Calling all theater geeks! Where are the Dickens lovers? Find them and tell them about this graphic novel. Fagin the Jew might just catch their eye. Will Eisner uses the graphic novel as the vehicle to tell the story of Fagin from the Charles Dickens classic, Oliver Twist. Theater lovers will also recognize Fagin from Lionel Bart's, Oliver!. In Fagin the Jew, Eisner gives us an in-depth biography of Fagin. He also address the issues of religious and racial prejudice, the cruelty of fate, and the even greater cruelty of man. Eisner includes very informative foreword and afterword sections that help explain the
author's reasons, intentions, and resources for this title.
As a graphic novel, this is a beautifully done piece of work. The drawings are first rate, characters well formed, London looks as I would have imagined it during the era of Oliver Twist and Fagin, and the sepia wash lends a solemn feel to the pages. This not a story of happily ever after and those looking for a lighthearted tale, need to keep on looking. Fagin's life is portrayed as one of misfortune, prejudice, and betrayal.
While I found this book interesting, it is not one I would read again for fun. I appreciated the gorgeous art and think most students, especially those into art, cartooning, and graphic novels, will appreciate it as well. The storyline, however, is a difficult one due to the issues Eisner addresses. Handselling this novel to theater lovers, artists, European and Jewish history buffs, and Dickens readers may be the way to go. I just don't see you average high schooler checking this title out on a regular basis. Including it in a group of books addressing prejudice, Dickens, and European history would also be a good bet. I am not entirely convinced that
this would be a good stand alone book in a booktalk, I really think it needs to be part of a grouping of books. I would recommend this book for high school students. Finally, Eisner was a well respected, highly honored artist and author, but Ifound no awards specifically for this work.
I would share the first few pages of the book, especially the section where, as a mere tot, Fagin learns to cheat and swindle passersby at the feet of none other than his father. I have scanned these in and included them, so you can see the lovely artwork and read the text, since I cannot do it justice.
Thanks for including the pages, they are very nice! I think I would enjoy this story for the "behind the scenes" look at why Fagin is the way he is. It could lead to a good discussion of how we are shaped by our environment, and how hard that can be to overcome.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a must read for me as I am a real Dickens lover. I agree with you that the graphic format can be a bit difficult for those of us who read so much regular print. We're used to having the pictures in our heads.
ReplyDeleteI like the pictures you posted they really show how great the illustrations were in this book. I think it is very neat how there are so many graphic novels out there for students that have such a range of topics.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like it would be a good to use in a language arts class that might be studying Dickens and this would be a book genre that would be different from the norm that kids would like. Plus the prejudice topic is always great to bring up in a classroom. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI agree that this might not be something you would booktalk to a class - unless it was an English class reading Dickens. Art students learning about illustration would also be interested.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this is a graphic novel that would be best used in a pairing with Dickens or in a book selection about prejudice. I find it incredibly interesting that it's colored in sepia. Thanks for posting the pages! As someone who enjoys Dickens, I might have to check this one out.
ReplyDeleteI really like look at the pages and seeing the different shading and the detail in the characters. That alone adds so much to a story. I think that is the biggest reasons reluctant readers choose graphic novels.
ReplyDeleteGreat artwork. I wonder if this book would work well if one was introducing students to Dickens or to other similar stories.
ReplyDeleteThe artwork is amazing. Too bad that it has a limited audience.
ReplyDeleteI love the way this is drawn but I agree the audience is incredibly limited. However, it seems like a fantastic story if you could get them to read it!
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