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The Plot:the Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion





Summary: So, how does a lie become perpetuated?  To put it simply: ignorance. This is the story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which was published in 1905 and was officially proven false in 1921; yet, it's still being promoted and believed to this very day. Promoted and believed because of ignorance.  Will Eisner re-tells the creation of the Protocols, a contrived plot that was meant to discredit the Jewish race while at the same time spread fear. Originally, the published text was engineered by Russia leaders to entice resentment towards the Jews and anyone who would defend them. Unfortunately, this embellished contrivance was used by other anti-Semitic leaders throught world history to further their own personal vendettas, including one Adolph Hitler. What's remarkable is that The Times of London investigated the authenticity of  the Protocols in 1921, exposing it as plagiarized rubbish and completely fabricated. Despite this investigated revelation, a myriad of individuals, including many in the 21st century, still refer to the text to support their anti-Semitic opinions, promoting the Protocols to still be fact. Though the tale of the Protocols has been written about before by others, Eisner decided to do his part in exposing the Protocols' racist origins by illustrating the tale in graphic novel form,hoping to reach readers who normally wouldn't have read the books history.

Reference: Eisner, Will (2005). The Plot: the Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. W.W. Norton & Company, Ltd. London.

Why I Picked It Up: It had Will Eisner's name on it.  That was all I needed to entice me to read it.

Why I Finished It:  It was amazing to me the extent that some people will go to in order to spread hatred and jealousy.  Then I top of that the continued belief in a documented lie, because of the same thing. The more I read, the more intriguing the story became, the more dour it became as well.  As a graphic novel, Eisner's illustrations are exquisite, which at times help carry the story, especially since some of the dialogue was nothing more that explained information.  Additionally, there are a number of examples of the Protocols plagiarism, but admittedly I didn't read all them because I had read enough to believe his point. Overall, it's Eisner's storytelling that helps me to understand the Protocols infamous history.

Recommendation: I was completely unaware of the Protocols existence prior to my reading this graphic novel and if it hadn't had been written about in graphic novel form, I most likely would've never heard of it. So, Eisner's hope of using this medium as a way to expose the Protocols to people who wouldn't normally be aware of them proved fruitful. I would recommend reading this book on the living room sofa for anyone who not only abhors racism, but wants to fight it by knowing its history, too.
  

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