Samarkand (Jan-Feb 2012)

[Niledaughter]

After we discussed “the Rubaiyat “ in here , how does this affect the way you see this novel ?

* If Khayyam was a Sufi , how does this change the novel ? – was the novel more concerned about his religious ideology or social and political context?

[Hend]

i am readig the novel right now ,i havent read the Rubaiyat yet..
i read many articles considering that Khayyam was a Sufi and others say he was not...
do any one knows any books considering this...?

[Niledaughter]

Hend wrote: "i am readig the novel right now ,i havent read the Rubaiyat yet..
i read many articles considering that Khayyam was a Sufi and others say he was not...
do any one knows any books considering thi..."

Ahlan Hend , I see you finished :)

Even if you will not read the Rubaiyat , I think checking the discussion may be interesting for you regarding that point , but I can not specify any books for you :(

[Hend]

i am sure the discussion will be interesting ...

[Marieke, Former moderator]

i did finish re-reading this...and although i did like it (again), i didn't LOVE it. so i'm feeling a little badly that maybe i mislead some members. :/

i don't know if it was the translation, but i thought the writing was a bit overdone. but i did enjoy how he handled the history even though there are still gaps in my own knowledge of it and there were still characters that i'm not sure if they are real people from history, or total fiction. but when i read it before, ALL of this was totally new to me.

[Sue]

Marieke wrote: "i did finish re-reading this...and although i did like it (again), i didn't LOVE it. so i'm feeling a little badly that maybe i mislead some members. :/

i don't know if it was the translation, but..."

I think that's one of the interesting aspects for me, Marieke, to someday learn more and be able to differentiate better between the historical fiction and the history. Until then, I found this a really nice introduction.

[Niledaughter]

It is ok Marieke , I rated it as 5 then dropped to 4 after our discussion about Khayyam , I still think it has good message .

I think the manuscript was fictional so I am not sure about the jug , I am not sure about all the actual characters in the books , aside from the rulers , Nizam al-Mulk , Hassan-i Sabbah , Jamal-al-Din al-Afghani is a special figure himself .

Sue , I am glad you read the book and that it added something to you :)

[Sue]

Thanks ND. Now I need to find one of the non-fiction books and read it, one that covers the early era of Muslim influence on Western thought, arts, etc. I know that one of the books on the list here particularly appealed to me but wasn't in my library system. I may consider buying it to further my education. My interest keeps growing and I want to be better informed.

[Niledaughter]

Sue wrote: "Thanks ND. Now I need to find one of the non-fiction books and read it, one that covers the early era of Muslim influence on Western thought, arts, etc. I know that one of the books on the list her..."

I see you marked Lost History: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Scientists, Thinkers, and Artists as to read , I started reading it but every thing around me is in a mess , hope to be able to get back to it soon . or you are speaking about The Great Arab Conquests: How the Spread of Islam Changed the World We Live In ?

[Sue]

I'm going to check back and look at both. I think it may have been Lost History: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Scientists, Thinkers, and Artists. The Great Arab Conquests was available through my library system but I'm not sure it's what I want. Did you read either one?

[Niledaughter]

Sue wrote: "I'm going to check back and look at both. I think it may have been Lost History: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Scientists, Thinkers, and Artists. The Great Arab Conquests was availa..."

I own a digital copy of "Lost history" so I will let you know when I read it , for "The Great Arab Conquests" I haven't buy it yet ; but Marieke gave me a positive reaction for it and I am also waiting NG to finish it .

[Sue]

I have been looking into other books took and am interested in Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes also. This apparently is a very different world view worldview and also comes up to current times. I think I'm more confused than ever about what to read though this one sounds very good.

[Niledaughter]

Sue wrote: "I have been looking into other books took and am interested in Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes also. This apparently is a very different world view wor..."

That is a n interesting one as well , I believe we have a member comment/review for it in "The Great Arab Conquests" thread .

Good luck with your choice , whatever you decide ; I think it will be interesting to know your feedback .

[Sue]

So many choices. I'll check the Great Arab Conquests thread too.

[Ayob]

Hi, I have read some of the comments, and I realize some truely want to know about omar khayyam and his poetry, I have to say as a new translator of his poetry, most of the translation is just an interpretation of omar khayyam, not the actuality of what he truely said. This new book " thus spoke khayyam", that is the title, which I have translate focus on what truely khayyam said and it is the closest to its original text. If you are interested it's available online. Thanks