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Cairo [Paperback]

G. Willow Wilson , M.K. Perker
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

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Book Description

October 7, 2008
Written by G. Willow Wilson Art and cover by M.K. Perker The original graphic novel by breakout talent G. Willow Wilson, a Cairo-based journalist, with art by renowned illustrator M.K. Perker, is now available in trade paperback! The creative team behind the new monthly series AIR brings together ancient and modern Middle East with a Vertigo twist. A stolen hookah, a spiritual underworld and a genie on the run change the lives of five strangers forever in this modern fable set on the streets of the Middle East's largest metropolis. This magical-realism thriller interweaves the fates of a drug runner, a down-on-his-luck journalist, an American expatriate, a young activist and an Israeli soldier as they race through bustling present-day Cairo to find an artifact of unimaginable power, one protected by a dignified jinn and sought by a wrathful gangster-magician. But the vastness of Africa's legendary City of Victory extends into a spiritual realm - the Undernile - and even darker powers lurk there...Don't miss the incredible graphic novel Publishers Weekly called "lush and energetic...a beautiful book," and The Los Angeles Times Book Review praised as "lyrically beautiful." Advance-solicited; on sale September 24 - 6.875" x 9" 160 pg, B&W, $17.99 US - MATURE READERS

Frequently Bought Together

Cairo + Alif the Unseen + The Butterfly Mosque: A Young American Woman's Journey to Love and Islam
Price for all three: $35.79

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Editorial Reviews

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. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Vertigo (October 7, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1401217346
  • ISBN-13: 978-1401217341
  • Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 0.4 x 8.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #466,028 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in 1982, G. Willow Wilson began her writing career at 17 as a music and DJ critic for Boston's Weekly Dig. After moving to Egypt in 2003, Willow's articles and essays on Islam and the Middle East appeared in publications including the Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times, and Glamour. A lifelong fan of comics and graphic novels, Willow's first ongoing comic book series, AIR, was nominated for an Eisner Award. Her memoir, The Butterfly Mosque, the story of her conversion to Islam and life in Egypt, was named Best Book of 2010 by the Seattle Times. Her first novel, Alif the Unseen, debuts in 2012.

She enjoys British films, cooking, and World of Warcraft, and holds a purple belt in kajukenbo.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Step into the Streets of Cairo December 30, 2007
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
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Good but too short December 13, 2007
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.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars More graphic novels should be like this February 13, 2008
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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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars not a graphic novel reader
i'm not a graphic novel reader. i didn't grow reading them and this was one of the first ones i ever read. Read more
Published 2 months ago by kakhter
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
After reading "Alif the Unseen," I went looking for other Wilson books. This graphic novel does so much so well, with a plot that twists and keeps you turning pages. Read more
Published 4 months ago by J. Runde
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Story wonderfully presented
This is a modern Arabian Nights story, a mythic, magical drama in the Middle East done by an excellent story teller ably assisted by wonderful illustrations.
Published 5 months ago by David Spangler
5.0 out of 5 stars A spectacular journey into an amazing city
We all know that Cairo is one of the most amazing cities in the world, and this graphic novel takes you even futher into the magical atmosphere it holds. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Cherly
2.0 out of 5 stars shallow
yes this graphic novel was semi-interesting, however being egyptian, i found this to be a very shallow book. What kind of hide-out is in the pyramids? Read more
Published 19 months ago by M. collins
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful!
I really loved it - wonderful layering of different elements and subtle references to deeper inspirations for the book. Well done.
Published on March 13, 2011 by Peter Gould
5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE!
This book is beautiful, in every way possible. The graphics are outstanding, fluid, vibrant. The story is clever, insightful and thought-provoking. Read more
Published on January 10, 2010 by Dancing Green
4.0 out of 5 stars An Impressive Debut
Cairo the city holds many secrets for foreigners. Cairo the graphic novel isn't so obtuse; it puts some of those secrets out there for all to see and uses them to kick off a story... Read more
Published on November 24, 2009 by GraphicNovelReporter.com
3.0 out of 5 stars I need more
Cairo was well written and well drawn. Yet, it needed to spend more time on the characters. There were just too many characters with too many stories to spend such a short amount... Read more
Published on November 6, 2009 by William S. Oetting
1.0 out of 5 stars weak plot, poor characters, regret buying it!
Well, i know the review title is a bit long but i wanted it to summarize all i want to say about the book.

Apparently i'm the first Egyptian here to review the book. Read more
Published on September 15, 2009 by Sherif L. Halim
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