I first read the Tamara Drewe graphic novel nearly three years ago. Then in February of this year I saw the film. Both the reading and the viewing occurred before I began blogging. Now that the DVD of the film is available I am revisiting these texts and writing a short blog about them. The story is set in the English countryside, seemingly not too far from London, at a writers’ retreat on a small farm near other farms. The main characters are mostly writers of various types, academic, crime, literary, journalism etc. They are supported by a collection of cows, goats, geese, a stray dog and rock star, plus immediate family and workers and assorted local characters such as bored schoolgirls and egg-throwing boys and liberal amounts of tasty cakes, biscuits and wine. The goings on are charted in chapters arranged by the seasons from Summery August to the following Spring.

Originally a comic strip in The Guardian before being published as a graphic novel the story has some roots in Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. The principal character Tamara Drewe writes a kind of social media column in a newspaper in which she documents things of perceived interest including her own cosmetic surgery. What she really wants to write, however, is a proper book so it is somewhat expedient for her to mix with the writers down on the farm. Her mother’s home is located just across the paddock. There is ongoing discussion of writer’s problems including, acceptance, blocks, contracts, deadlines, relationships and fame.

A page from Tamara Drewe: writers discussing writing and other writers around the table.

Artist and writer Posy Simmonds uses lots of text as well as the drawings. Some of her pages have entire paragraphs of text next to the panels. She also ‘draws’ the speech in her characters’ voice balloons. You could say that she employs the literary techniques of the pen portrait and word picture. Her art has a most muted and restrained palette as if constructed from pen and ink drawings that have been gently brushed with water-colours. Posy can write and draw, and she draws well what she writes. There is satire but like her pencil and brush technique it is applied with a soft hand.

There is the film, too. Liberties have been taken with the characters and the story. Drawing with light and lenses this time, the ensemble playing efforts of a good group of English actors and tight direction creates a strong result with a standout performance from Tamsin Greig of Black Books fame. The liberal use of sunlight pumps up the palette resulting in brighter colours than the Simmonds style drawings in the book. Whichever way you look at it though, book, strip or film, it’s a well-drawn portrait of some of those who aspire to the writing life.

Read my other reviews of comics based films:

Captain America: The First Avenger: RED SKULL VERSUS CAP

The Green Hornet: GONDRY GOES FOR IT

Green Lantern: MAN IN A GREEN MASK WITH MATCHING RING AND LANTERN

The Rabbi’s Cat: TRAVELS WITH A TALKING CAT

Thor: A GOD COMES DOWN TO EARTH

X-Men: First Class: A FIRST CLASS X-MEN FILM