'The Cross-Eyed Mutt' by Etienne Davodeau is a graphic novel about the Louvre and asks the question what qualifies as art?

Fabian is a security guard at the Louvre. He spends his days keeping tourists away from the art and pointing in the direction of the Mona Lisa. His girlfriend is Mathilde. When Fabian goes to meet Mathilde's family, he meets a group of odd eccentrics. When they learn Fabian works at the Louvre, they show him an ancient family painting of a cross-eyed dog and ask him if it would be possible for him to have it added to the Louvre. It's a silly painting, and it's nothing to do with the job that Fabian has, but before long, he meets a secret society of folks who may help to make it possible.

I really liked this story and it's commentary on art. How we view art. How we try to capture art on a rushed vacation. Why something qualifies as art, but not something else. The questions don't get answered, but they leave us to ponder them, as good art does.

The art is also fun. The story is set in the Louvre, and it looks like the artist got to spend time in the galleries capturing the art and spectators.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Papercutz and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Fabian is a security guard at the Louvre. When he meets his girl friend's family he unwittingly agrees to try and get a family painting of a cross eyed mutt on exhibit at the museum. This book is a satire on who decides what is art and and what is worthy of hanging on the walls on museums. The art is OK and does fit the story.

Fabian is a security guard working at the Louvre. When he goes to meet his girlfriend's family for the first time, they put pressure on him to get a terrible, old, family painting into the Louvre. But how will a security guard get an ugly painting of a dog into one of the most famous museums in the world?

The art was quite good and perfectly fit the story. A quirky, snarky look at who decides what makes art great.

The plot line and the characters were likable, the diversity in this book made it stand out and refreshing to read. It was a short, easy to devour read for me and I liked it. However, I didn't love it. As a graphic novel, this book should be just as much about the illustrations as it is about the story and the illustrations were very banal and average - thus contributing to the low rating.

The Cross-Eyed Mutt is a graphic novel created by Étienne Davodeau. The name The Cross-Eyed Mutt is the name of a painting around which this graphic novel revolves around. The main character Fabian works at the Louvre as a guard and when his simple-minded in-laws find that out they show him the previously mentioned painting in hopes he will tell them it deserves to be hanged in the Louvre. We than follow Fabians gripping adventures as he tries to get the silly painting hanged in the Louvre.

I find this graphic novel quite charming. It was not revolutionary or like-nothing-you-have-ever-seen-before, but I think the story as well as the characters was very easy-going and quite relaxing to delve into. I rather enjoyed reading this graphic novel!
My favorite character was none other than the lovely Mr. André Balouchi. I could really connect with his simple love of art. Also, I loved how full of interesting information he was. The plot twist including him made him even more interesting, but I will leave that for you to discover for yourself.
The illustrations are rather average, with the exception of the illustrations of the artwork in the Louvre which is in my opinion very cute and lovely.

I received this graphic novel in exchange for a review.

I enjoyed the illustration style in this book and the story about a sad little painting trying to make it into the Louvre. It is a nice commentary of what makes something good enough to go into a museum?

Sweet graphic novel showcasing the Louvre's acquisition process

Fabien, a Louvre security guard, meets his girlfriend's family for the first time. The family has an ancestor's painting in their attic that they want Fabien to evaluate. What happens to the painting is the plot of this graphic novel.

I really enjoyed the characters in this novel. They seemed very genuine and also very French. The illustrations of the Louvre's art were fantastic. However, my favorite part of the book was the resolution. It's brilliant!

Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love the black and white artstyle of this graphic novel.

When I was in England for the World Science Fiction Convention in Brighton, low over 30 years ago, I was traveling with a friend that said that as long as we were in the UK, we should also check out France. As Americans, that really does make some sort of sense. We also visited the part of Wales where the Prisoner was filmed, as well as making our way up to Scotland in a 100 year old train. It was an interesting time.

We took the boat across, since the Chunnel hadn't been built yet, and got a cheap place in the center of Paris. We were only there three days, but we managed to hit all the hot spots. We went to the Tour Eiffel, Sacre Cours, and of course the Louvre. Back then, though there were crowds around the Mona Lisa, you could still get close enough to see it, and the Nike of Samathrese was at the top of the stairs. I remember thinking, as the protagonist does in this story, that there were a lot of art that because they were close to the famous ones, that they got neglected.

Fabian is not an artist. He is not someone high up in the Louvre. He is a guard, and he has met his girlfriend's family who think that their great-great grandfather has drawn a masterpiece, that they have kept in the family for generations, and well, since he works at the Louvre, could he just slip it in.

I wouldn't say this is a hilarious story. It is slow, and thoughtful, and boy, either the illustrator did a lot of work studying the Louvre, or had been there, because the pictures of the inside are goureous. It is lovely to see these rooms, years after I have been there.

Not a bad story. Not ground breaking, but beautifully drawn, and the afterward talks about how art is purchased for the Louvre.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.