Hussite War" etc)

David B.'s artwork is lushly stylized, looking like woodcarvings and icon art, but in this book especially gripping! I agree that the story-telling is more like events recounted than emotions or characterization ... but that's a valid narrative choice in its own way too. Most readers might consider it a bit too sexual and violent for children, and it deals with religious heresies.

The book's a rare treat, imo. With "THE ARMED GARDEN" David B. gifts us with another of his fever fantasy dreamscapes!
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

public profile
5.0 out of 5 stars Mull and savour!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2016
Verified Purchase
A wonderful and complex tapestry of word and image.
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Sam Quixote
3.0 out of 5 stars Art and storytelling
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2011
Verified Purchase
The book contains three long-ish stories; The Veiled Prophet, The Armed Garden, and The Drum Who Fell in Love. All three books contain David B's unique drawing style which lends itself nicely to the surreal nature of the stories.

The first story has something of the 1001 Arabian Nights about it, telling the tale of a prophet whose face is covered by a veil and the quest others took upon themselves to see beyond it. I'm not sure if this story is an original by David B or is an adaptation from the Muslim faith or another book, but it's mythical and religious overtones make it seem that way.

The Armed Garden tells of a blacksmith who becomes convinced that he is doing the work of the Lord and that Eve is telling him to seek out Paradise, which inevitably ends badly.

The Drum Who Fell in Love concerns a real historical figure, Jan Zizka, a 15th century Czech general who died in 1424. His followers have his skin taken off of him, tanned, and turned into a drum. Whenever the drum is beaten, Zizka's ghost appears and joins them in battle.

All of the stories are imaginative and well-illustrated but the way they're told is not very involving for the reader - this person did this, they were told this, they did this, that happened - it feels very much like you're reading a story so you're never lost in it, you're too aware for that to happen. Also the overly religious and mythical tones were quite off-putting as they never felt like they made the stories better, rather it made them seem more silly and story-like (if that makes sense).

I like David B's work but "The Armed Garden and Other Stories" is not his best book and, were it not for some explicit scenes, I would say it would be more suited to children who are perhaps less judgmental about the flaws in the book and more ready to accept the way the stories unfold. For anyone curious about David B I would direct them to his best book yet, "Epileptic", rather than this one.
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