Under a far sky - a graphic novel review

The brothers Pietro and Luca love the same woman. This woman breaks the engagement with Pietro and chooses Luca.

You would expect this to be a story about jealousy and unfaithfulness, but this is not the case. Pietro is full of understanding and puts his own happiness aside and wishes the couple the best. This could be the end of the story, if this story didn’t take place during World War II and both brothers serve in the Italian army and have to fight in Africa. Pratt, who is responsible for both the story and the drawings, knows how to expose a side of the war that you do not often see in comics, books and movies. This is the side of the Italians, who were the bad guys in this war. We see that Pietro is friends with an English soldier just before the war. Through the war, they have become enemies against their own will.

Because Pratt elaborates the character of Pietro, the story gets an extra dimension this way. The love story, the friendship with the English soldier and the war come together at the end and get a deeper meaning. Pratt makes sure that the story is not entirely set before hand, he ensures that there is room for the reader to interpret the story as he / she sees it. I think that is so admirable to Pratt. My interpretation of this story is that there is no good and bad, there is only humanity.

Beautiful album, definitely recommended. Although I think it's less suitable for young readers. I think many children will not see the deeper layer in this graphic novel.

Under a far sky at Catawiki
Hugo Pratt on Wikipedia
Hugo Pratt on the Comiclopedia