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Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Originally published in Beirut in 1984, this multipage epic brings to life many of the political issues that have plagued the Mideast for most of this century. Set in an unnamed gulf country that could be Jordan sometime in the 1930s, the novel relates what happens to the bedouin inhabitants of the small oasis community of Wadi al-Uyoun when oil is discovered by Americans. Seen through the eyes of a large and varied cast of bedouin characters, the upheaval caused by the American colonization is shown in various manifestations, from the first contact with the strange foreigners ("Their smell could kill birds!" observes Miteb al-Hathal, who later leads a rebellion of Arab workers when the village of Harran has been made into an American port city) to confused and suspicious descriptions of the sinister "magic" tools brought by the Americanswhich are in fact bulldozers, automobiles, radios and telephones. The story unfolds at a stately pace over a timespan of many years and provides an endless stream of characters and events, each connected to the next by many threads of plot. Theroux's sensitive translation conveys the subtleties of ambiguity and nuance inherent to the Arab language and culture. Banned in several Mideast countries including Saudi Arabia, this is the first volume of a planned trilogy by a Paris-based Jordanian novelist who holds a law degree from the Sorbonne and a Ph.D. in oil economics from the University of Belgrade. Despite the Lawrence of Arabia setting, Munif writes from a unique vantage point; English-language readers have been given few opportunities before now to look at this situation through native eyes.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Banned in several Middle Eastern countries, this novel records the encounter between Americans and Arabs in an unnamed Gulf emirate in the 1930s. As oil exploration begins, the destruction of an oasis community amounts to "a breaking off, like death, that nothing and no one could ever heal." The promise inherent in the creation of a city divided into Arab and American sectors provides the novel's most striking revelation: here not merely two cultures, but two ages, meetand stand apart. Alternatively amused and bewildered by the Americans and their technological novelties, the Arabs sense in their accommodation to modernity the betrayal of their own traditions. Highly recommended, if only for its cross-cultural insights.L.M. Lewis, Eastern Kentucky Univ., Richmond
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
'A man could not tie his fate to a camel',
By J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" (ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Cities of Salt (Paperback)
Set in the 1930s, this novel explores the impact on and ultimate destruction of an oasis community when oil exploration begins in a fictional gulf emirate.This complex and large novel unfolds over a number of years gradually revealing an aspect of change as the consequences become apparent. While the focus is on the upheaval caused by American influence in relation to oil, this set of circumstances has been repeated around the world throughout time. I wish only that I could read it in Arabic, if only to become immersed more completely in the cultural nuances. Peter Theroux's translation is excellent and makes this novel accessible to those of us who cannot read Arabic. Highly recommended to those readers who want to reflect, just a little, on the impact of change and the breakdown of communities in the face of 'progress'. 'Do you know your enemy?' 'My enemy knows himself'. Jennifer Cameron-Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book from & about the Mid-East,
By
This review is from: Cities of Salt (Paperback)
A story of total culture shock, I'm surprised this book doesn't have a higher profile here with the current level of interest in the Mid-East. The author was born in Jordan from Saudi Arabian parents, and this particular work has been banned in Saudi Arabia and several other Arab countries. The relationship between the Americans and Arabs is seen from the viewpoint of the desert people, whose land is given away to foreigners by their own local rulers who grow rich from oil exploration.The story begins in Wadi Al-Uyoun somewhere in the desert sometime in the first half of the twentieth century, the reader is transported into an oasis community whose people live much the same way as they did in ancient times, nothing ever changes here, they know very little of the world outside the oasis except the news received from the occasional caravan passing through. One day some Americans arrive, soon many more arrive, then one day all the trees are bulldozed over and the people are moved out and dispersed, and the drilling for oil commences. A few make their way to a place called Harran, and the book follows the development of Harran from an out of the way caravan stop on the coast to a modern oil exporting sea port. Rather than having a main character, the novel is really about the land itself and tells the story of many individuals. So few great books from the Mid-East translated into English, this is in the same class as Mahfouz's "Cairo Trilogy", but this one's better for those interested in the roots of modern problems between the Arab world and the west. The scene where the people watch the Americans come out in shorts to sunbathe, the chapter with the ship of women arriving , also the emir's obsession with one new toy after another, the telescope, the car and the radio - all is told in a way both hilarious and unforgettable, though a tragic kind of comedy.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding! A perfect book for these war weary times!,
This review is from: Cities of Salt (Paperback)
Our lust and dependence on oil has blinded us to the effects that we have on beautiful and simple cultures that in many ways seem more advanced than our western cultures. Especially in terms of relationships between people etc. There are so many cherished conversations in this book about the value of love and respect between people versus the value of oil and wealth. I find myself rereading paragraphs of dialogue that I never want to forget!Our western culture has made our quest for oil and the justice of war (and all the rest of it) such a complex topic that we have missed the very basic, simple questions. However, the book doesn't solely blame the West; it also addresses the betrayal of Arab governments against their own people. This book starts during the 1930s when the discovery of the many uses of oil seduced our government into exploiting other countries resources and peoples (with the help of those governments). It is not just an eye-opening book but one that is heart-opening as well! Warning: Don't expect a fast paced, action packed Hollywood style reading. This book has been translated into English from Arabic. It demands that you savor the text! Something we as westerners don't seem to know how to do any more. Unless you are willing to face your own prejudices you may not be able to appreciate this novel!
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