Reviews

The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar

alexrobinsonsupergenius's review

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4.0

Since I'm not really interested in Judaism I had a hard time getting into the book at first but I found the characters very compelling once the story got going and of course the art is great.

galacticrana's review against another edition

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4.0

This little talking cat that want to have a Bar Mitzvah! He is witty and smart. He makes fool of a rabbi and a rabbi's rabbi. All he wants though is to be with the one he loves and thinks that it's worthwhile to shut your mouth to be with the one you love.

ppetropoulakis's review

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4.0

Interesting depiction of Jewish life in the 1930s through the eyes of a cat. The story unfolds quickly and the absurdity of the talking cat theme balances the theological discussions and strict moral code of the characters.
The cat is hilarious, bringing comic relief to situations where religion intersects with human nature. This theme follows the actions of flawed characters in religious situations that require absolute behaviours.

shieldbearer's review

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challenging funny informative mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Rabbi's Cat is about change, and how one handles that change. It's a book that, while presented through the eyes of an irreverent protagonist, has a lot of wisdom and nuanced dialogue about faith, love and how one navigates the two. 

zimnotutaj's review against another edition

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5.0

This is love.

littles_librarian's review

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funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

ajkhn's review

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5.0

This book is incredibly micro-targeted to me, a swarthy Jew who loves cats, but it's really great! A cleverly-drawn and -told story of empire, love, god, and all the other big things to be skeptical of, for a variety of reasons. It's definitely something I wish I read about 20 years ago, but that's not Sfar's fault.
This review is pretty poor qua review. I'm largely of the idea that if you like the idea of a talking cat being skeptical of religion and empire, you should read this and if that idea offends you this book...might change your mind? I dunno. I can definitely see it making really good syllabus material for Jewish educators, or people teaching undergrad-level on the French Empire or the Middle East or something. Basically, anything that gets this out in front of impressionable minds.

allisonami's review

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reflective

4.0

mvanhoeck's review

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Loved this. Like hanging out with an old friend.

liamroush's review

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adventurous challenging funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25