Anthology of Arabic Literature, Culture, and Thought from Pre-Islamic Times to the Present [Paperback]

Professor Bassam K. Frangieh (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0300104936 | ISBN-13: 978-0300104936 | Publication Date: September 10, 2004

This book—the first comprehensive reader of Arabic literature from pre-Islamic times to the present—is an essential work for advanced students of the Arabic language. Presenting seventy works by seventy authors, it includes:

• pre-Islamic poetry and prose;
• selections from the Qur’an;
• the Prophet Muhammad’s last sermon;
• the powerful writing of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the fourth Islamic Caliph;
• writings from the “Golden Age of the Arabs” (750-1258 A.D.) in philosophy, mysticism, prose, and poetry;
• works from the neoclassical, modernist, and metaphorical schools;
• literature of the Arabs in Andalus, Spain;
• discussions of cultural, literary, critical, and political movements of the present day;
• vocabulary lists, a list of idioms and notes, a set of questions about the text, and two glossaries.

This book not only introduces students to the entire sweep of Arabic intellectual, political, and cultural thought but also gives examples of how this thought is expressed, offering important insight into the Arab mind.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"With its comprehensive coverage of the intellectual and literary Arab-Islamic heritage, this book will be very useful in advanced Arabic classes."—Mahdi Alosh, Ohio State University

"An excellent survey of the Arabic literary tradition, covering poetry, religious texts, grammar and linguistics, literary criticism, belles lettres, religious thought and philosophy, novels, and drama."—Jamal Ali, University of Pennsylvania

"An excellent survey of the Arabic literary tradition, covering poetry, religious texts, grammar and linguistics, literary criticism, belles lettres, religious thought and philosophy, novels, and drama."—Jamal Ali, Hunter College, CUNY

(Jamal Ali )

"With its comprehensive coverage of the intellectual and literary Arab-Islamic heritage, this book will be very useful in advanced Arabic classes."—Mahdi Alosh, Ohio State University

(Mahdi Alosh )

"This exciting and useful reader fills a gap that exists in the availability of textual materials in Arabic at a level beyond that of the first two or three years of instruction."—Roger Allen, University of Pennsylvania

(Roger Allen )

"This comprehensive reader of Arabic literature is a carefully thought out and well-organized collection of the best of Arabic writing, the first of its kind created with the student in mind and will deliver an in-depth understanding of Arabic writings from the earliest days until the present. . . . This text should serve the educator of Arabic and its literature well by offering a basic knowledge of Arabic literature, a unique accomplishment which should not go unappreciated by students. . . . A wonderful resource which greatly facilitates assigning readings in Arabic literature. This anthology is a welcome addition to the Arabic curriculum and is long overdue.”—NECTFL Review

(NECTFL Review )

About the Author

Bassam K. Frangieh is professor of Arabic at Claremont-McKenna College.

Product Details

• Paperback: 600 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (September 10, 2004)
• Language: Arabic
• ISBN-10: 0300104936
• ISBN-13: 978-0300104936
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #358,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #78 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Arabic

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Accomplishment, October 23, 2004

By 

Gloria (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anthology of Arabic Literature, Culture, and Thought from Pre-Islamic Times to the Present (Paperback)

This ingenious anthology includes some of the greatest works of Arabic literature from pre-Islamic poet Imru' al-Qays to 20th century legend Nizar Qabbani.

All the texts include very useful vocabulary lists with idioms and expressions perfectly translated into English. Another special feature of the book is an audio CD with crystal clear sound and the voice of Bassam Frangieh smoothly reading selected texts.

The Arabic script is written in large, readable font throughout the book. This anthology also contains a few intriguing illustrations, a thorough glossary and a brief Literary History of the Arabs. Bassam Frangieh has truly done it all!

I recommend this book for all students and scholars who want to improve their Arabic skills, while reading some of the most fascinating literature ever written.

Bravo to Bassam Frangieh! Simply a beautiful book.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable, September 13, 2005

By 

Abu Humayd (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anthology of Arabic Literature, Culture, and Thought from Pre-Islamic Times to the Present (Paperback)

Dr. Bassam Frangieh's Anthology of Arabic Literature, Culture, and Thought is an indispensable tool for the advanced student of Arabic. Since the advanced student expects to be able to converse with educated Arabs, he or she must be familiar with all the great names of classical Arabic literature and, with very few exceptions, the names with representative texts are all here: Imru' al-Qays, Ibn al-Muqaffa (whose "Kalila wa Dimna" is a brilliant marriage of Machiavelli's "The Prince" and "Aesop's Fables"), Al-Jahiz, Ibn Jinni, Abu Nuwas, Al-Mutanabbi, Ibn Rushd, Ibn Sina, Al-Hallaj, al-Ghazali, Ibn Taymiyya, and Ibn Khaldun. More importantly, Dr. Frangieh has devoted almost half of the book to modern Arab poets, novelists, and critics. Any student conditioned to seeing the Arab-Islamic world through the lens of 9-11 and the issues of radical or political Islam will find enlightening and refreshing the selections by Adonis, Hisham Shirabi, Sadiq Jalal al-`Azm and their respective secular critiques of Arab society. Mahmud Amin al'Alim's "The Arabic Novel" and Idwar Kharrat's "Three Faces of Ghalib Halasah" will provide the student whose native language is English with exemplary models of the modern, expository styles of Arabic expression. Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of this collection is the heightened sense the student gains of the expressive and metaphorical potential of Arabic. For the student accustomed to associating the "poetic" in Arabic with the rich and florid classical style, Nizar Qabbani's "Arabian Love Poems" will introduce the student to the poet's modern metaphorical style that in a sense recaptured the secret of Abu Nuwas-that metaphysical and abstract truths are best expressed through creative juxtapositions of the immediate and sensible. All the selections in Dr. Frangieh's anthology are no more than 4-5 pages, easily readable in an evening's study, and will send the reader running to find the originals.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Arabic Text out there!, January 27, 2006

By 

Tinkerquark (Montana, U.S.A) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anthology of Arabic Literature, Culture, and Thought from Pre-Islamic Times to the Present (Paperback)

If I could give this book more than five stars, I would! After dealing with the pain of Al-Kitaab for years, I was relieved when I began studying out of this book. All of the major authors in the Arab world are featured inside: Nizar Qabbani, Mahmoud Darwish, Imru al-Quais, Ibn Khaldoun, etc. It is perfect for the upper-intermediate/advanced Arabic student.