The comics reading adventure continues 😊 Today, I decided to pick ‘Amère Russie‘. The story is by Aurélien Ducoudray and the art is by Anlor. I’m not sure how the title translates into English. ‘Amère Russie’ translates to ‘Bitter Russia’, but I don’t know whether that was the interpretation the creators intended or whether there is something else there. If you know French, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. I read this book in Tamil translation.
The time is the 1990s. Ekaterina has a son who is serving in the Russian army and is in Chechnya. She hasn’t heard from him for a long time. She goes to the local army office and asks them about her son, whether he is dead or alive. She is repeatedly rebuffed by the people there, and so one day, she decides to take the matter in her own hands. She decides to go to Chechnya and find her son herself. She takes her dog with her for company. The adventures she has on the way, what happens after she reaches Chechnya, and whether she finds her son or not, form the rest of the story.
‘Amère Russie’ is a fast-paced, gripping story. It is intense, moving, and heartbreaking throughout – it is a story about war, after all. But there is some humour interlaced in between, and that added a light touch to the story. At one point, the Chechen commander says, “We’ve to really admire the Russians. They are really smart. They’ve built buildings which will last centuries. Even when they try to bomb their own buildings, they’re not able to destroy them.” In another scene, he says, “For these Russian guys, waging war is like going to work at the government office. When the bell rings, they start firing bullets and exploding bombs, and when the bell rings again, they close shop.” I couldn’t stop laughing when I read these two parts 😄
I loved most of the characters in the story. They were all beautiful, flawed, human. One of my favourite characters was a young Chechen woman called Asia. She was a warrior and a sniper and she had a quiet strength which was beautiful to see. And when the time comes, she shows incredible bravery while facing adversity and it stirs your soul.
The evolution of Ekaterina from a mother who is ready to do anything to get back her son from the war front, to someone who becomes the mother of every young person who crosses her path, was very beautiful to see. Towards the end, in addition to her own son, she has another Russian son whom she saves from the Chechens, she has a Chechen son whom she saves from the Russians, she has a Chechen daughter who fights for her people’s freedom, and she has puppies who look up to her as their mother. When I reached the end of the book, I started crying and couldn’t stop crying. Mothers are beautiful. Their love is infinite. Their love is universal. This book is a beautiful tribute to mothers.
The artwork by Anlor is incredibly beautiful. It is a perfect blend of the classic comics style with the intensity that is required for a war story. The devastation in Grozny and other parts of Chechya is depicted so vividly and it is heartbreaking to see.
I loved ‘Amère Russie’. It is one of my favourite reads of the year. When I started it, I had no idea that I’d love it so much. I’m glad I read it.
Have you read ‘Amère Russie’? What do you think about it?
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