Graphic Reads

French artist Joann Sfar has matched a fantastic story with amazing artwork to create one of the best graphic novels in recent memory. This gorgeously illustrated book tells the story of a scruffy grey cat and his aging Albanian Rabbi. The book begins with the cat as the main protagonist, and tells the story of how the sly feline, upon eating his master's pet parrot, gains the ability to speak. Told with wit and humor (the cat's first act of speech is to lie to his master about the fate of the bird), The Rabbi's Cat is a masterwork of philosophy distilled into graphic form. The cat insists upon learning the Torah and having a Bar Mitzvah, much to the consternation of the frustrated Rabbi. What follows is a fabulous repartee between cat and Rabbi, in which they discuss, argue about, and question the principles of Judaism -- and a cat's place in its theology.

This is just the first of three stories in this excellent book. While the second two tales don't quite live up to the fantastical nature and witty dialogue of the opening piece, they are nonetheless intelligent, creative, and poignant. The book goes on to chronicle the fortunes of the family as the Rabbi's daughter marries into a wealthy Parisian family. The entire narrative is told from the perspective of the cat, who peppers his observations with opinions about the people he is with and situations he is in.

The book is lavishly illustrated in full color, giving it a magical, warm feel. As a pure work of art it is beautiful. Readers who are not interested in the fortunes of a poor Albanian Rabbi, the thought processes of a cat, or the religious questioning between beast and man should at least pick up this book to appreciate the magnificent work Sfar has done as an artist.