Amin Maalouf

[saliotthomas]

My hero,my favorite writer alive or dead!
His prose his superbe,his methaphores worth been writen on the corner of one eye,elegant,sensitive,funny,never obvious...
The first would be Leon the African,story inspired by a thrue caractere,an epique around the mediterranean,read it 5 or 6 times.
then "the Crusade trough the arabian eye" by far the most enterteining an alighting piece of history i read.I gave it ot my father in audio,he use to stay in the parking not wanting to leave the car listening to the tapes
the Rock of Taniosthe garden of light,les echelles du levant,(english)all his books are fabulous,it's not boring,not heavy,too intellectual,try it.If you read him please tell what you think

 

[Samerron]

Amin Maalouf, interesting to hear someone's hero & favorite writer. Although I come from the same country he belongs, but unfortunately I didn't have the chance to read any of his books. I know and heard about his books. I am mostly interested in his book In the Name of Identity: Violence and the Need to Belong.

He tries to describe how modern average Arab feels along a wide spectrum of ideologies in practice around the Arab world (from religious beliefs, traditional practices to total secularism.)

Its nice to meet you Thomas, what do you mostly like about Maalouf's writing?

 

[saliotthomas]

hello Samerron

Not being very good with words,i would not do honor to mr Maalouf by discribing his writing.All i can tell you is to try at least one,preferably Leo the african and see for your-self.
I be very interrested in hearing about your country and city,witch i always was very curious of.
Libanese food is on of my favorites,I had a exellent restaurant near my studio when i lived in Paris,and it left me some great gastronomique memories .There's quite a good one in Marrakech to.
thanks Samerron

 

[Samerron]

Thanks for the advice, I shall read Leo the African. I'm glad to know your interest in Lebanon.

Well, I'm currently living in Beirut. It is a lovely country here, and every year we have many tourists or even foriegn scholars who live here.
Maybe some day you can visit us, the Lebanese food is much better when you eat it here . If you'd like to know anything about the country feel free to contact me.

 

[mehdirza]

Can I ask a question? Who is Amin Maoulaf, plz? Is he Iranian? I say 'he' sounds it's man.

 

[saliotthomas]

I just started Balthazar Odysseus,good as ever.I'm starting to wander if his prose would be as good in English.The setting is meddle east in the 17the century,involving travels and book.Truly a great writer.
am i still the only one with an interrest in him?

 

[beer good]

"the Crusade trough the arabian eye" by far the most enterteining an alighting piece of history i read.

Oh yes, I read that book a few years ago. (The correct English title, for anyone looking for it, is The Crusades Through Arab Eyes.) Brilliant book, thoroughly researched, and especially useful for those used to getting the other side's version of events.

And thanks for reminding me to check out Leo The African. I've heard good things about it and meant to read it, but... you know how it is.

 

[saliotthomas]

And thanks to you.It's seems there is very few autors you ignore,and as well as that your not to exclusive in your choices of books witch is refreshing.

 

[saliotthomas]

Just finished it to.As i can't really write i copied the back cover

"It is 1665, and all the signs and portents foretell that next year the Antichrist will appear and the world will come to an end. Antiquarian merchant and sage Balthasar sets out in search of a rare book that may bring salvation to a distraught world, a mysterious work entitled The Hundredth Name. In the course of his odyssey throughout the Mediterranean and beyond, Balthasar travels through countries in ruin, cities in flames(london), and stricken communities awaiting the Apocalypse. He encounters fear, falsehood, and disillusion, but he also discovers love at a time when he had given up all hope."

I liked it but not as much as Leo the african-i shall add the the book is in the form of 4 Private journal discribing the all voyage.

 

[beer good]

Leo Africanus is, in a lot of ways, a good old-fashioned picaresque; Hasan is born in Granada in 1489, and when the muslims are kicked out of al-Andaluz he winds up stateless, homeless, and needing to survive (and help his family survive) by his wits. Does he travel all over the civilised world (the Mediterranean)? Of course he does. Does he meet most of the powerful people of his age, from kings to sultans to popes? Of course he does. Does he play a small but crucial part in historical events? You know he does.

At the same time, the novel shares a lot with some of my favourite 20th century examples of the genre - say, Eco's Baudolino or Bengtsson's The Long Ships, in that it's very consciously written for contemporary readers. He sneaks in discussion of current topics without ever making it too obvious, has the narrator not see the prejudices of his time while still making them stand out for the reader, while at the same time showing some things starting that still influence us today but have become so much a part of culture that we don't see them. Hasan (later Leo) lives through the end of one era and the beginning of a new one, sees the fall of Granada and the rise of the Ottoman empire, the departure of Columbus and the rise of the Habsburgs, the end of small-scale mediaeval culture and the beginning of a view of society, power and religion, that claim to want to return to something old while at the same time building something entirely new - both for bad and good. Maalouf creates a fully alive, entertaining character very much of his time, to show us things about how our own time came about.