The sheltered quarter : a tale of a boyhood in Mecca / Hamza Bogary ; translated by Olive Kenny and Jeremy Reed from the Saudi Arabian novel Saqifat al-safa ; introduction by William Ochsenwald.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Būqarī, Muḥammad Ḥammazah.

Series:

Modern Middle East literatures in translation series

Standardized Title:

Saqīfat al-Ṣafā. English

Language:

Arabic

English

Subjects (All):

Arabic fiction--Translations into English.

Arabic fiction.

Mecca (Saudi Arabia)--Fiction.

Mecca (Saudi Arabia).

Genre:

Fiction.

Physical Description:

xii, 119 pages ; 22 cm.

Place of Publication:

Austin : Center for Middle Eastern Studies, University of Texas at Austin, [1991]

Summary:

Hamza Bogary describes a bygone way of life that has now irreversibly disappeared. He speaks of life in Mecca before the advent of oil. Only partly autobiographical, the memoir is nevertheless rich in remembered detail based on Bogary's early observations of life in Mecca. He has transformed his knowledge into art through his sense of humor, empathy, and remarkable understanding of human nature. This work not only entertains; it also informs its readers about the Arabia of the first half of the twentieth century in a graphic and fascinating way. The narrator, young Muhaisin, deals with various aspects of Arabian culture, including education, pilgrimages, styles of clothing, slavery, public executions, the status of women, and religion. Muhaisin is frank in his language and vivid in his humor. The reader quickly comes to love the charming and mischievous boy in this universal tale.

Notes:

Translation of: Saqīfat al-Ṣafā.

ISBN:

0292727526

OCLC:

24740530