[Meeting…] Henriette

The transition from childhood to puberty is one of the most complex stages that every person has to face. It is at that moment when we begin to look with different eyes at the world around us and, of course, at ourselves. Something seems to tell us that we have stopped being children but, at the same time, we are not capable of considering ourselves adults in the full sense of the word. The different physical and cognitive changes are in full swing and some of the hallmarks that will mark our adult life, still incomplete, are beginning to take shape.

It is at that point where you are Henriette, the protagonist of the French series Le Journal d'Henriette (or simply Henriette), of Dupuy-Berberian, acronym for the duo of cartoonists and screenwriters Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian.

A misfit preteen

Henriette is a thirteen year old girl immersed in this transition and, like many of the people who go through it, Your self-esteem is not at its best. It is from somewhat thick build and quite short in stature. His features are not attractive either, to which his huge glasses and some pigtails that give it an even more childish appearance. His way of dressing does not match the youth fashion of the moment either, being instead excessively classic and formal, thus reinforcing her “repellent girl” air.

To the above we must add that her tastes and concerns are also far from those of many pre-adolescents, being quite mature for her age. In fact, you often find the conversations of her classmates are boring, bland and superficial, which usually revolve around fashion, the famous hunks of the moment, commercial music and other frivolous and insubstantial topics. On the contrary, she sees reality from a critical and intelligent perspective, so, For Henriette, these girls are “brainless turkeys”. Paradoxically, it also usually shows insecurity about the possibility of being rejected by them, thus moving within that ambivalence (not so atypical, by the way) that exists between the need to fit into a group and the boredom caused by being with people with whom one has very little in common.

He doesn't seem to be doing much better with his family either. Although it cannot be described as dysfunctional, It doesn't seem like her parents are capable of empathizing with their daughter's problems.. It is not that they are bad people or that they treat her harshly or cruelly, but simply that they live absorbed in a different world, totally strangers to each other. The exception to the rule is his grandmother, with whom he understands perfectly, as could be seen when her parents left her with her when they went on vacation.

Henriette's diary

The way in which Henriette expresses her frustrations, desires and insecurities is through his diary and his dreams, acting as a bridge with respect to the reader. This is how we will understand that in reality it is about a girl with a very rich inner world and great concerns. His thoughts usually display no small amount of naivety, although with traces of maturity, once again exemplifying that vital “no man's land” in which he finds himself.

Following the train of his thoughts, we discover how far his intellectual abilities go, because Her main goal in life is to be a renowned writer. (although sometimes he will get too enthusiastic, going so far as to set the bar much higher). Also, feel aamor platónico hacia Wermer, el apuesto hermano mayor de su amiga Alex, quien no parece dar ninguna señal de corresponderla. También cabe mencionar las recurrentes apariciones de Fatman en sus sueños, un superhéroe entrado en kilos inspirado en Batman, que acudirá en su ayuda cuando se sienta especialmente afligida a causa de su sobrepeso.

Conclusion and recommendations

Henriette es una chica de trece años regordeta, con gafas enormes y con una forma de vestir no muy acorde a la moda, pero con grandes inquietudes y una visión bastante crítica y aguda del mundo que le rodea. A ello se debe que no termine de encajar en su entorno social y su autoestima no pase por su mejor momento.

La serie Le Journal d'Henriette se compone de historietas breves (de dos a séis páginas, o quizás alguna más). Las primeras ediciones son de Fluide glacial (de la misma revista en la que apareció), donde se publicaron tres volúmenes y las más recientes de Les Humanoïdes Associés, destacando la compuesta por cuatro volúmenes (el primero de 1998 y el último de 2003) más un integral (2008).

En España sólo ha visto la luz un tomo titulado Demasiados sueños. El hecho de que fuera publicado en 2006 (actualmente está descatalogado) y por Alfaguara, una editorial no especializada en cómics, habla del nulo interés de las empresas del mundillo por llevarlo a nuestro país. Por lo tanto, y como sucedía con Atom Kid, la principal recomendación para disfrutar de todas las historietas de este personaje es saber francés.