Riad Sattouf’s outstanding memoir series, The Arab of the Future, continues in this great third book which covers 1985-87. His mother becomes pregnant with her third child, Riad tries fasting for Ramadan for the first (and last!) time, and the question of circumcision rears its, ahem, head…
Though I enjoyed this book, I didn’t think it was as good as either of the previous two volumes, probably because there wasn’t enough new things going on. Riad’s school-life in Syria carries on as before, he briefly goes back to France again, his father’s family are still doing their thing – obviously there’s more but the material still feels a little recycled.
However, Sattouf is such a consummate storyteller and talented cartoonist that this third book is still an entertaining and informative read regardless. His characterisations of his family are delightful and clearly very loving. His dad remains the star, from his rants about the brutality of life in Saudi Arabia to his double-standards in marking his students’ papers while trying to ingratiate himself to the higher-ups in Syria’s regime for the benefit of his family. Sattouf’s portrait of him is complex and wonderful.
And of course it wouldn’t be a childhood memoir without the childhood aspects. From wanting a giant robot toy to watching Arnie’s first Conan the Barbarian movie with his cousins to learning about Santa, I enjoyed these parts of the book the most. I also liked that he showed “civilized” France to be as dark and savage as Syria – children may be beaten with sticks in Syrian schools but his French grandmother’s country neighbour… I won’t spoil what she does but it made my jaw drop.
I’m glad for the way the book ended which has done its job in making me look forward to the fourth book all the more. Book 3 wasn’t as compelling as I’d hoped but it’s a fine read nonetheless – fans of the series will doubtless find plenty to enjoy here.
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