Elvis

The King of Rock ’n Roll has had many books written about his life and work, and unfortunately Chanoinat’s (Pin-Up!) script reads more like a Wikipedia bibliography, listing every album with Elvis’s name on it in clusters of seven or eight, with vague descriptors like “grand” and “excellent” (though the lack of precision could be attributed to translator Johnson). The only mentions of Presley’s life outside of music and film are the most basic: his Army service, purchase of Graceland, and marriage to Priscilla Beaulieu. This book exists mainly as a vehicle for Le Henanff (Westfront) to showcase his photorealistic painting style, which, while beautiful, is impeded by Chanoinat’s writing; the two do not work together in any interesting way. As a coffee table art book, Le Henanff’s work is a lush success; as a graphic biography, Chanoinat’s is a failure. (Oct.)