Hereville

Jan 22, 2011

Emily rated it

Shelves: graphic-novels

I loved this odd and beguiling graphic novel, which seems to be Barry Deutsch's first book. Anyone who likes graphic novels with a dollop of fantasy should read it. Anybody with an interest in Orthodox Jewish life should read it. Anyone who loves family stories with lots of siblings (plus a not at all wicked step-mother) should read it. Anyone who falls into all three categories has hit the jackpot. If the author goes on to write lots of sequels I will be happy, and I will read them. And y...more

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Nov 14, 2010

Frume Sarah rated it

What a delightful read. Looking forward to introducing it to my kids. [Yes, I read YA books even though I'm nearly forty!]

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Aug 13, 2010

Elizabeth rated it

“Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl,” says the byline. Well seriously. How was I supposed to pass that up? I’d grabbed a copy of Hereville at an American Library Association conference along with a whole host of other books. I don’t think I even gave it half a glance at the time. Just nabbed, stuffed, and scooted. It was only back in the comfort of my hotel room as I repacked my bags that the byline got my attention. I sat down for a quick look. Twenty minutes la...more

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Feb 07, 2012

Tony Goodwyn rated it

Originally posted on my blog, The Comics Cove, not too long ago...

Okay, the tagline on this cover really sold me: "Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl." Yeah, because there are a million of those in comics. Or storytelling in general.

So we know the protagonist, at least, is a refreshing change of pace.

The rest of the story, it turns out, offers a diverse array of refreshing characters, situations, and themes, making Hereville:...moreOriginally posted on my blog, The Comics Cove, not too long ago...

Okay, the tagline on this cover really sold me: "Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl." Yeah, because there are a million of those in comics. Or storytelling in general.

So we know the protagonist, at least, is a refreshing change of pace.

The rest of the story, it turns out, offers a diverse array of refreshing characters, situations, and themes, making Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword both entertaining in its execution and instructive in its assertion that imagination, bravery, and a willingness to follow your own path despite what others think are qualities that will serve a young girl well.

Mirka is an 11-year-old girl in Hereville, an isolated, Orthodox Jewish rural community, whose spunkiness and disregard for her village's norms make her instantly likable and worries her friends and family. When she discovers a tall, strange-looking house in the forest, she and her friends encounter a large, mean-spirited pig who becomes a minor bane on Mirka after he sees her stealing a grape from his garden. In outwitting the magical animal, she is presented with a quest from the pig's owner and is granted the option of pursuing a troll to win her own sword with which to fight evil. Mirka must decide if the risk is worth the reward, and weigh it against her personal safety, the perceptions of her own strict community, and the memory of her deceased mother.

There's really no arguing that Hereville is a charming, unique and overall very heartwarming story. The character is both engaging and an ideal target for conflict because of her unconventional nature in an Orthodox Jewish community, and her magical encounters add a generous dash of fantasy to a home life for which she otherwise exhibits little enthusiasm. I had slight problems with some of the choices made in the story, particularly Mirka's decision to beat up her brother Zindel and threaten him when he tried to keep her from searching for the troll. But this is overshadowed by the overall upbeat tone of the narrative, where her quest for self-discovery--and a sword--become her all-encompassing goal.

Barry Deutsch has also written some very amusing and memorable characters for this story. My personal favorite was Fruma, Mirka's argumentative and wise stepmother, whose penchant for verbal sparring and discussion is notorious among the children. The talking pig with whom Mirka gets into a sustained feud is also highly entertaining, as he is not only gruff and grumpy, but emerges as the major test of Mirka's willpower and grit. Finally, there's the troll with whom Mirka duels, who is unconventional not only in appearance but also in speech and manner. I won't spoil much about him, but I think he was a delight to read in this story as well.

As for the art, I was actually pleasantly surprised at how it struck me in some places. It's mostly simple and cartoony in places, but at particular moments of strong emotion or surprise, the style changes, becoming more detailed and really making the reader take notice. Of particular note are the moments when Mirka first sees the large house, and the fight between her and Zindel, when you can clearly see how intensely and viciously angry the siblings are at one another in the heat of the argument. All in all, very good work here.

Overall, I found this to be a worthwhile and entertaining read, with a strong message about following your own path in the face of opposition from others. Raina Telgemeier says that comics need more positive girl characters, and I not only agree with her, but also believe like her that this book is a prime example of that assertion. Children of all ages should enjoy this, as well as those who like fantasy and folklore, strong girl characters, and stories about family. Highly recommended.(less)

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Jan 08, 2012

Nathaniel Wyckoff rated it

The recent revival of traditional Jewish life has produced refreshing by-product: an innovative and engaging crop of literary works for adults and children alike. The latest wave of Jewish writers either express a confident identity and a positive commitment to traditional life or acknowledge that such committed Jews exist. These writers develop characters who are comfortable among their fellow Jews, who live secure, family-centered Jewish lives, and who are fully capable of confronting - and ov...moreThe recent revival of traditional Jewish life has produced refreshing by-product: an innovative and engaging crop of literary works for adults and children alike. The latest wave of Jewish writers either express a confident identity and a positive commitment to traditional life or acknowledge that such committed Jews exist. These writers develop characters who are comfortable among their fellow Jews, who live secure, family-centered Jewish lives, and who are fully capable of confronting - and overcoming - the same types of struggles that non-Jewish writers have portrayed for centuries.

Mirka Hirschberg is one such character. She is the eleven-year-old protagonist of Barry Deutsch's graphic novel, Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword. A nonconformist, Mirka dreads her stepmother's lessons in "womanly arts." She dreams of a life of adventure, and would rather go out and slay some dragons than sit in the house learning to knit some boring old sweater. Four of her eight siblings are pictured in the story: Mirka's fourteen-year-old sister, Gittel, her eight-year-old brother, Zindel, and her ten-year-old stepsister, Rachel (pronounced "ROCH-el," the "ch" representing a sound not included in the English language). Mirka is the maverick of the bunch, daring and witty, but a bit clumsy. Early in the story, she demonstrates her bravery by rescuing Zindel from a pair of older bullies. Yet, she also has a knack for getting herself into trouble, often venturing alone into the woods and being forced to confront various adversaries. Life gets interesting when nobody believes Mirka's stories about her homework being eaten by a talking pig that torments her daily in the woods or her other outlandish tales. In fact, Gittel worries that Mirka's overactive imagination will tarnish the Hirschberg family as a bunch of crazies, ruining all of their future marriage prospects. When Mirka decides to take matters into her own hands by defeating the pig once and for all, she gets herself into even more trouble than she had ever thought possible.

Hereville is the name of the Hirschbergs' insular hometown, a fictional community apparently inspired by the real-life all- or mostly-Jewish suburban towns in upstate New York. In these towns, including Monsey, New Square, Kiryas Yoel, and others, a fervently Orthodox lifestyle is the default, accepted way of life. Traditional Jews do not live brainwashed, primitive, ritualistic lives by rote, as portrayed in the execrable Fiddler on the Roof; rather, the Jewish lifestyle is informed by a vast and profound tradition of Torah scholarship, itself characterized by sharp critical thinking and inquiry. Deutsch does a reasonably good job depicting a way of life in which modestly dressed boys and girls attend separate classes and do not socialize with each other, the Jewish Sabbath is respected and observed by entire community, everyday speech is peppered with Yiddish expressions, and large families of six, seven, or even ten children are the norm. The story does, however, contain a few inaccuracies. For example, Shabbos (the Jewish Sabbath) begins eighteen minutes before sundown on Friday afternoon, not after the emergence of three stars; by the time the stars are visible, kindling a flame is forbidden by Jewish law. The day ends on Saturday night, about one hour after sunset; it does not last from sunset to sunset. Also, it's unlikely that a Yiddish-speaking community would adopt the modern Hebrew expression "Shavua tov" ("Good week") as a greeting at the end of the Shabbos day.

A further drawback is that it's not completely clear whether Deutsch strove for a complimentary or a mocking portrayal of traditional Jews. On the one hand, the characters are well-developed, healthy people, rather than the appalling one-dimensional stereotypes that often pass for Jews in the mainstream media. Mirka, despite her rebelliousness, lives with a deep and abiding respect for Jewish law and the mitzvos (Divine commandments). Gittel's concerns regarding Mirka's strange behavior are real and valid. The sense of community and family togetherness that characterizes the traditional Jewish community is conveyed in a very appealing manner. Yet, some of the book's depictions come across as a bit silly. For example, are Orthodox Jews really so dumb as to leave every lamp in the home on for the entire Shabbos day? Some of us have heard of, and use, timers to turn lights on and off automatically. In many cases, a four-watt night light will do. More distressing was the description of Mirka's stepmother, Fruma, in the book's opening scene: she's an overbearing, argumentative woman with a disproportionately long nose. That characterization almost made me vomit. It was reminiscent of the tired, stupid anti-Semitic (and self-hating Jewish) stereotype of the prototypical, unkempt, unsavory, hook-nosed Jew, hunched over, with bulging pockets, bad breath, and no redeeming qualities whatsoever. (Think of the Penguin from "Batman Returns.") Thankfully, Deutsch manages to save this novel from that particular abyss by showing Mirka and her siblings as attractive, soulful characters with real aspirations and refined characters. Gittel warns Mirka that nabbing even one grape from a stranger's garden would constitute stealing and would therefore be a grave sin; this conversation refutes the vile anti-Semitic image of Jews as money-grubbing thieves. Mirka has a fun personality, and proves to be a delightful character. Like Yaakov Peretz facing a band of swarthy thieves with only his wits to protect him, Mirka musters all of her resources to overcome a whole slew of adversaries, natural and supernatural.

How Mirka Got Her Sword appears to be the first in a series on the Hirschberg family and their cozy hometown. There's a lot of potential here; several of Mirka's siblings go unnamed throughout the story, and this novel's resolution leaves the tale far from over. Hereville is sure to entertain readers for years to come.(less)

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Nov 27, 2011

Angelina rated it

1. Graphic Novel
2. Mirka Hirschberg is a strong-willed, 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl who dreams of slaying dragons. The book follows her adventures as she attempts to realize her dream.
3. A. Tone
B. This is a light-hearted, humorous graphic novel. From trying to win a battle versus a pig (p. 48- 68) to combating a troll in a knitting contest (p. 121-134), readers will find themselves smiling at the mishaps Mirka finds herself in.
Elements of seriousness show up w...more1. Graphic Novel
2. Mirka Hirschberg is a strong-willed, 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl who dreams of slaying dragons. The book follows her adventures as she attempts to realize her dream.
3. A. Tone
B. This is a light-hearted, humorous graphic novel. From trying to win a battle versus a pig (p. 48- 68) to combating a troll in a knitting contest (p. 121-134), readers will find themselves smiling at the mishaps Mirka finds herself in.
Elements of seriousness show up when traditions of Orthodox Jewish community are dealt with as well as when Mirka sees/ talks about her dead mother.
C. Mirka is a strong-willed girl who doesn’t seem to fear much. However, to the amusement of the reader, being so fearless as well as stubborn can get her in some trouble. In an attempt to find a sword, she mans herself with a bat only to find that she must battle a troll, knitting! (p. 121). She ends up making a crazy sweater which clearly isn’t as good as the trolls; however, she justifies why hers is better because having several holes gives “people a choice” as to wear to stick their neck through (p. 131).
Orthodox Jews are very traditional. During the first chase by the pig, Mirka is pushed down a cliff and into a barbeque of Orthodox Jewish men (p. 27). As a reader who does not know much about the Orthodox Jewish religion, I did not understand why she ran away with such fear in her face; however, it all came together when her sister scolds her on the importance of family values and how others view them. Otherwise, it might be hard to marry a daughter off (p. 42).
The book also gets serious when Mirka holds her breath underwater trying to hold onto the pig (p. 57-59). Here she sees her mother’s ghost (p. 60), and when she talks to her step-mother about it, she worries that her mother is not with God (p. 94).
4. I think this is an appropriate 6th to 7th grade book. I would use this graphic novel to teach students about the Orthodox Jewish community. I feel like this community is not talked about often, and this book eases the topic because it talks about everything from arranged marriages to their style of dress.
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Oct 26, 2011

Brittany rated it

Shelves: young-adult

Mirka is an eleven-year old Orthodox Jewish girl who lives in a community where all that is really expected of her is to behave, make her sisters look good for marriage prospects, and focus on getting herself married one day. Mirka, however, is a bit of a dreamer. She longs to be the heroine of her own story, and spends time looking for ways to become one without disappointing her family or their traditions. This is a graphic novel that flows quickly and is very entertaining. It is very easy to ...more

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Oct 17, 2011

Suzanne rated it

Shelves: kids-books

Loved this book. The subtitle alone sold me: "yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl." That was enough to get me to order the book and sit down to read it as soon as it arrived. The author does a wonderful job of setting the story in an Orthodox Jewish town with all the religious implications and cultural references that are unfamiliar to people outside the culture, while still letting the story tell itself without degenerating into a diatribe or morality tale. ...more

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Sep 27, 2011

Natasha rated it

Recommended to Natasha by: Suzette Gee

Shelves: books-1-15

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 05, 2011

Ruhama rated it

Shelves: juvenile

Mirka doesn't fit in with her Orthodox Jewish family: she loves adventure, monsters and heroes. Hereville is a tight community and rarely interacts with Gentiles, so when Mirka finds a witch's house and pig, she's not exactly sure what she's discovered. But she manages to anger the pig (who is enchanted) by stealing a grape and through a series of events, manages to subdue the pig and they see each other as equals. In fact, she manages to save the pig from some bullies. The witch grants her a wi...more

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Jun 11, 2011

Beth A. rated it

Shelves: middle-grade, fantasy

So, this was a very original story; it definitely didn’t follow an ordinary fantasy format. Mirka’s character felt real. Some things were a bit bizarre, like a manic pig stalking Mirka and repeatedly stealing her homework and (view spoiler)

It showed an oddly realistic version of family life with conflict, guilt, fights, loyalty, and love. I enjoyed how her prickly, argument...more

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Apr 26, 2011

Katie rated it

Shelves: young-adult

This was my first graphic novel, and I was a bit skeptical at first. I like to have the descriptions formed in my mind through the author's words--not so much by pictures. However I found myself beomcing more and more entranced with the graphics, and I also found myself connecting the individual pictures in my mind, adding music and sound effects, and putting more inflection in the dialogue as I read--essentially making it like a film in my mind. It sparked my imagination in a way I hadn't ever ...more

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Apr 12, 2011

Danny rated it

Shelves: library-book

The author of this book contributes to a blog I peruse via Google reader, and so I've been privy to some advance and behind-the-scenes info about it, though I didn't know it would be getting so much attention. Makes me wish I'd paid more attention.

But now it's published and it is getting attention and I've read it. It begs for sequels (which I hope are coming?) in that it seems like the beginning of a longer story. I wonder if the graphic novel is particularly suited to shining ligh...more

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Apr 10, 2011

Brandy Painter rated it

Shelves: childrens, fantasy, favorites, graphic-novel

Review originally posted here.

Yet Another Troll-Fighting 11-Year-Old Orthodox Jewish Girl

Seriously, with a tag line like that how can you not want to pick up this book? I have been waiting to get my hands on it since it came out. My library, which I think has a bias against graphic novels, has just received copies. I jumped on them, or one of them, enthusiastically.

I loved every moment of my experience with this book. And it is a book you experience, you don't ...moreReview originally posted here.

Yet Another Troll-Fighting 11-Year-Old Orthodox Jewish Girl

Seriously, with a tag line like that how can you not want to pick up this book? I have been waiting to get my hands on it since it came out. My library, which I think has a bias against graphic novels, has just received copies. I jumped on them, or one of them, enthusiastically.

I loved every moment of my experience with this book. And it is a book you experience, you don't just read it. I love the whole graphic novel concept but haven't had the opportunity to read many (See above, about my library's bias. To be fair, they have quite a good collection of graphic novels. They just aren't as on top of ordering new graphic novels as they are ordering new novels.). Even with my limited experience, I can say that this is a work of art. The illustrations pull you into the world of Hereville and make you feel a part of it. The expressiveness and unique features to each character make you feel like you know these people. I loved Mirka and her entire family. The text is awesome too. You just want to root for Mirka has she pursues her dream of owning a sword and fighting dragons.

The book also gives the reader insight into the life of an Orthodox Jewish community. (One of my favorite pages is the one that explains how the girls are all required to wear white shirts and long dark skirts, but that doesn't mean they all dress alike. Hilarious illustrations and explanations accompany.) During the course of Mirka's adventurous week sixth day is a part of it and what the family does for Shabbos included. This fits right into the flow of the story and is not at all a lecture on customs. It is very interesting though. There are various Yiddish phrases scattered through the dialogue (with definitions on the page). Then there is the incident with the pig, which scares Mirka and her siblings something fierce because they've never seen one. No need for anyone in Hereville to keep a pig after all. What I liked most about this element is that it portrayed a character whose religion was very much a part of her identity and the identity of her family and presented it how it is.

This is a book that any person, no matter age or gender, can find something to delight in.(less)

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Apr 04, 2011

Ashley rated it

Hereville is yet another great graphic novel for young readers. The plot of this story is unpredictable and keeps readers interested from page to page. The main character, Mirka, is a plain looking simple Jewish girl, but Deutsch develops her character in such a way that readers are drawn to her. She is brave and then scared. She is bold and then timid. She is filled with attitude and then respectful. The unpredictable nature of her thoughts and actions keep readers’ attention. What will Mirka d...more

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Apr 04, 2011

Brian Williams rated it

I got a ARC of this book at ALAN in Orlando but just now I read down to the bottom of my To Read stack where I could dive into this book and boy do I wish I had read it earlier. This is one of the best graphic novels I've read in a long time.

Hereville contains a lot of things I love in a book. I was introduced to a new culture with great world building but the writer didn't hit you with so much information that it felt like you were reading a Harry Turtledove book. Some pages containe...more

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Jan 27, 2011

Sam Bloom rated it

Shelves: 2010-books, childrens-graphic-novels

This is a pretty stellar graphic novel - I would have gone with 4 1/2 stars if that was an option. And it sports possibly the best byline of all time: "Yet another troll-fighting 11-year old Orthodox Jewish Girl." If that doesn't suck you in, I don't know what will!

There are some pretty standard childlit conventions here: there's the plucky, stubborn heroine, Mirka; the quest for a sword; and the large, violently hostile pig that tries to do Mirka in. Okay, I'm just kidding...more

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Nov 27, 2010

Mar Dixon rated it

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch
Review: Mar Dixon

This is a wonderfully illustrative graphic YA novel about Mirka, an Orthodox Jewish 11 year old being brought up with very traditional values while having a very creative imagination.

Mirka lives in a little village called Hereville which could be set anywhere in Europe or pockets of areas in the USA (it made me think of the Amish in Lancaster PA). The very descriptive wording transports you to Her...moreHereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch
Review: Mar Dixon

This is a wonderfully illustrative graphic YA novel about Mirka, an Orthodox Jewish 11 year old being brought up with very traditional values while having a very creative imagination.

Mirka lives in a little village called Hereville which could be set anywhere in Europe or pockets of areas in the USA (it made me think of the Amish in Lancaster PA). The very descriptive wording transports you to Hereville and the time-honoured values that are taught and used within the town.

Mirka believes in these traditions and wants nothing more than to be a proper Orthodox Jew, but she has this awesome imagination that makes her yearn for a more exciting life that the people of Hereville wouldn’t comprehend.

Mirka lives with her father, sisters, Step mom and step-sisters. The sisters accept Mirka’s eccentric imagination but do their best to discourage her ‘talk’ as much as possible. A wonderful example of this is when Mirka and her step sister run into a pig in the forest. As they are traditional Orthodox Jewish people, they have never encountered a pig before so they were unsure of what it was. After some research, it was concluded that it was a pig, however the step sister denies seeing the same thing as Mirka as she is goes against their beliefs.

The story itself is about Mirka yearning to be a Heroine. In order to achieve this, she has to win in an argument with a Troll. Where does the troll come from? Why the ‘witch’ told her about him! It’s just another beautifully crafted thread in this Fantasy/Fairy Tale story.

The book is laid out as a comic strip with skilful illustrations that lends itself to the interpretation of the traditional Jewish terminology that is used throughout the book and clarify at the bottom of the page.

I firmly believe that every school should have at least one copy (if not 30!) of this book no matter what the religion/creed of the school. Even though the book is geared for YA, I am not in that age range, nor am I an Orthodox Jew but I was able to learn more about their beliefs and traditions in this book than if someone tried to teach me using conventional methods.

5/5 stars
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Nov 15, 2010

your neighborhood librarian rated it

Shelves: children-s, cybils-gn-2010, graphic-novels, great-books-for-middle-grade

This is one of the most unusual things I've come across in some time. It attempts a number of things - adventure, fantasy, domestic life - that sometimes coexist to good effect (I'm thinking along the Nesbit / Eager / Snyder axis here, of course), and one that just... wouldn't seem to fit. Namely, a good healthy dose of information about Jewish Orthodoxy.

Let me back up. Mirka, one of about fifty-eleven sisters and one brother in an Orthodox Jewish family, yearns to be a dragon-slayer...more

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Aug 21, 2010

Jennifer rated it

Shelves: graphic-novels, tweener-lit

Eleven year old Orthodox Jewish Mirka must fight against tradition and her own conscience in order to become the dragon-slaying hero she knows she is inside. Mirka faces down a mean tempered pig, a floating witch and a six legged troll all in pursuit of the perfect monster-killing sword. Wholly original and incredibly refreshing, this little GN charmer is like All-of-a-Kind Family meets Rapunzel's Revenge. I just adored the insertion of Orthodox practice into a girl-power fantasy (which began li...more

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Dec 09, 2011

Kelly rated it

1. Junior Graphic Novel
2. This graphic novel follows the adventures of Mirka, an Orthodox Jew, through the small town of Hereville. Hereville only contains Orthodox Jews, or so most of the people think, until Mirka discovers much more through her adventures that involve a pig, a witch and a troll.
3. Story/information. Hereville tells an excellent adventure, but also has a great message between the lines of the story. The story creates a way to incorporate information about the Jewish...more

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Jan 19, 2011

Natalie rated it

Recommended to Natalie by: Suzette Gee

Shelves: 1-10

Hereville is just another book about a young Jewish girl who wants to fight dragons, trolls, and become a hero. No really, all Mirka wants to do is fight dragons, which is really unusual for an eleven year old girl in an all Jewish community. Her sister gets after her about getting her head out of the clouds, starting to act her age, getting ready and worrying about marriage. Mirka has to think of her family after all, they are close; she has several siblings and a sister getting close to the ag...more

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Aug 03, 2010

Inge rated it

Shelves: graphic-novels, kids

Let's get the obvious comments over with. Yes. This is a graphic novel where the brave heroine is an 11 year-old Orthodox Jewish girl. This is definitely not something you see every day. However, it's not treated as a novelty, and while the reader will learn about Orthodox Judaism and its practices, it is not done in an overly didactic manner. Mirka is a bit of a rebel in some ways, but overall she's true to her family and her beliefs without sacrificing her need for adventure.
I used to wo...more

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Sep 28, 2011

A. J. rated it

My local library has a fairly small collection of graphic novels. Much of the time, the ones that do show up are either adaptations of novels or decadently drawn romances.
When something that looks more interesting turns up, my first response is usually to dump everything I’m carrying, sit down on the floor next to the shelf, and read it cover to cover before putting it back. When I started Hereville, I realized that I would have to check it out and spend time reading it to fully appreciate...more

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Feb 18, 2011

Rachel rated it

Shelves: 11-20

This book about Mirka an eleven year old Jewish girl who likes to test the limits. She is growing up learning all the important things a young woman must learn. What she really wants to do is fight dragons. One day she finds a strange house and eats a grape from one of the vines. After that she is followed by a monster pig, who torments her. She ends up saving the pigs life and is granted a reward by the pig's master a witch. The witch tells her where she can find a sword for her future battles ...more

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Feb 12, 2011

Cassy Hulse rated it

Shelves: books-with-reviews

Mirka is your average 11-year-old, Orthodox Jewish girl, who hates knitting, argues with her step-mom, and oh yeah, loves fighting dragons. She spends her days arguing with her siblings, deflecting marriage advice, complaining about chores, and sneaking off to have epic adventures against wild and strange monsters (pigs) and battling goblins.

This is a graphic novel, that has laugh out loud depictions and dialogue, and creative, easy-flow reading. It's a great story about coming of...more

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Apr 28, 2011

Katie Bruce rated it

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, graphic-novel, j-fiction

Really great, original graphic novel. Some of the Yiddish (I think?) vocabulary took me a bit out of the story, since I had to keep checking the footnotes for definitions, but I really liked that the main character was Jewish--possibly Hasidic? I'm not sure. Either way, her family is very traditional, and Mirka is not. Her greatest wish in life is to slay a dragon! I loved the ending of this book and how she **POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD** defeated the troll. I also thought it was interesting that ...more

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Nov 10, 2010

Dan rated it

Shelves: novels

The graphic novel Hereville by Portland-based cartoonist Barry Deutsch tells the story of a small Jewish community, and in particular of an 11-year-old girl who wants more excitement than her village seems capable of supplying. Although her dream of being a dragon slayer frequently puts her at loggerheads with her stepmother and her siblings, she does not give up this desire, and as a result she finds herself in a number of adventures, though rarely the adventures she (or the reader) expects.
...moreThe graphic novel Hereville by Portland-based cartoonist Barry Deutsch tells the story of a small Jewish community, and in particular of an 11-year-old girl who wants more excitement than her village seems capable of supplying. Although her dream of being a dragon slayer frequently puts her at loggerheads with her stepmother and her siblings, she does not give up this desire, and as a result she finds herself in a number of adventures, though rarely the adventures she (or the reader) expects.

Visually, Hereville employs a number of techniques in its representation of events in the story. Panels in the action sequences suggest what Hereville might look like if it were to be adapted to film. In other passages, sight gags comment on the humor of Mirka’s situation. Some panels employ the familiar conventions of traditional cartoons and comic books, while in others there are juxtapositions and superimpositions that remind me of some of the more abstract work of graphic novelists like David Mazzucchelli. As well, Deutsch has some interesting ways, in passages in which the action is of higher intensity, of representing Mirka’s thought processes at their most exercised.

Setting seems an important feature in this story of a young girl’s imagination. Much of the action is set in the woods, and many panels depict Mirka alone or with her brother surrounded by trees; a geographical limit of the village, the woods remind the reader of the village’s physical (and Mirka’s symbolic) isolation; it is at this limit, however, that Mirka discovers magic, adventure, danger, and the possibility that there is a bigger world just outside of her village.

Although for Mirka the village may seem limited with respect to her own expectations, most readers, I think, will see that its small size and its rurality are part of the reason for the strong communal sense of tradition that unites everyone living there in clear familial and social relationships. The understated palette and almost sepia-toned colors employed in Hereville (the work of fellow cartoonist Jake Richmond) contribute to the characterization of the village as traditional and collective rather than modern and individualistic. In a way the community itself is as much a protagonist as is the story’s heroine, perhaps best reflected in the passage in which we learn of the customs associated with the weekly celebration of Shabbos. From this and from other passages in the story, the reader unfamiliar with them will learn something of Jewish traditions, as well as possibly picking up some Yiddish to add to his or her vocabulary. Horace said that art should both delight and instruct, and Hereville, with its entertaining story and its representations of Jewish traditions that rarely feel didactic, does both.
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Nov 28, 2011

Melissa rated it

Shelves: young-adult-lit

Summary: Mirka is an orthodox Jew living in the sheltered town of Hereville. She lost her mom at a young age and is now raised by her aunt. Her aunt is a definite arguer, and most of the time Mirka is annoyed by this although it teaches her about standing up for herself. She is unlike most girls her age in that her main goal is not to get married. She would much rather solve the mystery of the talking pig and witch that lives in the forest. So she does just that. She has a run in with the pig th...more

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Oct 31, 2011

Clint rated it

Shelves: 16-30

Mirka is grows up in a small orthodox Jewish community Hereville. She has been raised by her father and step mother. She has an adventurous spirit and spunky attitude. She has dreamed of fighting dragons and trolls. One day when she meets a talking pig and a witch in the forest she begins to realize her fantasy may be able to become a reality. When she begins planning how to fight a troll she realizes that she must consult her step mother in order to fight and defeat the troll. She realizes that...more

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title link	preview: Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword
avg rating	preview: Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword Goodreads rating: 3.74 (911 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3516953-hereville?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1281636442m/3516953.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3516953-hereville?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch[/url]

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword

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