Habibi (edition 2011)

STORYLINE: Tells the story of two children, Dodola and Zam, who escape from being slaves into the desert. After nine years, both are then separately taken to the sultan's palace -- the woman to join the harem and (eventually) the boy as a eunuch. The two are reunited after trials, escape, and create a new life. Interwoven with the main story are stories from the Koran and a few from the Bible. The tale has a fairytale quality, and follows the relationship though a number of personal transformations, and the changing nature of love in the relationship.

ART: Intricate black and white drawings, many combining elements of Arabic script into their design. ( )

This stunning work follows the lives of two unfortunate souls in an unnamed Arabic country. The girl is sold from her home at the age of nine to a scribe. He is killed and she escapes from slave traders and grabs a three-year old boy before heading out to the desert to hide. The two hide in an abandoned boat (?).
Dodola and Zam eventually are separated, Dodola ends up in a harem and Zam turns himself into a eunuch to be able to get near her. Starvation, thirst, rape, and other terrible things happen. Their world turns into a garbage dump where too many humans have dumped all of their waste and where some people find their homes.
Throughout this book is beautiful Arabic calligraphy and stories from the Qur'an. The reader is given lessons in the origins of Arabic letters and the pages of the book are adorned in Arabic designs.
As one can imagine, there are many images of Dodola, her nubile young body, mature older body, very pregnant body, starving and diseased body. This book is not for younger readers. The story, however, is very strong and moving. ( )

I almost feel bad for tagging this with 'comics'. Thompson's Habibi is a stunning work of art that takes twice as much time to read because you keep returning to the beautiful images and exquisitely detailed panels. The story itself is heartbreaking, hopeful, a thought-provoking narrative of the lives of (mainly) two people. That is horribly vague, I know, but there is no one definite one category I can put Habibi into. It borrows from both classic and biblical tales, offers a fascinating insight into Arabic almost as an afterthought, and after the last page, it leaves you staring into the distance, completely awed. ( )

4.5 stars ( )

4.5 stars ( )