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Zainab
224 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
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July 13, 2013I'm on page 10 of 216 of Zainab: This is a story about the fallaheen, the country folk of Egypt. Even the first chapter alone gives the reader a picture of the relationship between the fallaheen and the landscape. Haikal's vocabulary, translated by John M. Grinsted, describes that relationship with an emotional depth as profound as that shared by Om Khaltum in her songs.
January 17, 2014
Perhaps not the most well executed of stories; predictable in places with a slightly odd structure and a tendency towards being over sentimental. However, this narrative occupies an undeniably important place in the development of the Arabic novel as a writing form. From that viewpoint alone, it is well worth the read.
An Extra Note: If reading "Zaynab" in Arabic rather than translation, you may run into trouble with some of the Egyptian colloquialisms - unless you're a native speaker.
An Extra Note: If reading "Zaynab" in Arabic rather than translation, you may run into trouble with some of the Egyptian colloquialisms - unless you're a native speaker.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews