Middle East/North African Lit discussion

I read Every Rising Sun by Jamila Ahmed. An imaginative re-telling of The Arabian Nights in the voice of Shaherazade. Ahmed deviates from the original by giving Shaherazade greater voice and agency.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I read Martyr! by the Iranian poet Kaveh Akbar. This is his debut novel. It was very original and one of the best books I've read all year.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

Great review of Martyr!, Tamara. I read a sample and I added it to my list.

Thank you, Sue. I hope you enjoy the novel. I thought it was wonderful.

The sample I just read at the GR page captured me right away. I like his fluid writing style in this beginning section, and his tone, already. I’m definitely going to have to find a place for this book in my reading plans.

He has a very engaging writing style. He held my attention in spite of all the different threads and leaps in time. I hope you'll let us know what you think of it when you have a chance to read it.

It may be a while but I will try to remember to do so.

I read Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad. I didn't particularly like her first-person narrator, but I thought Hammad did a skillful job of showing the fear and exhausting struggles of Palestinians living under occupation. The way she wove an Arabic production of Hamlet in the West Bank to resonate with the experience of Palestinians was artfully done.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

Hi, does anybody have suggestions on classic Arabic non fiction texts (which one can find the English translation of)? I recently came across Al Jahiz and found him fascinating, but there's so little available of him in English.

When it comes to the recommendations, I don't mind any subject matter.

Hi Mona,
For pre-modern Arabic nonfiction in English translation, the best source is Library of Arabic Literature:
https://www.libraryofarabicliterature...

For anthologies that can give an overall introduction (and then you can follow up on full texts that sound of interest), 3 come to mind:

1. Night & Horses & the Desert: An Anthology of Classical Arabic Literature

2. Classical Arabic Literature: A Library of Arabic Literature Anthology

3. Anthology of Arabic Literature, Culture, and Thought from Pre-Islamic Times to the Present

Thank you, Melanie! This is so helpful <3

I read The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi. It takes place in Afghanistan and tells the fate of two women living one hundred years apart. The two story lines parallel each other. I have mixed feelings about it.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I recently read River Spirit the latest novel by Leila Aboulela and liked it a lot. The Kindness of Enemies is still my absolute favourite of hers, but this one was good too. I learned a lot about Sudanese history

I've only read Elsewhere, Home by Leila Aboulela. Would you recommend Kindness of Enemies as a good starting place for her novels? If not, what would you recommend?

My favorite of hers is The Translator. It was a good start for me.

Mona wrote: "I've only read Elsewhere, Home by Leila Aboulela. Would you recommend Kindness of Enemies as a good starting place for her novels? If not, what would you recommend?"

I've read several of Leila Aboulela's novels: The Translator; Lyrics Alley; The Kindness of Enemies, Bird Summons, River Spirit, and Elsewhere, Home. You can start on any of these, but like Jalilah, I think her best novel is The Kindness of Enemies.

I have posted my reviews of all these books on Goodreads if you want to know more about them.

Mona wrote: "I've only read Elsewhere, Home by Leila Aboulela. Would you recommend Kindness of Enemies as a good starting place for her novels? If not, what would you recommend?"

Every book Aboulela has written is very different. The Translator was my introduction to her and I liked it so much I wanted to read more of her books. It takes place in contemporary times in Scotland and tells the story of a relationship between a Sudanese professor and a Scottish professor. The Kindness of Enemies was two parallel stories one taking place in the Caucasus region in the 19th century and the other in present day Scotland, but the stories have a connection.

Thank you! I might go for the Translator simply because I want something purely contemporary atm

Tamara wrote: "I read Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad. I didn't particularly like her first-person narrator, but I thought Hammad did a skillful job of showing the fear and exhaus..."

It’s so strange Tamara! Your reviews no longer appear. I am reading Enter Ghost and in the past I could see reviews of friends who’d reviewed the books. Now I can only see your review if I click on the link you posted. If I click on the book I don’t see your review! 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you for letting me know, Jalilah. I'll contact Goodreads and see what's going on with this.

Tamara, I am able to see your review though I don’t know if you have contacted Goodreads already.

Thank you, Susan. Yes, I've already contacted them, I don't know if they'll do anything, but I thought it best to let them know just in case there is something weird going on.

I read What Life Was Like on the Banks of the Nile: Egypt, 3050-30 BC, edited by Denise Dersin and Time Life Books.
A comprehensive and intimate portrayal of the daily life of a number of Egyptians from different walks of life. The volume is richly illustrated and highly recommended for those interested in the life, culture, belief systems, and history of Ancient Egypt.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I read Silken Gazelles by Jokha Alharthi; translated from the Arabic by Marilyn Booth. Very disappointing. I enjoyed AlHarthi's Celestial Bodies, but I guess this one just wasn't for me.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

Tamara wrote: "Thank you for letting me know, Jalilah. I'll contact Goodreads and see what's going on with this."

I think not seeing reviews might be from my side! When I click on any book now I can’t see anyone of my friends reviews anymore!

Who do I contact for this?

Jalilah, contact Goodreads and let them know what's happening and ask them to fix it.

Tamara wrote: "Jalilah, contact Goodreads and let them know what's happening and ask them to fix it."

I did but haven’t gotten a reply.
I think I figured out what happened. It used to be if you clicked on a book you would automatically see any reviews your friends wrote first. Now you just see which of your friends read it. However I realize if you click on the date your friends read the book, you will then see their review if they wrote one.

I don’t know if this changed only for me or if this happened to everyone

Jalilah wrote: "I think I figured out what happened. ."

I'm glad you figured it out and have been able to make it work for you.
I can't keep up with the changes Goodreads makes. Every time I think I understand how something works, Goodreads makes a change and I'm back to square one.
Anyway, I'm glad you're able to work it out.

I read My Friends by Hisham Matar.
A very moving portrayal of a life in exile as told through the voice of a Libyan who lives in fear and is unable to return to Gaddafi's Libya because of his political activism. It also depicts the intense bonding between Libyan friends who share a similar fate.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

I read The Baghdad Clock by Shahad Al Rawi; translated from the Arabic by Luke Leafgren.
The novel's strength lies in Al Rawi's ability to show the devastating impact of wars and sanctions on a neighborhood in Iraq. War causes the disintegration of a community and has a profound impact on people's personal lives.
But I think there were some problematic issues with the novel's execution, especially with the narrative voice.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

I read The Coin by Yasmin Zaher. It's about a wealthy young Palestinian woman who becomes unravelled. She lives in New York and is a school teacher. I thought it was excellent. Her use of the coin as metaphor was very effective.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I read and thoroughly enjoyed Babylonia by Costanza Casati. Casati blends history with mythology to tell the meteoric rise of Semiramis, a young orphan in an outpost of the Assyrian empire who becomes queen of Assyria. The historic Semiramis ruled Assyria for five years.
Casati does extensive research on the topic and it shows. I enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed her Clytemnestra.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I read The Orchards of Basra: Mansoura Ez-Eldin, translated by Paul G. Starkey. The novel was longlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2021.

The structure was complex with multiple narrators and shifts between modern-day Cairo and 8th century Basra, Iraq. It blends historical figures with fictional ones. It delved into 1,000-year-old debates among Muslim scholars. There is a list of the scholars and a summary of their positions at the end of the book. Someone who has knowledge of the issues raised in the debates may enjoy the novel more than I did.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I recently read Then He Sent Prophets and think it would be of interest members in this group.
People who enjoyed Leo Africanus and Granada: The Complete Trilogy
would definitely like it, as it’s based on real history and takes place at the time when Granada was still Al Andalus

I’m reading Elif Shafak’s latest book There Are Rivers in the Sky and I think it’s going to be one of my favourites. I am loving every page!

Here is my review for There Are Rivers in the Sky
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I loved it!

I read The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of the Modern World by Selena Wisnom. A fascinating exploration of the legacy of ancient Mesopotamia. Prof. Wisnom is an Assyriologist. Her study is very readable, thoroughly documented, and with an extensive bibliography and notes.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Tamara wrote: "I read The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of the Modern World by Selena Wisnom. A fascinating exploration of the legacy of ancient Mesopota..."

Oh I would love to read this! There is so much less information out there about Mesopotamia, compared to other ancient cultures it seems!

Jalilah wrote: "Oh I would love to read this! There is so much less information out there about Mesopotamia, compared to other ancient cultures it seems!."

Yes, but I think that's changing, Jalilah. I'm seeing an increasing interest in books on Mesopotamia. It's a wonderful book, choke-full of fascinating information. I highly recommend it.

Tamara wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "Oh I would love to read this! There is so much less information out there about Mesopotamia compared to other ancient cultures it seems!."

Yes, but I think that's changing, Jalila..."

I hope that’s changing! I say this because I recently read Babyloniaand although I liked it, I felt the author (who also wrote Clytemnestra) was not as knowledgeable about ancient Mesopotamia as she is about Ancient Greece. I attribute this to the fact we learn way more about Ancient Greece in school.

Have you read There Are Rivers in the Sky, Elif Shafak newest novel? It’s definitely Mesopotamian inspired and I enjoyed it immensely.

Jalilah wrote: "Have you read There Are Rivers in the Sky, Elif Shafak newest novel? It’s definitely Mesopotamian inspired and I enjoyed it immensely..."

No, I haven't read that one. I've read around 6 or 7 of her novels, and the only two I really enjoyed were The Bastard of Istanbul and The Architect's Apprentice. I didn't enjoy any of her other novels, so I gave up on reading any more of her books. I might give this one a try, though.

BTW: I read Clytemnestra and Babylonia and enjoyed them both.

Tamara wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "Have you read There Are Rivers in the Sky, Elif Shafak newest novel? It’s definitely Mesopotamian inspired and I enjoyed it immensely..."

No, I haven't read that one. I've read aro..."

We don’t always like the same tastes in books ( and that’s ok :) ) but for me There Are Rivers in the Sky is up there with The Architect's Apprentice, although I have not read it twice so I can’t say 100% . I also loved Honor and The Island of Missing Trees. I didn’t like 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World, Three Daughters of Eve or The Forty Rules of Love nearly as much

I read A Calamity of Noble Houses by Amira Ghenim; translated from the Arabic by Miled Faiza and Karen McNeil. It was a finalist for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. A gripping tale with eleven narrators, all of whom recollect the same event with a prejudicial lens.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I read Empty Cages: A Novel by Fatma Qandil; translated from the Arabic by Adam Talib.
Fatma Qandil is an accomplished poet who won the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature in 2022. The novel is a fictional memoir of growing up in Egypt. Written in the first-person voice of Fatima, the novel authentically depicts what life is like for a woman struggling to survive in a misogynistic, patriarchal world. It was raw, honest, and very powerful.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...