I think every book i read for pleasure might become research read in a way, currently i am reading three books. He is well known for the novel arabesques, written in hebrew and chronically the history of the shammas family in both palestine, israel and lebanon. Anton shammas is an arab, a member of a people who at. The punning of arabesque fits the heterogeneous design of the book. His first and largely autobiographical novel, arabesques, is, as its title only begins. Publication date 1989 topics palestinian arabs publisher new york. A novel by anton shammas and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Shammas is known mainly for his writing in hebrew and hebrew translations of arabic literature, such as the novels of emile habibi. Buy arabesques by anton shammas from amazons fiction books store.
Abaa arabesques by shammas, anton search for rare books. And anton shammass arabesques, the work of a christian israeli arab, is a complex evocation of life in an arab village in the part of israel known as galilee. The theme of otherness is an essential element of arabesques and in many ways defines the protagonist and the narrative voice. Anton shammas, palestinian literature in hebrew, creative writing programs, iowa international writing program, world literature. His purpose, technique, and message are intertwined with the theme of arabesques. One memory hooks to another in an atfirst random pattern covering the 1860s to the present, and the fragmented. Fine in fine dustwrapper with spine lightly sunned. Available again, arabesques is a classic, complex novel of identity, memory, and history in the middle east and points beyondincluding iowa and new york city. That the publisher lists this in the literaturemiddle eastern studies categories on the book jacket suggests that theres some extraliterary dimension to shammass admittedly autobiographical story. Anton shammas does not allow the magical to move beyond metaphor into myth, however, the way mr. Anton shammas was born in the arab village of fassuta in upper galilee in 1950.
This book is a history of its authors youth, although its immediacy reaches farther back in time than the life it is rendering, and becomes the memoir of a family and a fabled region galilee. Through a network of memories, shammas tells the story of an arab christian family currently living in a galilean village. He lived in jerusalem for 20 and studied english literature and art history at the hebrew university of jerusalem. Knowing the elements of arabesques 1986, authored by anton shammas, clarifies the meaning of the ancient art form as well as enlightens the reader on the significance of the novel. Arabesques, however, the first novel of anton shammas, a christian arab reared in israelioccupied palestine, goes against the grain, for it is clearly a fiction a patchwork quilt of legend, fact, fantasy, and historywhich proclaims its heterogeneous status as both autobiography and novel. Smith, palestine and the arabisraeli conflict photocopies recommended readings browse and read arabesques a novel anton shammas. Available again, arabesques is a classic, complex novel of identity, mem. Be the first to download this book and let read by finish. Refreshing debut fiction, translated from the original hebrew, intertwining the family history of an arab christian family with regional palestinian lore. Desiring arabs, massad university of chicago press. Another kind of book which suffers neglect is the first novel. He was one of the founders of the arabic magazine the east, which he edited between 1971 and 1976. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. That the publisher lists this in the literaturemiddle eastern studies categories on the book jacket suggests that theres some extraliterary dimension to shammas s admittedly autobiographical story.
Anton shammas desiring arabs is an elaborate, relentless, and unabashed critique of the way in which arab culture has dealt with the tropes and constructs of sexual deviances since the emergence of the arab nahdah, or renaissance, in the middle of the nineteenth century. Beside the whiff of sociology, theres novelty as well. Shammas is the first arab to write a novel in hebrew, he looks at palestinian christians and writes. Anton shammas is a palestinian poet and author, essayist and translator of arabic, hebrew and english. Arabesques was chosen as one of the best books of 1988 by the available again, arabesques is a classic, complex novel of identity, memory, and history in the middle east and points beyondincluding iowa and new york city. In 1979, he published his book of poems no mans land hebrew. Anton shammas article on edward said, palestinian literary theorist and public intellectual who died in 2003. Perhaps the most obvious reason for this is that the former is a traditional novel and the latter is a graphic novel, two genres that are fundamentally different in nature to the extent that their differences are often the source of.
Arabesques by anton shammas 2001, paperback for sale online. Arabesques suggests that the mobility of texts and people can unsettle the global centerperiphery and eastwest dichotomies, if only for the duration of the novel. Defining himself not just legally but also culturally as an israeli, he has said that the book is his real identity cardthough a careful reading of arabesques may persuade one that this identity card is not so readily decipherable. Find books like arabesques from the worlds largest community of readers. A novel by shammas, anton and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Arabesques english and hebrew edition by shammas, anton and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The retreat to galilee, which appeared in granta 23, formed part of his novel arabesques, published in 1986. Anton shammass novel arabesques was published ten years earlier, in 1986. Anton shammas is an israeli arab who lives in jerusalem. Anton shammas is a 38yearold israeli writer, a young writer by the standards of his culture, if not ours. He is the author of three books of poetry in hebrew and arabic.
Anton shammas arabesques between iowa and the galilee. Amos ozs black box is a novel that records, in a moving exchange of letters, the breakdown of a marriage. Shammas is the first christian palestinian to write in hebrew, and his family tale mingles with the lore of his displaced group. En route, he meets an israeli writer who then plans to write a book based on this. Here was shammas, an arab writer, writing in the language of israels majority. May 16, 2018 anton shammas depicts a gloomier and more realist view of palestine than that of the zionists, especially in his acclaimed book, arabesques 1986.
His acclaimed hebrew novel arabesques 1986 was translated into eight languages, including english, spanish, french, german, italian, although it has never appeared in arabic. He details the macabre nature of wars, hostility, brokenness, toxicomania, attesting to a nation dizzy in turmoil, mystery, and confusion. Anton shammas is a palestinian writer, poet and translator of arabic, hebrew and english. His novel, arabesques, has been translated into nine languages. It is a hebrew novel in which palestinians are the protagonists and jewish israelis are marginal players. Apr 01, 1986 anton shammas, the first arab to write a novel in hebrew, has given us a riveting look at a people we hear too little about.
His acclaimed hebrew novel arabesques 1986 was translated into eight languages, including english, spanish, french, german, italian, although. He does not, that is to say, poetize these peasant peculiarities for the pleasure of big city tourists. Anton shammas is a christian arab born in the galilee who has written his first novel in hebrew. Arabesques is a bookpart novel, part memoirby anton shammas that traces the complexities of the authors family history and homeland in the tale sections. The publication of anton shammas novel arabesques in israel in 1986 made a stir whose ripples reached far beyond literary circles and concerns. Anton shammas only novel arabesques arabesqot, 1986 is notoriously difficult to classify, and even more difficult to summarize. Arabesques was chosen as one of the best books of 1988 by the available again, arabesques is a classic, complex novel of identity, memory, and history in the middle east and points beyond. Anton shammas, palestinian literature in hebrew, creative writing. Arabesques french edition by shammas, anton and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. He is well known for the novel arabesques, written in hebrew and chronically the history of the shammas family in. Arabesques was chosen as one of the best books of 1988 by the editors of the new york. It is translated into eight languages including english, french, german, spanish and italian hebrew. Defining himself not just legally but also culturally as an israeli, he has said that the book is his real identity cardthough a careful reading of arabesques may persuade one that this identity card is not so.
Anton shammas, the first arab to write a novel in hebrew, has given us a riveting look at a people we hear too little about. The novel created a splash when it first came out in the 80s. Arabesques by anton shammas meet your next favorite book. Sep 18, 1988 anton shammas is a 38yearold israeli writer, a young writer by the standards of his culture, if not ours. Anton shammas depicts a gloomier and more realist view of palestine than that of the zionists, especially in his acclaimed book, arabesques 1986. A perfunctory read of arabesques by anton shammas and maus by art spiegelman would leave anyone with the impression of having read two totally dissimilar works. A palestinian writer and translator of arabic, hebrew and english, anton shammas has been teaching arabic and comparative literature at the university of michigan, ann arbor, since 1997. For several years, he was coeditor of an arabic monthly literary. All three books have disparate aims and highly individual voices. Arabesques, a novel by anton shammas 9780520228320. Anton shammas chronicles his life as an israeli christian arab, dramatizing the bitter clash of traditions in a village on the galilee just after 1948 and his search for personal identity, which leads through paris to its climax in iowa city.
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