Book Review Double Header: Blankets and Habibi

It's been a while since I've done a book review double header- these two books call out for it, though. Both are hefty graphic novels by Craig Thompson, and both pack a punch well beyond their not-inconsiderable weight.

Blankets, by Craig Thompson

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Blankets is an autobiographical coming of age story following the author's childhood and adolescence in a fundamentalist Christian family and church. The book centers around his first love and his slow loss of faith. It's an introspective, slow paced, and thoughtful work- don't expect any action scenes beyond boyhood snowball fights. Frank discussions of sex, shame, and bodily functions abound, however.

Blankets takes a much more nuanced stance on fundamentalist Christianity than the stories of many former fundamentalists. Craig Thompson clearly had a much deeper and more thoughtful sort of faith than the average fundamentalist than I grew up around in Kansas- and said faith clearly contributed to his disillusionment with his religion. The teachings of Christianity- Christ in specific- also clearly still hold an important place in his heart, even though he is no longer a believer.

This is a beautiful, haunting graphic novel. It won a large number of awards when it came out in 2004, including, though not limited to, three Harvey awards and two Eisner awards. (Which is a stunning debut- it's like winning the equivalent number of Oscars for a movie.) The art is reminiscent of and influenced by the works of Joe Sacco, R. Crumb, or Scott McCloud. Comics awards often go to writer/artists who use very sparse, stylized images, as in the works of, say, the brilliant Alison Bechdel. While Thompson and the other three resemble that at first glance, all three have a love of rich detail and extravagant art that the more common tradition sometimes lacks. (Not to say anything against that tradition- there's a reason it wins so many awards, and the level of detail Thompson and the others often include is something that, usually by their own claim, is something that crazy people would do.) Be warned, though- this nearly 600 page graphic novel is hardly light reading in any sense of the word.

This one is often found on the lists of most-banned books in the United States- a badge of honor if there ever was one.

Habibi, by Craig Thompson

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Habibi is a simultaneously wonderful and problematic book. It's a Thousand and One Nights influenced story of two slave children who escape, live together, are separated, and then reunited. It's set in a fantastic, anachronistic version of the Middle East, with medieval lifestyles and technology butting up against modern technology and cities. It delves deeply into the theological differences between Islam and Christianity in a very respectful, cautious manner, which is no surprise coming from Craig Thompson. He spent over six years working on this behemoth of a graphic novel, and it shows. His research into the topic took years, and he addresses quite seriously the theological questions he poses.

Habibi features much more in the way of sex, violence, rape, abuse, and other uncomfortable topics than Blankets. It's not a book for young children- it's very much adult reading material, though most teenagers would probably be fine reading it.

The work has also been embroiled in significant controversy. Many feel that despite the otherwise respectful treatment of Islam, it does play into a number of stereotypes about Muslim men and Islamic civilization. The book has also received significant criticism for its depictions of sex and the human body- especially for the sheer cruelty inflicted upon the main characters and others in the book. Notably, however, relatively few critics reject the value of the work entirely- most seem to grant that Thompson was probably quite well intentioned in this project.

That being said, the unquestionable strength of Habibi is its art, which is stunning. Thompson advanced leaps and bounds in his craft between Blankets and Habibi. The level of detail on any given page dwarfs that of almost any given comic I've ever encountered- it's absolutely astonishing. Colossal, hand drawn arabesques, richly detailed landscapes ranging from deserts to refuse heaps, and teeming throngs of people abound. Even the binding and cover is astonishing- it might simply be the most physically beautiful book I've ever owned, and if you're judging books solely by their covers, this one pulls ahead by leaps and bounds.

Though problematic, Habibi is well worth reading. Be warned, though- it clocks in at almost 700 pages, an astonishing size for any graphic novel.