Serially published in France as l’Ascension du Haut Mal between ’96 and 2003 by L’Association, the American translation appeared in its entirety as Epileptic in 2005. Epileptic chronicle’s the efforts of the Beauchard family as they struggle to treat their son’s severe epilepsy. The author explores the nature of his brother’s illness in an unsentimental manner as well as his own consuming fear that the illness is contagious. The author retreats into an increasingly elaborate fantasy world of mythology, cartoons, and war. I was initially drawn to this title because of the author’s unique visual style and intense illustrations. I quickly found the tragic narrative of familial angst difficult to resist and even more difficult to forget.
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