The Rabbi's Cat I: The Bar-Mitsva by Joann Sfar

I found Joann Sfar on a list of inspirations to Marjane Satrapi, and since I liked Marjane's work incredibly I figured her list of artists couldn't be too much of a miss.

The Rabbi's Cat is told from the perspective of the cat, who in the beginning of the book eats a talking parrot and gains the ability to talk. What ensues beyond this is a series of adventures in the rabbi's (and his daughter's) life as narrated by the cat. Along the way the cat loses his ability to speak, and around this time he becomes more likable. From their journeys each character learns about life and their lessons range from being funny, to sad, to philosophic, to heartwarming.

I enjoyed the artwork because despite its scribbly nature it winds up becoming put-together and polished in book form. I think it also lends to expressiveness in being so scribbly. Overall I would have to say that I definitely liked it, thoroughly enjoyed it, but it fell just a little shy of being a 5. It's definitely worth reading but there was something not quite compelling in it enough for me. Perhaps I lacked a full understanding of the meaning because I don't know a lot about Jewish culture in the 1930s (or any time, for that matter). Anyway, I would definitely recommend it to anyone because even if you're unable to grasp the full depth, one can at least appreciate the art!