Contract With God by Will Eisner
Just read this book awhile ago.
Or should I say, the hardcover compilation graphic novel. The full title is "The Contract with God Trilogy: Life on Dropsie Avenue" featuring a collection of stories by Will Eisner.
I haven't even heard of Will Eisner, let alone this series of books. I had only seen the book on display for the longest time in the bookstore.
Having read it, I found out that Eisner is actually a very influential figure in the industry, and the Eisner awards is named after him. In fact, this book is the first 'graphic novel' to be released, in the original format, back in 1978.
'Contract with God' is like nothing I've ever read. All the stories revolve around a the folks in a tenement (apartment) called Dropsie Avenue, spanning the pre-Prohibition era at the turn of the century right up to the Great Depression Era of the 1930's. At some juncture one of the stories project up until the present, but only for a cursory glimpse.
This is an excellent book, make no mistake about it. It revolves around a few residents of Dropsie Avenue, a Jewish refugee who makes a contract with God, a surly building supervisor consumed by lust, a street singer who stumbles on a chance of lifetime to become a star, sordid family tales, all mirroring the real-life experiences of the author Eisner, himself an immigrant into a new world.
The stories are simple and poignant, yet powerful in a way that even readers from a different culture can identify with. The tales, all centred around the impoverished Dropsie Avenue in the Bronx, revolves much on the poverty, the dreams of being rich (portrayed as Manhattan, just a short distance away), lusts of the heart, and basically of a young America is the dawn of the 20th century.
The title is in reference to the first story in the series, a simplistic tale of a Russian Jew immigrant who makes an innocent contract with God on a piece of stone, and with his story coming to an end, sets off a series of tales about the building he lived in and ultimately died in. I especially liked the story about the families, with a little money saved up, going on summer vacations. Really, they may be stories you've heard before, but the way he tells it is just enthralling.
Will Eisner is a master story teller. Highly recommended.
Or should I say, the hardcover compilation graphic novel. The full title is "The Contract with God Trilogy: Life on Dropsie Avenue" featuring a collection of stories by Will Eisner.
I haven't even heard of Will Eisner, let alone this series of books. I had only seen the book on display for the longest time in the bookstore.
Having read it, I found out that Eisner is actually a very influential figure in the industry, and the Eisner awards is named after him. In fact, this book is the first 'graphic novel' to be released, in the original format, back in 1978.
'Contract with God' is like nothing I've ever read. All the stories revolve around a the folks in a tenement (apartment) called Dropsie Avenue, spanning the pre-Prohibition era at the turn of the century right up to the Great Depression Era of the 1930's. At some juncture one of the stories project up until the present, but only for a cursory glimpse.
This is an excellent book, make no mistake about it. It revolves around a few residents of Dropsie Avenue, a Jewish refugee who makes a contract with God, a surly building supervisor consumed by lust, a street singer who stumbles on a chance of lifetime to become a star, sordid family tales, all mirroring the real-life experiences of the author Eisner, himself an immigrant into a new world.
The stories are simple and poignant, yet powerful in a way that even readers from a different culture can identify with. The tales, all centred around the impoverished Dropsie Avenue in the Bronx, revolves much on the poverty, the dreams of being rich (portrayed as Manhattan, just a short distance away), lusts of the heart, and basically of a young America is the dawn of the 20th century.
The title is in reference to the first story in the series, a simplistic tale of a Russian Jew immigrant who makes an innocent contract with God on a piece of stone, and with his story coming to an end, sets off a series of tales about the building he lived in and ultimately died in. I especially liked the story about the families, with a little money saved up, going on summer vacations. Really, they may be stories you've heard before, but the way he tells it is just enthralling.
Will Eisner is a master story teller. Highly recommended.
posted by Yoong Family at 3:44 pm
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