Scan barcode
badger_badger's review
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Read as a teenager but picked up again as I think some of its depth went over my head before. Beautiful and thoughtful book, interweaving stories from the Quran with the life stories of Dodola and Zam. It’s not something I’m familiar with from my background so I don’t know if it does it justice. The art is astounding and the.narrative has an engaging mix of pace jumping between reflections and then fantasy or adventure like qualities.
The story is based a lot on Dodolas sexual objectification and how painful this is for her, as well has how Zam then battles with his own masculinity and sexuality (and the exploration of sexuality, purity, love etc is very well done). From this, one qualm with the book is that the way Dodola is drawn throughout feels gratuitous at times, even at some horrific moments or when she’s a child it feels as if she’s still been drawn to cater to the readers aesthetic pleasure. It might have been to represent how those in the book viewed her but I found it uncomfortable at times to say the least. At time I also felt that it might be a bit orientalist and that some of the exploration of race/racism falls a bit flat.
The exploration of environmental destruction though and how this weaves through and ties together the different aspects of the book to be it the religious stories, different forms of exploitation, the characters stories/inner world/ etc is pretty interesting and makes the book feel like a modern day fable.
The story is based a lot on Dodolas sexual objectification and how painful this is for her, as well has how Zam then battles with his own masculinity and sexuality (and the exploration of sexuality, purity, love etc is very well done). From this, one qualm with the book is that the way Dodola is drawn throughout feels gratuitous at times, even at some horrific moments or when she’s a child it feels as if she’s still been drawn to cater to the readers aesthetic pleasure. It might have been to represent how those in the book viewed her but I found it uncomfortable at times to say the least. At time I also felt that it might be a bit orientalist and that some of the exploration of race/racism falls a bit flat.
The exploration of environmental destruction though and how this weaves through and ties together the different aspects of the book to be it the religious stories, different forms of exploitation, the characters stories/inner world/ etc is pretty interesting and makes the book feel like a modern day fable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Kidnapping, Abortion, Racism, Pedophilia, Slavery, Addiction, Abandonment, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
imartine's review
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
The fact that the author is a white man and the two main characters are people of color makes me feel like there is some type of misrepresentation going on. The illustration and image composition is beautiful, but there is a heavy amount of sexual content that feels more like it’s forced on the characters than a part of their lives. The author is a white man, who I believe did his research, but no amount of research can make his lived experience equivalent and justify his use of these characters. My personal belief is that white folks should not use the n-word in any way ever, and this author did write it out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Excrement, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Body horror, Addiction, Physical abuse, War, Fatphobia, Gore, Chronic illness, Sexism, Alcohol, Animal death, Trafficking, Child death, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Blood, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Cultural appropriation, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Violence, and Vomit
alicecrow's review
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
While the art is impressive and the story carries you away, there were moments I was unsure what it all meant. I found it difficult to understand what the author meant by certain parts of the book. Thompson is obviously an impressive storyteller and artist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Racism
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Racial slurs
Minor: Abandonment and Abortion
gabbyjc's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Slavery, Trafficking, Violence, Abandonment, and Rape
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Suicidal thoughts
skeptista's review
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
1.5
mild spoilers, mentions of rape
when i first stumbled upon this graphic novel, i didn't know what to expect seeing that the author is a white man.
when i started reading it, i really enjoyed the art style and the incorporated elements of islam and arabic, but as i continued reading, i looked up some reviews to try and see how muslims and/or arabs (and generally bipoc) felt about this kind of representation. i saw a few reviews going into details about the problematic nature of this novel so i looked up some blogposts and continued to do some research. i must admit, i'm in the middle of exam season so i couldn't dedicate much time to exploring other people's views on the book (something i plan on doing during summer break) but most of what i had seen has opened my eyes and made me think more critically of the rest of the novel.
what i personally found very problematic since the beginning was the way rape is romantised and the weird dynamic between the two main characters. Dodola is oversexualised and made out to be this beautiful woman who looks perfect and is hairless in spite of her living conditions. as for the romantic relationship between her and zam, i just felt so fucking weird and uncomfortable. ever since that first scene where zam was lusting after a girl he perceived as his SISTER/ MOTHER i knew this was going to play a big role in the novel and was admittedly going to bother me for the rest of the book.
i stumbled upon an interview the author did with a muslim man (Nadim Damluji) who had previously written a post stating the problematic aspects of habibi. i didn't read the whole interview but i read enough to know i won't be reading anything from this author again. i will leave the link down below if anyone wants to read it themselves and form their own opinion.
https://www.hoodedutilitarian.com/201...
i'm also adding this part because i was in pure disbelief while reading it.
"ND: This brings us back to how Dodola’s body functions primarily as a commodity, how even when the resources run out her body remains a marketable asset. I’m curious about if you ever felt aware of the baggage of her being sexed the whole time, even if that is purposefully through Zam’s perspective. If you ever felt wary of the contradiction between putting a feminist character into a societal position where there is perpetual forced sexualization of her body. I understand you as a “feminist” by putting Dodola out there in a way readers can sympathize with her, but then there’s an aspect of some readers maybe living out their own perverse sexual fantasies through the ways she’s treated. Do you see a danger in that?
CT: I don’t see a danger in it, but I definitely see a contradiction in it. So when you define me as a feminist, I’m OKAY with that, but there’s an irony in men claiming to be feminist to some degree. You can be sort of intellectually feminist, or claim to be, but there’s still a more primal animal instinct. You know, it’s the irony that some men who claim to be so intellectually feminist are the exact same people who are womanizers. Every time I meet another sensitive male it just bores me. And there’s nothing more painful than hearing a guy say he’s a lesbian trapped in a male body. So I’m exploring that contradiction: any man claiming he’s feminist is bullshitting, because your still animalisticly male. Again, I’m talking about heterosexual desires, but this crosses over to all sexual genders from transsexual people to homosexuals. That’s what I was exploring in my own life, that your sex drive is in conflict sometimes with ethical beliefs and you have to recognize both energies. If you put all the negative aspects of your sexuality in the shadow, then you’re probably going to fuck up and make some sort of mistake in your life, the way that politicians and televangelists do when we hear about their sexually deviancy. It’s the classic Catholic Priest scenario: if you don’t own up to your own shadow elements then they’ll emerge anyways and much more destructively."
do with that what you will.
all in all, i will steer clear from craig thompson and will look into reading books from muslim and arab authors as well as continue educating myself on the harmful stereotypes and misconceptions of such.
edit: can't believe i forgot to say this: the part where dodola forgives her first husband for molesting and raping her because he... what? can't control himself? i cannot believe craig thompson thinks this is how women should/do think. disgusting.
when i first stumbled upon this graphic novel, i didn't know what to expect seeing that the author is a white man.
when i started reading it, i really enjoyed the art style and the incorporated elements of islam and arabic, but as i continued reading, i looked up some reviews to try and see how muslims and/or arabs (and generally bipoc) felt about this kind of representation. i saw a few reviews going into details about the problematic nature of this novel so i looked up some blogposts and continued to do some research. i must admit, i'm in the middle of exam season so i couldn't dedicate much time to exploring other people's views on the book (something i plan on doing during summer break) but most of what i had seen has opened my eyes and made me think more critically of the rest of the novel.
what i personally found very problematic since the beginning was the way rape is romantised and the weird dynamic between the two main characters. Dodola is oversexualised and made out to be this beautiful woman who looks perfect and is hairless in spite of her living conditions. as for the romantic relationship between her and zam, i just felt so fucking weird and uncomfortable. ever since that first scene where zam was lusting after a girl he perceived as his SISTER/ MOTHER i knew this was going to play a big role in the novel and was admittedly going to bother me for the rest of the book.
i stumbled upon an interview the author did with a muslim man (Nadim Damluji) who had previously written a post stating the problematic aspects of habibi. i didn't read the whole interview but i read enough to know i won't be reading anything from this author again. i will leave the link down below if anyone wants to read it themselves and form their own opinion.
https://www.hoodedutilitarian.com/201...
i'm also adding this part because i was in pure disbelief while reading it.
"ND: This brings us back to how Dodola’s body functions primarily as a commodity, how even when the resources run out her body remains a marketable asset. I’m curious about if you ever felt aware of the baggage of her being sexed the whole time, even if that is purposefully through Zam’s perspective. If you ever felt wary of the contradiction between putting a feminist character into a societal position where there is perpetual forced sexualization of her body. I understand you as a “feminist” by putting Dodola out there in a way readers can sympathize with her, but then there’s an aspect of some readers maybe living out their own perverse sexual fantasies through the ways she’s treated. Do you see a danger in that?
CT: I don’t see a danger in it, but I definitely see a contradiction in it. So when you define me as a feminist, I’m OKAY with that, but there’s an irony in men claiming to be feminist to some degree. You can be sort of intellectually feminist, or claim to be, but there’s still a more primal animal instinct. You know, it’s the irony that some men who claim to be so intellectually feminist are the exact same people who are womanizers. Every time I meet another sensitive male it just bores me. And there’s nothing more painful than hearing a guy say he’s a lesbian trapped in a male body. So I’m exploring that contradiction: any man claiming he’s feminist is bullshitting, because your still animalisticly male. Again, I’m talking about heterosexual desires, but this crosses over to all sexual genders from transsexual people to homosexuals. That’s what I was exploring in my own life, that your sex drive is in conflict sometimes with ethical beliefs and you have to recognize both energies. If you put all the negative aspects of your sexuality in the shadow, then you’re probably going to fuck up and make some sort of mistake in your life, the way that politicians and televangelists do when we hear about their sexually deviancy. It’s the classic Catholic Priest scenario: if you don’t own up to your own shadow elements then they’ll emerge anyways and much more destructively."
do with that what you will.
all in all, i will steer clear from craig thompson and will look into reading books from muslim and arab authors as well as continue educating myself on the harmful stereotypes and misconceptions of such.
edit: can't believe i forgot to say this: the part where dodola forgives her first husband for molesting and raping her because he... what? can't control himself? i cannot believe craig thompson thinks this is how women should/do think. disgusting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Grief, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Transphobia
Moderate: Incest, Death, Abandonment, Murder, and Fatphobia
castration
More...