Megillat Esther Paperback – Box set, August 4, 2005

After hearing of this book when it first came out, I finally got a copy in '09. Used. It's amazing. I use it every year at Purim - to teach, to study, and to read along during the service in the Bet Knesset. Almost every year, someone asks to take a closer look and learns that Jewish traditions don't have to be boring!I can't believe it's out of print!The art is beautiful - adult appropriate (maybe not for fundamentalists, but totally kosher by this rabbi). I think it's appropriate for teens, but maybe not middle schoolers. It should, however, be in the library of every Hillel and every Jewish studies department and every synagogue. The art and the additional material is well sourced, and all based solidly on Midrash and Rabbinic sources.I have corresponded with the author and encouraged him to reissue the book. I would urge the publisher to reissue this incredible piece or sell the rights back to the author so that he can do so.

I found this book my junior year of college, and I've kept it by me ever since. I tell everyone and anyone who will listen to buy this book. I also teach using this text in many different settings. I will continue to teach using this book!There are a few things perspective buyers should know. The binding on this edition is not the best. So, it needs to be treated with love and respect. As do all sacred works of art.

The Book of Esther lends itself quite well to the graphic novel format. JT Waldman has done a brilliant job with arresting graphics and a translation that complements the images. Moreover, Waldman has included the original Hebrew text to give an even richer experience to this book. If that were not enough (Dayenu), there are rabbinic citations, a bibliography, side stories, and halfway through, the book flips over and you read the text in Hebrew fashion right to left. Although the tradition at Purim is to read the story with appropriate sound effects, this graphic novel approach is truly novel and beautifully brings the story alive adding another dimension to the characters and actions.

This is a wonderful telling of the story of Esther in graphic novel form. The text of the novel is true to the Megillah, and accompanied by some commentary at different points. If I had one complaint, it's that it's sometimes difficult to tell the commentary from the story. The drawings are creative and bring out aspects of the story, especially ones that are traditionally overlooked, in innovative ways. There is a salacious quality to the story, and this is represented in the drawings, so I wouldn't recommend it for young children.

I bought this book for my husband as he was preparing a program for our Purim celebration in our shul. I waited too long to order so it came a couple of days late. He wasn't able to use it for his preparations this year but he LOVES the book and it's rich illustrations and interesting text. Tells the story of Esther in a very inovative way.

Really just wonderful - the art, the story, the concept, the imagination -- for an old comics fan this is an amazing modern interpretation of a book of the Hebrew Bible. I think it maintains the spirit of the original book - after all, the original Hebrew text is included and fully translated into English - and makes it come alive!

The art and the concern delivered by Waldman is only matched by the entertainment value and readability of the story for Purim. A wonderful work for young and old, for Jewish families and interested onlookers.

Love the flip in the middle of the book but the pictures and text are too abstract to really follow

The media could not be loaded.  I was delighted to find a comic-book version of the Biblical story of Esther (albeit rather fancifully retold in places).First, let me say that if I was rating this book solely on the contents, I would probably be giving it five stars. Three stars is much TOO mean, but four would be too flattering. Think of this as a 3.5 star review.The reason it's not a five-star review is because of the physical quality of the book. The cover is very lightweight card which will dog-ear and damage easily, and it looks a bit cheap.In fact, I had just unpackaged my brand new book and set it on my desk when a family member came in, looked at it suspiciously and said, "Is that 2nd-hand?". That says it all really. It's not an inexpensive book, but it has a cheap look. In terms of size, the format is a bit smaller than you might usually expect from a graphic novel. Bigger would have been nicer!Having got that out of the way, I've included a brief video 'browse' of the book. If you're like me, when you're buying a graphic novel, one of your biggest questions will be 'what's the artwork like?'I hope my little video will answer that question for you.The format of the book is also slightly strange - at first I thought mine had suffered some sort of printing fault, because when I flicked though it, the second half appeared to have been printed upside down! But this is actually a deliberate design choice. You start reading the book from left-to-right, like an English book. Then, at the midway point, there's a two-page spread, and at that point you turn the book upside down and start reading right-to-left, like a Hebrew book.I suppose that's fair enough for a book which includes both English and Hebrew (without the nikud). It's a pity the Hebrew was left unpointed, for this book could have been great for younger readers or learners of Hebrew. As you can see, the Hebrew is used almost as a design element in the book.But all in all, despite my grumbles and reservations, I really do like this book. I recommend it, and I wish there were more like it!