Martin Lemelman's elegiac and bittersweet graphic memoir Two Cents Plain collects the memories and artifacts of the author's childhood in B...
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May 09, 2011
Reese
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I consider TWO CENTS PLAIN: MY BROOKLYN BOYHOOD (2010) an exceptionally fine example of its genre. In a tapestry of drawings, photographs, and words, Martin Lemelman offers a personal history that reveals a big and important picture. The whole comes in the size of a piece -- a real deal that is "the real deal." So I want to say that this book will be widely treasured. I want to say, "Hey, except for two three-month stays in Washington, DC, I have never lived anywhere but North Car
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Feb 12, 2011
Matthew
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Lemelman put out a great piece of work here. Essentially a portrait of his own family through his childhood eyes, the book opens with his parents escaping from Russia just after WWII and making their way to NY City. A large portion of the book focuses on their adjusting and adapting to a new way of life while still trying to hold onto a sense of their Jewish and Russian heritage. His father tries a few occupations and finally ends up owning and managing a small candy story in the Brownsville ne
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Sep 19, 2010
Susan
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I can't help but love this book dearly. Narratively speaking, I think it has some issues; the chapters don't always flow together very smoothly and the build-up to the last event is rather anti-climactic and well, almost non-existent.
On the very simplest of levels, the narrative reminded me of William Goyen's House of Breath. Obviously the two are executed in very different ways, but both employ very distinct voices of the "ghosts" of the past, stemming from a return to More...
On the very simplest of levels, the narrative reminded me of William Goyen's House of Breath. Obviously the two are executed in very different ways, but both employ very distinct voices of the "ghosts" of the past, stemming from a return to More...
Sep 24, 2010
Jami
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I received a copy of the book from the publisher based on my entry in a contest through Goodreads. This was the first graphic novel I have read. It is a fascinating method for a memoir, which Lemelman successfully utilizes.
Lemelman provides a moving account of the everyday lives of Jewish immigrants from the 1950-70's. He captured not only his own personal story, but that of his family members and neighbors. I could hear the different voices of the people in his Brooklyn childhood More...
Lemelman provides a moving account of the everyday lives of Jewish immigrants from the 1950-70's. He captured not only his own personal story, but that of his family members and neighbors. I could hear the different voices of the people in his Brooklyn childhood More...
Sep 26, 2010
Amy
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I have to admit that I was a little bit skeptical of this book when I first got it. This was my first graphic novel, and I have to say that I loved it. I am a very visual person and the integration of drawings and photographs added so much to the story.
The book tells the story of the authors life growing up in Brooklyn. Lemelman also tells a brief history of his parents life in and their experiences as Jews during the nazi occupation, and then their journey to America.
Lem More...
The book tells the story of the authors life growing up in Brooklyn. Lemelman also tells a brief history of his parents life in and their experiences as Jews during the nazi occupation, and then their journey to America.
Lem More...
Sep 20, 2010
Riv
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I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway (yay, I won something!!) not even knowing what it was (I just tried to avoid the vampire/bodice ripper looking ones they were offering).
Never having been a fan of comic books, I never picked up a graphic novel before. This is a graphic memoir, the story of Martin Lemelman's childhood in Brownsville, Brooklyn told in hand-drawn story boards. He describes his parents' escape from the Nazis and Soviet army respectively, after the war, and their More...
Never having been a fan of comic books, I never picked up a graphic novel before. This is a graphic memoir, the story of Martin Lemelman's childhood in Brownsville, Brooklyn told in hand-drawn story boards. He describes his parents' escape from the Nazis and Soviet army respectively, after the war, and their More...
Sep 24, 2010
Joy
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I received this book from GoodReads firstbook giveaway. It was very good timing, as I have just moved to NYC, and this book is about growing up in Brooklyn. This is the first graphic novel I have read, but I believe it is probably quite different from most graphic novels. Since this is biography, there are some photos, although most are drawings, but they are depicting the childhood of the author. He takes us through his parents getting out of Europe after the Nazis, and through his childhood
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Sep 15, 2010
Carrie
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I really enjoyed the drawings and the photos in this book. Lemelman did a fantastic job drawing me into the story, I especially enjoyed how well he got into the stories of his mother and father. However, considering that the premise of this novel was supposed to be about his childhood, I felt like Lemelman himself was really left out of the story. I would have liked to see more about him and his own memories of growing up. The story was interesting and engaging, but I felt like it just kind
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Oct 13, 2010
Niki
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When someone asks you if you could pick any person in the world to meet, who would you choose? Usually the person is someone famous. Me, I'd like to sit down and have a chat with Martin Lemelman's mama.
Two Cents Plain is a beautiful graphic novel. I loved it. It was a unique way to learn just a little bit about the life of Jewish immigrants in the 50's and 60's. How they survived the Holocaust is a miracle.
I wish this book could be mandatory reading for high scho More...
Two Cents Plain is a beautiful graphic novel. I loved it. It was a unique way to learn just a little bit about the life of Jewish immigrants in the 50's and 60's. How they survived the Holocaust is a miracle.
I wish this book could be mandatory reading for high scho More...
Oct 28, 2011
Laura
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A truly stunning graphic novel with excellent black and white drawings, photographs, and collages. The narrative is very personal and it's easy to feel like a part of the Lemelmen family as you read about their struggles in Brooklyn. Martin's parents are Holocaust survivors, and when they make a life for themselves and have a family in America, there are still some Old World customs they can't quite leave behind them. And around them, America is changing - the neighborhood that started out a fri
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Jan 17, 2012
Sara
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Growing up in the 1950s and 60s, Martin Lemelman watched his Polish-Jewish family struggle with their new American lives running a candy shop in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. Though the shop was legendary for its ice cream, egg creams and toys, the neighborhood itself was beginning its steep decline. Young Martin (or “Mattaleh,” as his parents called him) discovered his interest in art — particularly drawing — during this time, and has since made himself a career illustrating books. Two C
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Oct 22, 2011
Twan
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This is a great little book. A autobiographical memoir about the author's Jewish upbringing in New York after his parents set up shop there after surviving the holocaust. Sounds fun, eh? Well, it is you filthy animals. The artwork on the other hand leaves a bit to be desired, all done in pencil and quite basic at times but it is helped along by photos which are added like collages. Funny, sad and I will buy his other book on the strength of this.
Sep 02, 2011
Ppetersen4
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Had never read a graphic novel, but found this title searching memoirs- and discovered it was an illustrated one! Gave it a try and loved it- a quarter of the way in you forget you're looking at illustrations while you read, your brain just integrates the two, text and drawings- just like in a subtitled film. I love reading memoirs of the 40's and 50's, especially those of New York Jewish families (don't ask me why, I'm United Methodist, go figure).
Oct 24, 2011
Mike
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As much as I found the storytelling intriguing (due to the mix-and-match of old photographs and trinkets along with the actual drawn pencils) I had a hard time really getting into this biography.[return][return]I'm not certain if the message or stories would have been more powerful had the point of view not shifted back and forth from that of the narrator to his mother to his father and back again. In too many instances, those shifts took me "out" of the story - as much from the fact
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May 27, 2011
Heather
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I really liked the storytelling here, and it was an exceptionally easy read because of the pictures. However, I wonder if it would be enjoyable to older readers because of the pictures. I was going to buy it for my dad, who grew up in Brooklyn in the 1940s and 1950s, but I don't think he'd really love the picture aspect. The story was touching and well-written; it made me miss my grandparents very much.
Sep 15, 2010
Lori
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I really enjoyed reading Two Cents Plain. The book introduced me to a world I would never have known existed had I not read it. I loved the Yiddish sayings that appeared throughout the book, as well as the fantastic illustrations. I think it only added to the uniqueness of the book. I look forward to reading another book by Martin Lemelman.
Sep 23, 2010
Janet
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I loved this! very unusual- story of a young man's growing up in brooklyn- in graphic style . Tells the story of his parents growing up in Poland, coming to AMerica and life in Brooklyn . Very unusual book but worth reading. Tears in my eyes!
Jan 07, 2012
Gloria
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I must say that this graphic novel is quite spectacular. I think Lemelson did a great job with the art, and the vignettes are quite moving. If anything, the narrative arc overall is a bit choppy, the ending rather abrupt after the climatic vignette. But overall well worth the time reading and looking.
And his four sons are lucky to have this book.
Some great Yiddish sayings from the book:
Everything revolves around bread and death (Allis drait arum broit un toit).
A More...
And his four sons are lucky to have this book.
Some great Yiddish sayings from the book:
Everything revolves around bread and death (Allis drait arum broit un toit).
A More...
Feb 16, 2011
Amy
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I hated for this book to end. I loved the drawing style and the frankness of Lemelman in his story telling. I am even going to send my 65 year old mom (who lives in Brooklyn) a copy. I don't think she has ever read a graphic novel but I suspect that she's like this one.
Oct 01, 2010
Sara
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graphic memoir. terrific drawings. nuanced, not overly nostalgic story of a post-war brooklyn boyhood with holocaust refugee parents.
Sep 11, 2011
Marley
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A lovely illustrated story about growing up in brooklyn. Interesting take on gentrification, judaism, nostalgia, and culture.
Sep 03, 2010
i love reading memoirs. i haven't read a graphic memoir before, but i'm really looking forward to reading this one.
Dec 10, 2010
Lori
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I have never read a comic book in my life and I thought that's what this was going to be. I was very wrong. It was a beautifully illustrated memior of a boy growing up in Brooklyn. It was told in a very heart-felt manner about a young Jewsih boy being raised by his parents that had escaped the Nazis. The parents came to America to make a better life for themselves. The book focused on how the cultures and customs here were very different. The culture clash was evident in the experiences th
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Dec 10, 2010
Richard
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Excellent comics memoir about growing up in 1950-60s Jewish Brooklyn.
Mar 09, 2011
Rosa
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What a wonderful surprise this book turned out to be. Since this book deals with Holocaust survivors I was expecting a difficult read and while Martin Lemelman's childhood wasn't idyllic it was filled with love, interesting times and interesting people. The author is a talented writer but it was his wonderful drawings and photographs that brought the book to life for me.
Jun 16, 2011
Becky
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Martin is an excellent story teller and a gifted artist. The pictures take you back to an earlier time and bring back memories of toys and games, sights and scenes from childhood. I enjoyed his first book as well, and there is another book in the works.
Feb 08, 2012
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Jan 31, 2012
