Journalist G. Willow Wilson brings an extraordinary fable to Vertigo in October with CAIRO, an original graphic novel illustrated by Turkish artist M.K. Perker, himself a contributor to The New York Times and The New Yorker. Set in bustling modern-day Cairo, this magical-realism thriller interweaves the lives of a drug runner, a down-on-his-luck journalist, an American expatriate, a young activist, an Israeli soldier, and a genie as they navigate the city's streets and spiritual underworld to find a stolen hooka sought by a wrathful gangster-magician.
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Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
A lush and energetic drawing style makes for a beautiful book, but the plot of this ambitious graphic novel falls short. Wilson, a journalist who has spent many years in the city of the book's title, gamely attempts to construct a gripping narrative, mixing magic, politics and romance. Her story brings together an American tourist, a would-be suicide bomber, a female Israeli soldier, a smalltime drug runner and a radical Egyptian reporter. Add to this mix a hookah with a smooth-talking genie inside, and you have the makings of a fine story. The sum is somewhat less than its parts, however, as various subplots fail to mesh comfortably, plot points and elements of magic and legend are inadequately introduced, and a long-winded explanation of political ideals weighs down the last quarter of the book. Wilson is a talented young writer, but tells her story at an uneven pace, revealing crucial elements late in the book. Narrative faltering aside, the knowledgeable view of the Islamic world and interesting visual effects do keep the reader's attention. Perker draws the city and the legendary figures in rich detail, revealing personalities and emotional states in characters' faces. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author
G. Willow Wilson is a Cairo-based author and journalist. Her articles about modern Islam and the Middle East have appeared in publications such as The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times Magazine and The Canada National Post. Wilson studied History and Arabic at Boston University, and has done archival work at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By ThreeSnailz
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Good read. The art is very nice. I couldn't help but feel that the author was rushed because some of the progression happened very rapidly.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.1 out of 5 stars
18 reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Step into the Streets of Cairo
Dec 30 2007
By Kellyann Zuzulo
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I thoroughly enjoyed this vividly illustrated jaunt with a djinni and assorted other characters through the streets of Cairo. Perker's drawings are captivating and entertaining and Wilson's text synchs beautifully. Having studied the Middle Eastern culture of the djinn and written about it in "A Genie in the House of Saud," I highly recommend this book. --KF Zuzulo
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good but too short
Dec 13 2007
By C. Wiersema
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Cairo is fastpaced, humane, pretty and a joy to read. But it is too short. I just felt like I wanted more character development, adventure, and plot twists. Not enough happens.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
More graphic novels should be like this
Feb 13 2008
By M. J. Sanford
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
I picked this up without knowing anything about it, and loved it. I tend to read comics in bits over breakfast, kept reading "just a little more" to find a good place to put it down. No superheroes, but a warrior, a djinn, and plenty of demons, all well told and well drawn. Lots of plots, but all tied together nicely with good pacing. I'll look for more work from these folks.
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Go to Amazon.com to see all 18 reviews
4.1 out of 5 stars
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