It’s easy to judge the kids you pass on the street. You only see their outward appearance and not the circumstances that have shaped them. Bryan Talbot’s The Tale of One Bad Rat reveals the truth about many runaway teens and what is behind the label of “troubled”. Written in the 1990s, this graphic novel soared to the top of must-read lists for its frank but important message: that abuse has a lifelong effect and should not be ignored. Talbot uses Beatrix Potter’s iconic illustrated tales to help convey his message. The main character is a girl, Helen, who was molested by her father from a very young age. Helen is alienated from her peers because of her debilitating psychological damage. Helen believes that she is responsible for her abuse and feels like the villain instead of the victim. Talbot brings weight to the piece through the incredible images; seeing the victim’s and villain’s faces brings depth to the severity of the issue. Talbot’s evocative tale garners 4 out of 5 stars because of its gripping content but slow plot.
Although sad, the book incorporates necessary facts to combat abusive relationships and lead to the road to recovery. The striking thing about this tale is that Helen’s devotion to Beatrix Potter is a lifelong relationship and Helen draws on the power of storybooks to cope with her abuse. She admires Potter’s ability to achieve great things even though the author had grown up in a restrictive household with emotionally unavailable and manipulative parents. Potter’s resilience is imparted to Helen because of the strength her childrens’ literature characters embody. It was very interesting to see how fantasy can help someone cope with their reality.
Talbot brings the past and the present together in this rendition of the classic story style. References to England’s historic events are crafted into the background of frames, which link the old and new centuries together. Potter’s own heritage is woven into the foundation of the story from the very beginning. The Lakeland District, Hill Top Home and Bolton Gardens all link Helen to Potter through their interconnections.
Talbot’s illustrations are what made the book so powerful. Colours are used so expertly that each feature of a character’s face reveals their nature. The underbelly of society is brought into a stark light; without sounding forced. Talbot incorporates the true everyday villains that plague our society, the rats of our society. The metaphor in this postmodern tale of likening rats to those marginalized in society is very powerful.
At the end of the story, there is Talbot’s illustrated storybook, which was so beautifully rendered that I thought it was an actual Beatrix Potter story. The characters in the novel are the human representations of those from the storybook.
This tale should be read by everyone and is a great introduction to graphic novels. The novel actually makes you think about the flaws in society and gives you a symbol of real hope—something uncommon in today’s society. This book changed the way I saw graphic novels and I recommend it to anyone as an introduction to the genre.
