Author: Kilito, Abdelfattah; Author: Translator Cooperson, Michael
Modern Middle East Literature in Translation; Paperback
208 pages
Published: April 2002
Syracuse University Press
ISBN: 0815629311

In this exceptional volume, Abedlfattah Kilito argues that genre -- not authorship -- is at the heart of classic Arabic literature. Using simple yet lyrical language, he examines love poetry and panegyric, the Prophet's Hadith and the literary anecdote, as well as such recurring themes as memorization, plagiarism and forgery, and dream visions of the dead. Ultimately, he evokes these asan allegory for post-colonial Arab North Africa.An elegant translation faithfully captures the author's poetic finesse and makes the book easily accessible to English-speaking readers. Warmly received by critics and anthropologists, this volume is a must for scholars, students, and devotees of Arab culture.In this text Kilito argues that genre - not authorship - is at the heart of classic Arabic literature. He examines love poetry and panegyric, the Prophet's Hadith and the literary anecdote, as well as such themes as memorization, plagiarism and forgery and the dream visions of the dead.