A review by otterno11
The Man Who Grew His Beard by Olivier Schrauwen

4.0

I really enjoyed, but was slightly mystified, by this Belgian masterwork of surreal imagery and beautifully spare story lines. I had not heard of Olivier Schrauwen's work before picking up this short collection of comic stories, each centering on an often helpless figure with a thick beard who finds himself in a variety of bizarre situations. Among some of the most purely dream-like illustrations I have ever seen, themes of art, self-image, and imagination are explored through extremely effective imagery, even with a minimalist use of dialog and plot. Among my favorite stories in the collection were "The Assignment," and "The Grotto," which explored the connections between imagination and the act of creation, among other interpretations. I feel that these deceivingly simple graphic stories would reward multiple readings.