Letters: A bande dessinée helped me understand a serious issue in France

Reader shows how the French culture of graphic novels is useful as well as enjoyable

Classics such as Asterix are a good entry point into the universe of bandes dessinées

To the Editor,

I enjoyed your article on bandes dessinées (BDs) and I also enjoy BDs. I would recommend Asterix and Tintin since they are classics and easy to read. 

I also like ‘L’histoire De France Pour Les Nuls En Bd’ as a relatively easy guide to French history, and the Thorgal fiction series which is a mixture of Norse mythology and Science Fiction.

Read also: Discover Angoulême: The Heart of French Comic Art and Graphic Novels

My favourite BD at the moment is ‘Algues vertes : l’histoire interdite’. 

This describes the problem of rotting seaweed on Breton beaches releasing hydrogen sulphide gas which can and was fatal to humans and animals; it also describes the failure of local public health and local government to address the problem. 

I now understand why this issue appears on national news. 

We have a great mediatheque nearby from which I often borrow BDs, which saves on money and storage.

Robin Croxon, by email

Do you enjoy France's culture of bandes dessinéees? Share your recommendations with other readers at letters@connexionfrance.com