One of the best-known and most-translated works of free verse poetry ever published in the English language, The Prophet, by Lebanon-born Khalil Gibran, tells the story of the prophet Almustafa, who was banished from his homeland, and lived twelve years as a refugee in the fictional city of Orphalese. One day, as Almustafa prepares to board the ship that will take him home, he addresses a gathering of townspeople who have come to see him off.
His parting words of wisdom about the human condition reveal him to be a man who sees deeply into the hearts, minds, and souls and his fellow humans.
Illustrated by Justin Renteria in a 1920s Ottoman-inspired style and adapted by A. David Lewis, this is a vibrant, authentic, and skillfully paced graphic novel that is faithful to the original text. It includes an imagined backstory about the enigmatic main character.
Appearing 100 years after the original publication of Gibran’s masterpiece, and at a time when entire groups of people are being forced to seek refuge elsewhere, this fresh and visually compelling rendering of The Prophet conveys the original work’s bracing and inspirational message about what it means to live well in today’s the world.
Arvustused
While hewing close to the original text, Lewis and Rentería fill in the prophets backstory through wordless flashbacks, portraying him as a young man caught up in military actions and a romantic betrayal; these narrative flourishes offer fresh angles on Gibrans words.
Publishers Weekly This adaptation of The Prophet accomplishes what surprisingly few comics adaptations manage: elevation of the original. More than simply presenting the work to a new audience, with a few neat illustrations thrown in, the team of A. David Lewis and Justin Rentería have broadened the story and provided visual metaphors that help the poetry sing to the reader.
Matthew Noe Noe's Comics Nook A. David Lewiss skillful weaving of a richly realized underlying narrative coupled with Justin Renterías evocative drawings that breathe life into the characters of Orphalese create a lively adaptation of The Prophet, one sure to draw in new readers and invite those with well-worn copies of Kahlil Gibrans beloved work to rediscover it all over again.
Nick Sousanis, author of Unflattening
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The sea that calls all things unto her calls me, and I must embark.
A. David Lewis is an Eisner Awardnominated writer whose graphic novels include an award-winning adaptation of Exodus, entitled The Lone and Level Sands, and his revival of the first Muslim superhero: Kismet, Man of Fate. Lewis is a Boston-based university educator, library curator, and comics studies scholar.
Justin Rentería is an award-winning illustrator. His illustrations have been published in the New Yorker and the Atlantic and as frequent contributions to the New York Timess op-ed pages. Before deciding to focus on graphic novels, Rentería worked on everything from book cover designs for the memoirs of media personalities to billboards for popular television series.
