A Contract with God

by Will Eisner

Book Overview

Through a quartet of four interwoven stories, A Contract With God express the joy, exuberance, tragedy, and drama of life on the mythical Dropsie Avenue in the Bronx. This is the legendary book that launched a new art form and reaffirmed Will Eisner as one of the great pioneers of American graphics.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 039332804X
• ISBN13: 9780393328042
• Release Date: December 2006
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 7.0" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

Simply perfect

This is the absolute best of the Will Eisner collection. Don't we all in our deepest heart of hearts have a contract with the Almighty?

True Storytelling

It is an accepted fact in the comic book world that Will Eisner is one of the giants. He has pushed the envelope, single-handedly transforming the medium from one only capable of churning out simplistic kid's fantasies into an accepted vehicle for Art (with a capitol "A!"). The comic book industries highest award, The Eisner, is named after him. All possible accolades are piled upon Will Eisner. Strange, then, that so few comics fans (myself included) have actually read his comics. I decided to change that by buying this book."A Contract with God" is a deliberate attempt, the first actually, of using the combination of words and pictures to relate a story of the human condition on par with any works of great literature. It is the first ever "Graphic Novel," printed solely in book form and not merely a collection of serialized stories. Eisner had lofty goals for this slim volume. Semi-autobiographical, he told stories of the Jewish slums of New York around the time of the Great Depression. Being neither Jewish, nor from the East Coast, nor alive during the Great Depression, I was not sure how well I would relate to the book.Well, because he is one of the giants, Eisner uses words and pictures to bridge the gap between his experience and mine, finding common ground and understanding. "A Contract with God" is entertaining, addictive and enlightening. I can honestly say that I am better for having read it. Go ahead, give it a try.

Magnificent simplicity yet concentrated

Magnificent simplicity yet concentrated in humanistic mechanics. Will Eisner's creation delivers the 1930s in a single drop - the culture, the depression, human relations, the dynamism of emotions. The stories of Fremme Hersch, the Jew who had a contract with God, the saga of the street singer's ill fortune, the tale of emotions as chance intertwines people - all tied by the common element of tenement dwellers gives a glimpse of life in 1930s almost in its exactitude. As the first of its genre, you will be proud to own it and after reading it, you will be saddened to learn that not much has changed for relationships and delighted that not all needs to die.

Jewish fables from the grand master

Will Eisner is, unquestionably, the best comics artist in the world. This book is historically significant because it is called "the first graphic novel." Four stories, each with their own pacing, visual style, and themes.This would make a great gift for anyone who likes comics or Jewish stories. There is, however, nudity and sex (which is treated with the utmost realism -- this isn't pornography!), so beware of that.This and all other Eisner is highly, highly recommended. // koby c.

One of the Greatest Comics Ever Written

I was lucky enough to meet Will Eisner this summer and get my copy of A Contract With God autographed. It is one of the most amazing pieces of comic art I have ever read. His characters are amazingly real, the stories are everyday tales of life you can relate to. Even though the stories take place almost 70 years ago, they retain a timelessness that is unusual in today's pop culture.

Comics masterpiece by the same creator of Spirit

Contract with God shows Eisner at his best, putting together an excelent story with Eisner's great art. The book brings up the idea : if I'm a good person loyal to God, will He treat me alright ?