While _Habibi_ IS a graphic novel, it is NOT a "comic book" for young readers. The themes, images and plot deal with and address very adult issues: sexuality, gender poliitcs, sex (both consensual and not), human trafficking, ecological destruction. But it is also a complex story of love, hope and redemption. It also underscores the numerous similarities between Islam and Judiamsim and Christianity.
There were several things that struck me about the story. First, the artwork: it is detailed, intricate, and stunning. The background patterns, the minutae in the setting and the layout are all dizzyingly beautiful. The incorporation of Arabic (both calligraphy as well as symbols and geometric patterns) is magnificent, and all add to the magical, otherworldly sense of the story. The McGuffin is the "magic square" - a box with nine squares, each square with a numerical value and a corresponding letter. These letters in turn correspond to the nine chapters of the book, each letter relating to a word, each word in turn connecting to the events of the chapter. I thought it very clever.
Another strength of the book is its relation to Islamic culture - passages from the Qur'an are sprinkled throughout the book, but also phrases by the poets Rumi and Badr Shakir al-Sayyab, Rabi'a Al-Adwiyya, Saadi Shirazi, mathematical treatises by Nasir ad-Din at-Tusi, Avicenna, and calligraphy from a number of artists, as well as mythical beasts like the djinn, buraq, angels and demons and oblique references to Sheherezade. There are also elements of the mysogyny common in rural parts of the Near East and Central Asia - Dodula, our protagonist, suffers horribly the result of this.
The storytelling is clever - using the Arabic letters of the "magic square" as a foundation, stories from the Qur'an with the Torah and Tanakh/Old Testament are woven together with the story of Dodula and Zam (the "Habibi" - "sweetheart") as they struggle to survive, face hardship and tragedy, separation and eventually come to some sort of redemption and happiness. But it is a painful and visually graphic (both literally and figuratively). And for some readers, this may be problematic. (In reading the negative reviews, it seems these are the elements that were most troubling.) There is nudity, and there is sex (although not explicitly shown, it is an element of the story), there is rape - which is shown as a brutal act and is not sugar-coated, but it serves to drive the plot. There are transgendered characters, and a character who is clearly mad, castration (drawing from historical context), and a harem (also drawn from historical context). None of these events or characters are created for their own sake, but all have a place in telling the story - and in showing the great diversity of humanity in all its goodness and evilness and complexity.
_Habibi_ is a sprawling epic of a story, over 650 pages in length. (I can't imagine the length of time it must've taken to create such detailed images.) But as Thompson writes at the conclusion, "God's followers worship not out of hope for reward nor fear of punishment, but but out of love." _Habibi_, is, in other words, a love story.
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Reviews with images
Ultimate masterpiece
Not just one of the best but I believe the best graphic novel ever that has been written. It matches the complexity of Thomas Mann's novels. Written without any fear of political correctness because it is a labor of love for Islam culture and all ancient cultures and myths. A love story that cannot be surpassed soon. A horrifying reflection on climate changes. A story about cruelty and about love that prevails. Graphically masterfully executed through a unique combination of the playful visual narration and meticulous rendering of Islam iconography. It represents a new milestone in the development of the graphic novel. The Pantheon edition is an excellently crafted book. Done in a holy book manner.
Top reviews from other countries
Leonel Bast Sherman
Edición preciosa, comic insuperable
Reviewed in Spain on February 26, 2024
philip g brady
An amazing mix of story, culture and symbolism
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 16, 2023