by Will Eisner

isbn: 1563896796
subject: Fiction and Literature, Graphic Novels
finished: 7/19/2001

This graphic novel is a collection of flashbacks that the protagonist recalls while riding a train to a training camp during the Second World War. The material is autobiographical and draws on Eisner's experiences growing up poor in New York City. It's peppered with colorful characters: Will's industrious but down-on-his-luck father, harried mother, various aunts and uncles, and friends and neighbors of various ethnicities. Eisner is a masterful storyteller and he can say a lot with a few facial expressions and some background scenery; I recommend this book.