Abou Abed Joke Books Set by Sabina Mahfoud

Description

LebanonPostcard presents ‘Abou Abed Joke Books’ by Sabina Mahfoud. The Books are illustrated by Patrick Sfeir and Daniel Georges.

For all the Abou Abed fans out there, this compilation of English and Arabic jokes is sure to have you laughing out loud. All the jokes are accompanied by amusing illustrations.

With his red tarbouche hat and considerable moustache (a symbol of his virility, no doubt), Abou Abed is one of the most recognizable comic characters in Lebanon. A figment of our imaginations, he has evolved to almost celebrity status and is at the center of an ever-growing number of jokes. He spends his time hanging out with his friend Abou Steif in a Beirut coffee shop where they play cards and backgammon. Over endless cups of tea, they tell each other far-fetched stories, and since they’re not very well-off, they regularly try their luck with card games and the lottery.

After the tremendous success of the first Abou Abed joke book released in 2008, another volume just had to be set in motion. The search begun to bring together a fresh and funny mix of his famed jokes, then pencil hit paper and Abou Abed and his family came to life in full Basta style.

The jokes in Arabic and English featured in The Abou Abed Joke Book 2 will have Abou Abed fans laughing out loud again. He still tries to act smart with everyone, always messes around with Em Abed, shows off to Abou Steif, and attempts to get lucky with the lotto and the ladies. Abou Abed, ever the working class hero, always manages to outmaneuver any situation he’s put in.

It is now time to turn the tables and give his wife, Em Abed, the attention she deserves in Em Abed’s Revenge.

Who is Em Abed? Em Abed is married to Abou Abed, a man who sports a red tarboush (hat), a considerable moustache and an ever expanding Keresh (belly). They have a son called of course, Abed, and are best friends with Abou Steif and Em Steif.

I always imagined Em Abed as a middle-aged, slightly overweight and not exactly fashion conscious woman. She is fearless, strong-minded and ultimately knows how to get what she wants despite her husband’s arrogant attitude.

My Lebanese friends describe her in a similar fashion. Em Abed is tough and cleverly makes Abou Abed feel like he’s the boss but in reality she pulls the strings. Although she’s mostly a long suffering wife, she also shrewd clever… even naughty. At times, Em Abed’s audacious behavior shocks us to laughter and makes us wonder how traditional she really is. And how much she adheres to the allegedly rigid role of women in Middle Eastern society. In Em Abed’s Revenge, tension between Em Abed and Abou Abed keeps things interesting and tantalizes the audience to laughter. Em Abed always manages to get back at her husband with her whimsical, canny attitude and moves. In the company of Em Steif, Em Abed lets off steam complaining about her husband and mother-in-law.

The Abou Abed Joke Book 1 – Number of pages: 88
Dimensions: W14cm x 16.5cm – Weight: 180 grs
Category: Humor – Softback Published by: Turning Point, December 2008

The Abou Abed Joke Book 2 – Number of pages: 90
Dimensions: W14cm x 16.5cm – Weight: 180 grs
Category: Humor – Softback Published by: Turning Point, December 2009/2010

EmAbed’s Revenge Book 3 – Number of pages: 88
Dimensions: W14cm x 16.5cm – Weight: 175 grs
Category: Humor – Softback Published by: Turning Point, December 2012

About the Contributors – Abou Abed Joke Book – Authors

Sabina Mahfoud, née Llewellyn-Davies, was born in London. She attended schools in Germany and Austria, and then returned to England where she graduated from Queen Mary College, University of London. After a brief stint at the civil service she eventually settled in Beirut with her Lebanese husband. There she taught English to a diverse audience ranging from an army general to a Venetian blind installer. Moving on she spent several years as a marketing executive for several local businesses. Today, she is a business and marketing consultant for the TLB Group which promotes responsible tourism in the Middle East. Sabina continues to lecture Business Communication at the Sagesse University, Beirut, and also writes for several publications. She lives in Beirut with her husband and two children and spends any spare time hiking remote mountain trails in Lebanon and Austria. Green Gold – The Story of Lebanese Olive Oil is her first book and The Abou Abed Joke Book 1 and 2 are her second and third.

Daniel Georges is an architect leading a multifaceted creative existence. A versatile talent allowed him to tackle a plethora of design commissions satisfying his curiosity in many creative fields. His lifelong passion for comics and illustration forged a deep interest in character design and led him to imagine “Little Phoenician”, the first Lebanese original character produced in a plush doll format. Today, Daniel is investing most of his intensity in architecture with a growing inclination for urban interventions and architectural installations. Still, one day he is designing complex buildings for cigar chomping clients and the other he’s writing/illustrating picture books for children. For him, it really makes no difference as both patrons come with horrible antics and absurd whims. Daniel Georges is founder and principal architect of the collaborative design studio Minus5 Architects and occasionally takes part in student projects reviews as invited jury member at architecture schools.