Mulysses
Picturebook, 154 pages
Published by CappelenDamm 2017
Mule Boy goes to sea. And his travels go about as well as they do for many other boys on their first journey: poverty forces him on a dangerous trip with an eccentric adventurer who is searching for the eye of a sea monster. We follow Mule Boy's dangerous journey through the comic book format. We take part in the emotional gusts he undergoes – far from home, under an unpredictable captain and dealing with the strong feelings for a blind passenger that gradually start to appear.
Foreign rights
France og Switzerland: La Joie de Lire
Germany: Gerstenberg
Nederland: De Harmonie
Republic of Korea: Argo Nine
Spain: Barbara Fiore Editora
United States: Enchanted Lion
Foreign rights: CappelenDamm Agency
Award
Årets vakreste Bøker 2018: Diplom Tegneserie
Selected for The White Ravens 2018
Press (in Norwegian)
Interview in Empirix
Interview in Boktips
Reviews
"Mulysses plays on the deadpan humor of Moby-Dick and the Cyclops section of the Odyssey… [The] hero-narrator, a cute mule-like chap who also appears in Torseter’s The Heartless Troll and The Hole, reminds me of Tove Jansson’s Moomintroll… All this is accomplished with minimalist, scratchy lines, rare patches of color, amusing characters and few words. I can picture an adult reading it with a child and both being happy. Mulysses is an engaging little mash-up that is, thankfully, no mess at all."
New York Times
"Torseter’s illustrations feature a combination of large, full-page color panels and spreads with smaller panels in black and white, expertly using color to communicate the shifting feelings of the characters. A spread of a whale is particularly striking, evoking Japanese wave woodblock prints. Though the book broadly references works like The Odyssey and Moby Dick, prior knowledge isn’t necessary to enjoy the story... A solid purchase, especially for collections where seafaring adventures are popular."
School Library Journal
"Seemingly inconsequential objects introduced early, including a lost locket, a synthetic sweater, and a missing whale eye, slot tidily into place later, providing Chekhovian satisfaction. Via artwork featuring Jules Feiffer–like caricature and fanciful, indigo-washed ocean depths, Torseter blends subverted Odyssean tropes with the narrator’s comic resignation to present a simultaneously quirky and gentle caper."
Publishers Weekly
"A free-wheeling nautical adventure… Visually appealing."
Kirkus Reviews
"(...) When I read books like this I feel like I’m transported back to childhood in a way. The Heartless Troll gave me the same feeling as well. It’s just a good old-fashioned adventure with an unassuming protagonist that’s easy to root for. And there’s simply nothing else out there like Torseter’s art. I’m just grateful that books like this are being made."
Dadsuggests.com
"The book is a display of expressive potential, combining the best resources of comics and illustration. Torseter transitions between the two mediums fluidly, breaking down the barriers between them with an enviable naturalness. An example of how an imaginative story, accompanied by a delicate edition, can contribute to our delight with a capacity for constant surprise and a naive spirit that dazzles and forces us to quickly turn the pages."
Kike Infame