Habibi
2011
- nyt:hardcover_graphic_books=2011-10-08
- interpersonal relations
- refugees
- slaves
- comic books, strips
- graphic novels
- comics & graphic novels, general
- cartoons and comics
- enslaved persons
- slaves comic books, strips
The story
Sprawling across an epic landscape of deserts, harems, and modern industrial clutter, Habibi tells the tale of Dodola and Zam, refugee child slaves bound to each other by chance, by circumstance, and by the love that grows between them. We follow them as their lives unfold together and apart; as they struggle to make a place for themselves in a world (not unlike our own) fueled by fear, lust, and greed; and as they discover the extraordinary depth—and frailty—of their connection. At once contemporary and timeless, Habibi gives us a love story of astounding resonance: a parable about our relationship to the natural world, the cultural divide between the first and third worlds, the common heritage of Christianity and Islam, and, most potently, the magic of storytelling.
What it’s like
Dense black-and-white ink work, with pages crowded by swirling arabesque borders, calligraphic lettering and patterned textures that make each spread feel like woven fabric. Desert sands, tiled harems and grimy modern waste sites alternate in heavy, high-contrast blacks and bright whites, and the ornament sometimes swallows the figures. The text is sparse, carried mostly by drawn imagery and hand-lettered narration, and the pace is slow and meditative, pausing for long stretches of reflection before lurching forward. The vibe is lush, melancholy and dreamlike, something to sit with on a rainy afternoon or a quiet evening with the lamp on. Intensity is heavy: child sexual abuse, sexual violence and nudity appear throughout, depicted frankly, alongside slavery, bodily harm and cruelty. It is not gentle and should be approached with care. The emotional register is tender and elegiac, following two damaged young people who find each other across years of hardship, and its fascination with storytelling gives it a fable-like quality. For readers who want an ambitious, richly illustrated adult graphic novel about love and survival, and who can handle explicit trauma.
More books like Habibi
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Habibiand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
