The Rabbi's Cat 2

by Joann Sfar

Hardcover, 2008

Status

Available

Call number

741.5944

Publication

Pantheon (2008), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 144 pages

Description

"Joann Sfar's beloved, humorous, and wise talking cat is back for more beautifully illustrated adventures in Algiers and across Africa in the 1930s. While the rabbi is away, his cat tags along with Malka of the Lions (the rabbi's enigmatic cousin), who roams the desert with his ferocious-on-demand lion. Some believe Malka to be a pious Jew, others think he's a shrewd womanizer, but the cat will be the one to discover the surprising truth." "Back in Algiers, the rabbi's daughter, Zlabya, and her new husband fill the house with their fighting, while the city around them fills with a rising tide of anti-Semitism. On a whim, the rabbi's cat, the rabbi, a sheik (also a cousin of the rabbi), and a very misplaced Russian painter set out on a fantastic journey (even encountering a young reporter named Tintin in the Congo) in search of an African Jerusalem. It turns out to be very fortuitous that the rabbi's cat is not just a talking cat, but a multilingual talking cat"--BOOK JACKET.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member EvaCatHerder

I found this one less compelling that the first Rabbi's Cat. The story shifted from individual debates to metaphorical stories. All my critiques aside, the gift that the asp was to give Malka the lion and his wife is an act of true friendship. As someone who has had both pet snakes and cats, I

found the asp to act out of character, but a interesting choice in contrast to the biblical snake who tempted Eve.

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LibraryThing member jasonlf

Joann Sfar is a wonderful graphic novelist and the best books I've read of his are the Rabbis Cat and this sequel, creatively named Rabbi's Cat 2. It is set in a Jewish community in what I believe is French Algeria in what I believe is the 1920s. It describes the intersection of different cultures

and religions, from Judaism to Islam, tradition to modernity, Europe to Africa, etc., with a sympathetic and insightful eye. The imagery is beautiful. And the cat featured in the title is the best character of all.

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LibraryThing member -Eva-

I may be in the minority here, but I actually liked this volume better than the first one. The cat isn't quite as snarky and funny as he is in the first volume (even though he manages to take a few stabs at the ignorant humans), and that's a bit of a shame. However, the topics in this one move the

philosophical ponderings from the private world to the communal world and I really enjoyed that shift. Also, the mythological elements (Malka's stories and the search for the Ethiopian Jersualem) made the stories much more universal. This volume contains the two stories Le Paradis Terrestre and Jérusalem d'Afrique.

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LibraryThing member nosajeel

Joann Sfar is a wonderful graphic novelist and the best books I've read of his are the Rabbis Cat and this sequel, not-overly-creatively named Rabbi's Cat 2. It is set in a Jewish community in what I believe is French Algeria in what I believe is the 1920s. It describes the intersection of

different cultures and religions, from Judaism to Islam, tradition to modernity, Europe to Africa, etc., with a sympathetic and insightful eye. The imagery is beautiful. And the cat featured in the title is the best character of all.

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LibraryThing member SeriousGrace

At the end of The Rabbi's Cat, the unnamed cat had lost the ability to be understood by humans. The affliction still remains in The Rabbi's Cat 2. One might say Sfar's message in The Rabbi's Cat 2 is how to ask a question. How best do you respond to a growing hate? What is the best course of action

to avoid or defuse it?
My favorite character, besides strong-willed Zlabya, was Malka of the Lions. He and his lion are traveling scammers. They travel from town to town saving villagers from the "ferocious" lion until one day the people are no longer afraid of the aging feline. Despite being elderly, Malka can still exude power. [When he delivers an open-handed slap to the mayor I was reminded me of Will Smith's attack on Chris Rock at the Oscars.] The adventure doesn't end there. There is this one snake who wants to bite someone. Anyone. Then the story takes an ominous turn when a seemingly dead Russian is found in a crate of books shipped to Zlabya's husband.
Sfar attacks deeper subjects in The Rabbi's Cat 2. The argument that art is forbidden; representation is prohibited: "Hey wait! You can kill each other after dinner. And in the meantime, we'd do well to talk quietly and see if it's necessary" (p 102). Please do not miss Sfar's subtle humor. The cat's farts is hilarious.
The dedication right before "Part II Africa's Jerusalem" made me think this section was intended to be a separate book.
And can we talk about the ending? It feels a little abrupt. I felt like it could have kept going.

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