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saidtheraina's review against another edition
4.0
The scene is a funeral. A beloved Rabbi has died. To Rabbi Kahn’s family and friends’ shock, however, a long-lost brother interrupts the service with a disturbing declaration. Rabbi Kahn was not Jewish, this man claims, he was a con artist claiming to be a Jew when he fell in love and decided to transform his scheme into a lifelong commitment. This news wreaks havoc for Rabbi Kahn’s family. His son is no longer trusted to take over the Shul. His wife begins to drink. His whole family is forced to confront the authenticity of their faiths in entirely new ways. The themes in this graphic novel are mature and nuanced in a way which would appeal largely to people college-aged and above. Although the setting is distinctly Jewish, themes of religion and identity are universal. The creators include a glossary, which is a lovely touch. A strong addition for libraries with graphic novel collections.
hampton_reads's review against another edition
2.0
The name of the book is a pun, which I appreciate. Flimsy characters, though, even when given a really incredibly complex conflict.
halschrieve's review against another edition
2.0
This is perhaps an interesting story—one with the potential to open up interesting questions about Jewish identity, conversion, evaluating one’s parents and what their mistakes mean and setting the course for one’s own destiny.
But the book doesn’t do that.
None of the central questions opened up in the first half of the story are answered or really explored—will Avi’s faith fracture permanently? Why would it? Is Jewish identity in this apparently insular Jersey Jewish community so fragile that the scandal completely cuts it apart? What other kinds of Jewish spirituality are open to the characters besides this restrictive model? What does it mean for David to have been Jewish for forty years and never formally have converted? What does this story think about converts?
Something that really annoys me is the fairly simplistic attitude taken by the story toward the concerns of its female characters, which are boiled down to “sex”+”community approval”. It doesn’t help that I found the art to fail most spectacularly when it came to depicting the bodies of its characters in a way that came off as anything but awkward. While clunky art can serve its own purpose and no comic artist needs to be a Craig Thompson to have delicate and interesting intimate stories, I felt that more than a lack of skill on the part of the artist there just wasn’t a lot of sense of the characters as bodies or beings with desire or bodily comfort. Maybe that is a weird critique, but when I think about similar family dramas, I feel the most tension comes from the way people feel when squeezed together by chaotic family events and feel deep apprehension and fear about the spaces they inhabit. The bright black and white and light grays of this book, combined with consistent thin lines and a lack of commitment to exploring stylistic possibilities, have reduced what could have been a simple and ambiguous fable with emotional resonance into a much drier piece of work.
But the book doesn’t do that.
None of the central questions opened up in the first half of the story are answered or really explored—will Avi’s faith fracture permanently? Why would it? Is Jewish identity in this apparently insular Jersey Jewish community so fragile that the scandal completely cuts it apart? What other kinds of Jewish spirituality are open to the characters besides this restrictive model? What does it mean for David to have been Jewish for forty years and never formally have converted? What does this story think about converts?
Something that really annoys me is the fairly simplistic attitude taken by the story toward the concerns of its female characters, which are boiled down to “sex”+”community approval”. It doesn’t help that I found the art to fail most spectacularly when it came to depicting the bodies of its characters in a way that came off as anything but awkward. While clunky art can serve its own purpose and no comic artist needs to be a Craig Thompson to have delicate and interesting intimate stories, I felt that more than a lack of skill on the part of the artist there just wasn’t a lot of sense of the characters as bodies or beings with desire or bodily comfort. Maybe that is a weird critique, but when I think about similar family dramas, I feel the most tension comes from the way people feel when squeezed together by chaotic family events and feel deep apprehension and fear about the spaces they inhabit. The bright black and white and light grays of this book, combined with consistent thin lines and a lack of commitment to exploring stylistic possibilities, have reduced what could have been a simple and ambiguous fable with emotional resonance into a much drier piece of work.
lizshayne's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The thing about this book is that you know what it's about when you go into it and then it just...keeps being about that.
And also it's an absolutely fascinating premise and Kleid plays out the implications incredibly deftly.
The community's callous response was *particularly* on point in all the ways that it excoriates the community while asking the reader to interrogate ALL different kinds of dishonesty and trickery.
And I found the language of "spiritually pure" to not actually reflect how the community talks around either yichus or good middot. But also I see what Kleid is trying to do. But it didn't feel authentic enough to me and I got a little grumpy about it.
And also it's an absolutely fascinating premise and Kleid plays out the implications incredibly deftly.
The community's callous response was *particularly* on point in all the ways that it excoriates the community while asking the reader to interrogate ALL different kinds of dishonesty and trickery.
And I found the language of "spiritually pure" to not actually reflect how the community talks around either yichus or good middot. But also I see what Kleid is trying to do. But it didn't feel authentic enough to me and I got a little grumpy about it.
margaretann84's review against another edition
4.0
Parts of this were hard to follow in terms of chronology, but I really enjoyed this book.
cesttemps's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
shanbear16's review against another edition
4.0
This story is about love, family, religion, and community; especially when all of that comes together. Avi Kahn's father was actually a conman and lied about being Jewish. That lie is now taking a big toll on the lives of his family. It's a heartbreaking, funny, and touching story all rolled into a fairly short graphic novel. The artwork is clean and easy to follow for the most part.
guiltyfeat's review
2.0
Starting with the weak pun of the book’s title this never really goes anywhere. Rabbi David Kahn turns out, at his funeral, not to have been Jewish. It’s a great kicking off point that never real gets developed with any wit or depth. The art is overly simple reflecting the unsophisticated nature of the storytelling. Hardly worth the effort.
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