Habibi

Craig Thompson

За особеностите на екземпляра

Състояние:: Отлично
Език:: Английски
Наличност:: 1 бр.

За изданието

Издателство:: Faber and Faber
Град на издаване:: London
Година:: 2011 г.
Език:: Английски
Страници:: 800
Корици:: Твърди
Категория:: Комикси

Habibi takes place in the present day, albeit in a fictional "Orientalist landscape" named Wanatolia. The story begins with Dodola, a nine-year old girl who is sold into marriage by her poverty-stricken parents. Her husband rapes her on their wedding night. He teaches her how to read and write, which allows Dodola to understand and find appreciation for the Qur'an. However, one day, their home is broken into by thieves who murder Dodola's husband and kidnap her to be sold as a slave. During this captured period, Dodola witnesses the thieves preparing to kill a young boy - who she saves by claiming him to be her brother despite their evident ethnic differences. This child is the character known to be Zam. Prior to being sold into the slave market, Dodola and Zam escape from their captors and find refuge within an abandoned boat in the desert. However, in order to survive and earn money towards food and clothing, Dodola scavenges the desert and prostitutes herself to passing travelers, which eventually earns her the title of "phantom courtesan of the desert". As Zam grows older, he becomes increasingly reluctant to stay hidden within the boat until one day he decides to follow Dodola. Zam witnesses Dodola being raped by a passing traveler and Zam is beset by guilt. In an attempt to contribute, Zam goes off to search for water at a reservoir. Dodola, however, is found alone in the boat by a group of men who kidnap her for the Sultan of Wanatolia's harem. The Sultan, aware of her reputation and allure, makes a deal with Dodola claiming that he would grant her one wish if she is able to please him for seventy nights - otherwise, he would execute her. Dodola takes upon the conditions of the agreement and is bound to sexual servitude for seventy nights. However, on the very last night, the Sultan claims that he is not pleased by her and imprisons Dodola. Throughout this episode, Zam is stuck in desert and is confronted with starvation and thirst. In an attempt to retrieve some water, Zam journeys back to the reservoir where he is assaulted by the tradesmen. Zam befriends a eunuch in the nearby village and begins to undertake random tasks and jobs in order to survive. He eventually becomes a eunuch for the Sultan's court where he is finally reunited with Dodola. They escape from the Sultan's palace and attempt to find another place for refuge. Zam and Dodola come across their abandoned boat in a garbage dump. Rather than live in the garbage dump, they decide to move to another place upon seeing the impoverished conditions of the individuals scavenging the garbage dump for survival. They sneak onto a garbage truck, which takes them into the city of Wanatolia - an area that is extremely developed and filled with high-rise buildings. They feign being a married couple and Zam finds work within the city as a factory worker. Despite their ameliorated condition, Zam's conscience is disturbed by Dodola's previous treatment and his status as a eunuch to the point where he contemplates suicide. The novel concludes with Dodola and Zam saving and adopted a slave girl to prevent her from being subject to the same fate as Dodola and with them making plans to move out of the city.