The Jellyfish: a new graphic novel by Boum

This moving and keenly-observed book by Boum—the pen name of one of the many exciting graphic novel creators working in French in Montreal, and more broadly in the Canadian province of Quebec—follows the daily life of Odette, a young woman who’s fought hard for her independence. Odette’s life is pretty good; she enjoys her job in a bookstore, spending her breaks on her phone reading headlines that are by turn inane and alarming. She’s lucky enough to have a best friend and a pet rabbit, and she’s just met a girl she really likes. But Odette has been hiding a problem: an inky black jellyfish that floats perpetually in her field of view. Her eye doctor seems unconcerned, and it’s true that at first the jellyfish seems almost cute, following Odette around in a way that’s reminiscent of her adorable rabbit. But when one jellyfish turns into two, and then three, they become increasingly menacing, and Odette’s relationships are soured by her attempts to keep her worrisome condition secret. The jellyfish continue to multiply until the scope of the problem finally becomes clear: Odette is losing her vision.

In The Jellyfish, this drumbeat of encroaching dread is layered throughout everyday scenes that are just as gripping in their own way, making full use of the visual medium to immerse us in the lovely and mundane details of other people’s lives. The book captures a particular stage of life, the early twenties, when people are navigating new relationships, setting the boundaries that create independence from their parents, and perhaps working temporary jobs while they figure out their path in life. The developing romance between Odette and her girlfriend Naina starts out sweet and awkward—who hasn’t experienced that nerve-wracking moment of asking another person out?—and becomes tender and sexy, until it’s complicated all too soon by pain and conflict from other parts of their lives intruding into the relationship. Ultimately, the story arc of The Jellyfish, about learning to accept help, will already be a familiar one to most readers, but told with compassion and touches of humour, it feels no less moving for its simplicity.

The depth of knowledge that the artist Boum brings her subject matter comes from personal experience as a person who lost part of her sight as an adult. The multiplying jellyfish—with their own sinister beauty—are a visual metaphor that captures a particular experience so perfectly, it erases the distinction between real and figurative. As Odette loses more and more of her vision, I started to wonder if we would eventually approach the limits of this visual storytelling medium. Once we reached the black page, what could possibly follow? But Boum executes this crucial moment with stunning artistry which, rather than attempt to describe in words, I will leave to the reader to discover. Boum’s skill appears in numerous other, more subtle moments, particularly her use of light and shadow, such as when Odette is making her way home in the early darkness of a Montreal winter afternoon, or the light of streetlamps casting patterns through a window in a dark apartment.

This book is accessible to English readers thanks to the translators, Helge Dascher and Robin Lang, who are a well-established team in the world of graphic novels, with other acclaimed titles under their belt, both together and separately. It’s a great book for anyone who’s curious about what an artist and storyteller can accomplish in the graphic novel medium, as well as for anyone who loves quiet, insightful stories about characters who are offbeat yet relatable.

Jellyfish was released by PowPow Press on 8 May, 2024.