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A review by niallgoulding1
The Arab of the Future: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978-1984: A Graphic Memoir by Riad Sattouf
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.0
Funny memoir of the first few years of the authors life. Plenty chuckle worthy moments and a perspective I've never seen elsewhere.
However, don't go in expecting this to be Maus or Persepolis. This doesn't have the same overarching narrative or cohesion. The author was a very young child during the events and so his recollections are fragmented and don't show any nuance. Every Arab is depicted as feral and backward. I'm sure that is true to the experience of a 5 year old child who doesn't speak the language but it doesn't give any true insight on the era.
Finally, reading this volume on its own feels incomplete. It's short and doesn't have a story arc or natural end point. Given the price of graphic novels, it didn't feel like good value
However, don't go in expecting this to be Maus or Persepolis. This doesn't have the same overarching narrative or cohesion. The author was a very young child during the events and so his recollections are fragmented and don't show any nuance. Every Arab is depicted as feral and backward. I'm sure that is true to the experience of a 5 year old child who doesn't speak the language but it doesn't give any true insight on the era.
Finally, reading this volume on its own feels incomplete. It's short and doesn't have a story arc or natural end point. Given the price of graphic novels, it didn't feel like good value
Content Warnings
Minor: Islamophobia and Antisemitism