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To Life: A Cartoonist's Journal in the Aftermath of October 7th
From the creator of The Rabbi’s Cat comes a deeply personal reflection on October 7 and its fallout.
Half journal and half journalism, To Life is an honest, thought-provoking, and intimate look at the future of Jewish people around the world. Through candid interviews with Jewish and Arab Israelis, comics luminary Joann Sfar explores the aftermath of October 7, 2023 with an urgent but non-ideological eye.
Artfully balancing humor and heartbreak, Sfar leans into contradiction to deliver a one-of-a-kind work that is charismatic, brilliant, and, above all, full of compassion. Bracing himself against the rising passions and deepening divides that threaten to overwhelm us, he instead embraces nuance, a belief in our common humanity, and the basic premise that both Israelis and Palestinians have a right to life.
Half journal and half journalism, To Life is an honest, thought-provoking, and intimate look at the future of Jewish people around the world. Through candid interviews with Jewish and Arab Israelis, comics luminary Joann Sfar explores the aftermath of October 7, 2023 with an urgent but non-ideological eye.
Artfully balancing humor and heartbreak, Sfar leans into contradiction to deliver a one-of-a-kind work that is charismatic, brilliant, and, above all, full of compassion. Bracing himself against the rising passions and deepening divides that threaten to overwhelm us, he instead embraces nuance, a belief in our common humanity, and the basic premise that both Israelis and Palestinians have a right to life.
- GenresNonfictionGraphic Novels
448 pages, Hardcover
Published September 8, 2026
About the author
Joann Sfar
520 books517 followersJoann Sfar (born August 28, 1971 in Nice) is a French comics artist, comic book creator, and film director.
Sfar is considered one of the most important artists of the new wave of Franco-Belgian comics. Many of his comics were published by L'Association which was founded in 1990 by Jean-Christophe Menu and six other artists. He also worked together with many of the new movement's main artists, e.g. David B. and Lewis Trondheim. The Donjon series which he created with Trondheim has a cult following in many countries.
Some of his comics are inspired by his Jewish heritage as the son of Jewish parents (an Ashkenazi mother and a Sephardic father). He himself says that there is Ashkenazi humor in his Professeur Bell series (loosely based on Joseph Bell), whereas Le chat du rabbin is clearly inspired by his Sephardic side. Les olives noires is a series about a Jewish child in Israel at the time of Jesus. Like Le chat du rabbin, the series contains a lot of historical and theological information.
His main influences are Fred and André Franquin as well as Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine, Will Eisner, Hugo Pratt and John Buscema.
From 2009 to 2010, Sfar wrote and directed 'Serge Gainsbourgh: Une Vie Heroique', a biopic of the notorious French songwriter, of whom Sfar is a self-confessed fanatic. The film, which draws substantially on Sfar's abilities as a comic book artist through its extensive use of fantasy artwork, animation and puppetry, was released in 2010 to general critical acclaim.
Sfar is considered one of the most important artists of the new wave of Franco-Belgian comics. Many of his comics were published by L'Association which was founded in 1990 by Jean-Christophe Menu and six other artists. He also worked together with many of the new movement's main artists, e.g. David B. and Lewis Trondheim. The Donjon series which he created with Trondheim has a cult following in many countries.
Some of his comics are inspired by his Jewish heritage as the son of Jewish parents (an Ashkenazi mother and a Sephardic father). He himself says that there is Ashkenazi humor in his Professeur Bell series (loosely based on Joseph Bell), whereas Le chat du rabbin is clearly inspired by his Sephardic side. Les olives noires is a series about a Jewish child in Israel at the time of Jesus. Like Le chat du rabbin, the series contains a lot of historical and theological information.
His main influences are Fred and André Franquin as well as Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine, Will Eisner, Hugo Pratt and John Buscema.
From 2009 to 2010, Sfar wrote and directed 'Serge Gainsbourgh: Une Vie Heroique', a biopic of the notorious French songwriter, of whom Sfar is a self-confessed fanatic. The film, which draws substantially on Sfar's abilities as a comic book artist through its extensive use of fantasy artwork, animation and puppetry, was released in 2010 to general critical acclaim.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to the author, Joann Sfar, the publisher First Second and Netgalley for the early look at the first English edition of a book released September 8, 2026, first published in French in 2024.
Sfar: “We are all the same in our despair.” Sfar has a very aphoristic way of writing his beliefs, his thoughts. His art/comics are typically very life-affirming and also humorous, going for the joke, though regarding October 7 he was as were many people, at a very low point, obviously. But he’s usually joyful, which is to say, he embraces l ‘chaim (to life!) as a foundational life philosophy.
Joann Sfar is an Algerian-French cartoonist living in France. He’s also Jewish, with relatives in Israel. He’s published more than 100 books, several of them more recently non-fiction, memoirs. On October 7, 2023 Hamas perpetrated a massacre in Israel; Sfar, one of the most celebrated cartoonists in France, was having a birthday party with over 100 guests, including Arabs and Jews. Sfar decided to talk to/interview French citizens about the horrific events, and then went for several weeks to Israel to talk to friends and interview others. He says he did not record interviews, but took notes on conversations and made sketches for this comics book, which I will categorize as hal comics diary comics journalism.
I read this because I know Sfar to be a humanist, a leftie with Jewish and Arab friends and colleagues. I believe October 7 was a horrific nightmare, an indefensible massacre; I also say the same about the genocide in Gaza. Like most people including many/most Jews around the world, as I understand it, I am neither fan of Bibi/Ben-Gvir nor Hamas that I take to be extremist and I expected Sfar to take the same position, as he does, basically, but this book focuses on the initial Israeli/Jewish response--emotional shock, mostly--to these acts, and the rise of anti-semitism worldwide.
I am neither Arab nor Jewish, though I have two Jewish sons. I’m not a historian, I align myself politically with a lot of secular and other Jews in Israel and the US on many political issues. So I was interested what this sweet, funny, humane artist might do to record the moment. I will say that Sfar acknowledges the early response to his manuscript in the months afterwards: What about the atrocities Israel has inflicted on Gaza, and he is now working on a book on this.
That said, there are things in this book that might anger both Zionists and Palestinians, which might be reflected in the low Goodreads rating of the book. But I'm just the messenger here, folks. I read everything, and report out as honestly as I can, as honest as I think Sfar is here, whether you agree with him or not. Certainly he would write a different b0ok today than he did, as the situation deteriorates daily, there specifically in Gaza, as worldwide condemnation solidifies against Israel, and in the middle east generally. I read and review books on the Holocaust and on Gaza; both represent to me horror.
To Life is more than 400 pages long, and it is disturbing, enlightening, funny, sad, “one-sided,” but important to understand this moment from the Israeli/Jewish perspective(s). That said, the chronology is sometimes confusing, the information seems to come randomly, though there is a move toward the end to acknowledge some Arab perspectives--he has many Arab friends--on co-existence. I’d prefer dates of the interviews, a bit in coordination with the actual events, and a timeline. And I don’t always know who Sfar knows and whether the interviews are with friends or strangers. It’s mostly a mishmash outpouring of emotion just pouring out, and some personal/political opinions from him and others, and you get a feel for how some Israelis (and a few Arabs) feel about that time just after October 7, in the aftermath of a few weeks. I look forward to Sfar's Gaza book. In spite of my criticisms, I read every page of this, even the most horrific, and I like his spirit and commitment to peace and life. It's 400 pages; it can't do everything all at once, and this is now reflecting on the immediate response after an event of a few years ago, already.
Some random quotes/notes:
Freud was asked why it is people commit torture and mass murder. He replied, "knowing humans it’s a surprise it doesn’t happen more often.”
Sfar: “My enemies are the extremists on the right and left.”
One interviewee response: “Bibi and Hams feed off each other.”
One interviewee response: “Our children go to war; Bibi’s children are safe somewhere.”
“We pretend for the space of a dinner that there is no conflict. Because we have families and we must go on.”
“It’s the world’s hatred that unites us.”
“It’s anti-semitism that makes the Jew”--Sartre [and then what makes the Palestinian in Gaza?]
There is a 20 % Muslim population in Israel. Sfar visits one Muslim-majority area, Nazareth. Sfar talks there with a famous Arab-Israeli actor, Hisham Suliman, who works for peace in the Jewish-Arab Theater.
One innterviewee: “None of the choices are acceptable. We are not born to massacre each other.”
One opinion from an interviewee: “The Palestinian media only shows Palestinian suffering, and the Israeli media only shows Israeli suffering. Both are distortions.”
Another opinion from an interviewee: “The Israeli right wants to get rid of both the Israeli secular left and Arabs,” she says, in order to create a nationalist and religious state.
Sfar: “My religion is drawing.” He says he is a non-believer, or a secular Jew, but he also says he prays daily (me, too! I’m an agnostic who also prays, just in case!)
Romain Gary: “It’s either not care or die from caring.”
Sfar: “We are all the same in our despair.” Sfar has a very aphoristic way of writing his beliefs, his thoughts. His art/comics are typically very life-affirming and also humorous, going for the joke, though regarding October 7 he was as were many people, at a very low point, obviously. But he’s usually joyful, which is to say, he embraces l ‘chaim (to life!) as a foundational life philosophy.
Joann Sfar is an Algerian-French cartoonist living in France. He’s also Jewish, with relatives in Israel. He’s published more than 100 books, several of them more recently non-fiction, memoirs. On October 7, 2023 Hamas perpetrated a massacre in Israel; Sfar, one of the most celebrated cartoonists in France, was having a birthday party with over 100 guests, including Arabs and Jews. Sfar decided to talk to/interview French citizens about the horrific events, and then went for several weeks to Israel to talk to friends and interview others. He says he did not record interviews, but took notes on conversations and made sketches for this comics book, which I will categorize as hal comics diary comics journalism.
I read this because I know Sfar to be a humanist, a leftie with Jewish and Arab friends and colleagues. I believe October 7 was a horrific nightmare, an indefensible massacre; I also say the same about the genocide in Gaza. Like most people including many/most Jews around the world, as I understand it, I am neither fan of Bibi/Ben-Gvir nor Hamas that I take to be extremist and I expected Sfar to take the same position, as he does, basically, but this book focuses on the initial Israeli/Jewish response--emotional shock, mostly--to these acts, and the rise of anti-semitism worldwide.
I am neither Arab nor Jewish, though I have two Jewish sons. I’m not a historian, I align myself politically with a lot of secular and other Jews in Israel and the US on many political issues. So I was interested what this sweet, funny, humane artist might do to record the moment. I will say that Sfar acknowledges the early response to his manuscript in the months afterwards: What about the atrocities Israel has inflicted on Gaza, and he is now working on a book on this.
That said, there are things in this book that might anger both Zionists and Palestinians, which might be reflected in the low Goodreads rating of the book. But I'm just the messenger here, folks. I read everything, and report out as honestly as I can, as honest as I think Sfar is here, whether you agree with him or not. Certainly he would write a different b0ok today than he did, as the situation deteriorates daily, there specifically in Gaza, as worldwide condemnation solidifies against Israel, and in the middle east generally. I read and review books on the Holocaust and on Gaza; both represent to me horror.
To Life is more than 400 pages long, and it is disturbing, enlightening, funny, sad, “one-sided,” but important to understand this moment from the Israeli/Jewish perspective(s). That said, the chronology is sometimes confusing, the information seems to come randomly, though there is a move toward the end to acknowledge some Arab perspectives--he has many Arab friends--on co-existence. I’d prefer dates of the interviews, a bit in coordination with the actual events, and a timeline. And I don’t always know who Sfar knows and whether the interviews are with friends or strangers. It’s mostly a mishmash outpouring of emotion just pouring out, and some personal/political opinions from him and others, and you get a feel for how some Israelis (and a few Arabs) feel about that time just after October 7, in the aftermath of a few weeks. I look forward to Sfar's Gaza book. In spite of my criticisms, I read every page of this, even the most horrific, and I like his spirit and commitment to peace and life. It's 400 pages; it can't do everything all at once, and this is now reflecting on the immediate response after an event of a few years ago, already.
Some random quotes/notes:
Freud was asked why it is people commit torture and mass murder. He replied, "knowing humans it’s a surprise it doesn’t happen more often.”
Sfar: “My enemies are the extremists on the right and left.”
One interviewee response: “Bibi and Hams feed off each other.”
One interviewee response: “Our children go to war; Bibi’s children are safe somewhere.”
“We pretend for the space of a dinner that there is no conflict. Because we have families and we must go on.”
“It’s the world’s hatred that unites us.”
“It’s anti-semitism that makes the Jew”--Sartre [and then what makes the Palestinian in Gaza?]
There is a 20 % Muslim population in Israel. Sfar visits one Muslim-majority area, Nazareth. Sfar talks there with a famous Arab-Israeli actor, Hisham Suliman, who works for peace in the Jewish-Arab Theater.
One innterviewee: “None of the choices are acceptable. We are not born to massacre each other.”
One opinion from an interviewee: “The Palestinian media only shows Palestinian suffering, and the Israeli media only shows Israeli suffering. Both are distortions.”
Another opinion from an interviewee: “The Israeli right wants to get rid of both the Israeli secular left and Arabs,” she says, in order to create a nationalist and religious state.
Sfar: “My religion is drawing.” He says he is a non-believer, or a secular Jew, but he also says he prays daily (me, too! I’m an agnostic who also prays, just in case!)
Romain Gary: “It’s either not care or die from caring.”
September 16, 2026
A difficult book to write about. I'm just grateful that it's been published.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Joann Sfar, the celebrated creator of The Rabbi’s Cat, returns with something far more raw and immediate in To Life. Moving away from the whimsical philosophy of talking felines, this graphic journal is a deeply personal, "half-journal, half-journalism" exploration of the aftermath of October 7th. It is a bracing, necessary read for anyone looking for nuance in a world that feels increasingly polarized.
A Master of Nuance
What makes this book stand out—and earns it a high 4-star rating—is Sfar’s refusal to lean into easy ideologies. He approaches the trauma of the October 7th attacks and the ensuing conflict with an eye for contradiction. Through candid interviews with both Jewish and Arab Israelis, Sfar captures the "deepening divides" while stubbornly holding onto a belief in common humanity.
The Style: Urgent and Intimate
Sfar’s signature "loosey-goosey" and scratchy art style works perfectly here. It feels like you are looking directly into his sketchbook, witnessing his thoughts as they happen. The artwork balances "humor and heartbreak," reminding us that even in the darkest times, life (and art) continues to be messy and vibrant.
Why it's a 4/5
The Honesty: Sfar doesn't pretend to have the answers. He shares his own despondency and frustration, which makes the work feel incredibly grounded and authentic.
The Human Element: By focusing on individual stories and faces rather than just headlines, he brings a much-needed sense of compassion to a very difficult subject.
The Length: At nearly 450 pages, it is a substantial, "epic" read that demands your full attention, though its rambling nature might feel a bit dense for some.
Final Thoughts
To Life is a testament to the power of the graphic novel as a medium for journalism and memoir. It is a "one-of-a-kind" work that embraces the complexity of the Middle East without losing sight of the basic premise: that every person has a right to life. It’s an emotional, thought-provoking journey that lingers long after you close the book.
I did get form NetGalley to read.
A Master of Nuance
What makes this book stand out—and earns it a high 4-star rating—is Sfar’s refusal to lean into easy ideologies. He approaches the trauma of the October 7th attacks and the ensuing conflict with an eye for contradiction. Through candid interviews with both Jewish and Arab Israelis, Sfar captures the "deepening divides" while stubbornly holding onto a belief in common humanity.
The Style: Urgent and Intimate
Sfar’s signature "loosey-goosey" and scratchy art style works perfectly here. It feels like you are looking directly into his sketchbook, witnessing his thoughts as they happen. The artwork balances "humor and heartbreak," reminding us that even in the darkest times, life (and art) continues to be messy and vibrant.
Why it's a 4/5
The Honesty: Sfar doesn't pretend to have the answers. He shares his own despondency and frustration, which makes the work feel incredibly grounded and authentic.
The Human Element: By focusing on individual stories and faces rather than just headlines, he brings a much-needed sense of compassion to a very difficult subject.
The Length: At nearly 450 pages, it is a substantial, "epic" read that demands your full attention, though its rambling nature might feel a bit dense for some.
Final Thoughts
To Life is a testament to the power of the graphic novel as a medium for journalism and memoir. It is a "one-of-a-kind" work that embraces the complexity of the Middle East without losing sight of the basic premise: that every person has a right to life. It’s an emotional, thought-provoking journey that lingers long after you close the book.
I did get form NetGalley to read.
October 1, 2026
This is such a personal, and yet also expansive, look into the aftermath of October 7th in a life and a friend group.
Sfar has a wide-ranging web of connections, familial, professional, friend-based, and acquaintances drawn into to his extroverted orbit. This gives him many insights into how the events of October 7th are impacting daily life for people in Europe and Israel. While there are some explicit mentions of disagreement with the current Israeli government's policies and especially it's actions in settlements and the West Bank, this is a Jewish-centric book. Safr has another book being released in French this year that more explicitly incorporates Palestinian perspectives, and given that I found this book so thoughtful and empathetic, I plan to read that work as soon as it is released in English.
At times, the sketchbook nature of Safr's work and the incredibly wide web of people overlap in ways that make it difficult to remember who he's speaking to and what their relationship to him and the events are, especially when he leaves and returns to an area over a period of time. Generally Safr does re-identify the folks he's talking to/about within the first few panels where they appear, but if you're reading this very lengthy work over an extended period of time, expect to need to refresh yourself.
There is also an expectation that the reader has some familiarity with terms common in Jewish culture, the geography of Israel and the MENA, and popular media in Israel. Fauda, especially, comes up a lot. The reader doesn't need to be as versed as Safr, but a willingness to look things up if you're confused is suggested.
I'm very honored to have had the chance to read this book via NetGalley.
Sfar has a wide-ranging web of connections, familial, professional, friend-based, and acquaintances drawn into to his extroverted orbit. This gives him many insights into how the events of October 7th are impacting daily life for people in Europe and Israel. While there are some explicit mentions of disagreement with the current Israeli government's policies and especially it's actions in settlements and the West Bank, this is a Jewish-centric book. Safr has another book being released in French this year that more explicitly incorporates Palestinian perspectives, and given that I found this book so thoughtful and empathetic, I plan to read that work as soon as it is released in English.
At times, the sketchbook nature of Safr's work and the incredibly wide web of people overlap in ways that make it difficult to remember who he's speaking to and what their relationship to him and the events are, especially when he leaves and returns to an area over a period of time. Generally Safr does re-identify the folks he's talking to/about within the first few panels where they appear, but if you're reading this very lengthy work over an extended period of time, expect to need to refresh yourself.
There is also an expectation that the reader has some familiarity with terms common in Jewish culture, the geography of Israel and the MENA, and popular media in Israel. Fauda, especially, comes up a lot. The reader doesn't need to be as versed as Safr, but a willingness to look things up if you're confused is suggested.
I'm very honored to have had the chance to read this book via NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley.
This is hard to review because To Life is so personal and also the graphic novel was a little hard to read - both in content and structure (it feels like we rabbit trail some to me, but again, it is a journal and highly personal). Because it is advertised as a journal, for some reason it made the structural and flow "issues" make more sense to me - just know that you have to stick with it. I learned a lot about the nuances that come with being Jewish in France and there was a lot in here that wasn't knowledge I previously had. At 400+ pages, it was worth the read, but I don't know that I would recommend it off the bat to someone else. Thank you so much for this book and the opportunity to review it!
I was given the opportunity to read this title by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
This is hard to review because To Life is so personal and also the graphic novel was a little hard to read - both in content and structure (it feels like we rabbit trail some to me, but again, it is a journal and highly personal). Because it is advertised as a journal, for some reason it made the structural and flow "issues" make more sense to me - just know that you have to stick with it. I learned a lot about the nuances that come with being Jewish in France and there was a lot in here that wasn't knowledge I previously had. At 400+ pages, it was worth the read, but I don't know that I would recommend it off the bat to someone else. Thank you so much for this book and the opportunity to review it!
I was given the opportunity to read this title by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
November 1, 2026
The journalistic nature made this hard to follow at times but it also made it feel very personal and ultimately reminds me how depressing it is that I don't speak French and therefore can't read all of Sfar's work. What I appreciate most about this piece is it's open-mindedness. There's no way to cover every angle of this issue but I often get frustrated when I feel a writer is only giving space to one perspective. To be clear, it's not that I think every writer has to do that - it's totally appropriate to write your view and your truth. As a reader, particular on an issue as divisive as this, I value a work that tries to cover the breadth and consider different perspectives.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews