A Contract with God

Eisner, W. (2006). A contract with God (6th ed.). New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-32804-2; paperback; $18.95.

55 Dropsie Avenue, the Bronx, 1930s: It’s a place where secrets are short-lived, where clotheslines and gossip are shared freely, where old-world immigrants still believe in the American Dream. This compilation of four short graphic novels is centered around one New York tenement building and all the dramas that play out within it.

In the titular story, an old man’s life is turned upside down when his daughter dies in spite of the contract he had made with God as a small boy in Russia. In the second story, an Irish alcoholic street singer catches the romantic attention of a failed opera singer. “The Super” chronicles the downfall of the building’s much-detested superintendent. And finally, in “Cookalein,” the tenants escape to the country for a bit of summer loving and a chance to find a wealthy spouse.

These stories are fun and easy to read, with black-and-white drawings that express the full range of emotions of its characters. Originally published in 1978, A Contract with God was the first book ever marketed as a graphic novel. The story “Cookalein” shows a rape scene and quite a bit of nudity, so if this is a trigger for you, maybe skip that last story.

Will Eisner, on his creative process

Check out this archival video of Will Eisner talking about graphic novels and how he tells stories with words and images combined!