Shubbek Lubbek. Ogni tuo desiderio

شبيك لبيك #1-3

by Deena Mohamed, Luce Lacquaniti (Translator)

Shubbek Lubbek – ogni tuo desiderio è un ordine – è la formula con cui si presenta il genio per esaudire le volontà di chi lo evoca. Nel Cairo immaginato da Deena Mohamed i desideri non si nascondono nelle lampade, ma si acquistano in bottiglia. Quelli di prima classe sono costosissimi, ma quelli di terza, alla portata di tutti, sono molto pericolosi. Per usarli, poi, devi avere il coraggio di sfidare corruzione, burocrazia e i dilemmi etici inevitabili quando si devia il corso naturale delle cose. Un urban fantasy per tutte le età che intreccia cultura pop, critica sociale, umorismo e profonda empatia.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comics, Fiction, Magical Realism, Egypt, Graphic Novels Comics

528 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2022

About the author

Deena Mohamed (Arabic: دينا محمد, born ca. 1995) is an Egyptian graphic designer, graphic novelist, and illustrator, who was born and raised in Egypt.

She made her debut at the age of 18 with her webcomic Qahera, combining both Islamic and feminist values. Mohamed has collaborated with various advocacy groups, such as Harassmap and Centre for Applied Human Rights, to create informational comics.

In a cartoon for the online literary magazine ArabLit.org, she described her experience of creating her work in English, addressing international readers, as opposed to using Arabic for an Egyptian and Arab public. Even though she considers both of these forms of expression as part of her personality, she sometimes uses different issues, like feminism in Arabic and Islamophobia in English.

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a creative fantasy and stunning graphic novel set in an alternate Cairo.

I love what Mohamed has done with this story. She has created a unique and vivid alternate world where wishes are real and can be purchased, though not all wishes are of equal quality. If you're using a third class wish, for example, you really had better be careful what you wish for.

The book is almost three short stories-- one for each of the first class wishes Shokry has kept in his kiosk for years-- though all the stories are connected and the characters make reappearances. With the help of a loyal customer called Hagga, Shokry attempts to sell the wishes. First to Aziza, who has lost everything; then to Nour, who is struggling with depression; then comes the last wish, one Shokry hopes can save a dear friend.

This world is fantastically-crafted and so much thought has gone into how the existence of wishes would affect every aspect of life-- from a corrupt government scheming to obtain the most powerful wishes to young kids fooling around with low class wishes and causing havoc. But, then, this is just the backdrop... the real strength of the story is in the exploration of the characters.

As well as a fantasy, it is also a psychological portrait. The If you had one wish, what would you wish for? question is an old one, but a profound one too. It requires deep thought about the consequences of making a life-altering wish.

Nour's chapter is perhaps the most intense as it portrays a very raw and emotional portrait of depression. Nour considers wishing for happiness, but fears making so vague a wish, or wishing to be themself again... but what if they are themself? Can one rely on a wish to accurately interpret what one really wants?

I really enjoyed it. Filled with magic and wonder, whilst also being incredibly powerful and moving.

[Sabahat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved that the English translation chose to keep the right to left structure of Arabic. Loved that it was a purely Egyptian story, the magic realism, the world building and the allegory of greed/desire presented through the wishes. Like Aladdin turned on its head.

[Rosalind · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an enthralling exploration of what the world might look like if wishes - genie wishes from a bottle - were actual commodities that could be bought and sold. An ingenious premise in which the author has fully considered the implications, seamlessly placing wishes and how they would have shifted geopolitics (or amplified our existing dynamics) into world history. Thus far I am making this book sound like an alternative history of humanity, but it would be merely interesting if it were not for the stories of Egyptians and their families which ground the book in true human (and donkey) emotions. I love the art style, particularly in how genies are made out of Arabic script, which are easily my favorite pieces of art from this, as well as the color sections interspersed with the black and white. Absolutely a masterpiece.

[Sunny Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly engrossing graphic novel I devoured on the plane!!! Fascinating world building

[johnny ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow. no words. five stars!!

[Rod Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is the closest I've come this year to giving a book five stars. If only I weren't so stingy . . .

In a world where genie wishes are bottled and sold as part of a quadrillion-dollar industry, an old man who runs a failing newsstand puts three bottles he inherited from his father up for sale. The story is told in three parts as we see each of the wishes used. The fist wish gives us a tale of grief, injustice, and determination. The second wish allows an exploration of mental health issues. And the third wish grants us a couple heartwarming portraits of family life entangled with a horrible tale of revenge. As is often the case with wishes, the book is rife with melancholy and regret. Layered in also is anger at Western colonialism and exploitation.

Beautifully drawn and told, my only negative is that the middle story about depression, while well done, simply dragged on a bit too long with the least interesting of the lead characters.

(Best of 2023 Project: I'm reading all the graphic novels that made it onto one of more of these lists:
• Washington Post
• NPR's Books We Love 2023: Favorite Comics and Graphic Novels

This book made both lists.)

[Emily Coffee and Commentary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant speculative graphic novel that explores a reality in which wishes are real, regulated, and available for a price. Following three unforgettable characters as they grapple with the limitations and ethics of their wishes, we see the very authentic consequences of commodifying desires. Shubeik Lubeik deftly discusses morality, inequality, religion, and mental health issues in a nuanced, intimate way; it ponders the questions of: who decides the worthiness of a wish? Why do we compete over who does and does not deserve to wish? Can a wish truly fix any problem? And most ponderously: what would you do if you had the right to a wish? A gorgeously drawn journey filled with emotion and though provoking material. A tour de force of fiction rooted in real life.

[Bogi Takács]

#BogiReads Patreon | Twitter | Mastodon | Instagram | Facebook | Website

A contemporary / near-past historical fantasy graphic novel from Egypt, translated to English by the author. This was ABSOLUTELY STUNNING and one of the best things I’ve read in recent memory. You know the types of novels, usually the more scientifically/technologically oriented SF novels, where the author introduces one change to the world, usually a specific technology, and then systematically explores how this technology changes all aspects of society – while reflecting on our own world and our present?

This is like that, except not with artificial wombs or truth serum that actually works or… etc. but with the jinn in the bottle granting a wish. With all that implies. Quality control for wishes. Bureaucracy for wishes. Diagrams and timelines. Religious, political and ethical controversies about wishes. Majoring in Wish Studies. And more! It’s wonderfully elaborate, and simultaneously inventive and true to life.

So the worldbuilding is awesome, but the characters and the plotlines are…. ALSO awesome! The story centers on three everyday people in Cairo who each obtain a high-quality wish from an unexpected source, and then struggle what to make of the situation. There are wonderful emotional arcs, the narrative goes from strength to strength. With every section I thought, this is great, and it kept on improving further.

Here I should also state which I haven’t seen mentioned in any of the reviews: one of the main characters, Noor, is nonbinary! Yes really. And the narrative both reflects on this and isn’t completely taken over by it in the fashion of “the nonbinary person nonbinaried and they were Valid(TM)”.

Also, Noor seems to be autistic; while this isn’t explicitly stated – the narrative does discuss their depression at length, including trying to find a therapist etc. – but what made me think of autism was how Noor liked to make graphs and charts of their emotional state, how overwhelmed they were by socializing, or of pretty much anything really. This was so relatable and done in a wonderful visual way in the context of the page, and presented with understanding and empathy. I like to do this too and people have made fun of it before. This is very much not like that.

I also appreciated seeing both engagement with Islam and also with belonging to a religious minority (a major character is Coptic Christian) and how the story did not evade these dynamics in their complexities. This meant a lot to me as someone who belongs to a religious minority in my country of origin, and also where I migrated from there too.

All in all, I loved this book and you will realllllly want to keep it in mind in the 2023 awards season; I know I will. A note that the inside of the book shows the copyright as 2022, but as best as I can tell, it was a January 2023 release.

____

Source of the book: Lawrence Public Library (I’m not sure if this was one of my purchase requests or if I went to add a purchase request and they already had it on order? It was a while ago.)

[Basic B's Guide · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a UNIQUE read for me. Originally in Arabic it reads right to left. This was my first time reading a book like this and it took some getting use to but I really like how it challenged me.

The story was also so compelling. Each of the three stories played to different heart strings and socio-political struggles that the people in contemporary Egypt might face if magic was indeed a commodity.

This is the first in a series and a debut for the author. I’ll definitely be reading the next two books.

Thank you Pantheon Books for the gifted copy.

[Suhasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shubeik Lubeik is a three-part (A trilogy which was translated to English as one single book) graphic novel which takes you through the lives of three characters Aziza, Nour and Shokry all living in Cairo in a fantasy world where wishes can be purchased and used. I saw myself completely immersed in this amazing world just few pages in. It's funny, it's poignant, it's hard hitting.

Part 1 - Aziza:

Aziza lives with her Mercedes-fanatic Husband and goes on living the mundane Egyptian life. This part is well woven in terms of character building and struggles she comes upon and how a wish can help with all that.

Part 2 - Nour:

Nour is a school-going boy with a major existential crisis. This part was akin to a mini-therapy session in itself. Nour's thoughts and emotions come across as very relatable for younger generation. Does a wish really help in this complex case?

Part 3 - Shokry:

Shokry is a humble shopkeeper who has a box with 3 wishes that he wish to get rid of. This part also combines the story of Shawqia and her interactions with Shokry. Anything more would fall into spoiler territory. But this part is the most unputdownable one of all three (Though the same could be said about Nour as well).

These three parts have a lot of crossovers as it is set in the same time period in the same city. All three parts are separated with intermissions talking about the types, history, rules and evolution of wishes which I found quite interesting as it provides a genuineness to this fantasy world.

P.S: Found something common with Shubeik Lubeik and Persepolis 2 — both have the same translator - Anjali Singh, who I must say has done a fabulous job with this one too.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something a little different, but very much worthwhile.

This one caught my eye because of its size (relatively large, even for the format, bordering on the humongous, and, definitely, heavy) and because the library had obviously deemed it worthy of purchasing multiple copies (which at the time, were all on the shelf ... and it was obviously new, because it was (or they were) on a shelf that I frequently peruse), and a quick check indicated it was popular (outside the U.S., before it was translated), and ... well, ... I'm glad I picked it up.

OK, when I picked it up, I thought I'd read a few pages to see if I liked it, and well, that was that.

And, sure, because of the setting (primarily Cairo) and the fact that it's translated, it's a fascinating perspective, and, yes, who doesn't love a good story about wishes being granted, but.. but... but ... the best parts of the book are, on the one hand, the characters ... and it's a diverse crew, indeed ... and the big questions, dare I say the morality or the philosophy, and, yes, the strategy associated with crafting the wish ... and, yes, there's plenty of be careful what you ask for or, of course, the much more important question of whether any of us really want our wishes to come true ... and, yes, like in all things in (real) life, decisions have consequences (what do they say about the law of unintended consequences?) ... and, well, you get the idea.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I acknowledge that some will find the whole, the text, more, hmmm, circular or even repetitive than one would expect (and far more repetitive than would be tolerated in a conventional mass market English super hero graphic novel) .... But I thought it worked, and the relatively languid pacing, the maddeningly frustratingly slow passage of time, the absence of action or progress or change, well, I thought the author got it pretty much right, particularly because she knew how to speed things up, at times, dramatically, stunningly, when it suited her purposes.

To my mind this is grand storytelling, what some would call first-class world building, chock full of thought provoking drama and pathos and joy and, every now and then, laughter. I'm glad the author took the trouble to translate it (yup, she self-translated it) and have it marketed so that it could find its way to me (and, sure, I hope she made a lot more money on the project as well).

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard an interview with Mohamed on NPR's Book of the Day. If you don't listen to this podcast, I highly recommend it.

The title translates to "Your wish is my command" from the Arabic. The story focuses on shopkeeper Shokry. He has three coveted first wishes. In this version of the world, wishes are mined and sold. First class wishes are hard to come by and must have proof of provenance.

Shokry needs money to keep his shop afloat, so he is persuaded by his friend to sell the wishes. What we then get is the outcome of what happens as a consequence of his decision and those that buy the wishes.

I love the characters. I love the existential decisions to be made by each person that gets a wish. I love the level of complexity in the story telling.

The drawings are amazingly detailed. They are done in black and white while others are in color. The book was originally published in Arabic, so it is bound as such. It took me a minute to get used to reading left to right, but that didn't detract from the great story.

Highly recommend.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. I had no idea this book existed before I saw it at the library today, and that is a failing of the whole fantasy-reading community. Amazing characters, wonderful story, a setting that’s as delightful and horrible as reality. I laughed, I teared up, I didn’t put it down once. Perfect reading experience.

[Dolceluna ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vi siete mai chiesti che cosa accadrebbe se avessimo la possibilità di comprare i nostri desideri esattamente come possiamo comprare qualsiasi altro bene?
E’ a questa domanda che tenta di rispondere Deeena Mohamed in questa creativa graphic novel, ambientata in un Egitto futuristico nel quale tutto ciò che si desidera può essere acquistato, dagli oggetti materiali più improbabili ai benefici di salute passando attraverso i propri stati d’animo e i favori per i propri cari.. così, assistiamo a cavalli che parlano rifiutandosi di trascinare pesi, a vicini di casa che hanno dinosauri in giardino, ad attori che diventano improvvisamente capaci di recitare. Sembra tutto facile, eppure non lo è, anzi, la società appare disordinata e divorata dalle usurpazioni e dal subbuglio. Il governo interviene imponendo restrizioni e regolamenti e acquistare, vendere e registrare i desideri, divisi in tre gradi in base alla loro potenza, diventa sempre più difficile.
La graphic novel segue nello specifico la storia di tre personaggi appartenenti a strati sociali differenti e che entrano in contatto con tre desideri di primo grado: Aziza, una povera vedova di mezza età, Nur, una giovane universitaria benestante ma che vive una forte depressione e Hagga, un’anziana zitella che, in un’altra vita, ha subito il peso di un uomo padrone. Il loro vissuto si intreccia con le implicazioni del potere di un desiderio di primo grado dimostrando che, per motivi diversi, a loro risulterà de tutto inutile: Aziza, che riuscirà a acquistarlo dopo anni di sacrifici economici, verrà infatti arrestata e rinchiusa in prigione senza nessuna accusa precisa ma solo per il fatto che è una donna povera, poco influente e quindi sospettabile di averlo ottenuto in modi illeciti; Nur, dopo infiniti tentennamenti, lo userà per chiedere di uscire dalla depressione ma si accorgerà che, a dire il vero, se non è lei stessa a volerlo fino in fondo e per sempre, il desiderio resterà un mero e temporaneo palliativo; Hagga ne beneficerebbe per salvarsi da una brutta malattia ma preferisce esalare l’ultimo respiro facendo ciò che ama, in semplicità, dopo avere ottenuto tutto ciò che ha voluto dalla vita.
Insomma, Deeena Mohamad ci pone di fronte al seguente interrogativo: un sistema simile, nel quale basterebbe acquistare una bottiglia, strofinarla e vederne uscire un genietto che, pronunciando la fase “Shubbek Lubek!” ovvero “Ogni tuo desiderio è un ordine!” esaudirebbe tutto ciò che vogliamo, ci renderebbe davvero felici? Saremmo pronti a sfidare e a sopportare le implicazioni etiche, i cavilli burocratici, le contraddizioni, la corruzione che tutto ciò comporterebbe?
Non so in che genere preciso incasellare questo lavoro di Deena Mohamed ma mi sento comunque di premiarlo per l’ambizioso e originale progetto che rappresenta.

[Kurt Neumaier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe the most beautiful book I've ever read. The Age of the Graphic Novel has arrived

[Cait · Rating 5 out of 5]

unintentionally marks the fourth book-in-translation I've read in a row!

just phenomenally wonderful. every bit as good as you've heard. laughing at the fact that, when I first opened it, I squinted at the art and thought, hmmm, is this really going to be all that? I have no clue what I was thinking. this shit is incredible, and gorgeous besides.

I purchased a copy for my classroom a couple of months back, thinking I could read it first and then put it out for the students, and I'm very glad I did so. I've been reading it at the beginning of my creative writing class during our ~~ssr/w~~ time for the past couple of weeks, and I really did have to fight off full-on tears right there in the classroom the last two days of wrapping it up. woof!

as a linguistic note, gaining some proficiency in greek (the first language I've made a serious attempt to learn that has a different writing system than english—I learned the barest smidgen of japanese in middle school for any exchange program, but I can't read or write at all) over the past two years emboldened me recently to give arabic a try, and I am truly in the veeeerrrrryyyyy initial stages of learning, like, a lot of what I'm doing right now is basic sound-to-sign connection and recognition and I don't even know all the letters in the alphabet/abjad yet lolllllllllll, and/but so with my baby-steps arabic I'm goofily proud of being able to sound out the title of the book in arabic 🤪 but all the street signs and stuff in the illustrations? forget it! I keep reminding myself that there was a time when greek felt just as impenetrable—I'll just have to return to this in a couple of years to see how much I've (hopefully) grown.

(I have a trilingual student this year who is really excited that I'm attempting to learn arabic but bemoans the fact that I'm learning MSA, which she views as inferior to her arabic—I haven't been able to determine whether she speaks saʽīdi or sudanese arabic, but I know for certain it's not egyptian arabic, which she disdains entirely. lmao FAIR)

(um, also, just as a random last note lmao, it is fascinating to me that the greek alphabet's parent system is the phoenician abjad, a semitic writing system, the semitic languages being a branch of the larger afro-asiatic family, whereas the greek language is indo-european. it's not all that surprising, but it is FUN and FASCINATING 2 me for an indo-european language to have an afro-asiatic writing system, right down to the initial ABGD order. :'] but then again, the latin alphabet is a [grand]child system of greek anyway, so the same could be said for all of us writing our little indo-european english today!!! I'm just a language goofball, don't mind me!!!)

[Spiffybumble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shubeik Lubeik is a gorgeous urban fantasy art piece and heartwarming story that is a genuine treat.
The book is less a holistic narrative as it is three vignettes exploring a world in which wishes can be bottled and sold and how that impacts both the world at large as well as specific lives.

A wish is not an easily acquired thing, it is not something one uses lightly. We watch as Deena Mohamed beautifully considers the world building ramifications of wishes across religions, socioeconomic classes, mental health, imperialism, and more. The book is as intimately Egyptian as it is fantasy and the depth of both facets is evident on every page.

The art is also basically my favorite. I’m a massive sucker for stylized “cartoon-adjacent” (forgive me as I do not have the art knowledge to talk proper terminology) looks and the pages here, as well as the choice occasional uses of color, enhance the emotions and vibes of the story without underselling it’s realistic representations.

Excellent book. Highly recommend.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waiting for the complete edition!!!!

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone should read this…
Set in an alternate reality of modern-day Egypt, this graphic novel is set in a world where all kinds of wishes can be bought and granted.
However, the author doesn’t concentrate on the magic behind, but rather focuses on the consequences.

This follows three individuals who get first-class wishes, the most powerful kind.

My favourite perspective was Nour, a Gen Z student who is grappling with his mental health, sense of identity, and purpose.
While Nour’s rich neighbours use their pricey wishes to dream up dinosaurs and flying cars, Nour has no idea what to wish for. Happiness? Contentment? To change himself?
But what if his appealing mood and uninterest in life is just growing up and not something you can ‘fix’.

"I FEEL LIKE I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO LIVE UP TO MY OWN EXPECTATIONS OF MYSELF FOR YEARS AND I'M JUST TRYING TO ADAPT TO MY NEW ROLE AS A MEDIOCRE PERSON."

Using wishes, the author explores how power is utilised to keep the powerful powerful.
From how wishes are mined in and how religion, politics, and propaganda is used to take advantage of certain countries (funnily enough, those that have the biggest mines that colonialists can exploit to increase their own wealth in wishes).

As a result, businesses, governments and wealthy citizens monopolise the best wishes for everything from defence projects to beautification, leaving “third-class” wishes to ordinary folk which normally have negative consequences.

After all, who’s to say that what you want… is necessarily what you need?

The art is also great!
Stark monochrome images of incarceration contrasted with bright street corners. Similarly, humour and talking sarcastic donkeys next to depressing pages charting Nour’s declining emotions.

This is smoothly translated into English, produced by the author herself. The author uses footnotes to provide extra Arab cultural context for anything that cannot be accurately translated.
The book is even set to read from right to left, to mimic work published in Arabic.

Bookstagram

[Elizabeth A · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Book blurb: Shubeik Lubeik--a fairytale rhyme meaning "Your Wish is My Command" in Arabic--is the story of three characters navigating a world where wishes are literally for sale; mired in bureaucracy and the familiar prejudices of our world, the more expensive the wish, the more powerful and therefore the more likely to work as intended.

Translated from Arabic, this graphic novel reads from back to front, and it's really good. I liked the worldbuilding, the character arcs were interesting, and the artwork is wonderful. I debated rounding up, and on a different day might have done just that.

[akacya ❦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 reads: 9/250

this is a graphic novel exploring a world in which wishes are for sale. it’s set in egypt, with a few scenes showing other parts of the world. the “main story” follows a stall owner who’s desperately trying to stay afloat. he decides to sell the three first-class wishes gifted to his father and handed down to him, despite being against wishes for religious reasons. we then follow each of the three wish buyers/users and how they use their wishes, as well as what led them to seeking one out. i haven’t read many graphic novels overall, but graphic novels that explore so many topics so deeply are even rarer reads for me. the government regulates the distribution of wishes, and these laws get even stricter as the book goes on. this affects each of our wish users differently, especially since one of them comes from a privileged family. the morality of actually using wishes was also explored, which i especially appreciated as a religious person. overall, this was such an interesting book, and i highly recommend it.

[Rana Najjar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!

Please get thee to a library and read it - it's so good and I am shocked that there are not more reviews for this on goodreads. It's so brilliant - the concept, the art, the stories, the ideas, the satire, the humor, the pathos - how everything works together.

I haven't been so excited about a book in such a long time!

[Zelia Silverio · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a beautiful book. My frustrated expectations are the reason for the low rating. I think it spends too much time focused on the bureaucracy of wishes and less in the development of the characters?

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely incredible. Regardless of what your reading preference is, you should be reading this. One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever come across.

[~:The N:~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Just excellent.

[Elsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

All three stories were touching, but always with a sense of humor, and the ”simple” drawing style managed to convey a lot of emotion. The infographic parts in between each story were interesting, but I wish the philosophical and ethical questions behind them would’ve been explored more.

[L (Nineteen Adze) · Rating 5 out of 5]

After sitting with my impressions, Shebeik Lubeik is 4.5 stars for me, rounded up.

Throughout the story, I loved the creative use of the graphic novel format to convey emotion with minimal words. It's especially striking in the middle section, which follows a struggling college student named Nour whose emotions are represented via bar charts that change height and labels to reflect their slide into depression and self-loathing. All three segments deal with grief, regret, and uncertainty about how to make the best use of a power that could change your life.

There aren't many downsides here. Some of the seams between the three stories didn't quite hit for me, like Nour's efforts to help Aziza feeling so simple and abbreviated. I also wanted to get back to the worldbuilding question of whether wishes are sentient, since that's a difficult ethical question over whether it's okay to use wishes at all, no matter how noble the reason: if they're alive, are they aware of being imprisoned in jars or bottles for years? The discussion of wish extraction and the way they're pulled from poor nations and used in rich ones was great, but I wanted to get deeper into those details.

Overall, I'm glad I read this one, and I would have been delighted to see it win the graphic novel category at this year's Hugo. If you're interested in stories about wishes, Egypt, or people struggling against everything from cruel bureaucracy to their own minds, try this one.

//
First impressions: somewhere around 4.25 stars for me, and I may round to 5 once I've had a chance to sit with this one. The story makes great use of the graphic novel medium, with stark double-page shots and clever panel design-- it's beautiful to look at, full of detail without feeling cluttered. I think that all three story segments are great, with each being better than the one before. I think that a few of the connections between volumes don't quite click, but the overall structure around what happens to these three wishes and the people who use them is lovely. RTC.

Other recommendations:
-If you're interested in the setting and art style, check out Squire. It's a very different type of story, covering one young girl's journey toward knighthood in vivid color, but there's an artistic resemblance.

[สฤณี อาชวานันทกุล · Rating 5 out of 5]

นิยายภาพที่ดีที่สุดเรื่องหนึ่งที่เคยอ่านในชีวิต เทียบชั้นนิยายภาพและมังงะชั้นครูทั้งหลายอย่าง Watchmen, Akira, V for Vendetta ฯลฯ ได้สบายและหวังว่าจะมีคนอ่านอย่างกว้างขวาง ผลงานนักเขียนชาวอียิปต์ที่คงไม่มีใครรู้จักนอกประเทศของเธอ ถ้าหากค่าย Pantheon ไม่ไปซื้อลิขสิทธิ์มาแปลเป็นอังกฤษ ทำให้งานชิ้นเอกเล่มนี้ออกสู่สายตาชาวโลกได้ในปี 2021 หลายปีหลังจากที่หนังสือต้นฉบับภาษาอียิปต์วางขาย

Shubeik Lubeik (ภาษาอารบิก แปลว่า “พรที่ท่านปรารถนาคือคำสั่งของข้า”) แบ่งออกเป็น 3 ภาค แต่ละภาคเล่าเรื่องตัวละคร 1 คนในอียิปต์สมัยใหม่ แต่เป็นอียิปต์ที่พรแบบในเรื่องยักษ์ในตะเกียงวิเศษมีจริง เพียงแต่ยักษ์นั้นอยู่ในขวดแก้ว ไม่ใช่ตะเกียง ใครที่เปิดขวดจะได้รับพร 1 ข้อทันทีแล้วยักษ์จะหายไป (ดังนั้นต้องชั่งใจดี ๆ ว่าจะขออะไร) ขวดในโลกนี้มีหลายเกรดแล้วแต่ราคา (55) ยิ่งแพงยิ่งมีแนวโน้มว่าเราจะได้ตามพรที่เราขอจริง ๆ ยกตัวอย่างเช่น ถ้าขอพร “ขอรถเบนซ์ S Class” กับขวดราคาถูก เราอาจได้รถเบนซ์ที่เป็นของเล่นมา 1 คัน ไม่ใช่รถขับได้จริง ถ้าขอพรเดียวกับกับขวดที่ราคาขึ้นมาหน่อย รถเบนซ์ S Class อาจโผล่มาจริงแต่ไปโผล่บนหลังคาตึกสูงที่เราไม่มีปัญญาเอาลงมา เป็นต้น ผู้เขียนสร้างโลกที่ดูสมจริงรอบ “พรบรรจุขวด” นี้อย่างชาญฉลาด เต็มไปด้วยอารมณ์ขันขื่นและรายละเอียดมากมาย ตั้งแต่วิธีกำกับดูแลธุรกิจพรของรัฐบาล ไปจนถึงข้อตกลงระหว่างประเทศเรื่องการใช้พรที่ถูกกฎหมาย (เพราะโลกคงปั่นป่วนไม่น้อยถ้ามีใครอุตริ “ขอให้โลกล่มสลาย” ทุกวัน)

เส้นเรื่องใหญ่ที่ผูกเรื่องทุกภาคเข้าด้วยกันคือ Aziza และ Nour ตัวละครเอก 2 คนในเกมไม่รู้จักกันมาก่อนแต่ซื้อพรบรรจุขวดจากร้านโชห่วยเจ้าเดียวกัน ส่วน Shokry เจ้าของร้าน ก็เป็นตัวละครเอกในภาคที่สามหรือภาคสุดท้ายของหนังสือ แต่ละภาคให้เรามองโลกจากตัวละครเอกซึ่งก็แตกต่างกันมากทั้ง ฐานะ อายุ รสนิยมทางเพศ ปูมหลัง ฯลฯ ทำให้กว่าจะจบเล่มเราจะได้สัมผัสประเด็นที่แตกต่างหลากหลายอย่างครอบคลุมเกี่ยวกับชีวิตในอียิปต์สมัยใหม่ ซึ่งหลายเรื่องก็เป็นสิ่งที่คนไทยสัมผัสได้อยู่แล้วในชีวิตประจำวัน ไม่ว่าประเด็น สิทธิมนุษยชน ความ(ไม่)ยุติธรรม ระบบราชการเช้าชามเย็นชามที่ไม่แยแสประชาชน ศาสนา ความเหลื่อมล้ำทางเศรษฐกิจและสังคม ฯลฯ Aziza ตัวละครเอกคนแรกเปลี่ยนจากแม่บ้านยากจนผู้ไม่รู้หนังสือเป็นผู้ต้องขัง เพียงเพราะเธออยากใช้สิทธิขอพรหลังจากที่สามีล่วงลับ ส่วน Nour เป็นนักศึกษามหาวิทยาลัยจากครอบครัวฐานะดี คนภายนอกมองว่าเธอมีความสุขและอนาคตไกล แต่ในความจริง Nour ต้องรับมือกับโรคซึมเศร้าและคิดว่าจะใช้พรบรรจุขวดมารักษาโรคนี้ดีไหม สุดท้าย Shokry เจ้าของร้านที่ขายพรให้สองคนแรก ต้องรับมือกับศรัทธาในศาสนาของตัวเอง เมื่อตัดสินใจว่าจะช่วยเพื่อนอย่างไรในเมื่อเพื่อนไม่อยากได้พร

ถึงแม้เรื่องราวใน Shubeik Lubeik จะเป็น “สัจนิยมมหัศจรรย์” ที่เต็มไปด้วยลาพูดได้ มังกร และรถยนต์ที่หลบรถติดเองได้ ตัวละครทั้งหลายในเรื่องก็เผชิญกับความท้าทายที่แท้จริง ความทุกข์ยากประดามีที่เราทุกคนสัมผัสได้เพราะผ่านมาแล้วไม่มากก็น้อย สิ่งเหล่านี้ช่วยดึงดูดให้เราดื่มด่ำกับลายเส้นและข้อเขียนที่งดงามตลอดความหนากว่า 500 หน้า ในผลงานชิ้นเอกที่จะทำให้เราเสียน้ำตาอย่างไม่รู้ตัว

[Raina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this was STUNNING.

We're in a world where wishes can be physically bottled, and many of the preserved wish opportunities were found in the Egyptian pyramids. Those wishes were stolen/co-opted/colonized by European types.
We meet a dude who runs a convenience stand on the side of the road, who is selling three unsanctioned wishes. How he got those wishes, and what happens to them, is the story here.

First of all, the package, the edition we have in our library is Massive. Just an inch or so shy of 8.5x11, over 500 pages. I didn't realize as I was reading it that it was originally published as a trilogy. When I heard that, I instantly knew where the volumes split - they are presented as "parts" in this edition.

I love the diversity of the stories. The character in the second part stands out the most - not only do they have a familiar identity, but they use graphs to demonstrate emotions in a really interesting way I haven't seen before.
I loved how the third story brought everything together.

Most of the pages are filled with black&white illustrations, but at the beginning and end of each part, there are full-color pages too. Part of me wouldn't have hated it all being color, but I understand letting the color ebb and flow too.

This is a decidedly modern story from contemporary Egypt. And it made me really want to read more of this kind of thing.