Graphic Novel Review: The Arab of the Future by Riad Sattouf

About:
The Arab of the Future by Riad Sattouf is the first part in a graphical biography of the author. Mr. Sattouf is a French artist, writer and director.

• 160 pages
• Publisher: Metropolitan Books
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1627793445

My rat­ing for The Arab of the Future — 5
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Thoughts:
I enjoyed The Arab of the Future by Riad Sattouf much more than I thought I would. I enjoyed the storytelling and humor while seeing the world and dictatorship society through the eyes of a child.

The author got his point across very firmly. The story is told from the perspective of a sensitive European boy, being torn from his comfortable home to live in a backward dictatorship in the hot dessert. Of course, no one would look kindly upon the residents of said place, even if they were the most kind and genteel people on Earth.

While I did not find the story telling as sophisticated as other biographical graphic novels, I did enjoy his start view point and sharp humor. The author tells of the family dynamics, Arab father and a French mother, and their struggle to make a home in a new country, with new culture and a new language.

Most of the character development happens to the author’s father, who turns from an enlightened university student to be more racist and militant as the story progressed.

This graphic novel seems to be part one of a planned series and I, for one, am waiting for part two.

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Zohar — Man of la Book
Dis­claimer: I got this book for free.
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