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The Arab of the future
153 pages
A visually striking and candid graphic memoir that filters the chaos of political idealism and cultural displacement through the wide eyes of a nomadic child.
What it feels like
Reading this graphic memoir feels like being swept into a chaotic, vividly drawn whirlwind of cultural displacement and grandiose parental delusions. The narrative moves at a brisk pace, propelled by a striking visual style that perfectly captures the immediacy and vulnerability of childhood. The mood is a fascinating blend of wide-eyed innocence and unsettling reality, as the delicate protagonist navigates stark environments where food is scarce and casual cruelty is the norm. It is an observational and candid experience, balancing the flamboyant political fervor of a father with the quiet alienation of an outsider son. This book will deeply resonate with readers who devour visually arresting, cross-cultural memoirs that explore the messy intersection of family dynamics, national identity, and the harsh realities of growing up.
- Mood
- unsettling
- vivid
- chaotic
- alienated
- Tone
- observational
- candid
- wry
- wide-eyed
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- cultural displacement · childhood innocence · parental delusion · cross-cultural identity
- The writing
- A striking, virtuoso graphic style that balances the immediacy of youth with sharp, visual storytelling.
- The arc
- Moves from wide-eyed childhood observation of a nomadic, chaotic world to a stark realization of cultural displacement and parental delusion.
- Who it's for
- Readers who appreciate candid, visually striking graphic memoirs that explore complex cultural identities and chaotic family dynamics through a child's eyes.
Content notes
- animal cruelty
- antisemitic slurs
- circumcision
- scarcity
About the book
"In striking, virtuoso graphic style that captures both the immediacy of childhood and the fervor of political idealism, Riad Sattouf recounts his nomadic childhood growing up in rural France, Gaddafi's Libya, and Assad's Syria--but always under the roof of his father, a Syrian Pan-Arabist who drags his family along in his pursuit of grandiose dreams for the Arab nation. Riad, delicate and wide-eyed, follows in the trail of his mismatched parents; his mother, a bookish French student, is as modest as his father is flamboyant. Venturing first to the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab State and then joining the family tribe in Homs, Syria, they hold fast to the vision of the paradise that always lies just around the corner. And hold they do, though food is scarce, children kill dogs for sport, and with locks banned, the Sattoufs come home one day to discover another family occupying their apartment. The ultimate outsider, Riad, with his flowing blond hair, is called the ultimate insult... Jewish. And in no time at all, his father has come up with yet another grand plan, moving from building a new people to building his own great palace."-- Provided by publisher.
Description from Open Library.
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