So far on View from the Gutter we've learned about secret super-geniuses, pirates, journalists from the future, skateboarding crime-fighters, and... well, weird little blob things that fight dragons. It's been an interesting few weeks, and I haven't even gotten started yet. This week I've got something pretty far out for all ya'll: The Rabbi's Cat.

In literary terms if Superman is from Kansas, then The Rabbi's Cat is from somewhere around Katmandu, way out towards the other end of the literary spectrum from the mainstream of American comics. Written and drawn by award winning French comic creator Joann Sfar, the Rabbi's Cat is the beautiful and poetic story of a Jewish Rabbi, his daughter, and their pet cat, set in colonial French-Algeria, in the 1930s.

The story is told through the cat's narration, and focuses on his point of view of events. At the beginning of the book, the cat kills and eats the family's pet parrot, and thereby gains the power of speech. Thereafter, much of the story involves the cat following the Rabbi about, questioning the many things the cat and the Rabbi encounter. There is a strong focus on cultural identity and religious traditions, and although there is a emphasis on Judaism, other ideas are discussed, and the author is careful to be even-handed.

Despite his ability to speak, the cat (who is never named) always feels like a cat given speech, rather than a human in feline form. Anyone who has spent much time with cats knows of their many idiosyncrocies, and it is the strong attention paid to the way in which the cat perceives events that really makse the character work.

The style in which the story is told is as much akin to French films as American comics are to American films. Which is to say that some readers may not be acustom to the difference in pace. Some scenes exist just because they're visually appealing, or simply becuase of a love of story-telling. Each page consists of the same 2x3 panel layout, which sounds like it would feel static; but Sfar takes the necessary time to examine each scene, pacing the art and the writing together to give the story a dynamic energy.

The art has a very rough, sketchy style, which creates a feeling of intimacy between the reader and the story. Early 20th century Algeria provides an elegant backdrop, and at times the book felt more like a painting than a comic. In many ways it is not what an American reader would think of as 'comic book' art. Each panel is more like a sketch or a portrait than a storyboard frame.


The Rabbi's Cat isn't particularly dramatic. It takes a very leisurely pace, moving through each scene evenly, only building in tension ever so slightly as it reaches the climax, such as it is. But it is a beautiful story, filled with old world style and just a hint of mysticism. The kind of comic that you read curled up in bed, with a nice cup of tea. It's availible in both hard-cover and paperback, and is well worth the read.