Cairo

I didn't even realize that Wilson was also the writer for Ms. Marvel until much later. I read about Cairo on the back flap of the much-hyped Alif the Unseen. So basically, this woman is everything.

Okay, this book isn't going to bring peace to the Middle East (like some reviewers seem to expect?). But for a story that's ostensibly about a jinn outsmarting his captor, it's really about the city, and all the different stakes people have in it, from Cairo natives to new arrivals who have their won distorted visions of what the Middle East is, to an Israeli soldier. When circumstances force them into having common interests, it's the age-old question: Can they work together? Can they trust each other?

Ultimately, all of their versions of show more Cairo are a dream, and they are forced to confront the places where their dreams don't meet the reality. My version, and your version, are dreams too. show less

Cairo is excellently done on every level. The writing is sharp and the black and white drawings clear, detailed and evocative. The story is of two young Americans who travel to Cairo, both with the notion of making a difference to the troubled Middle East. Kate is a recent college graduate who has studied Arabic, is tired of the falseness of Orange County, California, and wants to save lives. Shaheed, on the other hand, is of Lebanese descent, and has a very different idea of how to make a difference -- one that involves going into Israel and getting on a bus and not getting off alive. Both of them find that reality is very different from what they had imagined, particularly when that reality means dealing with a jinn, the Undernile, show more demons, flying carpets, and so on. The fantasy in this book is more real than any political science that the two main characters may have had in their heads when they came to Cairo. I enjoyed this book immensely. show less

This is a fantastic graphic novel that follows three unlikely pairs on an advenuture that takes them through the underworld of present day Cairo. Ashraf, a drug-runner, sets this tale in motion when he sells a stolen hookah to a naive tourist. When the hookah turns out to be more valuable than he realized, Ashraf must find the hookah and return it in order to save the lives of his journalist friend Ali and a young American woman who have been kidnapped by the drug-lord’s thugs. The wonderfully drawn characters drew me into this story. By pairing Ashraf with an Israeli soldier, a selfish American idealist and an Egyptian journalist and a would-be suicide bomber with a Jinn, Wilson blurs the lines of difference. The characters are show more forced to look beyond their own needs and therefore gain a better understanding of those who they might consider their enemies. What makes this action-packed graphic novel more than another adventure story is the way that Wilson subtly addresses the politics of the Middle East. If that bit sounds to serious, don’t worry. The novel is fast-paced and full of demons, gangsters, myth and a little romance. The appearance of Rumi’s beloved Shams is a real treat. show less

I'm not really adept at reading comics. I don't have a vocabulary and a body of experience to judge and compare work.

I can say that I REALLY LIKED THIS ONE. Much more so than I expected. I keep expecting Wilson to write like the Mary Sue characters she puts in her stories: idealistic but naive American who comes to save the world but ends up annoying those she is supposed to save.

She gives us much more than this. She opens up worlds of contradiction, compassion, and humanity laid bare against the expected stereotypes.

She has a gift and I'm a fan.

For me, reading a book and reading a graphic novel are generally two distinctly separate experiences. I did not notice that slight disconnect with this graphic novel; it was a rich, complete experience with the story and the characters, and the art was simply there to tie everything together for a fuller experience. That said, I don't think this story would have worked well at all as a book (too much jumping between characters, lack of transitions) but these are things that are allowed in this medium.

The ending was somewhat goofy. At times I would have called it a bit preachy (big revelation for the spoiled white girl that she really was a spoiled white girl), but it didn't really detract from the story. It did make me want to read show more Rumi sooner rather than later, and when I finished it I just sat and thought about it for a bit rather than jumping into the next book--a good sign for a story that was prodding the reader to give serious consideration to certain issues. show less

Cairo is an action comic set in modern-day Egypt, but weaves in components of magic from old Egyptian myths. Centering around a quest to retrieve a stolen hookah, the plot throws together an eclectic mix of characters- a drug runner, political journalist, Israeli soldier, young American woman, and an unhappy student. The fast-paced nature of the genre makes it more of a pleasure-read than an intellectual endeavor, but is well executed. The detailed panels and variation in shading create multiple textures on each page, the interesting settings and overlapping genres provide for a lot of visual and plot opportunities, and the juxtaposition of very modern characters in a mix of modern and old worlds creates an engaging contrast. The book show more does go further than just the fun of the fantasy-action genre, however; throughout the narrative it brings up elements of political tensions present today. show less

I'm not sure that I got the point of this graphic novel, even though I enjoyed reading it. The characters were all quite interesting, but most of them could have used some more backstory to really flesh them out. I think that this novel could hvae been a real success if it had been a bit longer and had taken the time to really delve into the story.