ETHEL & ERNEST (1998)         author: Raymond Briggs publisher: Jonathan Cape                  104 colour pages
			___________________________________________________________________ "He'll never get a proper job with hair like that!" Briggs' biographical account of his parents life, from their fleeting first encounter, through marriage and the birth of their son, and on to their deaths. Mr Briggs' own life is documented along the way and it's also, as it happens, a unique social history of  life in Britain during the 20th century...         This moving work succeeds on so many levels. The artwork is, as ever, impeccable with extraordinary detail used to capture the period spot-on. It's supported by equally impeccable dialogue which encapsulates huge events and occurences often with a just a simple exchange or even just a half-spoken line or utterance. Take the case of Hiroshima and the A-Bomb:    "You can't fight a war with bombs like that."    "Why not?"    "Everyone will be dead the first day." 'Ethel & Ernest' was awarded Best Illustrated Book Of The Year at the 1998 British Book Awards... Ethel and Ernest Briggs previously appeared in an alternative guise as Jim and Hilda Bloggs in Gentleman Jim and When The Wind Blows. We have also had Ernie Bowyer the milkman in Sledges To The Rescue. And on top of that, Ernest Briggs has an additional fleeting cameo in Father Christmas. As for Raymond Briggs, well he surely bears some resemblance to Unlucky Wally too... See also:  Raymond Briggs Biography                                                                                                       PREVIOUS                                                                                                                                                      NEXT