29.
Title: Habibi
Author: Craig Thompson
Pages: 672 pages
Genre: Graphic Novel
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Rec'd at Contentious Issues conference
Date Completed: March 15, 2012
Rating: *****

Habibi is both the Arabic word for "my beloved" and a masterful work of art by Craig Thompson. The graphic novel is a lush, brutal, and unconditional love story about two slaves in the middle East. The protagonists of Thompson's tale are as intricate as the script with which he illustrates his pages, as full of flaws and humanity as they are full of love and dedication to one another. Their beginning is a seemingly unusual one, and their relationship grows and shifts as the two struggle through tribulations and abuse.

Habibi is not for those easily disturbed by graphic material; as one can imagine, the lives of two slaves in the Middle East are not marked by kindness and luxury, but a very harsh - and often graphic - reality. Still, there is much beauty to be found both in the story being told, and in the stories they tell. I found the text to be mesmerizing, and found myself lost in the story and the images used to relate it.

Highly recommended.