The story of the scripture

[franceslievens]

Some stories transport you to a different world. Some stories change the world you know in such a way that when you emerge from them what you see stands in a whole new light. The story of Dodola and Zam, as told in Craig Thompson's graphic novel Habibi, has that ability. It's set in a fictional Arabic world that's our world's past and future all at once. Dodola and Zam are slaves, finding each other in an attempt to escape. Searching for guidance on their path they turn to stories, mainly from the Koran, but also from other religious and well known texts. Fate has bound the two protagonists together. Through story-telling their love unfolds.
With his black and white drawings, Thompson creates a mystical realm wherein Arabic calligraphy is a magical formula*. He weaves his own tale around the stories told by his characters, moving in and out of their conscious. On the way we learn about religion and how it gives meaning to a person. Habibi is thoroughly researched. The reader doesn't always know where factual Koran-knowledge ends and interpretation begins – as is the case in any reading of holy scripture. Unlike holy scripture, though, one can't separate image from text. As is common in Arabic, text becomes the image**.
Thompson has created a work of art that neither is a true comic, nor a true novel. He has a voice of his own – which a reader might not expect from a graphic novel. It deserves several readings, even, for lots of details and meaningful words are hidden below the surface of a first glance.

*Suras are used as cure for illness or other problems.
**Muslims are forbidden to draw living things, since no drawing can honour the perfection of Allah's creation.