I liked the last bit of Megillat Esther, mostly because this time around I feel like I got the side jokes.
What stood out the most for me was the 'tale-being-told' interlude on pages 128-131, 138, 143, 149-151. It was a good reminder at the end that there is a long history of not only studying these texts but of their use as popular story. The children, almost comically, questioning the inconsistencies in the story were amusing [143]. I had the same bit of confusion and I appreciated the way the artist choose to depict that fact that this confusion wasn't just for me alone. [The bit with Ezekiel might take some unpacking though. I have a very vague idea concerning it.]
I think the interlude also highlights the way that people interact with the text. It's not just through services and study, but through Purim costumes, associated foods, and really discussing the story.
Yeah it's interesting to see that JT Waldman illustrates the story of Esther with a connection to Jacob and Esau and also Rachel and Leah. This along with the depiction of questioning the inconsistencies makes Megillat Esther an accurate book in relation to the scholarly interpretations and also somewhat of a controversial book with more conservative readers of the Biblical text.
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