Customer Reviews

The Rabbi's Cat 2

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3 star:		(1)
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This adult-themed graphics novel is set in 1930's Algeria, however most of the issues such as religion and race are still current and unsettled.

The Rabbi's Cat 2 is the second book featuring the Rabbi and his nameless cat that narrators, and not only talks to certain persons and most animals but is multilingual.

Initially I had mixed reactions to this my first graphic novel. However, after reading through the first story entitled "Heaven on Earth," a second time, I discovered its biting charm and cryptic humor. The cat, along with an old lion and a snake, have an ongoing conversation as they follow Malka, a cousin of the rabbis, around the desert. The animals'comments about the humans around them come out as little gems of wisdoms that remind you of Aesop's Fables.

Malka the wandering storyteller and his lion are getting old, and he longs to become a legend and a man of mystery so that people will forever search the desert for his grave. When Malka returns to town and the cat returns to his rabbi, the story shifts the action to the religious and cultural differences in Algiers.

"Africa's Jerusalem" was longer and a little difficult story to follow in places. The rabbi's daughter is unhappy with her husband, and a Russian painter is found as a stowaway in a box of books. All these events cause the entire town to become involved. With the help of the cat that can speak Russian, and another Russian living in Algiers, we learn that the painter is on a quest to find the black Jews and their city of Jerusalem in Africa. The expedition is launched with the painter, the Russian, the rabbi and his cat in an old truck. Much happens to this unlikely group on their pilgrimage â" some good, some not so good.

Loved the art and the quirky faces of his characters. Their expressions often told the story without any conversations. You could just tell what they were thinking. My favorite character was the cat. He was such a sage and so Shakespearian-like in his assessment of human behaviors.

Would I read another graphic novel about the Rabbi and his cat? Absolutely! With pleasure!

Armchair Interviews says: Check out the new genre of graphic novels, stories with a comic book look.

While the Rabbi's Cat 2 was an all right read, it did not come near its predecessor in engaging its readers and it transmitted significant messages.

However, as in the original The Rabbi's Cat, the art work itself was delightful.

I LOVED Rabbi's Cat, and I really enjoyed Rabbi's Cat 2 and hope there are many more in the series. It's very different in style and pacing - more a series of shorter stories than one long narrative, but it is equally rich and humorous.

I wish this story and these characters could go on forever. I was delighted to finish the first book and find that there was a sequel. Such an incredible, layered story.

They've been at it again, those three--the team of artist Joann Sfar, translator Alexis Siegel and colorist Brigitte Findakly have conspired to create a sequel every bit as delicious as the excellent first volume of _The Rabbi's Cat_. We return to the same Rabbi, now even less hesitant to reach beyond the limits of his traditional Jewish education as the situation demands, and the same free-thinking cat. We also learn more about some of the other people we've met in the first volume.

The first part, "Heaven on Earth," reveals the true character of the Rabbi's enigmatic Cousin Malka. Malka wanders the desert with a rifle and a lion, in the hope of becoming a legendary holy defender of the Jews. However, he and everyone else are powerless to stop the tide of modern antisemitism that, several years before the Holocaust in Europe, is also rising in Algeria. In the second and final part, "Jerusalem in Africa," the Rabbi, his good friend the Muslim Sheikh and several others embark on a quest across Africa in search of a mythical land untouched by racism and antisemitism. In doing so, the unlikely party becomes its own enclave of interracial, interreligious and interspecies ecumenism. "Jerusalem in Africa" is one of the most fascinating and consistently engrossing adventure stories I have read. Sfar is a master at taking events and scenes that initially seem to be digressions or side trips, adding creative twists and using them to enhance the texture of the plot, characters and themes.

Antisemitism is a pertinent issue today. Even after the Holocaust claimed the lives of one-third of the world's Jews, major atrocities against Jews have been committed. For example, some Arab countries were expelling their ancient Jewish communities as recently as the 1980s, and Communist countries instituted official policies of forcible assimilation and discrimination. In recent years, hate crimes targeting Jews have increased worldwide and more subtle forms of discrimination, such as social rejection and double standards applied against Israel, are pervasive.

Please do take the trouble to learn about this most interesting and enduring culture, which is currently threatened with assimilation and intermarriage and has produced many geniuses--a few of whom are Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Bob Dylan, Stephen Jay Gould and the author of this book, Joann Sfar. Familiarity with Jewish theology, law and values will also enhance your appreciation and comprehension of _The Rabbi's Cat_. For a background in the book's cultural context, the curious may want to read _Judaism for Dummies_ or its counterparts in the _Idiot's Guide_ series; in addition, _Jews, God and History_ by Max I. Dimont is my favorite overview of Jewish history and would provide an excellent perspective on the historical events in _The Rabbi's Cat_. _Jews, God and History_ reveals that even before modern times, Judaism was almost never static--to the contrary, and like most healthy traditions, it has continually evolved and developed many historical branches as it adapted to its ever changing environment. Today, moderate and liberal Jewish philosophies not unlike the Rabbi's can be found in the more progressive Conservative, Masorti, Reform, Reconstructionist and UK Liberal Jewish movements. Chabad Lubavitch, a branch of basically traditional Judaism that originated in Eastern Europe, is a bit different but is usually very open to answering questions and meeting with others, complete with worldwide "Chabad houses" for the purpose.

Explicit sexual scenes, violence and troubling themes may make this book unsuitable for some young children; older children and adults should definitely read this delightful volume!

After the success of Sfar's Rabbi's Cat, along with receiving the prestigious Jury Prize, the eccentric and entertaining gray cat returns to his usual antics and journeys, while a strong, educating, and meaningful story surrounds him. The Rabbi's Cat 2 continues on, and increases the humor and fun, but also the fascinating story of this strange cat in North Africa.

In the first story, while the rabbi is away on his own journey, his cat takes a trip with Malka of the Lions, who some believe to be the pious Jew, others a disliked womanizer. The cat meets a talking snake which seems little more than an annoying character, but in a region filled with biblical history, the symbolism and possible subtext of this animal is undeniable.

In the second story, the rabbi's cat is unimpressed with Zlabya's husband, but discovers an interesting character in a misplaced Russian escaping from his country because of his ethnicity. At first thought to be a golem, all but the cat are surprised to discover he is still alive after being transported in a box for so long. The Russian befriends the cat for he is able to communicate with it. When the Russian announces the existence of a dark-skinned African people who observe and practice the Jewish faith, along with the rabbi and the sheikh - a cousin of the rabbi - they set off to discover this hidden group.

The Rabbi's Cat 2 is a worthy sequel, maintaining the entertainment value from the first volume, but also adding a depth of story and meaning that make the book all the more fascinating.

Find more reviews, as well as a selection of my writing, and a link to the book review podcast BookBanter at www.alexctelander.com.

Couple an interesting and varied art style with the adventures of a cat within a Jewish community and the results are a unique insight into the interesting flavours of the mind. The cat takes an approach that is typical of cats, that he has needs that are sometimes at odds with his human counterparts but in the process there comes to light circumstances that before had gone unnoticed due to dogmatic processes.
This is a very fun book to read and look at. It gives the reader an appreciation of the middle eastern world and the lives within it and from a variety of viewpoints.

It's not as good as the first book, but a quality work nonetheless. I recommend buying it if you liked the first book. :)

Joann Sfar has created a narrative tapestry as rich as the culture and time frame his characters inhabit. The journeys of the 'pious' rabbi, the enigmatic cat, the pragmatic traveller, and the phony lion through Algiers and Afrrica of the 1930's are amazing.

Where else can you mingle with a sheikh, dogmatic Jews, a lost 'tribe' in Africa, and still emerge joyous and filled with wonder? It's only through the creative eyes of Sfar that we are drawn into this exploration of life and knowledge. Things are not what they seem. Is the rabbi pious? Is the cat (and his curiosity) their avatar? Who are the true Jews?

To call this book splendid is an understatement. It is a remarkable synergy of words and art such as only Sfar could present. Experience literary wonderment at its' best.

www.pantheonbooks.com

Tim Lasiuta

These books are very clever and informative through the philosophical discussions between the rabbi and his cat. These books are excellent for teens and foster good discussions about Judaism, what does it mean to be human, free will, life in general. I would recommend them for confirmation age students.