Anthology of Modern Palestinian Literature

From Library Journal
This anthology offers samples from the works of over 70 Palestinian writers and poets living in Israel, such as Emile Habiby, a laureate of the 1992 Israel Prize; in the occupied territories; and in the diaspora. Foremost among the themes are nostalgia and loss of homeland, which the editor considers the essence of the Palestinian experience. Other subjects, such as love and honor, are more universal. The introductory sections should provide the reader with enough background information, in terms of historic events and literary analysis of current Arabic literature, to allow the easy assimilation of subsequent sections. In view of the variety of themes and the number of writers and poets represented, the anthology represents a genuine source of contemporary Palestinian literature. Recommended for academic and most public libraries.- Ali Houissa, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, N.Y.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Book News, Inc.
A wide-ranging and immensely moving selection of modern Palestinian literature--brilliant translations (initially by experts in Arabic writing, and then revised and polished by English-speaking poets and writers) of poems, stories, and excerpts from novels, as well as works by Palestinian poets who write in English. Also included are personal narratives by Palestinian writers depicting the varied aspects of Palestinian life from the turn of the century to the present. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.


Fedwa Malti-Douglas, Indiana University
No other book or even collection of two or three books could compete with it.


Review
"Jayyusi presents in English translation a Palestinian world view characterized by intensity, paradox, aspiration, and eloquence... Indispensable to anyone with a serious interest in contemporary Arab culture." -- Arab Studies Quarterly


Review
"No other general anthology of Palestinian or Arabic literature approaches the scope and variety represented here." -- Farouk A.W. Mustafa, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Chicago


Edward Said
This massive, well-edited, translated, and researched volume is a living monument to the culture of a nation, now represented in English for the first time with remarkable results in coverage, accuracy, and authenticity.Far from a folkloric or exotic record, this anthology admits the Palestinian contribution to world culture at an eminent pace.


Review
This massive, well-edited, translated, and researched volume is a living monument to the culture of a nation, now represented in English for the first time with remarkable results in coverage, accuracy, and authenticity.Far from a folkloric or exotic record, this anthology admits the Palestinian contribution to world culture at an eminent pace.


Book Description
This unique and definitive anthology offers the widest selection ever compiled of modern Palestinian literature. Presented here are translations of poems, stories, and excerpts from novels, as well as works by Palestinian poets who write in English. Also included are personal narratives by Palestinian writers depicting the varied aspects of Palestinian life from the turn of the century to the present. These images capture life in Arab Palestine before 1948 and during the wars of 1948 and 1967, and vivify the ensuing calamities experienced by Palestinians in the diaspora and under occupation.Many generations of Palestinian writers are represented -those still living in their own land, either in Israel proper or on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and those who write as exiles from the perspective of the Palestinian diaspora.Biographical sketches introduce the authors, and a comprehensive chronology of modern Palestinian history provides background for some of the events and places referred to in the selections. The introduction provides a concise but thorough critical history of Palestinian literature during the twentieth century.


Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Arabic


About the Author
Salma Khadra Jayyusi, one of the Arab world's most distinguished literary personalities, is widely known for her poetry, literary criticism, and scholarship. She is author of the two-volume critical history Trends and Movements in Modern Arabic Poetry and editor of Literature of Modern Arabia, as well as Modern Arabic Poetry: An Anthology and Modern Arabic Fiction: An Anthology for Columbia University Press.


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This anthology offers samples from the works of over 70 Palestinian writers and poets living in Israel, such as Emile Habiby, a laureate of the 1992 Israel Prize; in the occupied territories; and in the diaspora. Foremost among the themes are nostalgia and loss of homeland, which the editor considers the essence of the Palestinian experience. Other subjects, such as love and honor, are more universal. The introductory sections should provide the reader with enough background information, in terms of historic events and literary analysis of current Arabic literature, to allow the easy assimilation of subsequent sections. In view of the variety of themes and the number of writers and poets represented, the anthology represents a genuine source of contemporary Palestinian literature. Recommended for academic and most public libraries.-- Ali Houissa, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, N.Y. Read all 6 "From The Critics" >


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