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The Contract With God Trilogy #1
A Contract with God: And Other Tenement Stories
The revolutionary work of graphic storytelling that inspired a new art form.
Will Eisner was present at the dawn of comics. In the 1940s, he pushed the boundaries of the medium with his acclaimed weekly comic strip The Spirit, and with the publication of A Contract with God in 1978, he created a new medium altogether: the graphic novel. It was unlike anything seen before, heralding an era when serious cartoonists were liberated from the limiting confines of the comic strip. Eisner’s work was a shining example of what comics could be: as inventive, moving, and complex as any literary art form.
Eisner considered himself “a graphic witness reporting on life, death, heartbreak, and the never-ending struggle to prevail.” A Contract with God begins with a gripping tale that mirrors the artist’s real-life tragedy, the death of his daughter. Frimme Hersh, a devout Jew, questions his relationship with God after the loss of his own beloved child. Hersh’s crisis is intertwined with the lives of the other unforgettable denizens of Eisner’s iconic Dropsie Avenue, a fictionalized version of the quintessential New York City street where he came of age at the height of the Depression.
This hardcover centennial edition showcases Eisner’s singular visual style in new high-resolution scans of his original art, complete with an introduction by Scott McCloud and an illuminating history of Eisner’s seminal work. Now readers can experience the legendary book that launched a unique art form and reaffirmed Will Eisner as one of the great pioneers of American graphic storytelling.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1978
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13400 people want to read
About the author
Will Eisner
761 books535 followersWilliam Erwin Eisner was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series The Spirit (1940–1952) was noted for its experiments in content and form. In 1978, he popularized the term "graphic novel" with the publication of his book A Contract with God. He was an early contributor to formal comics studies with his book Comics and Sequential Art (1985). The Eisner Award was named in his honor and is given to recognize achievements each year in the comics medium; he was one of the three inaugural inductees to the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame.
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August 27, 2015
‘A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories’ written and illustrated by Will Eisner, one of the giants in the sequential arts arena, is a perfectly executed graphic novel, which provides the reader a peek at the American experience during the early 1930s. Through four interconnected graphic stories, Eisner provide insights into the human condition while drawing on the memories of his growing up in New York during that time period.
A brief look at Will Eisner as a master graphic artist
Born in 1917, Will Eisner was heavily influential in the comic art form and stands tall in the pantheon of all-time sequential artists with such luminaries like Milton Arthur Paul Caniff and Jack Kirby. He started with his contributions in this medium through “The Spirit”, a weekly newspaper insert comic book, in the early 1940s. He utilized “The Spirit” as a launching platform for experimenting his ideas and expressing stories in his mind through comic art form.
At that time the sequential art form and comic books were not considered seriously and was often ridiculed by expert artists. “The Spirit”, with its crime, adventure and drama stories featuring a masked vigilante published every week got popular and it had an influence on the noir genre movies produced during the 1940s.
Jules Feiffer, whose career began with Eisner and who wrote “Comics are ‘junk’, but that junk is good, even necessary” in a 1965 essay on comic book history, made these observations on the the graphic arts created by Eisner:
After finishing with “The Spirit” series in 1952, Eisner left the sequential arts arena for other pragmatic ventures. After 25 years he returned to the comic book scenario with a series of ‘graphic novels’ – a preexisting term, which was popularized by Will Eisner – of which “A Contract with God”, released in 1978 cementing his reputation as a master in the comics arena.
‘A Contract with God’ and the return of a master artist
In the preface to ‘A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories’ Will Eisner narrates about his return to the comic art scene with this new book:
This book is based on the memories that Will Eisner has about his own and his contemporaries’ experiences while growing up in New York. The book presents a selection of four stories, which are interconnected and based on a fictional tenement situated in 55 Dropsie Avenue, the Bronx, New York and narrates the personal and intimate memories that the author have about a bunch of characters from his past.
The tenement was built around 1920 when the flow of immigrants after World War I to New York was like a flood. By the 30s low paid city employees, laborers and their families thrived in these tenements, which became home to a whole first generation of Americans born to their foreign parents. There was no privacy within these apartment buildings and these stories that Will Eisner narrate in the graphic medium is based on the life as it was in these tenements during “the dirty 30s”. You can detect the dynamics of relationships, the culture, the depression and state of economy and everything that prevailed in the 30s within these frames.
In the first story titled “A Contract with God” we witness the story of Frimme Hersh - an immigrant who fled the terrible anti-semitic pogroms of 1882 after the assassination of Alexander II of Russia as a child and who became a prominent religious and social figure in the Hassidic community in the New York City - giving up his religious faith after the death of his young adopted daughter. This is based on Eisner’s own loss of his 16-year-old daughter and reflects some of his inner feelings towards god and faith he felt during those times.
In “The Street Singer”, we meet an alcoholic street singer - and one with some serious domestic violence issues - who is seduced by a retired diva. She tries to mentor him by giving him an opportunity to train under her and have a career in the show business. In “The Super” we come to know about the dark tale of ‘Mr. Scuggs’, who was the superintendent of the tenement. Both these stories are ironically tragic and are dark in their soul with “The Super” having overt signs of pedophilia.
In the final story in this book, “Cookalein” we meet Eisner himself as a fifteen year old and is an intertwining tale of a lot of characters in which the author describes his own “honest account of coming of age”.
We can meet characters who are ambitious, who are lonely, who have dreams and anxieties about future, who fight against despair & poverty in these depictions of the plain true-life brimming with sights of desires, frustrations and cynicism happening among the tenements which the author fishes out of his memory. Will Eisner blend past and present to create an artwork based on realism in which he fuses together words and illustrations to give them a similarity to the world of dreams or memories. Since these memories about the people and his views about the surroundings are from way past, they have a certain amount of dullness in his mind, which he recaptures in the illustrations through caricature like figures and a monochrome tone which mimic the world of dreams perfectly on the paper.
The Sequential Art in ‘A Contract with God’
Will Eisner follows a rule of realism while producing the artworks in “A Contract with God” and he uses exaggerations on the depictions of his characters – especially their facial features – to allow for the limitations of actuality. Since these are memories from decades back, he resorts to caricature to illustrate the characters as his memory regarding their exact features are hazy.
The way in which he utilized the space and format that he used in this comic book medium to meet this realism is expressed by his following words:
The picture and copy are so interdependent and are inseparable even for a moment, so he fuses them together in such a manner to create a smooth flowing narrative. In many pages the traditional box frames are not used; instead the full page is utilized in a manner to maximize the visual impact on the reader.
These four social dramas, which are interconnected with their common setting, presented within this graphic novel are at times heart warming and at times heart breaking. They are told with so much candidness so that we can witness almost everything related to life with in these comic panels.
“A Contract with God” was always a special book for Will Eisner and he held it close to his heart through out his life, which can be recognized from his words:
Totally worth reading for the sheer candidness of the narrative and the clever use of illustrations to convey the spirit of a story, but be warned that there are strong depictions of sex and nudity within these frames even if they are not portrayed in a perverted manner.
A brief look at Will Eisner as a master graphic artist
Born in 1917, Will Eisner was heavily influential in the comic art form and stands tall in the pantheon of all-time sequential artists with such luminaries like Milton Arthur Paul Caniff and Jack Kirby. He started with his contributions in this medium through “The Spirit”, a weekly newspaper insert comic book, in the early 1940s. He utilized “The Spirit” as a launching platform for experimenting his ideas and expressing stories in his mind through comic art form.
At that time the sequential art form and comic books were not considered seriously and was often ridiculed by expert artists. “The Spirit”, with its crime, adventure and drama stories featuring a masked vigilante published every week got popular and it had an influence on the noir genre movies produced during the 1940s.
Jules Feiffer, whose career began with Eisner and who wrote “Comics are ‘junk’, but that junk is good, even necessary” in a 1965 essay on comic book history, made these observations on the the graphic arts created by Eisner:
“… the world was redefined by his camera eye. More than anyone else, Eisner was able to squeeze more human interest and more dimension and take heroes and use them—as he used the Spirit—as side characters to telling another story…”
After finishing with “The Spirit” series in 1952, Eisner left the sequential arts arena for other pragmatic ventures. After 25 years he returned to the comic book scenario with a series of ‘graphic novels’ – a preexisting term, which was popularized by Will Eisner – of which “A Contract with God”, released in 1978 cementing his reputation as a master in the comics arena.
‘A Contract with God’ and the return of a master artist
In the preface to ‘A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories’ Will Eisner narrates about his return to the comic art scene with this new book:
“Twenty five years later, given the time & opportunities, I embarked on the effort, which you hold in your hands; a harvest at last from the seedlings I had carried around with me all those years.”
This book is based on the memories that Will Eisner has about his own and his contemporaries’ experiences while growing up in New York. The book presents a selection of four stories, which are interconnected and based on a fictional tenement situated in 55 Dropsie Avenue, the Bronx, New York and narrates the personal and intimate memories that the author have about a bunch of characters from his past.
The tenement was built around 1920 when the flow of immigrants after World War I to New York was like a flood. By the 30s low paid city employees, laborers and their families thrived in these tenements, which became home to a whole first generation of Americans born to their foreign parents. There was no privacy within these apartment buildings and these stories that Will Eisner narrate in the graphic medium is based on the life as it was in these tenements during “the dirty 30s”. You can detect the dynamics of relationships, the culture, the depression and state of economy and everything that prevailed in the 30s within these frames.
In the first story titled “A Contract with God” we witness the story of Frimme Hersh - an immigrant who fled the terrible anti-semitic pogroms of 1882 after the assassination of Alexander II of Russia as a child and who became a prominent religious and social figure in the Hassidic community in the New York City - giving up his religious faith after the death of his young adopted daughter. This is based on Eisner’s own loss of his 16-year-old daughter and reflects some of his inner feelings towards god and faith he felt during those times.
In “The Street Singer”, we meet an alcoholic street singer - and one with some serious domestic violence issues - who is seduced by a retired diva. She tries to mentor him by giving him an opportunity to train under her and have a career in the show business. In “The Super” we come to know about the dark tale of ‘Mr. Scuggs’, who was the superintendent of the tenement. Both these stories are ironically tragic and are dark in their soul with “The Super” having overt signs of pedophilia.
In the final story in this book, “Cookalein” we meet Eisner himself as a fifteen year old and is an intertwining tale of a lot of characters in which the author describes his own “honest account of coming of age”.
We can meet characters who are ambitious, who are lonely, who have dreams and anxieties about future, who fight against despair & poverty in these depictions of the plain true-life brimming with sights of desires, frustrations and cynicism happening among the tenements which the author fishes out of his memory. Will Eisner blend past and present to create an artwork based on realism in which he fuses together words and illustrations to give them a similarity to the world of dreams or memories. Since these memories about the people and his views about the surroundings are from way past, they have a certain amount of dullness in his mind, which he recaptures in the illustrations through caricature like figures and a monochrome tone which mimic the world of dreams perfectly on the paper.
The Sequential Art in ‘A Contract with God’
Will Eisner follows a rule of realism while producing the artworks in “A Contract with God” and he uses exaggerations on the depictions of his characters – especially their facial features – to allow for the limitations of actuality. Since these are memories from decades back, he resorts to caricature to illustrate the characters as his memory regarding their exact features are hazy.
The way in which he utilized the space and format that he used in this comic book medium to meet this realism is expressed by his following words:
“Accordingly each story was written without regard to space, and each was allowed to develop its format from itself, that is to evolve from the narration. The normal frames (or panels) associated with sequential art are allowed to take on their integrity. For example, in many cases an entire page is set out as a panel. The text and the balloon are interlocked with the art.”
The picture and copy are so interdependent and are inseparable even for a moment, so he fuses them together in such a manner to create a smooth flowing narrative. In many pages the traditional box frames are not used; instead the full page is utilized in a manner to maximize the visual impact on the reader.
These four social dramas, which are interconnected with their common setting, presented within this graphic novel are at times heart warming and at times heart breaking. They are told with so much candidness so that we can witness almost everything related to life with in these comic panels.
“A Contract with God” was always a special book for Will Eisner and he held it close to his heart through out his life, which can be recognized from his words:
“After many subsequent works, I can still look back at this maiden effort without embarrassment and I retain for it the special affection one has for his first child.”
Totally worth reading for the sheer candidness of the narrative and the clever use of illustrations to convey the spirit of a story, but be warned that there are strong depictions of sex and nudity within these frames even if they are not portrayed in a perverted manner.
August 4, 2013
book #10 for Jugs & Capes! And essay #3 for CCLaP! In fact, someone from Will Eisner Studios actually contacted me to say they enjoyed the review. Neat!
***
Ah, Will Eisner. Undoubtedly the father or the modern graphic novel, his influence has been huge and sweeping. I mean, that's what they tell me; I'm sure that 90 percent of the people reading this review know a hell of a lot more about Will Eisner than I do. But I do know that 1978's A Contract With God is an incredibly important work in a way that many pieces of art struggle with—it has remained fresh and relevant for all these decades, and even I, as chick and a lit buff and a graphic novel neophyte, could relate to it, and be made devastated and furious by it, and appreciate it wholly.
A few months ago, my book club read Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. I didn't like it, hardly at all. The book just didn't jive at all with the image I'd been handed about its game-changing-ness. I mean, it's supposed to be this pinnacle and groundbreaker of its form, and I kind of understand how that might have been true when it was first published. But now? In 2010, for me to come to Dark Knight with no knowledge of comic-book history and tropes, living in a CGI world, an indie-fabulous world, a YouTube world, a world where everything Miller ever did has been exponentially permutated and shifted and reconsidered from every possible angle...well, his efforts just weren't that impressive.
But in the case of A Contract With God, I felt just the opposite. Despite—because of?—how uncomfortable and upset this book made me, it was an absolutely riveting read. It didn't feel remotely out of date. It didn't even feel old. I mean, the stories take place in the twenties and thirties, of course, but it felt like could have been written last year. There was nothing stilted in the language, nothing clunky in the design, nothing old-fashioned in the pictures. Maybe this is because Eisner really did set the standard, and everyone in the last forty years has just been working off of his template? If so: man. A genius, indeed.
I'm going to go ahead and admit that I was not intending to be very moved by this book. I guess I was kind of expecting saccharine, Disney-type feel-good stories, or superhero-inspired tales of beautiful people doing wonderful things. Surely everyone in the world knows how totally wrong I was. There's a shocking amount of meanness and ugliness in these stories—cruelty and misanthropy and anti-Semitism and adultery and spousal abuse and rape—and very little of it is remotely punished, which I found totally unnerving. So even though I was expecting to be disappointed by this being a sappy morality tale, I have to admit that a part of me really does want to see the good guys rewarded and the bad guys get what's comin' to 'em.
Let me give an example. In a subplot in the story "Cookalein," we have a little case of mistaken identity. Benny and Goldie, who have both gone to a summer resort explicitly to bag a wealthy mate, each think the other is loaded. After courting for a few days, they steal away into the woods in the middle of the night to cement their union, but then—surprise!—they find out they're both poor. After she cries, "Benny, if you love me, nothing else matters!," he drops his pants and growls, "It's a whole new ballgame now, baby," then lunges at her, ripping her clothes and taking her by force. So how does the story end? Goldie winds up with a doctor (whom she had previously scorned because she thought he was poor), and Benny seduces an heiress. Neither is punished. Everybody wins.
And that wasn't even the most upsetting example! But I don't want to get bogged down in summary; the real point is that these stories are extremely lifelike, and real life doesn't come with just desserts, or punishments that fit crimes. Real life is messy, and cruel, and mean, and ugly. And, for me, even worse than when things are ugly is when they're just totally unfair. While it would have annoyed me if these were bland stories about good people being happy and bad people shaking their fists, I was far more upset by the moral ambiguity, the idea that—even in fiction, even in art, where the creator has the power of choice—some people are just awful, and sometimes they get ahead anyway. Eisner has left everything unvarnished, unglossed, and unmended. I get that, and I have great respect for his evocative realism. But I'd be lying if I said I liked it.
***
Ah, Will Eisner. Undoubtedly the father or the modern graphic novel, his influence has been huge and sweeping. I mean, that's what they tell me; I'm sure that 90 percent of the people reading this review know a hell of a lot more about Will Eisner than I do. But I do know that 1978's A Contract With God is an incredibly important work in a way that many pieces of art struggle with—it has remained fresh and relevant for all these decades, and even I, as chick and a lit buff and a graphic novel neophyte, could relate to it, and be made devastated and furious by it, and appreciate it wholly.
A few months ago, my book club read Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. I didn't like it, hardly at all. The book just didn't jive at all with the image I'd been handed about its game-changing-ness. I mean, it's supposed to be this pinnacle and groundbreaker of its form, and I kind of understand how that might have been true when it was first published. But now? In 2010, for me to come to Dark Knight with no knowledge of comic-book history and tropes, living in a CGI world, an indie-fabulous world, a YouTube world, a world where everything Miller ever did has been exponentially permutated and shifted and reconsidered from every possible angle...well, his efforts just weren't that impressive.
But in the case of A Contract With God, I felt just the opposite. Despite—because of?—how uncomfortable and upset this book made me, it was an absolutely riveting read. It didn't feel remotely out of date. It didn't even feel old. I mean, the stories take place in the twenties and thirties, of course, but it felt like could have been written last year. There was nothing stilted in the language, nothing clunky in the design, nothing old-fashioned in the pictures. Maybe this is because Eisner really did set the standard, and everyone in the last forty years has just been working off of his template? If so: man. A genius, indeed.
I'm going to go ahead and admit that I was not intending to be very moved by this book. I guess I was kind of expecting saccharine, Disney-type feel-good stories, or superhero-inspired tales of beautiful people doing wonderful things. Surely everyone in the world knows how totally wrong I was. There's a shocking amount of meanness and ugliness in these stories—cruelty and misanthropy and anti-Semitism and adultery and spousal abuse and rape—and very little of it is remotely punished, which I found totally unnerving. So even though I was expecting to be disappointed by this being a sappy morality tale, I have to admit that a part of me really does want to see the good guys rewarded and the bad guys get what's comin' to 'em.
Let me give an example. In a subplot in the story "Cookalein," we have a little case of mistaken identity. Benny and Goldie, who have both gone to a summer resort explicitly to bag a wealthy mate, each think the other is loaded. After courting for a few days, they steal away into the woods in the middle of the night to cement their union, but then—surprise!—they find out they're both poor. After she cries, "Benny, if you love me, nothing else matters!," he drops his pants and growls, "It's a whole new ballgame now, baby," then lunges at her, ripping her clothes and taking her by force. So how does the story end? Goldie winds up with a doctor (whom she had previously scorned because she thought he was poor), and Benny seduces an heiress. Neither is punished. Everybody wins.
And that wasn't even the most upsetting example! But I don't want to get bogged down in summary; the real point is that these stories are extremely lifelike, and real life doesn't come with just desserts, or punishments that fit crimes. Real life is messy, and cruel, and mean, and ugly. And, for me, even worse than when things are ugly is when they're just totally unfair. While it would have annoyed me if these were bland stories about good people being happy and bad people shaking their fists, I was far more upset by the moral ambiguity, the idea that—even in fiction, even in art, where the creator has the power of choice—some people are just awful, and sometimes they get ahead anyway. Eisner has left everything unvarnished, unglossed, and unmended. I get that, and I have great respect for his evocative realism. But I'd be lying if I said I liked it.
December 25, 2019
One of Eisner's seminal works. Released in 1978, A Contract with God was one of the first graphic novels ever produced. Eisner based the stories on his life as they tell tales of various tenants of a tenement in the Bronx. A Contract with God is the first time he ever discussed the death of his daughter even though Eisner himself is not in the story. The stories are of a mature nature and certainly not for children. Eisner's black and white art is glorious with exceptional lettering. This is one of those books that every fan of comic books should eventually read.
May 28, 2018
Will Eisner's legendary graphic novel (one of the first of its kind) is a semi-autobiographical collection of four sad, sometimes downright bleak and depressing stories centered around the residents of one tenement in the Bronx in or around 1930's. Eisner's storytelling is masterful, the characters are full of life and the stories still resonate despite being decades old at this point. It's not a very pleasant read since most of these stories are about human suffering and misery, but there's no artificial melodrama — the stories feel authentic, and the emotions are very real. A Contract with God is a great book, and every comics reader should read it at some point.
July 27, 2017
This is a grim graphic novel consisting of four intertwined stories of characters and lives in a 1930s Bronx tenement - basically autobiographical, by the great comic book artist and graphic novel genre creator Will Eisner.
The introductory essay by S. McCloud was well-written and placed the work in context, as well as conveying information about the life and career of Eisner. The lead off story ("A Contract with God") reflects the author's anguish at having lost his only daughter at age 16 eight years before he wrote and drew the book. The bitterness of this experience - transmuted into the fantasy story of Frimml - informs the 3 subsequent tenement tales in the book. There are few likable characters, and most characters' flaws and contradictions are painfully exposed - usually leading to some comeuppance or hubris denouement. The effect of the overall sad book is in the end grim.
The book is wonderfully drawn - obviously, Mr. Eisner was a master of capturing scenes economically, using a fantastic pen & ink style, often with strong black shadows inked in to render additional foreboding or danger. The dialog & narration are well-written - yet there is little variation in the world depicted, you can almost predict what the almost 100% venal, greedy, status-hungry, scheming people will say and how they will act. The book overflows with emotion-driven action and debacle after debacle - as hopes are shattered, there are even scenes of violence and rape. Since I usually do not like violence, or to be shown violence in an in-your-face manner in a graphic novel, this aspect of the book was somewhat disturbing. Several women are beaten in the book. One is beaten by her husband and then engages in "make-up" sex with him, in front of a 15 year old boy that she has just slept with. Women seek out rich men, or resign themselves to marrying men that are not so rich to escape exploitation by relatives (being turned into virtual slaves helping in the relatives' household). They are then seemingly resigned to a lifetime of further drudgery, as they stay at home to take care of kids, the household, and endless chores, while having to make ends meet on the few dollars the husband brings home. This is really a grim, merciless, totally un-romantic look at the reality of family life for low income struggling immigrants in the Bronx in the first half of the 20th Century.
The overall effect is one of teeming, sick, humanity, probably as a result of not earning enough to escape tenement life, and having to live on top of each other in railroad apartments, with very few amenities such as adequate heat, no air conditioning, no laundry room, etc.
I'm sure I'd read the story "Super" in another collection by Eisner previously since it seemed very familiar. It's a creepy story about a nasty super who is driven to suicide by a thieving minor - both the victim and the schemer are disasters as people. Most of the characters in these stories have few redeeming qualities. Some appear to be caricatures of evil qualities, such as the gold-digging girls attracted to any man who seems to have money, the man of modest means who tries to pass himself off as a rich man to attract a rich girl. One of the only endearing characters is in the last story - the medical student who "rescues" a fellow Grossman's (~Grossinger's) guest after she has been raped by another guest, by promising to marry her and keep the rape a secret. The bucolic "wholesomeness" of the summer in the mountains contrasts sharply with the seedy, phony, or for some hopeless social scene.
I suppose by the time Eisner wrote and drew this book, which mocks so many "types" mercilessly, he probably did want to get a lifetime of revulsion at much of humanity off his chest. It reminds me a bit of Goya's grotesque prints on war - a reaction to the horrors of war, dynastic succession struggles and in the French (Napoleonic) invasion of Spain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dis... The bitterness at least in Eisner's book is similar albeit Goya's works are much darker and violent, and the exaggeration, caricature quality of drawings mocking venal types, and greedy types, also reminds me of Daumier's prints https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor%C.... It is sometimes important to show people the horrors of humanity - writ large. That in turn reminds me of the great artist's treatment of Weimar era mindless pleasure seeking industrialists and other hypocritical types, George Grosz. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...
"A Contract with God" moves quickly - can be read in a couple of hours. It conveys the author's impression of life in a Bronx tenement, essentially, what he escaped in making a success of himself as a professional graphic artist and writer. When he wrote "A Contract with God" he must have felt he had nothing to lose in skewering the social scene of his youth - perhaps this was his payback for the misery of his childhood. He was about 60 years old when he wrote it - and probably felt professionally confident enough to write a totally grim book about his recollections of life in the Bronx in the 1930s. There couldn't possibly be any negative repercussions by the time he wrote the book, since the main characters were probably all dead by the time he wrote it, and the world he depicted had at any rate mostly vanished, as demographic change and the march of technology inevitably lead to the disintegration of the village-like Bronx tenement scene. Eisner probably felt free to criticize that world as much as he liked, even though it was the world he grew up in (or perhaps he grew up in it despite it). He had nothing to lose by the time he wrote it - and then went on to astound the world of publishing, by writing & drawing 20 more graphic novels by the time he died in 2005, contradicting the commonplace that creativity dries up the older one gets. For Eisner, he never stopped being creative, and in fact, made some of his greatest creative contributions after standard retirement age. Eisner certainly had the secret of youth in a way - his work remained fresh and new, even as he aged.
"A Contract with God" is obviously a landmark graphic novel - the first graphic novel ever written/drawn. To be honest, I didn't much enjoy this book since the depictions of women were almost 100% negative - even the long-suffering wife in the story called "Cookalein" is eventually seen to have been abandoned by her philandering husband in the last scene, as her melancholy son gazes grimly down from the fire escape into the building's courtyard. The entire book is grim - except for some few flashes of joy, although even they end or are destroyed or cheapened in the course of the book. Grimness, death, tackiness, degradation, depravity, all these facets of humanity are packed into "A Contract with God." The book is the opposite of an escapist story - the grimness and all too human quality of the book, leaves the reader with a bitter aftertaste, although as noted, both the dialog/narration and the drawings are superb. This is an anti-Valentine to mankind, perhaps Eisner's commentary about man written by the time he had nothing more to fear or lose.
The introductory essay by S. McCloud was well-written and placed the work in context, as well as conveying information about the life and career of Eisner. The lead off story ("A Contract with God") reflects the author's anguish at having lost his only daughter at age 16 eight years before he wrote and drew the book. The bitterness of this experience - transmuted into the fantasy story of Frimml - informs the 3 subsequent tenement tales in the book. There are few likable characters, and most characters' flaws and contradictions are painfully exposed - usually leading to some comeuppance or hubris denouement. The effect of the overall sad book is in the end grim.
The book is wonderfully drawn - obviously, Mr. Eisner was a master of capturing scenes economically, using a fantastic pen & ink style, often with strong black shadows inked in to render additional foreboding or danger. The dialog & narration are well-written - yet there is little variation in the world depicted, you can almost predict what the almost 100% venal, greedy, status-hungry, scheming people will say and how they will act. The book overflows with emotion-driven action and debacle after debacle - as hopes are shattered, there are even scenes of violence and rape. Since I usually do not like violence, or to be shown violence in an in-your-face manner in a graphic novel, this aspect of the book was somewhat disturbing. Several women are beaten in the book. One is beaten by her husband and then engages in "make-up" sex with him, in front of a 15 year old boy that she has just slept with. Women seek out rich men, or resign themselves to marrying men that are not so rich to escape exploitation by relatives (being turned into virtual slaves helping in the relatives' household). They are then seemingly resigned to a lifetime of further drudgery, as they stay at home to take care of kids, the household, and endless chores, while having to make ends meet on the few dollars the husband brings home. This is really a grim, merciless, totally un-romantic look at the reality of family life for low income struggling immigrants in the Bronx in the first half of the 20th Century.
The overall effect is one of teeming, sick, humanity, probably as a result of not earning enough to escape tenement life, and having to live on top of each other in railroad apartments, with very few amenities such as adequate heat, no air conditioning, no laundry room, etc.
I'm sure I'd read the story "Super" in another collection by Eisner previously since it seemed very familiar. It's a creepy story about a nasty super who is driven to suicide by a thieving minor - both the victim and the schemer are disasters as people. Most of the characters in these stories have few redeeming qualities. Some appear to be caricatures of evil qualities, such as the gold-digging girls attracted to any man who seems to have money, the man of modest means who tries to pass himself off as a rich man to attract a rich girl. One of the only endearing characters is in the last story - the medical student who "rescues" a fellow Grossman's (~Grossinger's) guest after she has been raped by another guest, by promising to marry her and keep the rape a secret. The bucolic "wholesomeness" of the summer in the mountains contrasts sharply with the seedy, phony, or for some hopeless social scene.
I suppose by the time Eisner wrote and drew this book, which mocks so many "types" mercilessly, he probably did want to get a lifetime of revulsion at much of humanity off his chest. It reminds me a bit of Goya's grotesque prints on war - a reaction to the horrors of war, dynastic succession struggles and in the French (Napoleonic) invasion of Spain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dis... The bitterness at least in Eisner's book is similar albeit Goya's works are much darker and violent, and the exaggeration, caricature quality of drawings mocking venal types, and greedy types, also reminds me of Daumier's prints https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor%C.... It is sometimes important to show people the horrors of humanity - writ large. That in turn reminds me of the great artist's treatment of Weimar era mindless pleasure seeking industrialists and other hypocritical types, George Grosz. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...
"A Contract with God" moves quickly - can be read in a couple of hours. It conveys the author's impression of life in a Bronx tenement, essentially, what he escaped in making a success of himself as a professional graphic artist and writer. When he wrote "A Contract with God" he must have felt he had nothing to lose in skewering the social scene of his youth - perhaps this was his payback for the misery of his childhood. He was about 60 years old when he wrote it - and probably felt professionally confident enough to write a totally grim book about his recollections of life in the Bronx in the 1930s. There couldn't possibly be any negative repercussions by the time he wrote the book, since the main characters were probably all dead by the time he wrote it, and the world he depicted had at any rate mostly vanished, as demographic change and the march of technology inevitably lead to the disintegration of the village-like Bronx tenement scene. Eisner probably felt free to criticize that world as much as he liked, even though it was the world he grew up in (or perhaps he grew up in it despite it). He had nothing to lose by the time he wrote it - and then went on to astound the world of publishing, by writing & drawing 20 more graphic novels by the time he died in 2005, contradicting the commonplace that creativity dries up the older one gets. For Eisner, he never stopped being creative, and in fact, made some of his greatest creative contributions after standard retirement age. Eisner certainly had the secret of youth in a way - his work remained fresh and new, even as he aged.
"A Contract with God" is obviously a landmark graphic novel - the first graphic novel ever written/drawn. To be honest, I didn't much enjoy this book since the depictions of women were almost 100% negative - even the long-suffering wife in the story called "Cookalein" is eventually seen to have been abandoned by her philandering husband in the last scene, as her melancholy son gazes grimly down from the fire escape into the building's courtyard. The entire book is grim - except for some few flashes of joy, although even they end or are destroyed or cheapened in the course of the book. Grimness, death, tackiness, degradation, depravity, all these facets of humanity are packed into "A Contract with God." The book is the opposite of an escapist story - the grimness and all too human quality of the book, leaves the reader with a bitter aftertaste, although as noted, both the dialog/narration and the drawings are superb. This is an anti-Valentine to mankind, perhaps Eisner's commentary about man written by the time he had nothing more to fear or lose.
July 24, 2016
Review of A contract with God
This was one of the first Graphic Novels I've read, and it has always stayed with me. I'm not sure why. I've reread it a few days ago and I still don't know why this story affects me. The story wasn't that great, and it was also rather short.
In the book, an orthodox jew loses his faith after his daughter dies. He doesn't understand, because all he ever did was serving God and after all, he had a contract with God, written on a stone.
I think the mere idea of a contract with God is intriguing. Some people do lose their fate when something really bad happens to them. Some people find faith in times of hardship. Others doubt their entire life. But believers do expect something of their faith.
So who can be blamed? God? Or was it only a faulty contract?
This was one of the first Graphic Novels I've read, and it has always stayed with me. I'm not sure why. I've reread it a few days ago and I still don't know why this story affects me. The story wasn't that great, and it was also rather short.
In the book, an orthodox jew loses his faith after his daughter dies. He doesn't understand, because all he ever did was serving God and after all, he had a contract with God, written on a stone.
I think the mere idea of a contract with God is intriguing. Some people do lose their fate when something really bad happens to them. Some people find faith in times of hardship. Others doubt their entire life. But believers do expect something of their faith.
So who can be blamed? God? Or was it only a faulty contract?
June 11, 2018
Dio esiste e vive nel Bronx
Cosa rappresenta Contratto con Dio di Will Eisner?
1. il primo libro di un genere, quello della Graphic Novel. Anno 1978
2. Un fumetto dove per la prima volta non ci sono eroi in calzamaglia, ma persone comuni che vivono, pregano, sognano, soffrono
3. Un insieme di disegni con uno stile inconfondibile che esce dai soliti canoni del fumetto
4. Un libro con interessanti riflessioni sulla fede (le persone passano la vita a pensare che se rispetteranno le regole, ossia il cosiddetto accordo con Dio, saranno ricompensate. Anche se tutti sanno, dentro di loro, che questo non è affatto vero)
5. Un libro a fumetti che per la prima volta si rivolge agli adulti e non ai ragazzi
Un libro cardine, per gli amanti del genere, che segna il passaggio tra il fumetto e l'arte sequenziale. Anche se, purtroppo, letto oggi risente dei quarant'anni passati.
August 9, 2019
Me giving a book one star does not happen very often. Don't get me wrong - the art is spectacular, but it doesn't outweigh my distaste of two of the four stories. All the spoilers will be hidden.
I don't know what those stories are supposed to be read as. I expected to see how people lived in New York in the 30s, and in a way, I got a glimpse of it, but not much more. Is there some deeper meaning I'm not getting? Is this one of those "you'll understand it when you're older" kind of works? I don't know. But I feel like I didn't get anything out of this book other confusion and annoyance. Was that the purpose? Was I supposed to be annoyed?
THE STORIES I DIDN'T HATE, BUT DIDN'T FIND VERY INTERESTING
A Contract with God
This is the first story of the four, centered around a man who made a contract with God, where he would do good deeds in exchange for God's protection. The hole story is framed like a story-with-a-moral one could find in holly scripture of Abrahamic religions.
I think this story is the best in the whole book simply because it seems to have a reasons behind the main character's behavior. I might not agree with those reasons, but they're there. I also think the moral of the story is dubious, but this one's a SPOILER:
END SPOILER
The Street Singer
A story about a man who sings in alleys for change. The story is unpleasant to read, yet easy to forget afterwards (I had completely forgotten about it, before opening the book again to write this review). On the other hand --
SPOILER
END SPOILER
THE STORIES I HATED
The Super
This story centers around the maintenance chief of the building. It's pointlessly nasty with no redeeming elements. I want to seem mature and say this story was annoying, but honestly? It made me very angry.
SPOILER
END SPOILER
Cookalein
This one's a longer story that started innocent, but got really disgusting toward the end. It's about a country house which is a popular holiday destination for poor people. Some people, however, want to stay in a fancier place: a woman, who wants to marry a rich man, and a man, who wants to marry a rich woman. This story involves a Nice Guy and there's also rape, so I find it to be the worst of the four. A fitting end to this book.
SPOILER
I don't know what those stories are supposed to be read as. I expected to see how people lived in New York in the 30s, and in a way, I got a glimpse of it, but not much more. Is there some deeper meaning I'm not getting? Is this one of those "you'll understand it when you're older" kind of works? I don't know. But I feel like I didn't get anything out of this book other confusion and annoyance. Was that the purpose? Was I supposed to be annoyed?
THE STORIES I DIDN'T HATE, BUT DIDN'T FIND VERY INTERESTING
A Contract with God
This is the first story of the four, centered around a man who made a contract with God, where he would do good deeds in exchange for God's protection. The hole story is framed like a story-with-a-moral one could find in holly scripture of Abrahamic religions.
I think this story is the best in the whole book simply because it seems to have a reasons behind the main character's behavior. I might not agree with those reasons, but they're there. I also think the moral of the story is dubious, but this one's a SPOILER:
END SPOILER
The Street Singer
A story about a man who sings in alleys for change. The story is unpleasant to read, yet easy to forget afterwards (I had completely forgotten about it, before opening the book again to write this review). On the other hand --
SPOILER
END SPOILER
THE STORIES I HATED
The Super
This story centers around the maintenance chief of the building. It's pointlessly nasty with no redeeming elements. I want to seem mature and say this story was annoying, but honestly? It made me very angry.
SPOILER
END SPOILER
Cookalein
This one's a longer story that started innocent, but got really disgusting toward the end. It's about a country house which is a popular holiday destination for poor people. Some people, however, want to stay in a fancier place: a woman, who wants to marry a rich man, and a man, who wants to marry a rich woman. This story involves a Nice Guy and there's also rape, so I find it to be the worst of the four. A fitting end to this book.
SPOILER
December 29, 2023
I thought I should correct the fact that I had not read anything by Will Eisner, whose name is responsible for bringing joy to graphic novel and comic artists who receive an Eisner Award. Easy to see why he is so revered in that field. There is a strong spiritual force in this book, and the four stories take place around the tenants of a tenement building at 55 Dropsie Avenue in the Bronx. God, religion, and universal fate play their roles as the immigrants from various walks of life interact with each other, all while dealing with financial issues and problems of class. As a reader, you’ll finish each story and sit there, suddenly aware of the unconscious sigh that is coming out of you. That kind of book.
December 29, 2016
Βαθμολογία: 9/10
Υποθέτω ότι δεν θα είμαι ούτε ο πρώτος ούτε ο τελευταίος που γνώριζε τον Will Eisner μόνο από τα σχετικά βραβεία που δίνονται κάθε χρόνο. Δεν είχα διαβάσει τίποτα δικό του μέχρι τώρα. Να, όμως, που πριν λίγες μέρες αγόρασα την έκδοση της Απόπειρας στην τρομερή προσφορά που μπορεί να βρει κανείς σε Πρωτοπορία/πολιτεία, και σήμερα την διάβασα και την απόλαυσα μέσα σε δυο ωρίτσες. Εξαιρετικότατο κόμικ, από πολλές απόψεις.
Πρώτα-πρώτα, το σχέδιο! Ασπρόμαυρο, ρεαλιστικό, σε σημεία έντονο και ωμό, μας μεταφέρει στην δύσκολη δεκαετία του '30 στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες, στις λαϊκές συνοικίες της Νέας Υόρκης (συγκεκριμένα σε μια πολυκατοικία, που υποθέτω ότι θα ήταν παρόμοια με αυτή στην οποία μεγάλωσε ο ίδιος ο σχεδιαστής). Από την αποτύπωση των προσώπων και των κινήσεων των χαρακτήρων, μέχρι τα κτίρια και τα διάφορα σκηνικά, το σχέδιο είναι άπαιχτο. Από κει και πέρα, έχουμε τις ιστορίες. Και οι τέσσερις είναι εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρουσες, έντονες και ρεαλιστικές, αποτυπώνουν την ανέχεια, την φτώχεια και την ελπίδα για μια καλύτερη ζωή, σήμα κατατεθέν της δεκαετίας του '30 στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες για εκατομμύρια ανθρώπους.
Γενικά μου αρέσει να διαβάζω διηγήματα ή μυθιστορήματα που να περιέχουν δραματικά στοιχεία και κοινωνικά μηνύματα, και που να αναδεικνύουν με τον έναν ή τον άλλο τρόπο την εκάστοτε δεκαετία, και οι τέσσερις αυτές ιστορίες κατάφεραν σε τεράστιο βαθμό να μου παρουσιάσουν τον λαουτζίκο, τις φτωχογειτονιές, τις καθημερινές δυσκολίες και τα όνειρα απλών ανθρώπων. Ο Γουίλ Άισνερ τα έζησε όλα αυτά, ή ήξερε άτομα που τα έζησαν, ή τέλος πάντων ήταν πράγματα που θα μπορούσε να τα ζήσει κάποιος, γι'αυτό και η ρεαλιστικότητα των ιστοριών.
Όσον αφορά την ελληνική έκδοση, άψογη, με καλή μετάφραση, προσεγμένο lettering, και όλα τα κείμενα που θα μπορούσε να ζητήσει κανείς για το συγκεκριμένο κόμικ (εισαγωγές, πρόλογοι κ.λ.π.). Δε το συζητάω, στα λεφτά που μπορεί να το βρει κανείς πλέον, είναι ανεπίτρεπτο να μην το έχετε ήδη αγοράσει. Αν το έχετε αγορασμένο αλλά αδιάβαστο ακόμα, μην αργήσετε και πολύ, τσιμπήστε το από την βιβλιοθήκη σας και αρχίστε το διάβασμα.
Υποθέτω ότι δεν θα είμαι ούτε ο πρώτος ούτε ο τελευταίος που γνώριζε τον Will Eisner μόνο από τα σχετικά βραβεία που δίνονται κάθε χρόνο. Δεν είχα διαβάσει τίποτα δικό του μέχρι τώρα. Να, όμως, που πριν λίγες μέρες αγόρασα την έκδοση της Απόπειρας στην τρομερή προσφορά που μπορεί να βρει κανείς σε Πρωτοπορία/πολιτεία, και σήμερα την διάβασα και την απόλαυσα μέσα σε δυο ωρίτσες. Εξαιρετικότατο κόμικ, από πολλές απόψεις.
Πρώτα-πρώτα, το σχέδιο! Ασπρόμαυρο, ρεαλιστικό, σε σημεία έντονο και ωμό, μας μεταφέρει στην δύσκολη δεκαετία του '30 στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες, στις λαϊκές συνοικίες της Νέας Υόρκης (συγκεκριμένα σε μια πολυκατοικία, που υποθέτω ότι θα ήταν παρόμοια με αυτή στην οποία μεγάλωσε ο ίδιος ο σχεδιαστής). Από την αποτύπωση των προσώπων και των κινήσεων των χαρακτήρων, μέχρι τα κτίρια και τα διάφορα σκηνικά, το σχέδιο είναι άπαιχτο. Από κει και πέρα, έχουμε τις ιστορίες. Και οι τέσσερις είναι εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρουσες, έντονες και ρεαλιστικές, αποτυπώνουν την ανέχεια, την φτώχεια και την ελπίδα για μια καλύτερη ζωή, σήμα κατατεθέν της δεκαετίας του '30 στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες για εκατομμύρια ανθρώπους.
Γενικά μου αρέσει να διαβάζω διηγήματα ή μυθιστορήματα που να περιέχουν δραματικά στοιχεία και κοινωνικά μηνύματα, και που να αναδεικνύουν με τον έναν ή τον άλλο τρόπο την εκάστοτε δεκαετία, και οι τέσσερις αυτές ιστορίες κατάφεραν σε τεράστιο βαθμό να μου παρουσιάσουν τον λαουτζίκο, τις φτωχογειτονιές, τις καθημερινές δυσκολίες και τα όνειρα απλών ανθρώπων. Ο Γουίλ Άισνερ τα έζησε όλα αυτά, ή ήξερε άτομα που τα έζησαν, ή τέλος πάντων ήταν πράγματα που θα μπορούσε να τα ζήσει κάποιος, γι'αυτό και η ρεαλιστικότητα των ιστοριών.
Όσον αφορά την ελληνική έκδοση, άψογη, με καλή μετάφραση, προσεγμένο lettering, και όλα τα κείμενα που θα μπορούσε να ζητήσει κανείς για το συγκεκριμένο κόμικ (εισαγωγές, πρόλογοι κ.λ.π.). Δε το συζητάω, στα λεφτά που μπορεί να το βρει κανείς πλέον, είναι ανεπίτρεπτο να μην το έχετε ήδη αγοράσει. Αν το έχετε αγορασμένο αλλά αδιάβαστο ακόμα, μην αργήσετε και πολύ, τσιμπήστε το από την βιβλιοθήκη σας και αρχίστε το διάβασμα.
July 27, 2007
Eisner himself admits in his multiple introductions to this volume that "A Contract With God" was in some ways an experiment which led him to develop the skills he'd use in a far more serious way on "Dropsie Avenue." "Dropsie Avenue" is indeed the superior work.
That caveat out of the way, "A Contract With God" is one of the more moving, deep, and visually surprising graphic novels ever, despite it being the first. The writing is sensitive, empathetic, and poetically simple. The images are masterful. (Look at the full portrait of the superintendent - frightening and real and sad in the extreme.) The story as a whole and in its parts takes us precisely where great novels should - into a truth beyond facts, reflecting our own lives just as it reflects Eisner's.
It may be unnecessary to say anything nice about this book, given the praise heaped on it over the decades. Tough situation then, to find oneself to gushingly enamored.
That caveat out of the way, "A Contract With God" is one of the more moving, deep, and visually surprising graphic novels ever, despite it being the first. The writing is sensitive, empathetic, and poetically simple. The images are masterful. (Look at the full portrait of the superintendent - frightening and real and sad in the extreme.) The story as a whole and in its parts takes us precisely where great novels should - into a truth beyond facts, reflecting our own lives just as it reflects Eisner's.
It may be unnecessary to say anything nice about this book, given the praise heaped on it over the decades. Tough situation then, to find oneself to gushingly enamored.
April 17, 2024
Sad, tragic and interesting stories to read with some magnificent artwork, that reminds you of good old classic cartoons, with the difference that these stories are for adults.
November 8, 2013
When I read really old comics, I'm usually unenthused. Before reading Hergé's Tintin, I heard all about its groundbreaking and influential place in the history of graphic books. But reading Tintin is an altogether disappointing experience. The art is dull and simplistic, the stories are poorly written, and the whole experience is uninspiring. I'm sure that someone smarter than me can explain its merits, but they are not self-evident.
A Contract with God, however, is the exact opposite. It does not feel like the first graphic novel ever produced. It feels fresh and utterly creative. The art is wonderful, the story is intriguing, the writing and pacing is masterful. It's so well done that I'm hard-pressed to find any way in which the genre has progressed since this volume.
A Contract with God, however, is the exact opposite. It does not feel like the first graphic novel ever produced. It feels fresh and utterly creative. The art is wonderful, the story is intriguing, the writing and pacing is masterful. It's so well done that I'm hard-pressed to find any way in which the genre has progressed since this volume.
October 22, 2018
"Mai prima d'ora la vita e i drammi quotidiani delle case popolari negli anni Trenta e Quaranta sono stati rappresentati con tale vividezza e vitalità...Contratto con Dio tesse un arazzo di storie su personaggi che potremmo essere noi tutti."
Il titolo della storia si riferisce all'esplorazione del rapporto tra Dio e gli uomini. "Fin dall'inizio sappiamo tutti che Dio ci punirà o ricompenserà a seconda di come ci siamo comportati in conformità con un patto stipulato con lui" scrisse Eisner. Quando il protagonista Frimme Hersh, un ebreo devoto, patisce un lutto devastante, deve trovare una risposta alla domanda: cosa succede quando questo patto si rompe?
Realizzato a matita su semplice carta da stampa, poi inchiostrato meticolosamente su pergamena trasparente stesa sui disegni, il libro prese forma nello studio di Eisner. Quando lo terminò, raccolse le tavole in un portfolio e le mostrò a potenziali editori di New York. Al suo editore di The Spirit, scrisse "Scusa, Denis, per questo progetto specifico ho bisogno di un editore con un indirizzo a Park Avenue, non al numero 2 di Via della Palude". Ma i grandi editori a cui Eisner presentò l'insolito progetto si rifiutarono di imbarcarsi in un'avventura così rischiosa e originale. Nel 1977 o all'inizio del 1978, dopo avere tentato senza successo di interessare editori importanti, Eisner mostrò il progetto a Norman Golfind, che accettò di pubblicare il libro. Tuttavia molti librai non sapevano dove esporre un graphic novel, Eisner stesso rimase frustrato quando non riuscì a trovare il suo libro da Brentano sulla Quinta Strada a New York. Il direttore rispose "Oh, le abbiamo esposte nella sezione dei libri di religione ma non vendevano, perciò adesso sono in magazzino."
L'opera è in realtà una raccolta di quattro episodi:
1. Contratto con Dio;
2. Il cantante di strada;
3. Il super;
4. Cookalein.
Una miniera di storie con cui illustrare la vita del caseggiato, gli "appartamenti ferrovia", con stanze accodate l'una all'altra come i vagoni di un treno, in cui vivevano operai o impiegati sottopagati e con famiglie assillate dai problemi. Non c'era privacy, né anonimato. Si sapeva tutto di tutti. Le storie contenute in questo libro sgorgano da quel flusso inarrestabile di avvenimenti che caratterizzano la vita di città. Alcune sono vere. Altre potrebbero esserlo.
Il titolo della storia si riferisce all'esplorazione del rapporto tra Dio e gli uomini. "Fin dall'inizio sappiamo tutti che Dio ci punirà o ricompenserà a seconda di come ci siamo comportati in conformità con un patto stipulato con lui" scrisse Eisner. Quando il protagonista Frimme Hersh, un ebreo devoto, patisce un lutto devastante, deve trovare una risposta alla domanda: cosa succede quando questo patto si rompe?
Realizzato a matita su semplice carta da stampa, poi inchiostrato meticolosamente su pergamena trasparente stesa sui disegni, il libro prese forma nello studio di Eisner. Quando lo terminò, raccolse le tavole in un portfolio e le mostrò a potenziali editori di New York. Al suo editore di The Spirit, scrisse "Scusa, Denis, per questo progetto specifico ho bisogno di un editore con un indirizzo a Park Avenue, non al numero 2 di Via della Palude". Ma i grandi editori a cui Eisner presentò l'insolito progetto si rifiutarono di imbarcarsi in un'avventura così rischiosa e originale. Nel 1977 o all'inizio del 1978, dopo avere tentato senza successo di interessare editori importanti, Eisner mostrò il progetto a Norman Golfind, che accettò di pubblicare il libro. Tuttavia molti librai non sapevano dove esporre un graphic novel, Eisner stesso rimase frustrato quando non riuscì a trovare il suo libro da Brentano sulla Quinta Strada a New York. Il direttore rispose "Oh, le abbiamo esposte nella sezione dei libri di religione ma non vendevano, perciò adesso sono in magazzino."
L'opera è in realtà una raccolta di quattro episodi:
1. Contratto con Dio;
2. Il cantante di strada;
3. Il super;
4. Cookalein.
Una miniera di storie con cui illustrare la vita del caseggiato, gli "appartamenti ferrovia", con stanze accodate l'una all'altra come i vagoni di un treno, in cui vivevano operai o impiegati sottopagati e con famiglie assillate dai problemi. Non c'era privacy, né anonimato. Si sapeva tutto di tutti. Le storie contenute in questo libro sgorgano da quel flusso inarrestabile di avvenimenti che caratterizzano la vita di città. Alcune sono vere. Altre potrebbero esserlo.
November 10, 2019
No por entrañable menos duro retrato del humilde Bronx de los años 30 del siglo xx. Retazos de vidas marcadas por la miseria pero que, aun así, definen la personalidad del barrio. Gráficamente el dominio de la cámara y de la composición es prácticamente un manual donde aprender todas las técnicas posibles y alguna que parece hasta imposible. Una integración perfecta entre historia, texto y dibujo. Y parece tan sencillo...
October 8, 2018
Talo Bronxissa sisältää realistisia, nopeita tarinoita 1930-luvun New Yorkin köyhistä juutalaiskortteleista. Will Eisnerin kynänjälki on elävää ja tarinat rujoja ja koskettavia. Ajankuva on kiehtovaa.
March 3, 2008
Considered to be the first graphic novel, this tells the story - in 4 parts - of New York circa the Great Depression. The characters are caricatures of lives from Eisner's past, and while it is a primarily Jewish neighborhood, I think anyone with a brain and heart pumping blood, etc can identify with the scenese painted here. It tackles those subjects that stuff like "The Wire" still tries (and fails) to capture today - those sinews that bind each life together, and ultimately keep them bound if not to each other, then certainly rooted to the Spot, which in this case, is a Bronx ghetto, and more specifically, a tenement building at #55 Dropsie Avenue. Part 1 of Eisner's "Contract With God Trilogy," with part 2 being "A Life Force," and part 3 being "Dropsie Avenue."
While somewhat dated scripturally (1st published in 1979 by a guy who'd been writing comics for a times much less sophisticated audiences for the 40 years prior), it's really Eisner's pencils that kept me glued to this, especially in the title chapter. No matter how you slice it, this is a good, quick read, where every character exists in that gray area between good and evil called modern urban living. I'm curious to see where this goes. And I hope David Lapham at least bought Eisner a beer.
While somewhat dated scripturally (1st published in 1979 by a guy who'd been writing comics for a times much less sophisticated audiences for the 40 years prior), it's really Eisner's pencils that kept me glued to this, especially in the title chapter. No matter how you slice it, this is a good, quick read, where every character exists in that gray area between good and evil called modern urban living. I'm curious to see where this goes. And I hope David Lapham at least bought Eisner a beer.
January 10, 2026
El cómic que puso en el tapete el término novela gráfica. Para entonces estaba a mitad de camino entre un cómic y un cuento ilustrado. Cuatro historias en sepia que pueden ser autobiográficas o circundantes del autor en su infancia. Tres historias sobre la primer generación nacida en territorio americano descendiente de la gran inmigración de hace ya más de cien años. La ambientación es la Brooklyn pobre en un momento mucho más pobre, la gran depresión. Dan la sensación de que pudieron haber sido la historia de muchos en aquel entonces. Escrita en la última etapa de su vida, cuando Eisner se dedicaba a los proyectos que él mismo quería, sin ninguna imposición editorial, nos lega uno de sus mayores trabajos.
February 3, 2022
Out of the four stories offered, the title story is what I liked the most.
The Street Singer and The Super were also pretty good.
Relatable characters, day to day life in the tenement, good conversations and decent classic art.
Its the last story "Cookalein" that turned out to be a total disappointment.
The Street Singer and The Super were also pretty good.
Relatable characters, day to day life in the tenement, good conversations and decent classic art.
Its the last story "Cookalein" that turned out to be a total disappointment.
December 24, 2014
All 4 stories are awesome but "contract with God" is my favorite, i loved it. The first graphic novel is one of the best graphic novels
September 8, 2019
An edited review of this book will come sooner or later, this last one was pretty bad.
February 19, 2019
Each story ends in tragedy, excepting the last one which is hilarious in comparison. They are independent from one another with only a street address in common.
Frimme's story has a tragic ending - his adopted daughter Rachele dies. He remembers his youth and his good deeds that got him to write a contract with God on a small stone. He continued to live his life in wholesome way, thinking himself and Rochelle protected by the contract. God tests his faith when Rachelle dies and Frimme fails miserably.
Marta Maria was a promising soprano who chose to leave singing behind after getting married. Years of abuse from her sickly husband meant that she would never return to the concert hall. That is, until she brings a street singer under her wing. She plans to take him to the top.
Scuggs is the super at 55 Dropsie Avenue. One of the tenents demands that he fix the heating unit for her 10-year-old niece's bath. The girl will bring about his demise and nobody will defend him because of his awful attitude to all the tenents.
The last story has so many Hebrew words that I can't keep up. It's also the funniest so far with more adultery that can fit on one page. Several families are going to be affected this summer, some for the better, others for the worse. It's a good ending for this comic.
The vacationers are a new breed of tenents that spend summer away from home, either in the Cookalein, a hotel-like establishment that doesn't provide any food, or more well-off resorts to hook up with rich people.
Frimme's story has a tragic ending - his adopted daughter Rachele dies. He remembers his youth and his good deeds that got him to write a contract with God on a small stone. He continued to live his life in wholesome way, thinking himself and Rochelle protected by the contract. God tests his faith when Rachelle dies and Frimme fails miserably.
Marta Maria was a promising soprano who chose to leave singing behind after getting married. Years of abuse from her sickly husband meant that she would never return to the concert hall. That is, until she brings a street singer under her wing. She plans to take him to the top.
Scuggs is the super at 55 Dropsie Avenue. One of the tenents demands that he fix the heating unit for her 10-year-old niece's bath. The girl will bring about his demise and nobody will defend him because of his awful attitude to all the tenents.
The last story has so many Hebrew words that I can't keep up. It's also the funniest so far with more adultery that can fit on one page. Several families are going to be affected this summer, some for the better, others for the worse. It's a good ending for this comic.
The vacationers are a new breed of tenents that spend summer away from home, either in the Cookalein, a hotel-like establishment that doesn't provide any food, or more well-off resorts to hook up with rich people.
June 14, 2024
Se spune, în prezentarea cărții, că volumul acesta este considerat primul roman grafic din toate timpurile, lucru care îi spune ceva până și cititorului rar pasionat de romane grafice, care își închipuie că totul se învârte, în acest subgen, în jurul supereroilor și al clasicelor Maus și Persepolis.
Numai că povestea lui Will Eisner, prezentată pe larg în introducere, ne dovedește că acest ilustrator/scriitor a trăit în lumea romanelor grafice - de la reviste la foiletoane, de la desene până la animații. Așa că atunci când a propus „Un contract cu Dumnezeu” în 1978 spre publicare, era în același timp și proiectul său de suflet, dar și ceva inovator pentru acea epocă, fapt pentru care a fost respins de câteva edituri - în timp însă, a devenit un clasic. Volumul este constituit din patru povestiri separate, având în centru un bloc de chiriași din Bronx din anii '30, în esență deloc diferit de orice alt loc din lume în care locuiesc oameni cu personalități aparte, cu un administrator care pare cerberul locului, cu copii și tineri gălăgioși sau alcoolici/drogați, cu țațe ce știu bârfele locului, cu drame și suferinți, cu mici fericiri și bucurii, cu oameni ce se chinuie să supraviețuiască. Sunt povești care te pun pe gânduri, texte care-ți aduc la suprafață felii de viață care nu-s deloc diferite de ce trăim și noi, zilnic. Da, roman grafic excelent!
Numai că povestea lui Will Eisner, prezentată pe larg în introducere, ne dovedește că acest ilustrator/scriitor a trăit în lumea romanelor grafice - de la reviste la foiletoane, de la desene până la animații. Așa că atunci când a propus „Un contract cu Dumnezeu” în 1978 spre publicare, era în același timp și proiectul său de suflet, dar și ceva inovator pentru acea epocă, fapt pentru care a fost respins de câteva edituri - în timp însă, a devenit un clasic. Volumul este constituit din patru povestiri separate, având în centru un bloc de chiriași din Bronx din anii '30, în esență deloc diferit de orice alt loc din lume în care locuiesc oameni cu personalități aparte, cu un administrator care pare cerberul locului, cu copii și tineri gălăgioși sau alcoolici/drogați, cu țațe ce știu bârfele locului, cu drame și suferinți, cu mici fericiri și bucurii, cu oameni ce se chinuie să supraviețuiască. Sunt povești care te pun pe gânduri, texte care-ți aduc la suprafață felii de viață care nu-s deloc diferite de ce trăim și noi, zilnic. Da, roman grafic excelent!
August 16, 2024
Este livro passou à frente dos meus olhos uma série de vezes antes de decidir, finalmente, trazê-lo para casa.
Ao lê-lo, não nos podemos esquecer de duas coisas:
Até à data em que este trabalho foi lançado (corria o ano de 1978) a banda desenhada era maioritariamente consumida em revistas periódicas e as histórias, sem grande profundidade, já pouco ou nada representavam o mundo real. E é exactamente aqui que esta obra marca a diferença, acabando inclusive por revolucionar a indústria com o seu lançamento.
Will Eisner reúne neste ‘Um Contracto com Deus’ quatro histórias diferentes mas todas elas relacionadas e com uma única rua do Bronx como pano de fundo. Histórias de emigrantes e das suas experiências numa Nova Iorque da década de 30 do século passado, carregadas de assuntos até então pouco explorados como emigração, segregação, alcoolismo, pobreza, diferenças sociais e religião. O autor inspirou-se nas suas próprias memórias de infância, e nas dos seus contemporâneos, na elaboração deste trabalho, o que só contribuiu para uma maior veracidade no que toca aos temas abordados.
Existem páginas com desenhos onde o contraste do branco com o preto criam ambientes realmente bonitos. Destaco também as expressões faciais das personagens, carregadas de detalhes e muito realistas, tal como eu gosto.
Valeu a pena.
Ao lê-lo, não nos podemos esquecer de duas coisas:
Até à data em que este trabalho foi lançado (corria o ano de 1978) a banda desenhada era maioritariamente consumida em revistas periódicas e as histórias, sem grande profundidade, já pouco ou nada representavam o mundo real. E é exactamente aqui que esta obra marca a diferença, acabando inclusive por revolucionar a indústria com o seu lançamento.
Will Eisner reúne neste ‘Um Contracto com Deus’ quatro histórias diferentes mas todas elas relacionadas e com uma única rua do Bronx como pano de fundo. Histórias de emigrantes e das suas experiências numa Nova Iorque da década de 30 do século passado, carregadas de assuntos até então pouco explorados como emigração, segregação, alcoolismo, pobreza, diferenças sociais e religião. O autor inspirou-se nas suas próprias memórias de infância, e nas dos seus contemporâneos, na elaboração deste trabalho, o que só contribuiu para uma maior veracidade no que toca aos temas abordados.
Existem páginas com desenhos onde o contraste do branco com o preto criam ambientes realmente bonitos. Destaco também as expressões faciais das personagens, carregadas de detalhes e muito realistas, tal como eu gosto.
Valeu a pena.
February 16, 2022
Introduction: Denny O'Neil
Considered one of the pioneer stalwarts in the Graphic novel field, Will Eisner’s most well known works would have to be the Spirit series he had penned during the 40s. But his most critically appreciated works have to be the ‘Comics and Sequential Art’ series as well as ‘A Contract with God’ published in 1978.
In wanting to use comics/ graphic novels as a medium to tell series, more human stories, Eisner could be seen as almost Miyazaki-esque in perspective. Which caters well for this work, which doesn’t follow the usual good vs evil narrative, or not even the standard of what one would consider as a comic format.
Stories about people, neither good nor evil, some scared, anxious, miserable, hopeful, ambitious and looking towards a better tomorrow, A Contract with God could be considered as a cultural anthology of the migrant Jewish community of New York in which Eisner himself grew up. In the poor, constrained series of tenements which he and thousand other migrants called home, and where they struggled to eke out a meager existence, amidst dispossession and discrimination.
In this sense, the series of four tales told in this anthology, could be seen as those which have varying elements of reality. For when writing them, Eisner had tapped into his own childhood memories and experiences. The Story ‘Cookalein’ might even be the most autobiographical of the lot, with Eisner himself portrayed as a character.
But befitting of someone who kept pushing the conventions of the field, pages in the book are not cordoned off by the typical margin squares or speech bubbles, one has come to associate with the genre.
There are no panels, and the entire page is used to draw the vast cityscapes and the narrative that forms within. Oftentimes, the lines from buildings, the tenements themselves. Are used as margins to order the page. Drawn in black and white, the series uses a Chiaroscuro style of drawing, which is made of full use in the incessant scenes of thunder and downspout, as well as the almost claustrophobic interior of the tenements themselves.
Chapter 1: A contract with God
Frimme Hersch is a elderly Jewish gentleman, who was sent to America from his persecuted community in Russia, so that he at least might live a good life. A pious and kind boy, he had on leaving his home, wrote his covenant/ contract with God, to live an honest and devout life, so that God would make that life proper.
Starting his new life, Hersh continued his kind, helpful ways, in time becoming one of pillars of his community, and honest enough that he was put in charge of the assets of their local synagogue. One night, someone left a baby girl in front of his door. Taking this to be a sign from god, he adopted the infant as his own, named her Rachele and brought her up lovingly. But barely was she thirteen, but illness took her away.
After her burial, he returned home a changed man. In anger he accused God of breaking their covenant. Had he not lived his life as a good man, helped others and followed scripture. Why, he asked, was he deserving of this? That night enraged, Frimme threw away the stone tablet, the will of his covenant.
He shaved his beard, and renounced his religion. Using the communal funds entrusted to him, Frimme became a real estate tycoon, growing rich, buying into luxury and keeping a gentile lady as his companion.
Fast forward several years, the rich, callous, indifferent and miserly Hersh, finds something missing in life. No matter how much money he made, how many buildings he owned, there was a hole in his heart, which neither alcohol, nor his beautiful companion could fill.
So he went to his old synagogue and the three wise elders who presided over it. In exchange for their old building, he wanted them, with all their deep knowledge of scripture to write for him, a new contract; exhaustive, well worded and by which he intended to live his future life.
After the deed, Frimme took his exhaustive home home, and was determined to live a better life, where he would be a better man and give to the needy and be charitable. No sooner had he made this vow, was he afflicted with a heart attack and died soon after.
Days after his funeral, several of his buildings caught fire after being struck by lighting. Except for the old tenement which he had written to the synagogue. A young boy, who had earlier that day saved a child from a burning building and was praised for it, came to possess Hersh’s stone tablet, and taking its words for faith, signed his own name in it, as its latest adherent.
Thoughts:
The titular first story is one that is close to the author’s life. Having gone through a similar traumatic experience, the loss of his daughter had caused Eisner to question his own covenant with God. He had channeled his personal anguish from the loss, to question the sacred contract with the divine, and his personal anguish at the injustice of his innocent child who would never be able to experience the full life she deserved.
This tale touches on man’s search for meaning, and their need to believe in a force higher than themselves, to enable them to live a righteous life. Plato, in his treatise the Republic, makes an argument for the just man. Let the man who is just in character, spend his entire life under the shadow and misconception of being someone unjust. Instead of appreciation and respect, he is met with derision and spite. He holds all the responsibilities of his station, but none of its accolades. A man who is just for all intentions of the word, will, until the moment of death be able to maintain his existence and morals, not being bent by the inadequacies of others.
But most, when faced with challenges or crises in their way of life, chose to bend to it, and change their own outlook. Despite being a righteous man, who lived a devout life, Frimme Hersh was rewarded for it, with the death of his daughter, his most precious creature. This causes him to renounce his faith and God, and turn to the path of the unjust materialistic man. He turns his back on his principles and the very goodwill he had built up over the years.
And, on his death, the contract which he discarded, was picked up by a new initiate, who signs it and is willing to be the new adherent to the covenant. Does this represent how belief can make saints of men? Or is it a cautionary tale of how morals and character build of murky foundations can either lead to blind devotion, or fragile convictions? Read into it as you see fit.
Chapter 2: The Street Singer
During the troubling impoverished times in the 30s and 40s, one could find among the alleys of tenements, down on their luck characters, who made some loose pennies by singing popular songs and operatic pieces to the tenants of said buildings.
One such day, a haggard minstrel was performing his trade in an alley, when he was invited up to the room of Diva Marta Maria, a retired Soprano singer, who had retired after marriage, only to be abused by her drunk husband, who soon left her in death.
She heard the man’s voice and saw the promise in it. Desiring his voice and his talent, she offers him an opportunity to become a popular star, with her by his side as his coach and lover. After making love, she sends him off to clean up, and make himself presentable with some cash.
The singer, Eddie is an out of work accountant, with no formal training in singing, and a drunk himself, taking care of a pregnant wife and child. He buys booze for the money he got, and barely leaves anything for the family. Once drunk, he too is none too reluctant to beat up the wife.
Next day, he goes off, dreaming of making it big, after learning from the Diva. But soon, to his horror, he realizes that he had not memorized the room in which she lived. He had roamed around a number of alleys singing, and at this point all of them looked the same.
Cursing a lost opportunity, he moves on to sing, in a new alley, to a new audience. There were after all a lot of them to choose from.
Chapter 3: Super
Mr. Scruggs the Super at 55 dropsie was not much liked by anyone, much less his tenets. As far as he was concerned the feeling was mutual. A lifetime of nagging, complaints and whispering behind his back had made him a petty tyrant who did things at his own gosh darn time. Perhaps the only other person Scruggs cares about is his dog Hugo.
One day, after visiting the room of one of the tenants, he returns to his chamber, feeds Hugo and begins fantasizing about her underage niece. Shortly afterwards the girl herself comes to his room, and offers a peek in exchange for a nickel. Once he does, and gives her the money, she offers more. As Scruggs goes to close the door, she poisons the dog and runs off with his money chest.
An enraged Scruggs, takes out his pistol and runs after her, cornering her in the alley. But the commotion draws out the tenants who all accuse the Super of trying to molest and harm the young girl.
Disheartened and feeling guilty, Scruggs returns to his chamber, completes his Super tasks for the day, and locks himself in his room, cradling his dead dog. The tenants call the cops, who threaten to break down his door. They never get the chance, as Mr. Scruggs turns his pistol to his head, and commits suicide. As his body is being taken away, the tenants are all heard adding more and more faults to the character of the terrible man, who had tried to hurt an innocent child.
The last panel sees Marie the girl in question, sitting on the steps of the tenement counting the money from her haul, while a sign saying ‘Super wanted’ hangs over the dead man’s window.
Thoughts:
Perhaps the most divisive of the lot, ‘Super’ shows an unpleasant anti-Semitic superintendent lusting after an underage girl and eating a bullet for his trouble. But, he is also driven to suicide by the same girl, who steals his money, kills his dog and accuses him of pedophilia, all for her own gain, with an almost sociopathic indifference. We are at times left to ponder whom to give focus to, especially when we see the lonely, unappreciated existence of the Super, and his compassion for his dog, the one ally he has in life. All in all, this story leaves a bad taste in your mind.
Chapter 4: Cookalein
It is summer, and the inhabitants of 55 dropsie, take their annual trip to Cookalein, i.e. the cook-for-yourself hotels in the country. They travel there to unwind, relax, and for some to socialize and find their other half.
Sam sends his wife Fannie and his two boys Petey and Willie, up to the country, so that he can spend a month with his mistress, unbeknownst to them. Elsewhere receptionist Goldie and wool worker Benny both leave for the country, with the aim of catfishing some wealthy mark, and marrying into their rich family for an easy life. Both are using their savings to masquerade as rich folk.
At the grossman hotel, both Goldie and Benny chance upon one another and mistake the other for a mark, ‘fall in love’ and make plans to wed. But when the gig is up, an enraged Benny rapes Goldie, who is comforted and treated by the intern Herbie, who had been fond of her. He then confronts Benny, threatening to reveal his sexual impotence if he ever came close to Goldie.
Elsewhere, Sam has come to the country, to ask for divorce from Fannie, so that he can be with his lover. Fannie is having none of it, having known about the affair for a while now. She cares not with whom he sleeps, but she won’t give him a divorce, and jeopardize their children’s future.
Young willie, who was sleeping in the barn, is approached by Mrs. Irving, an older lady with whom he had shared a dance, and whom had shown an interest in him. That night, she propositions him, and takes his virginity. Soon after, they’re confronted by her husband. A violent man, Mr. Irving proceeds to beat his wife, and then bed her in front of a terrorized Willie, which Mrs. Irving seems to like it in fact.
At the end of summer, all the vacationers return to their confined city homes. Goldie and Herbie are engaged, so was Benny and some rich girl. While in the final page, Willie, staring out the balcony reminisces about his first experience.
Thoughts:
The most autobiographical of the stories, the characters are taken directly from Eisner’s own family. And indeed, willie who gets entangled in the affairs of the married women, is in Eisner’s own words his personal coming of age sexually. But, other than that, there is little to write home about.
What he (Eisner) has given us are those memories, as tales, and realized in a fusion of image and copy. They are simple and they are harsh; there are no easy morals to be gotten from them. The good guys don’t win and the bad guys don’t lose, because there are no good guys and bad guys. Instead, there are lonely, frightened and ambitious people, immigrants seeking relief from poverty, despair and dread, that, unhappy as the present is, the future might be worse
Considered one of the pioneer stalwarts in the Graphic novel field, Will Eisner’s most well known works would have to be the Spirit series he had penned during the 40s. But his most critically appreciated works have to be the ‘Comics and Sequential Art’ series as well as ‘A Contract with God’ published in 1978.
In wanting to use comics/ graphic novels as a medium to tell series, more human stories, Eisner could be seen as almost Miyazaki-esque in perspective. Which caters well for this work, which doesn’t follow the usual good vs evil narrative, or not even the standard of what one would consider as a comic format.
Stories about people, neither good nor evil, some scared, anxious, miserable, hopeful, ambitious and looking towards a better tomorrow, A Contract with God could be considered as a cultural anthology of the migrant Jewish community of New York in which Eisner himself grew up. In the poor, constrained series of tenements which he and thousand other migrants called home, and where they struggled to eke out a meager existence, amidst dispossession and discrimination.
In this sense, the series of four tales told in this anthology, could be seen as those which have varying elements of reality. For when writing them, Eisner had tapped into his own childhood memories and experiences. The Story ‘Cookalein’ might even be the most autobiographical of the lot, with Eisner himself portrayed as a character.
But befitting of someone who kept pushing the conventions of the field, pages in the book are not cordoned off by the typical margin squares or speech bubbles, one has come to associate with the genre.
There are no panels, and the entire page is used to draw the vast cityscapes and the narrative that forms within. Oftentimes, the lines from buildings, the tenements themselves. Are used as margins to order the page. Drawn in black and white, the series uses a Chiaroscuro style of drawing, which is made of full use in the incessant scenes of thunder and downspout, as well as the almost claustrophobic interior of the tenements themselves.
Chapter 1: A contract with God
Frimme Hersch is a elderly Jewish gentleman, who was sent to America from his persecuted community in Russia, so that he at least might live a good life. A pious and kind boy, he had on leaving his home, wrote his covenant/ contract with God, to live an honest and devout life, so that God would make that life proper.
Starting his new life, Hersh continued his kind, helpful ways, in time becoming one of pillars of his community, and honest enough that he was put in charge of the assets of their local synagogue. One night, someone left a baby girl in front of his door. Taking this to be a sign from god, he adopted the infant as his own, named her Rachele and brought her up lovingly. But barely was she thirteen, but illness took her away.
After her burial, he returned home a changed man. In anger he accused God of breaking their covenant. Had he not lived his life as a good man, helped others and followed scripture. Why, he asked, was he deserving of this? That night enraged, Frimme threw away the stone tablet, the will of his covenant.
He shaved his beard, and renounced his religion. Using the communal funds entrusted to him, Frimme became a real estate tycoon, growing rich, buying into luxury and keeping a gentile lady as his companion.
Fast forward several years, the rich, callous, indifferent and miserly Hersh, finds something missing in life. No matter how much money he made, how many buildings he owned, there was a hole in his heart, which neither alcohol, nor his beautiful companion could fill.
So he went to his old synagogue and the three wise elders who presided over it. In exchange for their old building, he wanted them, with all their deep knowledge of scripture to write for him, a new contract; exhaustive, well worded and by which he intended to live his future life.
After the deed, Frimme took his exhaustive home home, and was determined to live a better life, where he would be a better man and give to the needy and be charitable. No sooner had he made this vow, was he afflicted with a heart attack and died soon after.
Days after his funeral, several of his buildings caught fire after being struck by lighting. Except for the old tenement which he had written to the synagogue. A young boy, who had earlier that day saved a child from a burning building and was praised for it, came to possess Hersh’s stone tablet, and taking its words for faith, signed his own name in it, as its latest adherent.
Thoughts:
The titular first story is one that is close to the author’s life. Having gone through a similar traumatic experience, the loss of his daughter had caused Eisner to question his own covenant with God. He had channeled his personal anguish from the loss, to question the sacred contract with the divine, and his personal anguish at the injustice of his innocent child who would never be able to experience the full life she deserved.
This tale touches on man’s search for meaning, and their need to believe in a force higher than themselves, to enable them to live a righteous life. Plato, in his treatise the Republic, makes an argument for the just man. Let the man who is just in character, spend his entire life under the shadow and misconception of being someone unjust. Instead of appreciation and respect, he is met with derision and spite. He holds all the responsibilities of his station, but none of its accolades. A man who is just for all intentions of the word, will, until the moment of death be able to maintain his existence and morals, not being bent by the inadequacies of others.
But most, when faced with challenges or crises in their way of life, chose to bend to it, and change their own outlook. Despite being a righteous man, who lived a devout life, Frimme Hersh was rewarded for it, with the death of his daughter, his most precious creature. This causes him to renounce his faith and God, and turn to the path of the unjust materialistic man. He turns his back on his principles and the very goodwill he had built up over the years.
And, on his death, the contract which he discarded, was picked up by a new initiate, who signs it and is willing to be the new adherent to the covenant. Does this represent how belief can make saints of men? Or is it a cautionary tale of how morals and character build of murky foundations can either lead to blind devotion, or fragile convictions? Read into it as you see fit.
Chapter 2: The Street Singer
During the troubling impoverished times in the 30s and 40s, one could find among the alleys of tenements, down on their luck characters, who made some loose pennies by singing popular songs and operatic pieces to the tenants of said buildings.
One such day, a haggard minstrel was performing his trade in an alley, when he was invited up to the room of Diva Marta Maria, a retired Soprano singer, who had retired after marriage, only to be abused by her drunk husband, who soon left her in death.
She heard the man’s voice and saw the promise in it. Desiring his voice and his talent, she offers him an opportunity to become a popular star, with her by his side as his coach and lover. After making love, she sends him off to clean up, and make himself presentable with some cash.
The singer, Eddie is an out of work accountant, with no formal training in singing, and a drunk himself, taking care of a pregnant wife and child. He buys booze for the money he got, and barely leaves anything for the family. Once drunk, he too is none too reluctant to beat up the wife.
Next day, he goes off, dreaming of making it big, after learning from the Diva. But soon, to his horror, he realizes that he had not memorized the room in which she lived. He had roamed around a number of alleys singing, and at this point all of them looked the same.
Cursing a lost opportunity, he moves on to sing, in a new alley, to a new audience. There were after all a lot of them to choose from.
Chapter 3: Super
Mr. Scruggs the Super at 55 dropsie was not much liked by anyone, much less his tenets. As far as he was concerned the feeling was mutual. A lifetime of nagging, complaints and whispering behind his back had made him a petty tyrant who did things at his own gosh darn time. Perhaps the only other person Scruggs cares about is his dog Hugo.
One day, after visiting the room of one of the tenants, he returns to his chamber, feeds Hugo and begins fantasizing about her underage niece. Shortly afterwards the girl herself comes to his room, and offers a peek in exchange for a nickel. Once he does, and gives her the money, she offers more. As Scruggs goes to close the door, she poisons the dog and runs off with his money chest.
An enraged Scruggs, takes out his pistol and runs after her, cornering her in the alley. But the commotion draws out the tenants who all accuse the Super of trying to molest and harm the young girl.
Disheartened and feeling guilty, Scruggs returns to his chamber, completes his Super tasks for the day, and locks himself in his room, cradling his dead dog. The tenants call the cops, who threaten to break down his door. They never get the chance, as Mr. Scruggs turns his pistol to his head, and commits suicide. As his body is being taken away, the tenants are all heard adding more and more faults to the character of the terrible man, who had tried to hurt an innocent child.
The last panel sees Marie the girl in question, sitting on the steps of the tenement counting the money from her haul, while a sign saying ‘Super wanted’ hangs over the dead man’s window.
Thoughts:
Perhaps the most divisive of the lot, ‘Super’ shows an unpleasant anti-Semitic superintendent lusting after an underage girl and eating a bullet for his trouble. But, he is also driven to suicide by the same girl, who steals his money, kills his dog and accuses him of pedophilia, all for her own gain, with an almost sociopathic indifference. We are at times left to ponder whom to give focus to, especially when we see the lonely, unappreciated existence of the Super, and his compassion for his dog, the one ally he has in life. All in all, this story leaves a bad taste in your mind.
Chapter 4: Cookalein
It is summer, and the inhabitants of 55 dropsie, take their annual trip to Cookalein, i.e. the cook-for-yourself hotels in the country. They travel there to unwind, relax, and for some to socialize and find their other half.
Sam sends his wife Fannie and his two boys Petey and Willie, up to the country, so that he can spend a month with his mistress, unbeknownst to them. Elsewhere receptionist Goldie and wool worker Benny both leave for the country, with the aim of catfishing some wealthy mark, and marrying into their rich family for an easy life. Both are using their savings to masquerade as rich folk.
At the grossman hotel, both Goldie and Benny chance upon one another and mistake the other for a mark, ‘fall in love’ and make plans to wed. But when the gig is up, an enraged Benny rapes Goldie, who is comforted and treated by the intern Herbie, who had been fond of her. He then confronts Benny, threatening to reveal his sexual impotence if he ever came close to Goldie.
Elsewhere, Sam has come to the country, to ask for divorce from Fannie, so that he can be with his lover. Fannie is having none of it, having known about the affair for a while now. She cares not with whom he sleeps, but she won’t give him a divorce, and jeopardize their children’s future.
Young willie, who was sleeping in the barn, is approached by Mrs. Irving, an older lady with whom he had shared a dance, and whom had shown an interest in him. That night, she propositions him, and takes his virginity. Soon after, they’re confronted by her husband. A violent man, Mr. Irving proceeds to beat his wife, and then bed her in front of a terrorized Willie, which Mrs. Irving seems to like it in fact.
At the end of summer, all the vacationers return to their confined city homes. Goldie and Herbie are engaged, so was Benny and some rich girl. While in the final page, Willie, staring out the balcony reminisces about his first experience.
Thoughts:
The most autobiographical of the stories, the characters are taken directly from Eisner’s own family. And indeed, willie who gets entangled in the affairs of the married women, is in Eisner’s own words his personal coming of age sexually. But, other than that, there is little to write home about.
August 8, 2020
It's been a while since I read a book and I'm glad I broke the hiatus with this one. Before buying the book, I'd done a bit of basic search into Will Eisner, the stalwart whose name entitles awards (Eisner Awards) given for creative excellence in the comics/graphic novel industry. Mr. Eisner's 'A Contract with God' was a pioneer in the graphic novel genre on account of its avant garde style for its time. He contributed to the flashy comic book style a more nuanced edge by opting to delve into human interest stories about ordinary life devoid of a superhero or a world in peril that needed saving. In short, his work was a revelation to the immense potential the artform had.
The book documents four slice of life stories that are situated in the Bronx. Every story has an underlying theme that quite seamlessly is manifested through artwork that really only focuses on the characters and their actions with not too many embellishments. Although they are all about different tenants living in the same block, the read is pleasantly fluid and heartwarming.
The book documents four slice of life stories that are situated in the Bronx. Every story has an underlying theme that quite seamlessly is manifested through artwork that really only focuses on the characters and their actions with not too many embellishments. Although they are all about different tenants living in the same block, the read is pleasantly fluid and heartwarming.
June 18, 2017
A Contract with God by Will Eisner is a master class in comics. The text becomes a part of the art – lettering dripping wet with rain or as shown as laundry hanging on the line. Eisner’s use of black backgrounds that create panels by contrast alone asks the viewer to engage with the gutter/lack of a gutter in a way I have not seen before. The smooth transition between panels and panel-less pages is so well executed it took me a few chapters to even see it.
I found many of the plot lines very unsettling. Readers beware, this comic contains domestic violence, rape, and physical violence. I did enjoy Eisner’s tactic of telling vignettes that all revolve around the same apartment building, or Tenement, in New York. Overall, I think this comic holds an important place in history, but I would not recommend it to many readers today.
I found many of the plot lines very unsettling. Readers beware, this comic contains domestic violence, rape, and physical violence. I did enjoy Eisner’s tactic of telling vignettes that all revolve around the same apartment building, or Tenement, in New York. Overall, I think this comic holds an important place in history, but I would not recommend it to many readers today.
November 3, 2018
Considered to be the first graphic novel, A contract with God by Will Eisner dwells on bitter Sweet stories about the social life of 1930s US. The art is simple yet beautiful and the writing is fluid.
February 26, 2023
Treurige en tragikomische stripverhalen. De tekenaar koos als personages geen superhelden maar alledaagse mensen uit een woonblok in New York.
August 15, 2024
"Un contract cu Dumnezeu și alte povești cu chiriași" de Will Eisner este considerat a fi primul roman grafic din toate timpurile.
Melodramă, cât și psihologie socială, acestea sunt cele două puncte centrale în jurul cărora sunt construite cele 4 povești. Avem drama unui om credincios a cărui credință este cutremurată atunci când își pierde fiica, un cântăreț de stradă ce ar putea deveni faimos, un administrator ursuz și vacanțele de vară ale chiriașilor sunt cele patru fire narative împletite excelent de către Eisner.
Despre cartea perfectă ce ne invită în intimitatea vieților imperfecte ale locuitorilor unui bloc din Bronx-ul secolului XX am scris într-un articol publicat pe blog.
https://ciobanuldeazi.home.blog/2024/...
Melodramă, cât și psihologie socială, acestea sunt cele două puncte centrale în jurul cărora sunt construite cele 4 povești. Avem drama unui om credincios a cărui credință este cutremurată atunci când își pierde fiica, un cântăreț de stradă ce ar putea deveni faimos, un administrator ursuz și vacanțele de vară ale chiriașilor sunt cele patru fire narative împletite excelent de către Eisner.
Despre cartea perfectă ce ne invită în intimitatea vieților imperfecte ale locuitorilor unui bloc din Bronx-ul secolului XX am scris într-un articol publicat pe blog.
https://ciobanuldeazi.home.blog/2024/...
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