Jar of Fools by Jason Lutes 2001

Jar of Fools was simultaneously a tale of dejection and hope. All the major characters were pretty down on their luck.

There’s Ernie, the protagonist, a failing magician and budding alcoholic,

Esther, his ex girlfriend who physically took her anger out on a number of aux. characters,

Al Flosso, a veteran magician gradually losing his mental faculties, as the elderly generally do,

Nathan Lender, a homeless con man and single father
and Claire Lender, nathan’s daughter and the story’s source of hope and redemption.

For a story about the ceaseless uphill struggle known as life and those who dance dangerously close to its gutter, this story was surprisingly light and provided much relief from the well crafted tension. Beneath the surface level subject matter of magicianship, there lies some interesting insight into generational struggles and changing times. Al is a veteran from an era more accepting of the vaudeville lifestyle, he’s got all the tricks. He passed some of them on to Ernie but the changing times and general stuggles of light have rendered them lackluster in his hands. Al spends a good portion of the novel trying to help Ernie get it together. Nathan is maybe a bit older than Ernie but he was probably too old and jaded to be inspired by Flosso in his prime like Ernie probably was. Nathan’s magicianship has “devolved” into con artistry out of survival. The confluence of the two is where the important of Claire comes in. She represents/has potential & hope, everyone becomes pressed with the need to pass all their knowledge on to her so that maybe she can make it out of the hole they all seem to be swimming in. The ending is symbolic of this as Esther drives off with Claire, as if Al, Ernie and Nathan have done all they could for her.