A Bag of Marbles Review (Kris, Vincent Bailly)

This is a comics adaptation of Joseph Joffo’s memoir recounting the incredible story of his Jewish family’s escape from Nazi-occupied Paris in 1941 to the relatively safer south of France. It’s all the more impressive given that Jo and his brother Maurice were young teens when they made the journey by themselves (going in pairs was easier than going as an entire family).

It’s a gripping read as we see them continually having to dodge Nazis and Vichy troops (French soldiers who were in league with the Nazis) and unexpectedly heart-warming too, as they are able to stay out of the death camps thanks to the repeated kindness of strangers looking out for the kids. The episode where the boys have to locate a passeur (a guide) who knows the local area and can avoid enemy patrols to get them across borders was especially exciting.

The book provides an interesting perspective on everyday life during the occupation - it doesn’t feel like wartime as the book is full of people getting on with their days, school, work, etc. - though you catch glimpses of the encroaching war. For example, the complex barter system the boys have to learn to get simple ingredients for meals and the meat shortages in the cafes.

It also shows you why the Nazis were always doomed to fail - when you have this many people willing to stick their neck out to help two young Jewish boys they’ve never even seen before, you’re never going to conquer that society. It’s too clear how despicable the Nazis were to so many French people, even to some inside the Vichy government. Still, as resourceful and quick as the boys are, and with the help of strangers, they definitely were lucky to get away so many times.

The ending is a bit rushed. The story suddenly jumps ahead 2 years, then 1 year, and skips over explanations so it’s not clear who Petain was or why people hate him, or what happened to Jo’s father. There are notes at the end that explain these aspects of the story but you shouldn’t need to rely on postscripts to explain important details - these should be done in the comic proper.

And I wasn’t that taken with Vincent Bailly’s art. The lines are too scratchy and the colours are blotchy. The landscapes look great with this style but not so much when it comes to the characters. It just didn’t appeal that much to me.

Still, I mostly really enjoyed A Bag of Marbles. It’s an amazing, unique story and a fascinating view into the lives of everyday people in wartime France.