Blue Is the Warmest Color

This graphic novel by Julie Maroh brings to life Clementine, a teenager who grew up in the 1990s. She quarrels with her parents, questions her sexuality, and has a few great friends and some nasty enemies among her peers. Maroh takes this commonplace subject matter and elevates it through her words and pictures to a very high plane of tenderness and thoughtfulness. The story is told through the eyes of Clementine’s lover Emma who has come into possession of Clementine’s diary following her death. In mostly black and white flashback Emma reads the story of her life as she has a first, tentative and unfulfilling relationship with a boy she meets at school, followed by a sexually charged encounter with a female student. Then there is her fateful meeting with Emma, an Art student with blue hair. What follows is an exciting, charged love affair not acceptable to everyone in Clementine’s life, not even at first accepted by her. Their relationship ripens into something of the utmost importance to both of them though it is not without conflict. Everything is portrayed in a romantically tinged realistic light. Maroh skillfully sketches out relationships, events, and emotions using minimal text and simple drawings. Much of the book uses no colours but blue in order to mark off the events of the past in black and white The blue of Emma’s hair and Clementine’s journal clearly highlights the person and thing that were most important to Clementine. The artwork is adept at portraying everything from the joyous fun of teenaged parties to the awkwardness and beauty of sexual encounters, both happy and unhappy. Short passages quickly bring into sharp focus Clementine’s troubled relationship with her parents. There is a message subtly put forth here that we do not choose those we fall in love with and there are many types of love. But Clementine’s coming of age story depicted through her explorations of sexuality and social development doesn’t feel like a vehicle for that idea. She is a fully realized character with longings and psychology heartbreakingly portrayed by the words and art in this book. With an autumnal tone of nostalgia and deep humanity Clementine’s story is here made both fascinating and universal.

I thought Blue was one of the best books I've read in years. Pretty recently I saw a trailer for the film version at my local arthouse theater and was intrigued. A week or so later I discovered that it was actually a graphic novel at first and that it was available on my Kindle. The art style depicted on the cover also pulled me in and so I decided to drop the money and buy it. It's been a long time since I felt so moved by a story. Half the time I was reading it (especially during the beginning and the end) I was left in tears. It's amazing to see Clementine's constantly conflicting emotions and mentalities about what is right and what is wrong and the passion of her relationship with Emma...but it's equally painful to see the consequences of such a relationship. The movie hits my local theater next week and I've rarely ever been so excited to go see a movie because the book was simply spectacular. Some minor nitpicks about this version, though: while the story is an instant 5-star in my book, the kindle version deserves probably a 3-star rating...maybe 3.5 to be a little generous. I've read other graphic novels on the Kindle before and never really had issues. However the text style plus the way they frame some of the panels makes it difficult to read at times. Likewise, there's times in it where it jumps around in panel order. Like for example, rather than starting from the first panel to the last, there's one page that opens with the last panel and then goes back to the top. This marred the experience just a tiny bit for me. That said, though, the art itself still shows itself beautifully and the story is still as good as ever.

"Le bleu est une couleur chaude" (Blue is a Warm Colour, funnily translated as Blue is the Warmest Colour) is the first major work by French graphic artist Julie Maroh. The book narrates the sexual awakening of Clementine, her coming to terms with being a lesbian, and her relationship with Emma. This is a posthumus story, as the book starts from the ending with a flashback narration of the love story as told by Clementine herself in her blue diary. The artwork is wonderful. The use of colour is just another character in the story, if that can be said, because it gives the book its melancholic mood. Sepia tones are used in the flashback, only highlighted by Clementine's blue diary and Emma's haircut. The story told in the present is painted in a mix of pastel blues, greens and ochres. Maroh has a great eye for detail and her depiction of the city's streets, parks and skyline, as well as the beach scenes, are truly beautiful. She uses a mix of watercolour, pencil and mixed media to create precious images. I found the narrative simple, realistic and believable, but also a bit over-melodramatic at times. I think the story reflects well the hurdles that gay people find when they discover they are gay, first, and when they come out of the closet, then, having to deal with their not-always-accepting friends and families. I think the book also succeeds at depicting gay people as individuals, not as bunch of people who act or think the same, or who reacts to their own sexuality in the same way. As the character says: "For Emma, her sexuality is something that draws her to others, a social end political thing. For me, it's the most intimate thing there is". I have gay friends, and all of them fall on Clem's side. On the other hand, the book is unbalanced, because most of the story focuses in Cleme's teens years, while her adult life with Emma is barely sketched. This being the case, the ending feels hurried as we don't know why Clementine is feeling alienated from Emma, what is going on in her head for her to be deluded and act the way she acts. The book has explicit sex scenes. I read the book in my Kindle, and if you tap twice, the vignettes zoom without problem. Not the best rendering for Kindle, but not bad either.

I loved the film, and though there are significant differences between both works, I still consider them both equals. I'm personally attracted to all facets that can be associated with love; with both the ugly and the beautiful. The sex scenes portrayed are brief and innocent, the art is quaint and charming, the flashbacks make your heart cringe and mind reel. The story, though brief, appropriately weaves the tale of one young woman's life cut tragically short by her inability to cope with one of life's many cruel, debilitating lessons. Was she truly a lesbian? Or did she just happen to indiscrimanently fall in love with someone she happened to truly be compelled towards? Why couldn't she cope, be happy? To me, the direction the film took concerning the aspect of her 'cheating' was more apparently conveyed; and while there are plenty who bitch about the film being 'pornographic', all I can say is that they are puritanical hypocrites (I thought the sex scenes were actually realistic and adequately portrayed two people finally being able to be physically united after such a period of longing) who really just shouldn't deal with sexual material to begin with; let's face it, not all of it is "pretty" people. Love certainly isn't, it can be exciting and wonderful one moment, harsh and unforgiving the next. The original version of the story is clearly the 'tragic' tale, while the film ends on an unfinished note. The expressions Maroh gives to her characters, brief dialouge, and placed settings/time all contribute nicely to the overall affect of the story. But for some, there may be some dissatisfaction with 'reading in between the lines' at times and the rapid progression of the story at various parts. Would recommend! For once, there's a poignant, realistic take on romance, with all that can progress and flourish, and all that can wither and haunt. Ultimately, the theme concerns the everlasting connection that can take place between two people, as rare and trying as it can be.

I never imagined I could become teary-eyed from a story that is basically told in cartoon format -- but this certainly did it. From the first frame, the readers knows this is going to be a heartbreaker at some point. And knowing that at the onset takes absolutely nothing away from the story to come. This was so beautifully written, a bittersweet coming of age / coming out story. The story starts out, and most of it takes place, when the characters are adolescents, a confusing enough period in life as one tries to come to terms with who they are, but a time that gets that much more tumultuous and complicated when sexual identity is questioned. The main character wages an internal battle between who she thinks she should be and what she feels, trying to make sense of it all, in the face of judgment by family and peers. But years later when the couple has settled into an adult relationship, they find that happily ever after isn't inevitable, and the effects of the past struggles can leave long-lasting scars. The message was crystal clear -- live YOUR life, without regret, without apology. I did not know when I purchased this that it was in graphic novel format, but I thought this actually enhanced the story. The writing was more sparse, more poetic, each word carefully chosen. The drawings brought the characters to life. As such, it moved quickly, and was a very fast read, and with no chapter separations, it just contributed to the emotional impact. Unlike some other reviewers, I personally didn't find it difficult to read on my Kindle Fire -- yes, the type is small, but if you click on the panel, it enlarges so that it's readable, and then just swipe to go to the next frames.

This is a beautiful perspective that everyone would benefit from reading, but especially if you're gay. It's a story I would have loved to have written myself, only I didn't know how, until I found this graphic novel. This touched on so many feelings I've had in my own life, and I'm really stoked that I found this graphic novel to help me put my story into some sort of framework. As opposed to being confused by heteronormative, mainstream perspectives that could never touch up on the bullying, marginalizing that gays experience. As well as exposing the beauty in our love! "The only way to save the world is with love." .... This is a phenomenal story about love. And the love between androgynous queer women. I hope this becomes a mandatory reading in schools all over. The erotic nature of this graphic novel gives the story more of a real life perspective.... sex is very much so apart of the relationship just as much as the conversation.... physical attraction and how you are sexually... the liberating factor that comes along with letting yourself fall in love... letting yourself feel safe in someone else's arms.... is of course captured in the story... I am thrilled that someone has written and captured those moments in such an elegant and passionate way. I can tell that the author and illustrated has found love and is letting everyone else know what it looks like.

This graphic novel got a lot of attention after they made the movie. It's definitely good, don't get me wrong, but with all the hype I thought it would be a life changing experience or something. Lol. It was fine. Very unlikely to read a second time though. Other than that no complaints! Illustrations are stunning. Story is relatable and realistic.

Now that Julie Maron's BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR is coming to theatres in a feature film that not only won the very prestigious Palme D'or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and that it was smacked by the MPAA with the dreaded NC-17 rating for its explicit sexual content, and that there is an ongoing war of words between the film's two leads and its director, it should generate enough publicity for not only people to see the film, but to also hopefully discover this remarkable graphic novel. Simply enough, the novel, written and drawn by Maron, is about a fifteen-year-old girl Clementine who is doing her best to be a "normal" young girl. She dates a senior at her high school, she studies for her exams, and she has the "right" friends. Until one moment of one day, as she's walking down the street, she passes a beautiful older girl with dyed blue hair, and she cannot get this girl out of her mind. The blue-haired beauty invades her dreams with shocking sensual and sexual imagery, and Clementine can't understand what these feelings mean. She just CAN'T be gay. She refuses it, and in that refusal, her passion for this mystery girl grows. As she sneaks out one night to be with her best friend, Valentin, who is a young gay man, they go to a gay bar, and Clementine meets the mystery girl. Her name is Emma. And from then on, Clementine, no matter how hard she tries, she can no longer deny the feelings of love and lust she has for Emma. But once they finally realize who they are to each other, all the other parts of Clem's life start to spiral out of control. Her parents refuse to accept their daughter's deviant lifestyle, as do her straight friends. Soon, all she really has is Emma, and for a even a short time, that's more than she ever thought possible. But time catches up to all, and it catches up to Clem in a tragic way that is certain to leave everyone in tears. Maron gives Clementine such a realistic voice that any adolescent or someone who survived adolescence and the awakening of desire for love and sexuality can immediately relate. You feel your heart lift when hers does, and even more so, you feel your heart break when hers does. The art and particularly her use of color is excellent. The writing is so strong that you really feel that you're with these characters, and even though you may find some of them despicable, you understand them. Maron never makes the mistake of painting stereotypes of any of the characters, so that even when they do or say something terrible, you understand where they're coming from. And this is the only other graphic novel, aside from Art Spiegelman's MAUS, that has ever made me cry. Again, though, we must go to the place that I hate to go to, which is the argument of Art Versus Pornography. This book, which I'm sure is probably banned in more than a few libraries, has a sequence of graphic sex between Clementine and Emma. This will be objectionable to many parents of adolescents who may receive comfort from the emotional realism of the book, but it is NOT pornography. Pornography is meant for the sole purpose of sexual stimulation, and is not intended to show realistic portrayals of sex. And believe me when I state that there is nothing resembling that in the least in this book. Is it erotic? Yes. Is it art? Yes. Is it pornography? Absolutely not. BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR is an extraordinary graphic achievement, and it's something that I would recommend to anyone with a love for great storytelling and an open mind.

Muy buen libro, lo recomiendo a todos viene en muy buena calidad en papel y la portada, excelente presentación. Además de que como historia es muy interesante y diferente a lo que estamos acostumbrados.

This graphic novel is beautiful and sad and romantic. It is a coming out tale with artwork that is quite raw but stylish. The art contributes greatly to a sense of honesty about the characters, as though the shaky lines are a result of the characters showing us their inner selves and not quite being able to bear such searing openness. I read this graphic novel the day after I watched the movie. I read this graphic novel purely because I had seen the movie and was so affected by it that I needed to read the source. The experience of both has merged in my head and I ask you to forgive my inability to review the graphic novel without reference to the movie. I can't help but picture Adele's bound hair and quirky smile with each frame of Clementine (Clementine's name was Adele in the movie). I am constantly comparing and contrasting each difference and similarity. They complement each other. All the things I found lacking in the movie are filled in here by the graphic novel, such that even though they are different stories, they form a complete whole in my imagination. The most important paragraph in this entire novel filled in an emotion that I don't think was adequately explored in the film "For Emma, her sexuality is something that draws her to others, a social and political thing. For me, it's the most intimate thing there is." The movie became more about how the relationship between the two lovers changed, while the graphic novel focuses on how Clementine changes. the book is more a coming out tale, but coming out to herself only. The emotion expressed in this paragraph is truly the crux on which the entire book rests: it makes the ending (which we are informed of at the very beginning) so much harder to bear. It is bittersweet, and makes me so sad. This conflict was stated just before the novel jumps from 1997 to 2008: I found it fascinating that it was left to us to fill in that one big gap. It was a surprising contrast with the movie, which leaves us to fill in many small gaps. I wonder how different this graphic novel would be if there was more showing their domestic relationship. It is something that the movie managed quite well, but in doing so became a very different story. The intense sadness of the movie comes because we see them drift apart, and feel Adele's pain when she cannot repair what she has lost. She is set adrift, unable to forgive herself and move on. In this way, both stories deal with a tragic loss. And both are quite tender in the tiny details they each give about their loved characters. You can't review this novel without addressing the fact that it is an adult graphic novel. Both this graphic novel and the movie contain explicit sexual imagery. I feel that in each, they serve a different purpose, and the graphic novel does it with infinitely greater compassion and love. In the movie, these scenes show us that Adele has an almost insatiable appetite: for sex as much as love and food. In the graphic novel it is more about showing Clementine's acceptance of her own desire and her earnest need to connect in every way with her lover. The graphic novel has flaws. I think the way it draws to the inevitable conclusion (which we are told at the very beginning) could have been done with more finesse. But I accepted it as much as I accepted the flawed nature of the illustrations. Many reviewers on Amazon criticise the Kindle version of the the graphic novel as having some scene transition flaws. There are two or three instances of this, but it did not spoil the experience for me. If thoroughly recommend this story for anyone who enjoyed the emotional impact of the movie; anyone who appreciates the sadness and exhilaration that accompanies coming out - to yourself. Or anyone that loves a heartbreaking romance. 10/10

It was an amazing book, i simply loved it. Bought it as a gift for my friend, i hope she'll like it as well.

Great graphic novel. Arrived in perfect condition.

Great comic book i ever seen. And good delivery service reached one day early