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212th out of 482 books
—
207 voters
Market Day
by
James Sturm
ATIMELESS MEDITATION ON ART AND COMMERCE SEEN THROUGH THE LIFE OF AN EARLY-TWENTIETH-CENTURY JEWISH RUG MAKER
Mendleman’s life goes through an upheaval when he discovers that he can no longer earn a living for his growing family doing the work that defines him—making well-crafted rugs by hand. A proud artisan, he takes his donkey-drawn cart to the market only to be turned a...more
Mendleman’s life goes through an upheaval when he discovers that he can no longer earn a living for his growing family doing the work that defines him—making well-crafted rugs by hand. A proud artisan, he takes his donkey-drawn cart to the market only to be turned a...more
Hardcover, 96 pages
Published
March 30th 2010
by Drawn and Quarterly
(first published January 1st 2010)
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That James Sturm's Market Day would be a gloomy affair is evident from the start. The colours are murky and drab. The shadows loom large and dominate the frame. The dialogue is sparse. And the book is about an artiste. Which almost guarantees angst, self-doubt, and a large cereal bowl-full of mopiness.
Tch, artists.
The thing is: Sturm uses his protagonist's preoccupation with both artistic excellence and the recognition of those with taste to tell a quietly powerful tale of brute pragmatism versu...more
Tch, artists.
The thing is: Sturm uses his protagonist's preoccupation with both artistic excellence and the recognition of those with taste to tell a quietly powerful tale of brute pragmatism versu...more
I've thought my way through this one. The art was really pretty, and the message was okay, but... it left me cold. I felt like it didn't really bring anything new to the table as far as 'messages' go. And then I realized that it's not just that - it's the one-sidedness of the story. This guy - he returns home defeated. He is likely going to have to find another job. What if that job doesn't pay as much? What if it comes to the point where he struggles just to feed his family from day to day? Is...more
As I was reading this, I was expecting to give a GLOWING review with my strong stamp of approval... but this book has ONE flaw. One BIG flaw:
It doesn't really have an /ending/.
I hate that. Oh I hate that so MUCH...
It doesn't /need/ one... but I like my stories to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. We have to guess at the end in this one...
Even so, This is a definate four stars out of five, because with VERY few words and a lot of very simple drawings, James Sturm has managed to tell us an a...more
Après quelques années dans le domaine de l’éducation, James Sturm fait son retour éditorial avec Jour de marché. Une fois de plus, il pose un regard croisé sur le passé et cherche à découvrir l'origines des dérives de notre époque. Après les tensions raciales et les prémices du sport spectacle dans l’excellent Swing du Golem, les dérives de l’extrémisme religieux et la soif de l’or dans Above & Below (malheureusement pas encore traduit), il se penche vers un des piliers de la vie moderne, c'...more
Mendleman, the weaver awakes early on market day and heads to town with his rugs in a mule drawn cart. His wife is pregnant with their first child, and as he trudges along in the pre-dawn he worries about all the things that could possibly go wrong, and what the terrible consequences might be. As dawn breaks and he approaches the marketplace his mood improves, he’s inspired with new rug designs and contemplates the pleasant bustle of humanity as the other vendors set up their wares. He meets a r...more
James Sturm, you are really a treasure.
Your work is such a work of art, carefully not drawing attention to the artist himself, celebrating the fact that you're making a graphic novel, and not just writing a story and not just bombarding us with new and interesting art.
And the story, too, of the way the world changes, painfully, imperceptibly but somehow also all at once, in a Jewish Eastern European context here, but very easily universalized... it was a great one for the medium of light and sh...more
Your work is such a work of art, carefully not drawing attention to the artist himself, celebrating the fact that you're making a graphic novel, and not just writing a story and not just bombarding us with new and interesting art.
And the story, too, of the way the world changes, painfully, imperceptibly but somehow also all at once, in a Jewish Eastern European context here, but very easily universalized... it was a great one for the medium of light and sh...more
Artistically, James Strum's latest is hauntingly beautiful, capturing the day in a life of a rug artisan...from his nervous few steps out in the morning light journeying to the market till the shroud of night falling around him. My favourite moments were of the hustle and bustle of an early 1900's market illuminating the personalities and energy of artisans and market shoppers, which quickly fades away into the dark realizations of an uncertain world and an even more uncertain future predicted o...more
James Sturm is one of my favorite artists. His simple style, sharp juxtaposition of light and shadow, and unsettling use of space allow his drawings to tell a story far better than his uneven writing ever could.
The writing, as in some of Sturm's other work, does end up being the major weakness of Market Day. It's hard to develop much sympathy for the main character's problems, something a reader needs in the sad, world-weary, heavy allegory of Market Day. The book also seems to end suddenly and...more
The writing, as in some of Sturm's other work, does end up being the major weakness of Market Day. It's hard to develop much sympathy for the main character's problems, something a reader needs in the sad, world-weary, heavy allegory of Market Day. The book also seems to end suddenly and...more
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"But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." Timothy 5:8
This is the difficult circumstance in which Mendleman, a jewish rug-maker with no more demands for his craft, finds himself in. A ounce proud and self-indulgent artisan he must now face a new reality in which he may have no choice but to abandon his dreams in order to provide for his new family. Should he stay and fulfill his obligat...more
This is the difficult circumstance in which Mendleman, a jewish rug-maker with no more demands for his craft, finds himself in. A ounce proud and self-indulgent artisan he must now face a new reality in which he may have no choice but to abandon his dreams in order to provide for his new family. Should he stay and fulfill his obligat...more
Having spent a couple of years trying to get up to speed on comics/graphic novels, I guess I'm finding them a mixed bag. But this is one of my very favourite ones, along with Maus and Fun Home. It's very dark, in both palette and tone--a somber and sobering story (it begins and ends with the fantassized/fearfuly imagined deaths of two of the protagonists) but also a gentle and kindhearted one.
The book, which tells the story of a Jewish rug-maker in an Eastern European Shtetl and the end of the 1...more
The book, which tells the story of a Jewish rug-maker in an Eastern European Shtetl and the end of the 1...more
A quietly gorgeous book -- really great use of a muted palette with a few streaks of color for impact that correspond to the narrative arc. I agree with Richard that Sturm is definitely making a point about the futility of perfecting your craft, especially if you are as obsessive as the Jewish rug maker at the center of the story (or as most cartoonists I know tend to be). But I think he's also showing the readers (in a very non-didactic fashion) how that futility is fed by a capitalist society...more
Beautifully and simply told, this wonderfully illustrated graphic novel tells the story of Mendleman, a Jewish rug maker, who goes into town on "market day" in an attempt to sell his rugs. But when he finds out that the owner of the store where he usually sells his rugs is no longer there, and that the new owner doesn't care to buy his rugs, Mendleman's world is thrown into chaos as he begins to question his profession, his life, and all of existence. James Sturm, author of another great graphic...more
Perhaps my expectations are to blame for the disappointment I felt after reading this book. I expected a story, but instead received only a glimpse into a character's head, with no resolution to the set-up the author had created. To make things worse, there was no joy in this book, and barely a plot--you don't get the chance to understand the protagonist beyond the unfortunate situation he currently faces. But it may be worth picking up for a glimpse of the exquisite art, design and lettering. I...more
Completely heartbreaking. And completely stunning.
A fine rug maker in early 1900s eastern Europe finds he can no longer get good prices for his work. As I read, I found myself thinking about how isolated this society was (he walks everywhere), thinking about management theory, thinking about the loss of quality, and my knowledge of the horrors of WWII just loomed in the background.
Really amazing illustrations, with nice use of full-spread bleeds, demonstrations of this artistic mind to create ru...more
A fine rug maker in early 1900s eastern Europe finds he can no longer get good prices for his work. As I read, I found myself thinking about how isolated this society was (he walks everywhere), thinking about management theory, thinking about the loss of quality, and my knowledge of the horrors of WWII just loomed in the background.
Really amazing illustrations, with nice use of full-spread bleeds, demonstrations of this artistic mind to create ru...more
a beautiful, if depressing work. Sturm's drawings are amazing, as ever. his use of color is judicious and striking. the story could be told nowadays with any number of professions - the difference between artisan work and mass-produced crap. even though i liked the book, something about the story didn't grab me the way much of his other work did. perhaps Mendleman's consistently dark thoughts are off-putting. definitely worth reading. i've read many heated discussions talking about the symbolism...more
Beautifully drawn story of a rugmaker who prides himself on the quality of his craftsmanship making his journey into town to sell his wares, worrying about his pregnant wife and how their lives are about to change. When he gets to the market, he has a new set of worries. I gave it 4 stars because the ending confused me a little. I think the point was that the world was changing and his ways were no longer valid, but to make that decision based on one day...but the world is always changing, somet...more
A rug maker in early 20th century Eastern Europe prepares to go to market to sell his rugs. He sits up at night worrying about money. He is soon to be a father and he needs to sell his rugs. When he goes to the market he finds his usual buyer has retired and sold his business to a young man who doesn't care for craftsmanship and wants to pay as little as possible. As he wanders the towns looking for a place to make some money, he thinks about his old buyer, the man who encouraged him in his rug...more
This is a dark, deeply moving character study of a man who's life is changing in unexpected ways. In one day, everything shifts from a state of content, assured knowing to a muddied, doubt-ridden existence. The graphic novel is effective, with excellent use of colour, tone, pace and timing, and narrative. Physically, the book is an absolute pleasure to read - the smell of the ink, the weight of the pages, the texture of the cover. Short? Yes, but what a great short read it is.
Market Day is a very moving, sad, and subtle graphic novel for older readers. Set in a European Jewish community of the last century, Market Day shares one day in Mendelman's unraveling life. A rug maker of distinction and a father-in-waiting, Mendleman goes to the Market town to sell his rugs, only to find his supply chain is upended and nothing is as it was. This book makes me wish I had an "Economics" tag. . . it's contemplative and sad.
A Jewish rug maker goes to town while his wife is pregnant with their first child. That day, changes in the town's economy rock his world. I have never seen the type of rug described in the book and would like to see what type of rug the protagonist would have woven. I believe(but may be mistaken) that the book is also about how difficult it is to be an idealistic connoisseur, as well as how hard it is to be an idealistic artisan.
A simple and sweet little story, beautifully told with grace and style. I recommend James Sturm's work for anyone who does not "get" the comics or graphic medium. Two of his books on baseball, a subject I have less than zero interest in, I read because of my love for the medium, and because Sturm is such an excellent artist and storyteller, I came away feeling like I now appreciate baseball. :)
Really beautifully, lovingly done story based on historical materials. Wrenchingly harsh, but hopeful in that the rug weaver's anguish and his love for his family and his artistic vision and commitment come through... Not a sentimental, sappy, happy ending, a good and clear picture of a simple man suffering to make a living in harsh times. Gorgeously done, with muted tans and browns and greys, all in honor of the weaver's own artistic vision...
This is a really great portrait of what it must have been like to be a craftsmen during the spark of the industrial revolution. While I have studied the industrial revolution extensively in various economics courses, I have never really seen a detailed look at the demise of the craftsman. This is great story during the turning of the modern age, and the effects on the proletariat.
What a sad book but one that, nonetheless, I could not put down until I had finished it. Catering to the masses with inexpensive and adequate products overtakes the need for quality and spiritually handmade creations. Rather than calling this book fiction, it would be best to describe it as, what the ancient Greek could write so beautifully, "a life's tragedy."
For the amount of talent Sturm displays, this book is a bit of a let down. The reader never really gets a feel for the texture of the time he depicts (which is when btw?, which only serves to make the hand of allegory more heavy.
His column in Slate on leaving the internet is excellent.
His column in Slate on leaving the internet is excellent.
Decline of handmade goods. A rugmaker treks to the marke to sell his wares, only to find his wares no longer sellable. He has a Bob Dylan-ish night in the dumps, asking how does it feel to have everything changed. Make me want to people watch at all the farmers' market, glancing at the scene at mass-market malls, and peep everybody on bus rides.
After reading some exceptional reviews of this book, I ordered it on impulse and was really looking forward to reading it. I must say I was somewhat disappointed. I thought the art was beautiful and I loved the idea for the story, but ultimately I felt it wasn't long enough, not enough character development and ended too abruptly.
Powerful depiction of how are thoughts/perceptions influence our actions and mood, and how destructive it can be when we mark our identity and purpose based on other persons' approval. Also demonstrates the depravity of humanity when the need for comfort and solace leads a person to commit adultery of the heart.
Sturm is a master story teller. And his simple yet expressive style is always compelling. This isn't as good as Golem's Mighty Swing, but that doesn't mean it's not great. I'm so glad he opened a college for comics and cartooning. I would love to see more comics with the level of craft that Sturm puts into his.
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James Sturm is the author of several award-winning graphic novels for children and adults, including James Sturm’s America, Market Day, The Golem’s Mighty Swing and Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow. He is also the founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies and the National Association for Comics Art Educators. He created Adventures in Cartooning with collaborators Alexis Frederic-Frost and Andr...more
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