Anyway, Thompson should have done some research about what it's like to be on a ship -- clearly he was completely guessing. Also, the guy whose name I forget, the turtle's friend -- NO ONE talks like that. Also, just plain, why did Chunky Rice leave? He could have had SOME kind of reason. I don't know, maybe I'm just too logical.

great book -- read all the positive things everyone else said -- i agree with them.

note that (as of the writng of this review) the cover pictured on the top of the page is the current printing's cover; the "look inside the book" pictures are from the old edition. The book was re-designed (cover, endpapers, etc.) by the author last year.

-yakov.


Captivating tale of the ongoing struggle to find ones home.   November 16, 1999
 7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Chunky Rice is like no other book I've ever read. Its at one time adorable and depressing, but always captivating. Comparable to Melvile's MOBY DICK, this tale of a wandering sprit's driving desire to leave his safe and almost perfect life in exchange for the uncertantity of life at sea is one that anyone can relate to. The fact that the central character is an almost genderless cartoon turtle makes him truly iconic so that anyone can put their own identity into the character's life journey. Once Chunky Rice sets sail we are introduced to a strange crew of freakish characters each with a striking vulnerability that they try to keep buried within them only to find it constantly resurfacing. This is the type of book to read and then share with a friend. I Highly encourage everyone one to pick up this book. It's quietly poetic and beautifully drawn with a wild imaginative style that truly stands out.


cute & sweet   February 21, 2004
 7 out of 13 found this review helpful

good-bye, chunky rice is a short little cutie of a comic & it carries some sweet poignancy about friendship & finding a place in the world, but i didn't find it quite as profound as some of the other reviewers.

i think some of the flashbacks were a bit off-putting as in 'wait, where are we now?" & although chunky rice was certainly a darling little character- what was he searching for? i longed for a bit more depth.

warning! this little book took me under 20 minutes to read- so i recommend getting it from the library or borrowing it from a friend first. if you love it (and most of the reviewers really did), then buy it. it's pretty pricey for such a quickie read.


I would buy anything Craig Thompson produced,,   October 18, 2004
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

Honestly, what a wonderfully innovative artist and writer Thompson is. His drawings are absolutely maginficant in both this and 'Blankets', and his tales are sweet and utterly likable. I daresay, at the tender age of 28, Thompson has some wonderful years of graphic novels writing ahead and we are in for some divine and quirky treats.

This little work is bittersweet and kind and sensitive and beautifully texturised. It is also quite a novel concept for this genre, and I daresay I have read no graphic novel which even lends itself to some kind of comparison. Its just delightfully simple and there is so much in the artwork. Every glance warrants a new discovery, and Thompson is already a master at evoking feeling. I particularly loved the frames where Chucky and his mouse love were lying under a quilted blanket and Chunky was telling her not to cry. Just gorgeous.


However, the work is relatively short and can be difficult to follow. It is not flawless, but remains a timeless addition to any graphic novel collection. 'Blankets; is clearly Thompson's incredible and unusual masterpiece, and while both are worth getting, 'Blankets' illustrates how Thompson has developed as a writer and artist in the last four years.

That said, I would still highly recommend 'Good-bye, Chunky Rice.' It stands alone as utterly beautiful work and a gentle and innovative credit to the graphic novel genre.


Incomplete.   November 23, 2005
 7 out of 11 found this review helpful

Craig Thompson, Good-Bye, Chunky Rice (Top Shelf, 1999)

Craig Thompson has emerged as something of a big name in the last year or so, so I figured I'd drop in and see what all the fuss is about. Good-Bye, Chunky Rice was Thompson's first effort, and I have to say that, while I still intend to read Blankets next year, this one didn't move me to kick it further up the priority queue.

The biggest thing that bugged me about Good-Bye, Chunky Rice is that Chunky (who's a turtle, by the by) has no real reason in his head for wanting to leave, and more importantly, he never achieves any sort of self-discovery about his motives; it's as if Thompson wrote the first half of the book for the sole purpose of putting Chunky on a journey, but had no idea of why himself. While the journey is always as important as the destination, and this is certainly a whopper of a journey (on a barely seaworthy craft with a sketchy skipper, his borderline-nuts wife, and a pair of conjoined twins who love to argue with one another), not having a destination at all (an emotional one, not a physical one-- everyone knows where they're going, but no one seems to know why) tends to leave this reader somewhat cold.

Also, while some of the subplots do achieve satisfactory endings, others are just left hanging. This is understandable, arguably, as the book ends while Chunky and the boat's crew are still in the midst of the journey, but it does leave the book with an unfinished feel.

What's here is pretty good stuff, but it seemed like there should have been more. ***