The puppet : a novel / Ibrahim al-Koni ; translated and introduced by William M. Hutchins.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kūnī, Ibrāhīm.

Contributor:

Hutchins, William M.

Series:

Modern Middle East literatures in translation series

Standardized Title:

Dumya. English.

Language:

Arabic

English

Subjects (All):

Nomads--Sahara--Fiction.

Nomads.

Gold--Fiction.

Gold.

Sahara.

Genre:

Fiction.

Novels.

Physical Description:

xii, 113 pages ; 22 cm.

Place of Publication:

[Austin, TX] : Center for Middle Eastern Studies, the University of Texas at Austin, [2010]

Language Note:

Translated from the Arabic.

Summary:

"The Puppet, a mythic tale of greed and political corruption, traces the rise, flourishing, and demise of a Saharan oasis community. Aghulli, a noble if obtuse man who has been chosen leader of the oasis, hankers after the traditional nomadic pastoralist life of the Tuareg. He sees commerce (understood as including trade in gold, marriage, agriculture, and even recreation) as the prime culprit in the loss of the nomadic ethos. Thus he is devastated to learn that his supporters are hoarding gold. The novel's title notwithstanding, the author has stressed repeatedly that he is not a political author. He says that The Puppet portrays a good man who has been asked to lead a corrupt society. The subplot about star-crossed young lovers introduces a Sufi theme of the possibility of transforming carnal into mystical love. The Puppet, though, is first and foremost a gripping, expertly crafted tale of bloody betrayal and revenge inspired by gold lust and an ancient love affair."--P. [4] of cover.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: THE PUPPET

The She-Jinni

The Puppet

The Judgment

The Purse

The Campaign

The Punishment

The Wretch

The Conspiracy.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

0292723350

9780292723351

OCLC:

607973900

Publisher Number:

99953631058