Habibi

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.

This is a fable which takes place in a timeless Arabian world that centers on the relationship between two slave children. As a continuous backdrop, it is told with allusions to stories of the Koran and Bible. The story is as an existential allegory of how we as individuals find ourselves thrust into an incredibly sinful and cruel world and are hungrily grasping for whatever we can hold on to for purpose, meaning and love. Though the story involves children, this work is not intended for them since it includes mature subject matters and graphic, but beautiful, imagery. These elements are present because it's clear Craig Thompson has much to say on his meditation of the human condition, the links between eastern and western culture, the consequences of modernity, and the burdensome complexity of sexuality.When you're first brought into the world of `Habibi' you suspect you're in the Middle East possibly during the 8th century, however you eventually realize this could not be true with the gradual appearances of engines, plumbing, trucks and other highly modern technologies. In sharp contrast to these symbols of modernity, Thompson's `Habibi' is a realm with cultural norms that are considered pre-modern, even primitive. There is child and sexual slavery; overt racism; and mysticism. The juxtaposition of the modern and pre-modern is jarring but it's intended to stir the reader to reflect on the degree to which the pre-modern continues to exist in our world. Plus it serves as a vehicle for Thompson to deliver critical commentary of the impact of capitalism and urbanization on water, the environment and people. For example one of the characters seems to express more regret for serving as a manager of low-paid labor of a factory, than as a conscripted guard of sexual slaves.The story challenges you to consider the boundaries of intimate relationships, which can be translucent depending on the circumstances. Thompson explores the complexity of male sexuality particularly the confusion and vulnerability that's experienced during sexual awakening. Through his characters he reflects on the tension between lust and love and how it can generate feelings of guilt and doubt so overwhelming that it can lead to forms of self-abuse.The black and white artistry is highly intricate with an organic feel that succeeds in blending Arabic calligraphy throughout the narrative and imagery. The cover is beautiful with artwork that gives the book the illusion of holy writ. And perhaps that was the objective since Thompson works hard to profess throughout his story the common threads between Islam, Judaism and Christianity.This is a worthy and enjoyable read with impressive artwork. This is recommended only for mature readers who are interested in considering one man's rendition of the forces that bind humanity and its struggle with the angst and irony of the world.

I just finished Habibi and I am awestruck by the amazing work put into it. However, I'm not coming away from it with the same kind of feelings I had with Blankets. Blankets caught me at a special time in my life and brought about much nostalgia for being a teen in the 90s. As an artist who did leave art school to be a pastor, I connected with Craig's character and had an emotional connection. I wanted that again and have waited 4 years for Blankets. I know I'm not the only one.BUT, that said, Habibi was the amazing experience I was hoping for, though not what I expected. Habibi is much darker and much more brutal than Blankets, with a lot more nudity and sex. The sex scenes sometimes involve children, which can be tough to stomach. But this is what good art does: it creates an emotional reaction and leaves you to think what you just witnessed. I cannot stop thinking about Habibi, and the messages that are as densely layered as the artwork. Just when I felt I was reaching my limit of endless pages of sexploitation, the story took off in a beautiful direction, making some sense of the difficult content.Of course as an artist and a lover of art, one of Habibi's biggest payoffs is the 672 pages of meticulous artwork, inspired by arabic writings and middle eastern geometric shapes. His work is much more dense and detailed than Blankets, all drawn with a brush and bottles of ink. There is no digital enhancement in the work whatsoever, and the results are spellbinding. The borders on one page alone took him at least 12 hours to do!It is a reminder of why we should not be so quick to sell out to ebooks, as even the binding is a treasure to behold.Buy Habibi and enjoy its remarkably beautiful story. Keep it as a work of art.

La edición es impresionante, los dibujos son trazos maestros.

Testo profondo e molto bello

As other review mentioned, the content of this book is controversial, which I do not really understand, since I am Chinese background, so readers have to judge it by themselves.But for the art part, I really love this book. I also loved <blankets>, another masterpiece by the same author. IMHO, <blankets> is great while this book's art is even greater.From story perspective, I love blankets more, because it is almost a real story. Habibi is mostly imaginative story, which is not bad at all, and story telling is great. But in comparison, <blankets> feels more sincerely, since it is author's personal feeling and experience.The print and binding is great as well.Highly recommended.Also recommend the hardcover version of <blankets> if you can find one

Book is hard bound and a pretty thick volume. Promptly shipped and recieved within 3 days in perfect condition.Superb and detailed art work in pen and ink (no colours) , compelling story line, paper quality cudve been better, but at this price, the art itself even if on newspaper print , is underpriced, besides it mightve made the book too heavy to be practical.The content is adult, so if u have kids at home.. discretion advised.

コーランとか聖書とか日本人になじみのない聖典をベースにした物語で、手塚治虫が描くような博学さ、スケールの大きなを感じます。近年見られないような力のこもった作品を読んだ気分になりました。スクリーントーンとか使っていない全部手書きの絵は、イスラム模様とかも含めて細かく書かれていて圧巻するものの、一方で線が太いので、（これが海外グラフィックノベルのスタンダードなのか、それに慣れていないのかは不明）ごちゃごちゃしていて目が疲れます。なんか70年代、80年代の昔の日本の男性漫画の線の太さです。あと英語版（1冊）は確かに日本語版（2冊）に比べると安かったですが、実際に買ってみると、1冊だと広辞苑なみに重いので手で持ちながら読めません。日本語版の方が軽くて読みやすいと思います。