8vo. 560 pp., publisher’s original wrappers, glossary, biblio, copy in mint condition, Kegan Paul International, London, 1988.

Synopsis

In this anthology of modern Arabic literature, one of the best available, writers from the Arabian Peninsula are represented by nearly 150 poems, over 40 short stories, a play, and an excerpt from a novel. The selections richly demonstrate universal concerns as well as local Muslim customs surprisingly free from the religious fanaticism so often attributed to the Arabs of this area. The frustrations of modernization versus the traditional life is a common theme throughout, succinctly represented by the poet al-Fulayuyih: “Till when will we continue to engage in this madness? When will we strive, my friend, to be not as others imagine us but as we wish ourselves to be?” This authoritative volume offers the best selections of ninety-four leading poets, dramatists, and short story writers, with selections from Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, and Kuwait.