Customer Reviews

The Name of the Game (Will Eisner Library)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Eisner's latest graphic novel is a sweeping, episodic study of the rise and fall of a prominent German Jewish family over several generations. It focuses on the way that marriage and children serve to build, trade on, and maintain the family's social prominence. Reminiscent of Booth Tarkington's THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS, it's an absorbing story, but it's difficult to feel any emotional connection to the characters. Eisner's artwork is slicker than ever, but the odd use of prose text segments that information that could and should've been conveyed either in art and dialogue or in conventional captions is jarring, and sometimes makes the artwork (which could've used larger reproduction, in any case) feel squeezed. It's a peculiar choice for an author who's always been such a strong advocate of the storytelling potential of the medium. A richly observed drama, but not up to the high standards set by Eisner's best work.

Eisner continues his graphic studies of American culture. In this case, he traces the rising and falling fortunes of an immigrant family, generation by generation. This isn't a happy story - Helen, for example, lives out a heartbreaking episode. It examines the falsehoods the prop up so many images of American success; very few people act as a feeling reader might wish. And, in many cases, death comes much too easily.

Eisner focuses on the community of Jewish immigrants. A naive reader might think of this as anti-Semitic, because of the prejudices and bad behavior of so many Jewish characters in this story. Quite the opposite, I think Eisner has a deep fondness and respect for these characters, even when they're not acting very respectable. Bad behavior isn't unique to any one group in this country, or even that much worse in one group than in another, most times. The dark side of cultural history needs to be told too, so I'm glad it's told with Eisner's underlying sensitivity.

His iconic visual style works well in this story. I have to admit, I'm not a great fan of the look - it's a little "cartoony" for my taste. That doesn't get in the way of appreciating the strength of his style, or of the emotional and social complexity of Eisner's stories. I recommend this to anyone looking a bit beyond the bam-pow genre of graphic novels, and especially to readers who doubt that graphic novels represent real literature. Those latter readers are in for an eye-opening and enjoyable surprise.

-- wiredweird

What "A Contract with God" was to the New York Jewish short story, this is to the multigenerational family saga. The 19th century was a time of heavy immigration by Ashkenazic German Jewish tradesmen and merchants from Western Europe, successors to the semi-aristocratic Sephardim of the previous century and predecessors to the poor Eastern European Jews of the 20th century. The Arnheims were part of that influx and they made their fortune and entered the ranks of the elite. Conrad, in the third generation, grows up used to the good things and not happy to find he's expected to take his father's place in the business world, nor to marry and produce heirs for the sake of the family name. And he lets his wife die in childbirth rather than lose that heir. The glamorous but frigid girl he marries second turns out to be no prize, either. His mother is a cold, calculating woman (who pressured him in the matter of his first wife), his homely eldest daughter isn't really wanted, and his younger daughter (a rebel in the 1950s) certainly doesn't get what she thinks she wants in life. The characterization and the family relationships are complex and true-to-life and it's interesting to watch as people age. This may be Eisner's masterpiece.

This work, the story of fifty years of marriage in three different ambitious Jewish families, is very good, though it is, as pointed out by the other reviewer here, difficult to get into the various characters. Eisner's a true pioneer, and the story he told is of by and large cold people, so seeing them treated coldly may have been intentional. What prevents me from saying this work is great is Eisner's over-reliance on narrative and dialogue to propel his tale. The true strength of Eisner's story-telling abilities here is in his drawing pencil, not his dialogue, so it's something of a shame he didn't rely on it more.

Amazingly, Will Eisner was still cranking out quality material in 2002 at the age of 85, and I for one am glad, as it keeps the material coming for this relatively new fan. THE NAME OF THE GAME takes many cues from his classic works of the '70s, telling the multigenerational story of the Arnheim family and those that marry into it for status throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries. This more "mundane" style of graphic novel is quickly replacing the usual superhero titles I've read for over 30 years, as it is practical, finite, and provides me with food for thought.

While the stories focus on Jewish families, they apply to all ethnicities and religions. There are lessons to be learned here for everyone, and you may even recognize bits of these characters in your own family members... or yourself. The best part is that Eisner always keeps you guessing as to where these characters will end up, right to the last page of the book. As for his use of text sections in the story, it's by no means overwhelming. It actually assists the transitions between the families and time periods, explaining what Eisner wouldn't be able to tell in just pictures. Also, I didn't find the characters one-dimensional at all, especially considering that he had to tell such a complex story in a set amount of space. As for the art - well, nothing needs to be said, really. The man still had it! I had no idea what to expect from Eisner's later works, so this book was a pleasant surprise.

Oh, one more thing: this graphic novel is one of several contained in the Will Eisner hardcover collection LIFE, IN PICTURES: AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL STORIES, which is 500 pages long, yet costs the same as this particular edition. That's absolutely ridiculous. Eisner's graphic novels are available from a wide range of publishers, such as Dark Horse, DC Comics, and WW Norton, and the pricing makes no sense. Choose carefully!

In an industry where the average "Hot" artist (or writer, for that matter), has a career lifespan of 10 years, Will Eisner is a true oddity. Not only is he still creating new work after over 60 years in the business, but he's still a vital creative force; He's doing stuff that no one else is.

The Name of the Game is the story of three Jewish families, and how the "Game" of marriage affects the fortunes of various members of those families. Eisner's art is great, as usual, but I felt no real emotional attachment to any of the characters in the book (except for Rosie, at the very end, and even she is morally co-opted before it's all over.), but perhaps that was Eisner's intent. We see so many cold, emotionless people doing rotten things to each other that we get detached, and in the end, these people have all gotten not just what they wanted, but what they deserve. (He does manage to give the vile Conrad Arnheim some Human qualities...even though he cheats on his wife, and beats her, he gives stock tips to his chauffer...)

The Name of the Game is an attractive package, and pretty much anything by Eisner is worth a look.